ALBERT

Beschreibung: 25.08.-01.09.2019

Beschreibung: 02.09. bis 06.09.2019

Beschreibung: Umweltsensoren von GEOMAR und HZG wurden offenbar gewaltsam entfernt. 03.09.2019/Kiel. Im Dezember 2016 installierten das GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel und das Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht in einem Sperrgebiet am Ausgang der Eckernförder Bucht ein Observatorium für Umweltmessungen am Meeresboden. Offenbar wurden die zwei, je 550 und 220 Kilogramm schweren Gestelle am 21. August mit großer Kraft von ihrer Position entfernt. Die Forscher fanden nur noch das zerfaserte Landanschlusskabel. Jetzt hoffen GEOMAR und HZG auf Hinweise, um die wertvollen Geräte zurückzuerhalten.

Beschreibung: 02.09.-08.09.2019

Beschreibung: M159 (29.10. – 20.11.2019) 2. Wochenbericht vom 10. November 2019

Beschreibung: (21th-25th October 2019)

Beschreibung: M159 (29.10. – 20.11.2019) 3. Wochenbericht vom 17. November 2019

Beschreibung: M159 (29.10. – 20.11.2019) 1. Wochenbericht vom 3. November 2019

Beschreibung: 02.12.19 - 08.12.19

Beschreibung: Dates of Cruise: 16.04. – 29.04.2018 Areas of Research: Physical, chemical, biological and fishery oceanography Port Calls: Visby, Sweden, 21. - 22.04.2018

Beschreibung: Dates of Cruise: 15.05. – 30.05.2018 Areas of Research: Physical, chemical, biological and fishery oceanography Port Calls: Riga. Latvia, 22.05.2018

Beschreibung: DIPLANOAGAP (Distribution of plastics in the North Atlantic garbage patch), 17.08.-24.08.2019

Beschreibung: 18.-30.9.2019 The overall objective of this practical for students is to investigate the ecological role of gelatinous plankton in the Baltic Sea food webs and alongside the salinity gradient. To demonstrate the temporal as well as spatial variation of pelagic communities such as bacteria-, phyto and zooplankton as well as in the benthic food webs, different food web tracers will be used. Main focus here is therefore to obtain qualitative and quantitative sample sets of gelatinous zooplankton to investigate their distinct role on bentho-pelagic processes. Over the last several decades, a significant increase of both frequency and severity of jellyfish (JF) blooms were reported worldwide. Blooms of these organisms can extend for thousands of square kilometers, with drastic consequences and economic losses. When JF outbreak, they will not only affect the pelagic community by direct feeding on fish larvae, fish eggs or competing for the prey with bigger fishes, but only serve as organic matter source for benthic systems via sinking to the sea floor. Due to the scarcity of data on the potential role of gelatinous zooplankton from only few locations in the Baltic Sea, there is only a limited understanding on the role of JF in the bentho-pelagic food web of the Baltic Sea. A quantitative and qualitative assessment of gelatinous zooplankton in the BS systems and their functioning with regard to salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea , are now urgently needed to better account for the role of gelatinous zooplankton in the future of the system. Applicant and working group have performed this student research/educational cruise with the specific focus on jellyfish ecology every year and on a regular basis since 2013. During this two-week cruise students will perform the compulsory „Practical at Sea“. The general goal is to survey and characterize the temporal and special distribution of bacterial, phyto-, zooplankton and macroplankton specially jellyfish in Skagerrak and Baltic Sea

Beschreibung: Poseidon 533 – AIMAC (Atmosphere–ocean–island-biogeochemical interactions in the Macaronesian Archipelagos) investigated the influence of the Cape Verdes, the Canary Islands, and Madeira on the physics, chemistry and biology of the surrounding subtropical North- East Atlantic ocean. The air – sea exchange of halocarbons from marine sources impact tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry, and therewith air quality and human health. High oceanic and atmospheric concentrations of iodinated, brominated and chlorinated methanes are often found near coastlines. In particular, bromoform (CHBr3) was recently detected at unexpectedly high concentrations in seawater of subtropical coasts, e.g. at Miami and Tenerife beaches. Bromoform is produced naturally from macro algae and phytoplankton and is the major marine vector of organic bromine to the atmosphere. Together with dibromomethane (CH2Br2), it is the main contributor to natural stratospheric bromine, involved in ozone depletion. Bromoform is also a major product during disinfection of seawater for many industrial and recreational purposes and during desalination processes. While the bromoform production from phytoplankton generally leads to picomolar concentrations in seawater, macroalgal production yields nanomolar concentrations and disinfection processes involving seawater can increase concentrations to micromolar levels. The latter has led to the occasional application of this compound as tracer for the effluents of power plants and wastewater discharges. Other disinfection by-products (DBP) in the effluents can lead to unfavorable effects on the environment and human health. As bromoform shows large concentrations in urbanized and industrialized regions, the elevated concentrations at many coasts may have a major and increasing contribution to the global budget.. We hypothesize, that populated coastlines show elevated bromoform concentrations from disinfection activities, related to the amount of population and industrial activities. Coastal alongshore currents may additionally trap the compound inshore. Therefore, bromoform can be a good tracer of the terrestrial and anthropogenic signal in the island mass effect, which describes the increase in nutrients and biological productivity in the surrounding water masses of an island. POS533 investigated the bromoform distribution in ocean and atmosphere in the subtropical East Atlantic and the islands of Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and the Cape Verde Archipelago, considering physical and biogeochemical parameters, phytoplankton distribution and carbon chemistry. During the cruise new scientific tools where applied, to differentiate between the islands natural and anthropogenic interactions with ocean and atmosphere. The measurements deliver the first comprehensive biogeochemical data set of phytoplankton, microbiology, trace gases, carbon, oxygen and nutrient cycling from this region close the islands in exchange with the open ocean. Despite the novel knowledge, current climate chemistry and chemical transport models used to understand the anthropogenic signal of marine halocarbon emissions and their effects on tropospheric oxidation and stratospheric ozone will benefit from the expedition's dataset.

Beschreibung: Geoengineering is regarded by advocates as a creative and responsible technological option in the face of a climate emergency. Critics often see it as a hubristic attempt to play God, with disastrous consequences for the planet and humanity. These antipodal perspectives are represented by the ideal types of Prometheans and Gaians. Prometheans and Gaians typically talk past each other. The geoengineering debate can be made more fruitful by well articulating their respective positions and subsequently situating them in the discourse of sustainability. A sustainability orientation does not answer the troubling question whether geoengineering should be developed and deployed. But it can foster a ‘fusion of horizons’ between Prometheans and Gaians, providing common ground in an otherwise polarized debate and making a more productive dialogue possible.

Beschreibung: 09.12.19 - 16.12.19

Beschreibung: 18/2/2019-24/2/2019

Beschreibung: R.V. Poseidon cruise no. 522 Dates, Ports: 10.04.2018 (Catania, Italy) – 29.04.2018 (Malaga, Spain) Research subject: Tephrostratigraphy of tsunami-related deposits at Stromboli Chief Scientist: Dr. Armin Freundt, GEOMAR, Kiel Number of Scientists: 11 Project: Stromboli tsunamis

Beschreibung: Hydroacoustic and optical remote sensing have been commonly used to map shallow nearshore benthic features. However, the number, type, scale, and accuracy of the mapping products that can be obtained from the two sensors differ; as such, there can be limited agreement between their mapping products. These differences can be further accentuated if the hydroacoustic data are interpolated to produce a map. Interpolation introduces spatial uncertainty and reduces map accuracy. Consequently, maps generated from the two sensors may provide dissimilar spatial and temporal representations of the same benthic features. We therefore compared the performance of a random forest regression (RFr) and a universal kriging (UK) interpolation method and a post-classification enhancement that can be used to increase the accuracy and complementarity of benthic habitat maps derived from hydroacoustic data. First, we used single beam echosounder (SBES) survey bathymetry data from the Bluefields Bay marine protected area (MPA) in western Jamaica (13.82 km2 in size), to create a bathymetric surface model (BSM), from which rugosity and bathymetric position index (BPI) maps were generated. Next, the RFr was used to create submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) percentage cover maps from the SBES SAV cover data by predicting cover at un-sampled locations. Predictors included auxiliary data such as depth, BPI, survey points coordinates and radiometrically corrected, deglinted and water column corrected image reflectance index values from each of the following: WorldView-2, Geoeye-1 and Landsat 8. Additionally, a SAV map was created using the UK. The most accurate SAV cover thresholds were identified and were used to create binary maps from the RFr and UK maps. A rugosity derived coral reef map was then added to the binary maps. The resulting benthic habitat maps had comparable accuracies and class coverage to benthic maps classified from GeoEye-1 and WorldView-2 images using pixel and object-based classifiers. However, map accuracies were calculated using a suboptimal number of reference points (〈50) for two of the benthic map classes (SAV absent and coral reef). This was not considered to be problematic as the addition of the coral reef class to the binary maps resulted in a significant decrease in uncertainty (standard error and confidence interval width of the overall accuracy) and a significant increase in the user’s accuracy of the SAV absent map class. Also, the difference in uncertainty and accuracy between the map classes did not change. The methods used in this study can therefore be used to increase the accuracy (and to decrease the uncertainty) and the complementarity of maps derived from hydroacoustic data.

