ALBERT

Description: Biomineralized structures and tissues are composites, containing a biologically produced organic matrix and nano- or microscale amorphous or crystalline minerals. Two main examples of organic matrices – the amino-polysaccharide chitin and the asymmetric protein collagen – are presented and discussed as the basic structural modules and organo-templates for calcium and silica biomineralization in nature. Both serve as templates, providing preferential sites for nucleation and controlling the location and orientation of mineral phases. Here, for the first time, chitin and collagen are analysed from evolutionary, structural, and functional points of view with respect to their templating properties in calcification and silicification phenomena, using both in vivo and in vitro data. It is proposed that these biopolymers be characterized as fundamental templates in biomineralization, inasmuch as they are very ancient from an evolutionary point of view, common to many species and biological systems with a global distribution. The two polymers also exhibit very similar hierarchical structural organizations, in spite of the possible alternatives they provide in chemical nature and origin. In addition, the phenomenon of multi-phase mineralization – where two minerals, amorphous and crystalline CaCO3, form from one biomolecule, chitin – is also described, analysed, and discussed for the first time.

Description: A total of 96 species of sponge were recorded in a bathymetric survey conducted within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Non-random processes are hypothesised to account for the decline in species richness with increasing depth, and the data add support to Rapoport’s rule. Morphological and colour diversity were strongly correlated and decreased with depth. Five communities could be identified at the 30% level of similarity using cluster analysis, and these correspond to intertidal and shallow subtidal (to 10 m), deep sub-photic zone (coral reefs: 10–30 m), deep reefs (40–90 m), canyon margin (100–140 m) and canyon (140–360 m). The data add support to recently hypothesised bathymetric zones around South Africa.

Description: Cold-water coral (CWC) reefs constitute one of the most complex deep-sea habitats harboring a vast diversity of associated species. Like other tropical or temperate framework builders, these systems are facing an uncertain future due to several threats, such as global warming and ocean acidification. In the case of Mediterranean CWC communities, the effect may be exacerbated due to the greater capacity of these waters to absorb atmospheric CO2 compared to the global ocean. Calcification in these organisms is an energy-demanding process, and it is expected that energy requirements will be greater as seawater pH and the availability of carbonate ions decrease. Therefore, studies assessing the effect of a pH decrease in skeletal growth, and metabolic balance are critical to fully understand the potential responses of these organisms under a changing scenario. In this context, the present work aims to investigate the medium- to long-term effect of a low pH scenario on calcification and the biochemical composition of two CWCs from the Mediterranean, Dendrophyllia cornigera and Desmophyllum dianthus. After 314 d of exposure to acidified conditions, a significant decrease of 70 % was observed in Desmophyllum dianthus skeletal growth rate, while Dendrophyllia cornigera showed no differences between treatments. Instead, only subtle differences between treatments were observed in the organic matter amount, lipid content, skeletal microdensity, or porosity in both species, although due to the high variability of the results, these differences were not statistically significant. Our results also confirmed a heterogeneous effect of low pH on the skeletal growth rate of the organisms depending on their initial weight, suggesting that those specimens with high calcification rates may be the most susceptible to the negative effects of acidification.

Description: In the Mediterranean deep-sea, scleractinian cold-water corals (CWC) are observed to survive at the uppermost end of their presumed thermal distribution range (4–13 °C). Here, we show that 2 common CWC species (i.e. Dendrophyllia cornigera and Desmophyllum dianthus) maintained in aquaria can indeed tolerate considerably elevated seawater temperatures (17.5 ± 0.1 °C), while growing at similar (D. dianthus) or significantly higher (D. cornigera) rates than conspecifics cultured in parallel for 87 days at ambient Mediterranean deep-sea temperature (12.5 ± 0.1 °C). Neither differences in coral appearance nor mortality were evident for both species at either temperature. D. dianthus grew significantly faster (0.23 ± 0.08 % day−1) than D. cornigera (0.05 ± 0.01 % day−1) under ambient thermal conditions. Growth of D. cornigera increased significantly (0.14 ± 0.07 % day−1) at elevated temperature, while Desmophyllum dianthus growth showed no significant difference under both conditions. These findings suggest that D. dianthus and D. cornigera may be capable of surviving in warmer environments than previously reported, and thus challenge temperature as the paramount limiting environmental factor for the occurrence of some CWC species.

Description: Despite coelacanths, Latimeria chalumnae, being listed as either endangered by CITES or critically endangered by the IUCN, their population size within South Africa is unknown and still needs to be estimated. Their conservation status unfortunately excludes the use of conventional tagging to mark individual animals for a possible mark–recapture experiment. This study shows that because coelacanths have a unique spot patterning it is possible to quickly and accurately identify specific individuals photographically using computer-aided identification software. Without any manual intervention by an operator, the software accurately identified between 56 and 92% of the individuals. Indentification success increased to 100% if the operator could also manually select from other potential matching photographs. It was also shown that fish exhibiting a yaw angle not exceeding 60° could be accurately identified in photographs, although the percentage of fish correctly identified without operator-intervention decreased rapidly with increasing yaw angle. Computer-aided identification should therefore facilitate future coelacanth research as it is both efficient and accurate while also reducing potential stress on the animals observed.