Beschreibung: 09.09. bis 12.09.2019

Beschreibung: In early 2017 we deployed eight KOSMOS [a] mesocosm units (53 m^3 each) close to ‘Isla San Lorenzo’ about 4.5 nm off-shore the Peruvian coastline (-12.0554667°, -077.2347667°). The aim of the study was to improve our mechanistic understanding of processes controlling plankton productivity, organic matter export, and particle stoichiometry in the coastal upwelling system off Peru. About 40 days into the study, Inca terns (Larosterna inca) – an abundant sea bird species in the region – discovered the mesocosms as suitable resting places. The birds were able to start and land on the very small areas lacking anti-bird spikes that were installed on the mesocosm roofs. Resting on the flotation frames as well as the opening of the mesocosm bags, they defecated into the enclosed water columns, adding new nutrients to the system. This orni-eutrophication from day 40 to 50 triggered intense phytoplankton blooms in the uppermost part of the enclosures where light was plentiful. This video illustrates the fertilizing effect of Inca tern defecation on phytoplankton communities during our mesocosm study in the upwelling system off Peru. [a] Kiel Off-Shore Mesocosms for Ocean Simulations

Beschreibung: 23.09. - 27.09.2019

Beschreibung: The reformed Common Fisheries Policy of the EU, in force since 2014, stipulates that overfishing by the fleets of its member states has to end latest in the year 2020. This study examines exploitation and status of 119 stocks fished by 20 countries in the Northeast Atlantic. In the year 2018, about 40% of the stocks were still subject to overfishing (F 〉 Fmsy), about 34% of the stocks were outside safe biological limits (B 〈 Bpa) and about 68% of the stocks were too depleted to produce maximum sustainable yields (B 〈 Bmsy). Reduction in the number of overfished stocks has stalled, possible because of an agreement between the European Commission (EC) and the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES), its advisory body for total allowed catches (TACs), wherein the EC requests ICES to give TAC advice leading to overfishing for many stocks. As a result, it is unlikely that overfishing will end in the Northeast Atlantic in 2020.

Beschreibung: A series of triaxial compression tests of frozen sandy soil are carried out under five confining pressures (1 MPa, 4 MPa, 6 MPa, 8 MPa and 10 MPa) at –6 °C. By comparing the grain size distribution curves of frozen sandy soil before and after shearing, it is found that significant particle breakage can occur during triaxial shearing. Particle breakage changes internal structure of geomaterials and has a significant effect on their stress–strain relationships. In order to accurately describe the effect of particle breakage of frozen sandy soil on the stress–strain relationships, an elastoplastic constitutive model for frozen sandy soil considering particle breakage is proposed. Based on the energy balance equation established by Indraratna and Salim, the constant critical state stress ratio (Mcr) in the energy balance equation is modified to the stress ratio (M) which changed with shear strain during the shearing process. A yield function, considering particle breakage, is proposed using the modified energy balance equation. The hardening law is determined based on the rebound test results of frozen sandy soil, and the associated flow rule is adopted in the model. Compared with experimental data, the model can well simulate the stress–strain relationships under different confining pressures for frozen sandy soil. • Highlights • The particle breakage characteristics of frozen sandy soil are studied. • The energy balance equation considering particle breakage is modified to calculate the energy dissipation of frozen sandy soil. • An elastoplastic constitutive model for frozen sandy soil considering particle breakage is proposed.

Beschreibung: Surfactant-mediated extraction (SME), pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), and enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) have been compared to improve the isolation of phlorotannins from the brown algae Lobophora variegata. Enzymatic treatment with Alcalase 2.4 L FG, Carezyme 4500 L, protease from Streptomyces griseus, pectinase from Aspergillus niger, Celluclast 1.5 L, protease from Bacillus licheniformis; surfactant extraction with triacetin and guaiacol and PLE with ethanol:water as extracting solvent, have been studied in terms of total phenolic content by the Folin–Ciocalteu method and total phlorotannin content using the DMBA assay. The results showed that SME yields the highest amount of phenols and phlorotannins by using food grade guaiacol as the surfactant. An extraction protocol was developed to maximize the amount of extract obtained from L. variegata. The effects of various parameters such as the type of surfactant, efficacy of surfactant, and optimum pH, on the extraction efficiency of polyphenols were examined. The simultaneous use of the enzyme and surfactant was also investigated. However, a synergistic effect between the enzymes and the surfactant for the extraction of polyphenols has not been observed. Considering total phenols and total phlorotannins in the extract, the extraction yield were obtained for total phenols as SME 〉 EAE 〉 PLE and for total phlorotannins as SME 〉 PLE 〉 EAE.

Beschreibung: Abstract Legal requirement in Europe asks for Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) in European seas, including considerations of trophic interactions and minimization of negative impacts of fishing on food webs and ecosystem functioning. Focusing on the interaction between fisheries and ecosystem components, the trophic model presented here shows for the first time the “big picture” of the western Baltic Sea (WBS) food web by quantifying structure and flows between all trophic elements and the impact of fisheries that were and are active in the area, based on best available recent data. Model results show that fishing pressures exerted on the WBS since the early nineties of the past century forces not only top predators such as harbour porpoises and seals but also cod and other demersal fish to heavily compete for fish as food and to cover their dietary needs by shifting to organisms lower in the trophic web, mainly to benthic macrofauna and / or search for suitable prey in adjacent ecosystems such as Kattegat, Skagerrak, central Baltic Sea and North Sea. While common sense implementations of EBFM have been proposed, such as fishing all stocks below Fmsy and reducing fishing pressure even further for forage fish such as herring and sprat, few studies compared such fishing to alternative scenarios. Different options for EBFM, with regards to recovery of depleted stocks and sustainable future catches, are presented here based on the WBS ecosystem model, the legal framework given by the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) of the European Union. The model explores four legally valid future fishery scenarios: 1) business as usual, 2) maximum sustainable fishing (F = Fmsy), 3) half of Fmsy, and 4) EBFM with F = 0.5 Fmsy for forage fish and F = 0.8 Fmsy for other fish. In addition, a “No-fishing” scenario demonstrates, that neither individual stocks nor the whole system would collapse when all fishing activities from 2017 on would cease. Simulations show that “Business as usual” would perpetuate low 2016 catches from depleted stocks in an unstable ecosystem where endangered species may be lost. In contrast, an “EBFM” scenario - with herring and sprat fished at 0.5 Fmsy level and cod and other stocks fished at 0.8 Fmsy level - allows the recovery of all stocks with strongly increased catches close to the maximum (at Fmsy) for cod and flatfish and catches similar to the 2016 level for herring and sprat but with strongly reduced fishing effort. Model and methodology presented here are considered suitable to assess MSFD Criterion D4C2 in the WBS.

Beschreibung: The Ponto-Caspian round goby (Neogobius melanostomus Pallas, 1814) is a prominent invasive species in many European waters. Eggs of the Western Baltic Spring Spawning Atlantic herring might be attractive prey for the invasive round goby during the spawning season. However, investigations of the small fish fauna in an important spawning area of herring, which was characterized by high densities of macrophytes, indicated a spatio-temporal mismatch of round goby and herring spawn in spring, at least on some of the known important spawning beds situated on vegetated sandy bottoms. In contrast, a spatio-temporal overlap between round gobies and herring spawn was observed in a more structured area, characterized with stones, where round gobies’ stomachs were sampled. Further field study results suggest that large round gobies (〉 10 cm) do not feed on herring eggs, while smaller round gobies (〈 10 cm) do so. To support these results, we conducted laboratory feeding experiments with round gobies. When C. crangon, M. edulis and herring eggs were offered simultaneously, round gobies preferred C. crangon. M. edulis was preferred over herring eggs when C. crangon was absent. The predatory impact of the round goby on herring eggs seems to be of minor importance compared to other species, such as three-spined stickleback or perch. Applying the same data, different food ‘preference indices’ revealed a discrepancy in preference between indices. Therefore, we propose a modified food preference index (mE), taking into account four important parameters and combining benefits of two commonly applied indices.

Beschreibung: 4/2/2019 – 24/2/2019, Mindelo (Republic of Cape Verde) – Mindelo (Republic of Cape Verde) DeepC-Jelly We proposed to test the hypothesis that large gelatinous macrozooplankton (e.g. tunicates, hydrozoans) are a significant carbon storage in midwater, and a vector for carbon from midwater to the ocean floor in Cape Verde. To test this hypothesis, we studied 1) the distribution, diversity and abundance of gelatinous organisms in the epi-, meso-, and bathypelagic zone, 2) their role in transporting carbon through the pelagic foodweb to the seafloor and 3) their behavior and associations. We worked in the coastal deep sea off Santo Antão and Fogo as well as in the open ocean at the time series station CVOO and an eddy. A manned submersible was used for mesopelagic surveys, to document the behaviour and associations of deep-sea organisms and to collect living specimens. We performed pelagic video transects, discrete net sampling, and eDNA sampling down to 3000 m. ADCP and CTD transects allowed a detailed reconstruction of the effect of the islands on currents and productivity. To quantify the carbon flux of pelagic foodfalls, we also surveyed the seafloor. Sample and video analysis is still in progress, but first results indicate the impact of the pelagic tunicate Pyrosoma atlanticum, which is an upwelling-favored species largely absent from the oligotrophic open ocean, in the nearshore regions of Cape Verde as well as in the cyclonic eddy sampled. It was also observed on the seafloor and resembles a food source and a habitat in the water column and in the benthos. Specimens of pelagic fauna were collected that allow new species descriptions. New records and a new species for the region were also observed during benthic surveys. The cruise was documented in various outreach activities including national television in Cabo Verde.

Beschreibung: Gas hydrates continue to attract enormous attention throughout the energy industry, as both a hindrance in conventional production and a substantial unconventional resource. Scientists continue to be fascinated by the hydrates’ ability of sequestering large amounts of hydrophobic gases, unusual thermal transport properties and unique molecular structures. Technologically, clathrate hydrates promise advantages in applications as diverse as carbon sequestration and water desalination. The communities interested in hydrates span traditional academic disciplines, including earth science, physical chemistry and petroleum engineering. The studies on this field are equally diverse, including field expeditions to attempt the production of natural gas from hydrate deposits accumulated naturally on the seafloor, to lab-scale studies to exchange CO2 for CH4 in hydrates; from theoretical studies to understand the stability of hydrates depending on the guest molecules, to molecular simulations probing nucleation mechanisms. This review highlights a few fundamental questions, with focus on knowledge gaps representing some of the barriers that must be addressed to enable growth in the practical applications of hydrate technology, including natural gas storage, water desalination, CO2 – CH4 exchange in hydrate deposits and prevention of hydrate plugs in conventional energy transportation.

Beschreibung: Fermentation plays a fundamental role in organic carbon degradation on a global scale. However, little is known about how environmental variables influence this process. In a step towards quantifying how temperature and composition influence fermentation, we have calculated the Gibbs energies of 47 fermentation reaction, ΔGr, from 0–150 °C for a broad range of compositions representing microbial habitats as variable as sediments, estuaries, soils, and crustal rocks. The organic compounds in these reactions include amino acids, nucleic acid bases, monosaccharides, carboxylates, methanogenic compounds and more. The amount of energy available varies considerably, from +54 kJ (mol C)−1 for palmitate fermentation, to −184 kJ (mol C)−1 for methylamine disproportionation. For some reactions, there is little difference in ΔGr between low and high energy systems (e.g., the monosaccharide reactions) while others span a much broader range (e.g., the nucleic acid bases). There is no clear-cut trend between exergonicity and temperature, and the values of standard state Gibbs energies of reactions, ΔG0r, for nearly half of the reactions lie outside the range of ΔGr values. To carry out some of these calculations, the thermodynamic properties for six organic compounds were estimated: dimethylamine, trimethylamine, resorcinol, phloroglucinol and cyclohexane carboxylate and its conjugate acid.

Beschreibung: As an emerging technology, hyperspectral imaging (HSI), which combines both advanced spectroscopy and imaging techniques, provides sufficient information for spectral and spatial analysis and is thus suitable for distribution and property investigation of nanoscale materials. Considering the applications of HSI have spread from remote sensing to quality control of macro products such as food and milk, this article reviews recent research of HSI in a new field of nanoscale materials. On the basis of fundamental parts of a HSI system, new techniques fitting specifically for nanoscale materials imaging such as dark field and Raman spectroscopy are introduced. Nanoscale materials, including metal nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and graphene, biological components in cells and tissues, as well as multi-layer nanoscale materials, are the research hotspots utilizing HSI technology. Related research reports of the above materials are reviewed based on the physical distinction of these nanoscale materials. It is believed that HSI technology is a strongly potential technique for property investigation and manipulation of nanomaterial for various applications.

Beschreibung: DNA barcoding analysis, using tufA, revealed considerable differences between the expected and observed species inventory of Ulva sensu lato in the Baltic and North Sea areas of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Of 20 observed genetic entities, at least four (U. australis, U. californica, U. gigantea and Umbraulva dangeardii) had been introduced recently, whereas three others (one Ulva sp. and two Blidingia spp.) could not be identified at the species level and could also represent recently introduced species. In addition, the observed distributions of Kornmannia leptoderma and U. rigida were much more extensive than indicated by historical records, whereas Blidingia minima and Gayralia oxysperma were absent or much less common than expected. Barcoding analysis also revealed that both U. tenera (type material) and U. pseudocurvata (historical vouchers) from Helgoland, an off-shore island in the North Sea, actually belong to U. lactuca, a species that appears to be restricted to this island. Furthermore, past morphological descriptions of U. intestinalis and U. compressa have apparently been too restrictive and have been responsible for numerous misidentifications. The same is true for U. linza, which, in northern Germany, clusters into two genetically closely related but morphologically indistinguishable entities. One of these entities is present on Helgoland, while the second is present on North Sea and Baltic Sea mainland coasts.

Beschreibung: To resolve historical misinterpretations of species descriptions and to comprehend the morphological diversity together with the distribution of Ulva compressa Linnaeus in northern Germany, a morphological and molecular study was undertaken of recently collected specimens and herbarium vouchers. Phylogenetic analyses from sequences of the plastid encoded tufA gene confirmed that U. compressa is abundant along the German Baltic Sea and North Sea coasts. We were able to genetically confirm the presence of U. compressa in the Baltic Sea below salinities of 15 PSU. However, we detected morphologies agreeing with the attached and branched tubular type material only in the North Sea, while U. compressa on Baltic Sea coasts indiscriminately exhibited a very distinct morphology of sheet-like thalli that were always unattached, with the exception of one collection site. Drifting forms were also frequently detected in the Wadden Sea, but not on the island of Helgoland. The tufA sequences of attached and tubular forms of U. compressa from the German Wadden Sea were identical to the drifting sheets found in the Wadden and Baltic Seas and the sequence divergence was extremely small at ≤0.9%. The proliferating, blade-like thalli of U. compressa appear as a nuisance ecotype that is able to form massive accumulations associated with oxygen depletion. Mass accumulations were observed to cause severe damage and increased mortality of habitat forming Zostera and Ruppia populations.

Beschreibung: Cytospora is a genus including important phytopathogens causing severe dieback and canker diseases distributed worldwide with a wide host range. However, identification of Cytospora species is difficult since the currently available DNA sequence data are insufficient. Aside the limited availability of ex-type sequence data, most of the genetic work is only based on the ITS region DNA marker which lacks the resolution to delineate to the species level in Cytospora. In this study, three fresh strains were isolated from the symptomatic branches of Elaeagnus angustifolia in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Morphological observation and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses (ITS, LSU, ACT and RPB2) support these specimens are best accommodated as a distinct novel species of Cytospora. Cytospora elaeagnicola sp. nov. is introduced, having discoid, nearly flat, pycnidial conidiomata with hyaline, allantoid conidia, and differs from its relatives genetically and by host association.

Beschreibung: The long-term trend of diurnal temperature range (DTR) over Nigeria was examined using daily station-based datasets for the period 1971–2013. The results show that the regionally averaged DTR has decreased significantly (−0.34°C per decade) over the Nigerian Sahel (north of 10°N), but there has been a slight increasing trend (0.01°C per decade) over the Nigerian Guinea Coast. The annual decreasing trend of DTR in the Nigerian Sahel is mainly attributable to the significant increasing trend in daily minimum temperature (Tmin, 0.51°C per decade), which far outstrips the rate of increase in the daily maximum (Tmax, 0.17°C per decade). In contrast, the comparable trends in Tmin (0.19°C per decade) and Tmax (0.20°C per decade) may explain the non-significant trend of the DTR averaged over the Guinea Coast region. It is observed that the DTR has decreased more in boreal summer (June–July–August) than in boreal winter (December–January–February) for the regions. Furthermore, it is found that the significant DTR declining trend over the Nigerian Sahel is closely associated with an increasing trend of annual and summer precipitation in the region, but the increasing DTR trend in the Nigerian Guinea Coast region can be attributed to the decreasing trend of cloud cover over the region.

Beschreibung: “Praktikum auf See” is a cruise planned for master students of the biological oceanography at GEOMAR-Kiel. The main purpose of the expedition is to engage students in the real ocean science and exposing them to the “research-life on the sea”. We are going to sample for different fauna and flora of the central and easterly Baltic to be able to track biodiversity changes along the salinity gradient. This year’s cruise is combined with the sampling for the Horizon 2020 Project “GoJelly” in which samples for ecological studies of gelatinous zooplankton will be taken (www.gojelly.eu).

Beschreibung: F.K. Littorina Cruise No.: L19-04 Date of cruise: 06.05. - 10.05.2019 Areas of research: Public relations and Aquarium West Shore Port Calls: Grenå DK (07.05. - 08.05. & 08.05 – 09.05.2019)

Beschreibung: The RV Poseidon cruise 523 (POS523) is the second cruise to the work area as part of the observational program of the TRR 181 'Energy Transfers in Atmosphere and Ocean', and focussed on the energy transfer by low-mode internal waves. The goals of the cruise were to recover and redeploy a mooring to record the temporal variability of the internal wave field and associated energy fluxes, and to use time series CTD/LADCP/microstructure stations to assess locally the temporal variability of mixing, dissipation, and internal wave fluxes. The region south of the Azores in the east Atlantic is ideally suited for this kind of process study, because it is an area of a strong internal tide signal radiating away from the islands. The cruise track is located south of a chain of seamounts in a tidal beam formed by constructive interference of internal tides, and crosses the critical latitude for parametric subharmonic instability (PSI). During the cruise, we collected time series of CTD/LADCP and microstructure between 36 h and 52 h length on 5 stations in up to 4600 m water depth along the tidal beam between 29°20’N and 32°N latitude. In total 64 CTD/LADCP casts and 18 microstructure data sets were measured. The mooring equipped with current meter/temperature logger pairs and acoustic Doppler current profiler was successfully recovered and later redeployed along the track at 30°29’N, 30°12’W in a water depth of 4500 m (to be retrieved in 2019). All anticipated goals of the cruise were accomplished.

Beschreibung: 15.05 – 30.05.2019 The AL522 cruise extended a long-term data series on (eco-)system composition and functioning of the Baltic Sea, with a focus on the deeper basins. The series has been collected in similar form since 1986. A key characteristic of the cruise is the integration of oceanographic and biological information to enhance understanding of environmental and (fish) population fluctuations, and evolutionary processes in this system. The resulting data- and sample sets support ongoing projects in the Research Unit Marine Evolutionary Ecology at GEOMAR, as well as the EU Horizon 2020 project GoJelly and several international collaborations. The spatial focus lay on the Bornholm Basin as most important spawning area of Baltic cod, but also included the Western Baltic Sea, Arkona and Gotland Basin, Gdansk Deep, and Stolpe Trench. Specific investigations included a detailed hydrological survey (oxygen, salinity, temperature) of the cruise area, plankton surveys (zoo- and ichthyplankton including gelatinous plankton, with the goal to determine the composition and the abundance and vertical and horizontal distribution of species, and to take samples for later measurements of nutritional condition), and pelagic fishery hauls. The latter served to determine stock structure, gonadal maturation, stomach contents, and egg production of sprat and cod, and to sample tissue and otolith samples for individual-level genetic and ecological analyses of cod. The abundance and distribution of fishes in the cruise area was also assessed with hydroacoustic methods. Additional cruise components were: (i) cod gonad and liver sampling for fecundity + parasite studies, (ii) vertically resolved plankton sampling for studies of plankton phenology (iii) depth-resolved sampling of microplastic using an neuston sledge (iv) sampling and experimental work of photosynthesis rates of different phytoplankton fractions (v) eDNA filter sampling to compare with traditional net based methods.

Beschreibung: New biostratigraphical, geochemical, and magnetic evidence is synthesized with IODP Expedition 352 shipboard results to understand the sedimentary and tectono-magmatic development of the Izu–Bonin outer forearc region. The oceanic basement of the Izu–Bonin forearc was created by supra-subduction zone seafloor spreading during early Eocene (c. 50–51 Ma). Seafloor spreading created an irregular seafloor topography on which talus locally accumulated. Oxide-rich sediments accumulated above the igneous basement by mixing of hydrothermal and pelagic sediment. Basaltic volcanism was followed by a hiatus of up to 15 million years as a result of topographic isolation or sediment bypassing. Variably tuffaceous deep-sea sediments were deposited during Oligocene to early Miocene and from mid-Miocene to Pleistocene. The sediments ponded into extensional fault-controlled basins, whereas condensed sediments accumulated on a local basement high. Oligocene nannofossil ooze accumulated together with felsic tuff that was mainly derived from the nearby Izu–Bonin arc. Accumulation of radiolarian-bearing mud, silty clay, and hydrogenous metal oxides beneath the carbonate compensation depth (CCD) characterized the early Miocene, followed by middle Miocene–Pleistocene increased carbonate preservation, deepened CCD and tephra input from both the oceanic Izu–Bonin arc and the continental margin Honshu arc. The Izu–Bonin forearc basement formed in a near-equatorial setting, with late Mesozoic arc remnants to the west. Subduction-initiation magmatism is likely to have taken place near a pre-existing continent–oceanic crust boundary. The Izu–Bonin arc migrated northward and clockwise to collide with Honshu by early Miocene, strongly influencing regional sedimentation.

Beschreibung: Investigating deep water column biodiversity and ecology of the Cape Verde Islands Weekly report 14/2/2018-21/2/2018

Beschreibung: Diese Broschüre und die gleichnamige Ausstellung befassen sich mit der Entwicklung des Echolots, für das der Kieler Physiker und Unternehmer Alexander Behm im Jahr 1913 das erste Patent erhielt. Erfahren Sie mehr über die Geschichte der Tiefenmessung im Ozean – von den ersten Handloten im alten Ägypten über die dampfgetriebenen Lotmaschinen des 19. Jahrhunderts, der Entwicklung der ozeanischen Tiefenkarten bis hin zur heutigen Vermessung des Meeresbodens mit modernen Fächerecholoten.

Beschreibung: The fluttering shearwater (Puffinus gavia) is an abundant seabird endemic to breeding colonies in northern and central New Zealand. The species remains poorly studied, and here we present the first study to examine its breeding biology in detail. Fluttering shearwater nests were monitored daily from laying in September 2015 to fledging in January 2016 on Burgess Island (Mokohinau Islands group) in the outer Hauraki Gulf, northern New Zealand. Burrows were generally simple and non-branched. Eggs were laid over a period of 39 days with laying peaking 12th September. Incubation was 50 ± 3.7 days and chicks fledged after an average of 74 ± 4.3 days, from late December to the end of January. Chick development corresponds to the pattern observed for other Procellariiformes, gaining body mass rapidly to a maximum of 115% of adult mass, and then losing weight until fledging. Chicks were fed most nights throughout chick-rearing, indicating adult birds have access to a stable food supply close to the colony. Breeding success was 63.8% and similar to other Puffinus species. This study provides baseline biological data for a poorly studied, yet common, New Zealand endemics seabird. The obtained new information will allow for further ecological investigations and improved conservation management for the species

Beschreibung: Investigating deep water column biodiversity and ecology of the Cape Verde Islands Weekly report 21/2/2018-1/3/2018

Beschreibung: AtlantOS aims to improve ocean observing by strengthening international collaboration, sharing of ocean observing and by promoting engagement and innovation. The vision is to create together with the ocean community a coordinated, efficient, sustainable and purposeful system.

Beschreibung: This git repository contains all the scripts needed to reproduce our results from the study "Inter-chromosomal coupling between vision and pigmentation genes during genomic divergence" from raw data to figures. It contains all scripts referenced within the materials & methods section. Related datasets are deposited at ENA (raw sequencing data, acession nr. PRJEB27858) and dryad (genome annotation & genotypes, doi:10.5061/dryad.pg8q56g).

Beschreibung: Laufzeit des Vorhabens: 01.01.2014-31.12.2017 : Berichtszeitraum: 01.01.2014-31.12.2017

Beschreibung: Glyoxalase is one of two enzymes of the glyoxalase detoxification system against methylglyoxal and other aldehydes, the metabolites derived from glycolysis. The glyoxalase system is found almost in all living organisms: bacteria, protozoa, plants, and animals, including humans, and is related to the class of ‘life essential proteins’. The enzyme belongs to the expanded Glyoxalase/Bleomycin resistance protein/Dioxygenase superfamily. At present the GenBank contains about 700 of amino acid sequences of this enzyme type, and the Protein Data Bank includes dozens of spatial structures. We have offered a novel approach for structural identification of glyoxalase I protein family, which is based on the selecting of basic representative proteins with known structures. On this basis, six new subfamilies of these enzymes have been derived. Most populated subfamilies A1 and A2 were based on representative human Homo sapiens and bacterial Escherichia coli enzymes. We have found that the principle feature, which defines the subfamilies’ structural differences, is conditioned by arrangement of N- and C-domains inside the protein monomer. Finely, we have deduced the structural classification for the glyoxalase I and assigned about 460 protein sequences distributed among six new subfamilies. Structural similarities and specific differences of all the subfamilies have been presented. This approach can be used for structural identification of thousands of the so-called hypothetical proteins with the known PDB structures allowing to identify many of already existing atomic coordinate entrees.

Beschreibung: Morphological variability in gorgonians is frequent and commonly associated with habitat variability, often resulting in segregated morphotypes. Paramuricea macrospina is an endemic Mediterranean gorgonian species found on rocky bottoms between 40 and 160 m depth and has recently been reported as one of the most abundant species in continental shelf and shelf edge environments. Three different chromatic forms of P. macrospina were observed in the Menorca Channel: a yellow form and a light purple form occurring on maërl beds of the continental shelf, and a dark purple form occurring on rocky substrates of the shelf edge. The objective of the present work is to verify if these P. macrospina forms may represent distinct taxonomic units by analysing differences in colony morphology and sclerite size and shape of the three chromatic forms. No significant differences were found in colony shape, suggesting that environmental variability between the continental shelf and the shelf edge is not influential enough to significantly alter colony morphology. Significant differences in sclerite size and shape were found amongst all forms, suggesting that sclerites may be influenced by environmental conditions. However, the co-occurrence of the yellow and light purple forms side by side on the continental shelf may indicate a certain degree of genetic differentiation.

Beschreibung: The feeding habits of two sympatric squid species, Uroteuthis (Photololigo) chinensis and Uroteuthis (Photololigo) duvaucelii from the southwestern Gulf of Thailand were studied. They fed on low numbers of food types (AF) and had a low diet breadth; 1.18 and 0.01 for U. (P.) chinensis and 1.49 and 0.05 for U. (P.) duvaucelii, respectively. Three major prey types (fishes, crustaceans and molluscs) were always detected and cannibalism was observed. Fish was the greatest contributor to the diet of both species, contributing 89.5% for U. (P.) chinensis and 69.9% for U. (P.) duvaucelii. Fish size significantly affected fullness index (FL) and AF for U. (P.) chinensis (P 〈 0.001) and U. (P.) duvaucelii (P 〈 0.001). Depth affected the FL of U. (P.) chinensis (P 〈 0.001) but not of U. (P.) duvaucelii (P 〉 0.05). Maturity stages of both male and female U. (P.) chinensis influenced FL (male: P 〈 0.001; female: P 〈 0.05) and AF (male: P 〈 0.05; female: P 〈 0.01). The FL of squid from cast nets was higher than those from trawls. The multivariate results showed dietary grouping between size classes of both species.

Beschreibung: 15th July - 26th July, 2018, Cuxhaven - Kiel

Beschreibung: Projekt im Rahmen des BMBF-Aufrufs "Förderung von Forschungs- und Entwicklungsvorhaben zum Thema Kipppunkte, Dynamik und Wechselwirkungen von sozialen und ökologischen Systemen (BioTip)" : Projektlaufzeit: 1. Juni 2017 bis 31. Mai 2018

Beschreibung: Indian squid, Uroteuthis (Photololigo) duvaucelii (Loliginidae) constitute an important component of the inshore cephalopod fisheries along the eastern Arabian Sea. Local environmental variation plays an important role in species–environment interactions in neritic squids, which inhabit nearshore/coastal waters. Such ‘active’ and ‘passive’ responses of squids to environmental changes is crucial in understanding their relationships and influence on the biological processes, distribution and abundance of the fast-growing short-lived coastal loliginids. The empirical relationship between squid abundance and the variability in rainfall and sea surface temperature (SST) were explored in a tropical monsoon fishery. Monthly catch rates (catch per fishing hour) of squids in commercial trawl during 1987–2009 were used as the abundance index. Linear regression models with ARIMA errors were fitted with catch per unit hour time series as dependent variable and rainfall and SST as exogenous variables. While rainfall was observed to have a negative effect on squid abundance, the SST recorded a positive impact. ARIMA models provided satisfactory fit to observed data and forecast of 22 months. Given that the squid life-cycle is a function of their environment, this result is relevant in forecasting squid biomass for the management of tropical monsoon fisheries.

Beschreibung: The distribution pattern of purpleback flying squid and the relationship between its abundance and environmental variables in the south-eastern Arabian Sea were analysed using a geographical information system (GIS) and a generalised additive model (GAM). Highest abundances were observed during December and January within 10 and 13°N and 71 and 72°E around the Lakshadweep Islands. The mean abundance in the area was 4.21 tonnes/km2 and the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) was estimated as 0.63 million tonnes. GAM indicated that very high squid abundance was associated with low values of dissolved oxygen (6.01–6.27 mg/L), sea surface temperature (28.03–28.62°C), pH (7.75–8.56), salinity (30.42–34.48 psu), chlorophyll-a (0.4–0.6 mg/m3), zooplankton biomass (0.23–0.64 mL/m3), and shallow 20°C isotherm (101.2–134.7 m) and mixed layer depth (17.8–29.8 m). As a carnivore from paralarval stages, S. oualaniensis depends on secondary and tertiary production to sustain its population for which primary production is used up. In the tropical Arabian Sea where temperature differences are not so pronounced, S. oualaniensis distribution was found to be related to a low but very narrow sea surface temperature (SST) band. There is sufficient fishable biomass in the area to possibly launch a new targeted oceanic squid fishery from the western seaboard of India.

Beschreibung: The environmental system of the northern Nordic Seas is very sensitive to oceanographic and climatic changes at the contact of cold Arctic and warmer North Atlantic waters. These contrasts are reflected in the associations of marine microorganisms and archived in the bottom sediments. A microfossil study (diatoms, coccoliths) of late Holocene sediments in core MSM5/5-712-1 from the eastern Fram Strait provides a better understanding of marine ecosystems and palaeoenvironments during Arctic warming events of the last two millennia. Indicative diatom species and groups of species revealed a high variability of sea-surface conditions. Based on the diatom distribution, three warming periods could be detected, corresponding to the time intervals of 0 to 440 CE (the later part of the Roman Warm Period), 1200 to1420 CE (the final part of the Medieval Climate Anomaly) and 1730 CE to present (including the Recent Warming). The various micropalaeontological proxies used in this study and other publications describe the Roman Warm Period and, especially, the Recent Warming as the most pronounced warm events in the area during the last 2000 years. A comparison of data from the different microfossil groups, indicators of sea-surface and subsurface conditions, reveals variable, complicated and non-simultaneous palaeoenvironmental signals within the warm periods. This can potentially be explained by changes in the surface/subsurface water structure during the events (variations in the cold/warm water advection, stratification, availability of nutrients, seasonal succession of bioproductivity, etc.), which are reflected by changes in the microplankton communities.

Beschreibung: Laufzeit des Vorhabens: 01.07.2016 bis 30.06.2018, Berichtszeitraum: 01.07.2016 bis 30.06.2018

Beschreibung: Microplastic contamination of aquatic environments has become an increasingly alarming problem. These, defined as particles 〈5 mm, are mostly formed due to the cracking and embrittlement of larger plastic particles. Recent reports show that the increasing presence of microplastics in the environment could have significant deleterious consequences over the health of marine organisms, but also across the food chain. Herein, we have studied the effects of artificial seawater on polyethylene (PE)-based beads by exposing them up to eight weeks to saltwater in stirred batch reactors in the dark and examined the structural and morphological changes these endured. Electron microscopy observations showed that artificial seawater induces severe microcracking of the pellets' surfaces. Additionally, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses evidenced the formation of oxidized groups whenever these particles were exposed to water and an increase in organic matter content of the waters in which the pellets were kept was evidenced by Raman spectroscopy. There were also noticeable consequences in the thermal stability of the polyethylene pellets, as determined by thermogravimetric studies (TGA). Furthermore, the parallel exposure of polyethylene pellets to UV radiation yielded less pronounced effects, thus underscoring its lower preponderance in the degradation of this material. These results highlight the importance of determining the mechanisms of degradation of microplastics in marine settings and what the implications may be for the environment. Overall, the herein presented results show that a relatively short period of time of accelerated exposure can yield quantifiable chemical and physical impacts on the structural and morphological characteristics of PE pellets.

Beschreibung: A large number of remarkable studies on the secondary metabolites of fungi have been conducted in recent years. This review gives an overview of one hundred and sixty-seven molecules with novel skeletons and their bioactivities that have been reported in seventy-nine articles published from 2013 to 2017. Our statistical data showed that endophytic fungi and marine-derived fungi are the major sources of novel bioactive secondary metabolites.

Beschreibung: As an important DNA source, herbarium specimens have been widely used in plant phylogenetics due to their easy accessibility and richness. However, contamination is a constant risk owing to low quality and/or quantity of DNA extracted from old samples. The inclusion of contaminant sequences can mislead phylogenetic reconstruction, and thereby affect subsequent analyses, such as divergence time estimates and biogeographic inferences. To employ appropriately herbarium specimens in plant phylogenetics, we outline here several suggestions regarding DNA extraction, PCR amplification and sequencing. We hope that these suggestions will serve as a guide for researchers using herbarium specimens in plant phylogenetics and help them identify from the early steps potential contaminant sequences from other plants or other organisms.

Beschreibung: Physical, chemical, biological research and fishery oceanography This multidisciplinary cruise extended a long-term data series on (eco-)system composition and functioning of the Baltic Sea, with a focus on the deeper basins. The series has been collected in similar form since 1986. A key characteristic of the cruise is the integration of oceanographic and biological information to enhance understanding of environmental and (fish) population fluctuations, and evolutionary processes in this system. The resulting datasets and samples feed into the EU projects BONUS BLUEWEBS and Horizon 2020 GoJelly, and the US NSF project "Evolutionary Responses to Global Change in Salinity and Temperature". The spatial focus lay on the Bornholm Basin as most important spawning area of Baltic cod, but also included the Western Baltic Sea, Arkona and Gotland Basin, Gdansk Deep, and Stolpe Trench. Specific investigations included a detailed hydrological survey (oxygen, salinity, temperature) of the Bornholm Basin, plankton surveys (zoo- and ichthyplankton, with the goal to determine the composition and the abundance and vertical and horizontal distribution of species, and to take samples for later measurements of nutritional condition), and pelagic fishery hauls for clupeid and gadoid fish. The latter served to determine stock structure, gonadal maturation, stomach contents, and egg production of sprat and cod, and to sample tissue and otolith samples for individual-level genetic and ecological analyses of cod. The abundance and distribution of fishes in the cruise area was also assessed with hydroacoustic methods. Additional cruise components were: (i) cod gonad sampling for fecundity studies and liver sampling for parasite studies. (ii) vertically resolved phytoplankton and zooplankton sampling for studies of plankton phenology. (iii) in-depth sampling of planktonic food webs for dietary tracer work. (iv) copepode Eurytemora affinis sampling along the salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea for the study of local adapations.

Beschreibung: Physical, chemical, biological oceanography and fisheries research This multidisciplinary cruise extended a long-term data series on (eco-)system composition and functioning of the Baltic Sea, with a focus on the deeper basins. The series has been collected in similar form since 1986. A key characteristic of the cruise is the integration of oceanographic and biological information to enhance understanding of environmental and (fish) population fluctuations, and evolutionary processes in this system. The resulting datasets and samples feed into the EU projects BONUS BLUEWEBS and Horizon 2020 GoJelly, and the US NSF project "Evolutionary Responses to Global Change in Salinity and Temperature". The spatial focus lay on the Bornholm Basin as most important spawning area of Baltic cod, but also included the Western Baltic Sea, Arkona and Gotland Basin, Gdansk Deep, and Stolpe Trench. Specific investigations included a detailed hydrological survey (oxygen, salinity, temperature) of the Bornholm Basin, plankton surveys (zoo- and ichthyplankton, with the goal to determine the composition and the abundance and vertical and horizontal distribution of species, and to take samples for later measurements of nutritional condition), and pelagic fishery hauls for clupeid and gadoid fish. The latter served to determine stock structure, gonadal maturation, stomach contents, and egg production of sprat and cod, and to sample tissue and otolith samples for individual-level genetic and ecological analyses of cod. The abundance and distribution of fishes in the cruise area was also assessed with hydroacoustic methods. Additional cruise components were: (i) cod gonad sampling for fecundity studies and liver sampling for parasite studies. (ii) vertically resolved phytoplankton and zooplankton sampling for studies of plankton phenology. (iii) in-depth sampling of planktonic food webs for dietary tracer work. (iv) copepode Eurytemora affinis sampling along the salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea for the study of local adapations.

Beschreibung: The AUV Abyss post-processing workflow is published as Jupyter Notebooks complementing the IEEE OES AUV 2018 conference contribution "AUV Abyss workflow: autonomous deep sea exploration for ocean research" (Klischies et al., 2018). The publication explains the application and use of these Notebooks in detail. The purpose of the Juypter Notebooks is to share, adapt, execute and document post- processing of AUV Abyss MBES data.

Beschreibung: The feeding habits of two sympatric squid species, Uroteuthis (Photololigo) chinensis and Uroteuthis (Photololigo) duvaucelii from the southwestern Gulf of Thailand were studied. They fed on low numbers of food types (AF) and had a low diet breadth; 1.18 and 0.01 for U. (P.) chinensis and 1.49 and 0.05 for U. (P.) duvaucelii, respectively. Three major prey types (fishes, crustaceans and molluscs) were always detected and cannibalism was observed. Fish was the greatest contributor to the diet of both species, contributing 89.5% for U. (P.) chinensis and 69.9% for U. (P.) duvaucelii. Fish size significantly affected fullness index (FL) and AF for U. (P.) chinensis (P 〈 0.001) and U. (P.) duvaucelii (P 〈 0.001). Depth affected the FL of U. (P.) chinensis (P 〈 0.001) but not of U. (P.) duvaucelii (P 〉 0.05). Maturity stages of both male and female U. (P.) chinensis influenced FL (male: P 〈 0.001; female: P 〈 0.05) and AF (male: P 〈 0.05; female: P 〈 0.01). The FL of squid from cast nets was higher than those from trawls. The multivariate results showed dietary grouping between size classes of both species.

Beschreibung: Iron is required for microbial growth and proliferation. To survive in low-iron environments, some microorganisms secrete ferric iron chelators called siderophores. Siderophore biosynthesis occurs via two pathways: the non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) pathway and the NRPS-independent siderophore (NIS) synthetase pathway. NIS enzymes function by adenylating a carboxylic acid substrate, typically citrate, or a derivative, followed by nucleophilic capture of an amine or alcohol and displacement of a citryl intermediate. In this review, we summarize recent advances in NIS biochemistry with a particular focus on structural biology and confirm the classification of NIS enzymes into Types A, A', B, and C based on substrate specificity. Based on a phylogenetic analysis, we also propose a new subclass of NIS enzymes, Type C', responsible for dimerization and macrocyclization of complex and substituted amine or amide intermediates. Finally, we describe the role of NIS enzymes in virulence of pathogenic microbes and discuss NIS inhibitors as potential anti-microbial agents.

Beschreibung: Hydrothermal precipitates and hydrothermal alteration products could record important information about temporal variations of seafloor hydrothermal systems. Geochemistry, mineralogy, and microscopic features of three pumice samples (T3-1, T3-2, and T3-3) near the Iheya North hydrothermal field were analyzed in this article. The results show that T3-3 sample has undergone at least two-stage influences by hydrothermal fluids. In the first stage, pure amorphous silica from hydrothermal fluid precipitated in the vesicles of all three T3 samples as a result of conductive cooling and fluid–seawater mixing. The precipitation temperatures according to oxygen isotope thermometer are approximately 13–21°C. In the second stage, T3-3 pumice underwent low-temperature hydrothermal alteration, during which the amorphous silica precipitates were redissolved, together resulting in losses of FeO and SiO2 and gains of MgO, Pb, Zn, and Cu. Furthermore, ferruginous filamentous silica, which might be related to activities of Fe-oxidizing bacteria, was formed in the altered pumice. The transformation from pure amorphous silica precipitation to redissolution of the silica in T3-3 pumice might indicate a rise of temperature and/or decrease in silica concentrations in hydrothermal fluids, implying a changing hydrothermal environment.

Beschreibung: We propose a geochemical parameter, “metal flux” in evaluating hydrogenetic Co-rich ferromanganese crust deposits in the Pacific seamount area, that is based on physical, chemical, and geological characterization of the integrated growth piles of crusts. We calculated the metal flux for fifteen sites from different depths ranging between 900-6000m from different seamounts. The secular and areal variations of metal flux indicate a strong geological controls, and also can be a reliable tool for estimating an economic potential of the crusts. The Co flux decreases with increasing water depth, followed by almost constant flux of Ni and Mn. The Al and Fe fluxes vary with regions, indicating higher values in the western regions near the island arc probably related to a supply from the Asian continents. The results imply that Co, a redox sensitive metal element, is controlled by redox conditions of seawater, while Fe and Al are by terrigenous input. The metal flux reflects global and regional conditions and controls the compositional diversity of metals, thus consequently, the parameter can be a reliable powerful tool to estimate or single out more potential areas.

Beschreibung: Infections arising from multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria are spreading rapidly throughout the world and threaten to become untreatable. The origins of resistance are numerous and complex, but one underlying factor is the capacity of bacteria to rapidly export drugs through the intrinsic activity of efflux pumps. In this Review, we describe recent advances that have increased our understanding of the structures and molecular mechanisms of multidrug efflux pumps in bacteria. Clinical and laboratory data indicate that efflux pumps function not only in the drug extrusion process but also in virulence and the adaptive responses that contribute to antimicrobial resistance during infection. The emerging picture of the structure, function and regulation of efflux pumps suggests opportunities for countering their activities.

Beschreibung: The status report has two separate volumes. Vol. I presents the scientific achievements of GEOMAR since the beginning of 2013.

Beschreibung: Vol. II contains a selection of CVs of scientific staff as well as a set of quantitative indicators for the years 2013 to 2016. The Helmholtz Association and its Research Field Earth and Environment decided to limit the number of CVs based on the size of the scientific staff of each institute (resulting in 24 CVs for GEOMAR) and to a maximum size of one page per CV. In addition, general guidelines were set out concerning what the CVs should contain, including limiting the number of listed publications to five. All publication data/indices originate from Web of Science.

Beschreibung: Different studies on the position of the non-indigenous species Neogobius melanostomus within the coastal food web of the Pomeranian Bay (western Baltic) were performed, resulting in a quantitative and qualitative species list of prey organisms found in the stomachs of the invader and an estimation concerning the importance of round goby as prey for different resident predators. It seems that the colonization process is not fully completed yet, but the results reveal that the species is already established in the food web 16 years after the first observation within the study area. The results show that N. melanostomus feed upon a wide range of different resident organisms. While a direct predation effect on native fish species appears rather unlikely, indirect effects such as competition cannot yet be excluded. In addition, our results reveal an ontogenetic diet shift and that the round goby itself already serves as an important prey for piscivorous fish and seabirds. Finally, we formulate different hypotheses based on our results which will require further research.

Beschreibung: International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 352 recovered a high-fidelity record of volcanism related to subduction initiation in the Bonin fore-arc. Two sites (U1440 and U1441) located in deep water nearer to the trench recovered basalts and related rocks; two sites (U1439 and U1442) located in shallower water further from the trench recovered boninites and related rocks. Drilling in both areas ended in dolerites inferred to be sheeted intrusive rocks. The basalts apparently erupted immediately after subduction initiation and have compositions similar to those of the most depleted basalts generated by rapid sea-floor spreading at mid-ocean ridges, with little or no slab input. Subsequent melting to generate boninites involved more depleted mantle and hotter and deeper subducted components as subduction progressed and volcanism migrated away from the trench. This volcanic sequence is akin to that recorded by many ophiolites, supporting a direct link between subduction initiation, fore-arc spreading, and ophiolite genesis.

Beschreibung: The production of shiga toxin (Stx) is a critical step in the establishment and progress of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infections. The possible release of Stx from dead and dying bacteria, and the risk of resistance development have restricted the usage of antibiotics against EHEC. The chlorinated quaternary ammonium compound, strepthonium A, was isolated from the culture of Streptomyces sp. SBT345 that was cultivated from the Mediterranean sponge Agelas oroides. The structure was elucidated and confirmed by spectroscopic analyses including 1D and 2D NMR, ESI-HRMS, as well as ESI-HRMS2. Strepthonium A follows Lipinski's rule of five with respect to its molecular weight, CLogP values and the number of hydrogen acceptors and donors. Verotoxin ELISA assay demonstrated that Strepthonium A reduced the Stx production in EHEC strain EDL933 at 80 μM concentration without growth inhibition. This study demonstrates the potential of strepthonium A in restraining the production of Stx in EHEC infections.

Beschreibung: Land-use dynamic is a major challenge for town and country planners especially in developing countries such as Iran. Iran has been under rapid urban expansion and population growth for past three decades which led to lack of resources, environmental deterioration and haphazard landscape development. In this paper, an attempt has been made to map the urbanization dynamics of Tehran in 40 years based on remote sensing imagery and by means of artificial neural networks. The presented scheme could be taken into consideration when planning initiatives aimed at surveying, monitoring, managing and sustainable development of the territory. Moreover, it can serve the experts in the fields of geography, urban studies and planning as a background for number of geographical analyses.

Beschreibung: Current antifouling (AF) technologies are based on the continuous release of biocides into the water, and consequently discharge into the environment. Major efforts to develop more environmentally friendly coatings require efficient testing in laboratory assays, followed by field studies. Barnacles are important fouling organisms worldwide, increasing hydrodynamic drag on ships and damaging coatings on underwater surfaces, and thus are extensively used as models in AF research, mostly in static, laboratory-based systems. Reliable flow-through test assays for the screening of biocide-containing AF paints, however, are rare. Herein, a flow-through bioassay was developed to screen for diverse low-release biocide paints, and to evaluate their effects on pre- and post-settlement traits in barnacles. The assay distinguishes between the effects from direct surface contact and bulk-water effects, which are crucial when developing low-emission AF coatings. This flow-through bioassay adds a new tool for rapid laboratory-based first-stage screening of candidate compounds and novel AF formulations.

Beschreibung: On November 11, 2017, GEOMAR and INDP celebrated the inauguration of the "Ocean Science Centre Mindelo (OSCM)". After 3 years of planning and construction works the building has now been handed over to science. The tropical and subtropical Northeast Atlantic is a very exciting region for climate research, marine biology, oceanography and many other disciplines. For many years, scientists of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel have been conducting campaigns in the area. A few years ago, these numerous long-term activities resulted in the planning of a laboratory and workshop building in Mindelo on the Islands of Cabo Verde. The longstanding and spirited cooperation with the Cape Verdean Institute for Fisheries Development, the Instituto Nacional de Desenvolvimento das Pescas (INDP), was an additional driver for this enterprise. About two and a half years ago, the partners were able to start the implementation of the project idea. GEOMAR is contributing a total of 2.5 million euros. The construction comprises a building, equipped with two universal labs, a wet lab, workshops for maintenance and repair of scientific equipment, storage rooms and offices as well as seminar rooms.

Beschreibung: IODP Expedition 350 was the first to be drilled in the rear part of the Izu-Bonin, although several sites had been drilled in the arc axis to fore-arc region; the scientific objective was to understand the evolution of the Izu rear arc, by drilling a deep-water volcaniclastic section with a long temporal record (Site U1437). The Izu rear arc is dominated by a series of basaltic to dacitic seamount chains up to ~100-km long roughly perpendicular to the arc front. Dredge samples from these are geochemically distinct from arc front rocks, and drilling was undertaken to understand this arc asymmetry. Site U1437 lies in an ~20-km-wide basin between two rear arc seamount chains, ~90-km west of the arc front, and was drilled to 1804 m below the sea floor (mbsf) with excellent recovery. We expected to drill a volcaniclastic apron, but the section is much more mud-rich than expected (~60%), and the remaining fraction of the section is much finer-grained than predicted from its position within the Izu arc, composed half of ashes/tuffs, and half of lapilli tuffs of fine grain size (clasts 〈3 cm). Volcanic blocks (〉6.4 cm) are only sparsely scattered through the lowermost 25% of the section, and only one igneous unit was encountered, a rhyolite peperite intrusion at ~1390 mbsf. The lowest biostratigaphic datum is at 867 mbsf (~6.5 Ma), the lowest palaeomagnetic datum is at ~1300 mbsf (~9 Ma), and the rhyolite peperite at ~1390 mbsf has yielded a U–Pb zircon concordia intercept age of (13.6 + 1.6/−1.7) Ma. Both arc front and rear arc sources contributed to the fine-grained (distal) tephras of the upper 1320 m, but the coarse-grained (proximal) volcaniclastics in the lowest 25% of the section are geochemically similar to the arc front, suggesting arc asymmetry is not recorded in rocks older than ~13 Ma.

Beschreibung: Naturally produced polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) pervade the marine environment and structurally resemble toxic man-made brominated flame retardants. PBDEs bioaccumulate in marine animals and are likely transferred to the human food chain. However, the biogenic basis for PBDE production in one of their most prolific sources, marine sponges of the order Dysideidae, remains unidentified. Here, we report the discovery of PBDE biosynthetic gene clusters within sponge-microbiome-associated cyanobacterial endosymbionts through the use of an unbiased metagenome-mining approach. Using expression of PBDE biosynthetic genes in heterologous cyanobacterial hosts, we correlate the structural diversity of naturally produced PBDEs to modifications within PBDE biosynthetic gene clusters in multiple sponge holobionts. Our results establish the genetic and molecular foundation for the production of PBDEs in one of the most abundant natural sources of these molecules, further setting the stage for a metagenomic-based inventory of other PBDE sources in the marine environment.

Beschreibung: In this opinion paper, we, a group of scientists from environmental-, geo-, ocean- and information science, argue visual data exploration should become a common analytics approach in Earth system science due to its potential for analysis and interpretation of large and complex spatio-temporal data. We discuss the challenges that appear such as synthesis of heterogeneous data from various sources, reducing the amount of information and facilitating multidisciplinary, collaborative research. We argue that to fully exploit the potential of visual data exploration, several bottlenecks and challenges have to be addressed: providing an efficient data management and an integrated modular workflow, developing and applying suitable visual exploration concepts and methods with the help of effective and tailored tools as well as generating and raising the awareness of visual data exploration and education. We are convinced visual data exploration is worth the effort since it significantly facilitates insight into environmental data and derivation of knowledge from it.

Beschreibung: Seit mehr als 25 Jahren lernen, arbeiten und leben Meereswissenschaftlerinnen und Meereswissenschaftler auf dem Kieler Forschungsschiff ALKOR. 500 Expeditionen hat das 55 Meter lange Schiff mittlerweile absolviert. Es ist neben der POSEIDON das zweite „mittelgroße“ Forschungsschiff, das am GEOMAR stationiert ist.

Beschreibung: Dates of Cruise: 13.05. – 29.05.2017 Areas of Research: Physical, chemical, biological and fishery oceanography Port Calls: Visby, Sweden, 19.05. – 21.05.2016

Beschreibung: A bioassay-guided approach was used to identify defense compounds that are present on the surface of Zostera marina and which inhibit settlement of microfoulers at natural concentrations. Moderately polar eelgrass surface extracts inhibited the settlement of seven marine bacteria and one yeast that originated from non-living substrata. In contrast, five other bacterial strains that had been directly isolated from eelgrass surfaces were all insensitive, which suggested a selective effect of surface metabolites on the microbial communities present on eelgrass. Bioassay-guided isolation of active compounds from the extracts in combination with UPLC-MS and 1H-NMR spectroscopy resulted in the identification of rosmarinic acid, luteolin-7-sulfate and diosmetin-7-sulfate or its isomer chrysoeriol-7-sulfate. All three compounds are nontoxic repellents, as they did not inhibit bacterial growth, but prevented bacterial settlement in a dose-dependent manner. Between 15.6 and 106.8 μg ml−1 of rosmarinic acid were present on the eelgrass surface, enough for half maximal settlement inhibition of bacteria.

Beschreibung: The progressive bond breakage of artificially cemented sands induced by shear straining was investigated through conventional isotropically consolidated drained triaxial compression tests. Sand specimens were prepared with a low degree of cementation by adopting a chemical grout. Test results were interpreted in terms of two stress–dilatancy theories for cohesive-frictional materials proposed in literature. The influence of debonding on the stress–dilatancy behaviour of cemented sands was analysed with particular emphasis on the ‘delayed dilatancy’ phenomenon. A bonding degradation curve was determined for each test relating the interparticle cohesion (c) to the magnitude of the total plastic strain vector (εd) and a bond degradation rate factor (Dc) was assessed from each curve. The maximum value of interparticle cohesion (c0) before the onset of bond degradation under shearing was found to correspond with a sharp decrease in the soil stiffness of the specimens. The influence of the effective confining stress (p′c)on both c0 and Dc parameters gathered from each test was also ascertained.

Beschreibung: Wochenbericht der Forschungsreise mit R.V. „Alkor“ AL 493 13.05.2017 – 20.05.2017