Description: Uraninite solubility in 0.001–2.0 m HCl solutions was experimentally studied at 500°C, 1000 bar, and hydrogen fugacity corresponding to the Ni/NiO buffer. It was shown that the following U(IV) species dominate in the aqueous solution: U(OH)40, U(OH)2Cl20, and UOH Cl30 Using the results of uraninite solubility measurement, the Gibbs free energies of U(IV) species at 500°C and 1000 bar were calculated (kJ/mol): −9865.55 for UO2(aq), −1374.57 for U(OH)2 Cl20, and −1265.49 for UOH Cl30, and the equilibrium constants of uraninite dissolution in water and aqueous HCl solutions were estimated: UO2(cr) = UO2(aq), pK0 = 6.64; UO2(cr) + 2HCl0 = U(OH)2 Cl20, pK2 = 3.56; and UO2(cr) + 3HCl0 = UOHcl30 + H2O, pK3 = 3.05. The value pK1 ≈ 5.0 was obtained as a first approximation for the equilibrium UO2(cr) + H2O + HCl0 = U(OH)3Cl0. The constant of the reaction UO2(cr) + 4HCl0 = UCl40 + 2H2O (pK4 = 7.02) was calculated taking into account the ionization constants of U Cl40 and U(OH)40, obtained by extrapolation from 25 to 500°C at 1000 bar using the BR model. Intense dissolution and redeposition of gold (material of experimental capsules) was observed in our experiments. The analysis and modeling of this phenomenon suggested that the UO2 + x/UO2 redox pair oxidized Au(cr) to Au+(aq), which was then reduced under the influence of stronger reducers.

Description: Since the discovery of dense animal communities associated with deep-sea hydrothermal venting (Lonsdale 1977), biological knowledge of those animals has accumulated (Van Dover 2000). Some unique animals associated with vent fields were found to depend on chemosynthetic primary production (Corliss et al. 1979). Subsequently, similar chemosynthetic animal assemblages were also discovered associated with deep-sea methane-seep areas, whale falls, and sunken wood (Pauli et al. 1984; Smith et al. 1989). To understand the pathways of adaptation to these environments, species shared between different habitats are of particular interest (Distel et al. 2000; Lorion et al. 2008). On a global scale, the number of species shared between vents and seeps is less than 10% of the total recorded vent or seep species (e.g. Tunnicliffe et al. 1998, 2003; Sibuet and Olu 1998). In the vent and seep communities around Japan, however, this figure exceeds 20% (based on a faunal list provided by Fujikura et al. 2008), although the Identification of species is still in progress. This relatively high abundance of both vent- and seep-inhabiting species suggests close relationships between vent and seep communities around Japan. A high similarity between megafaunal communities at vents and seeps around Japan was already noted by Fujikura et al. (1995); however, that study was based on species abundances investigated at only a single vent and two methane-seep communities. To date, at least 55 vent and seep communities have been discovered around Japan (Fujikura et al. 2008), and further analyses are required to elucidate the nature of this similarity. In this chapter, we focus on similarities between megafaunal communities inhabiting vents and seeps. As Kojima (2002) has already provided an review with an almost complete list of studies on vent and seep animals around Japan as of the time of publication, here we only provide brief, essential Information on their geologic settings and ecologic characteristics. Then, we summarize the species distributional records with Statistical analyses based on previous studies of those communities around Japan and discuss their proximity. In addition, we also summarize recent genetic studies of both vent- and seep-inhabiting species, i.e., three Calyptogena clams, Lamellibrachia and Paraescarpia tubeworms, and Bathymodiolus musseis, and discuss the Connectivity among populations of these species. Finally, we discuss whether the similarity of communities is accompanied by population Connectivity.

Description: SLC26A11 (human)/Slc26a11 (mouse), also known as kidney brain anion transporter (KBAT), is a member of the SLC26 anion transporter family and shows abundant mRNA expression in the brain. However, its exact cellular distribution and subcellular localization in the brain and its functional identity and possible physiological roles remain unknown. Expression and immunostaining studies demonstrated that Slc26a11 is abundantly expressed in the cerebellum, with a predominant expression in Purkinje cells. Lower expression levels were detected in hippocampus, olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, and subcortical structures. Patch clamp studies in HEK293 cells transfected with mouse cDNA demonstrated that Slc26a11 can function as a chloride channel that is active under basal conditions and is not regulated by calcium, forskolin, or co-expression with cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator. Single and double immunofluorescent labeling studies demonstrated the localization of vacuolar (V) H+-ATPase and Slc26a11 (KBAT) in the plasma membrane in Purkinje cells. Functional studies in HEK293 cells indicated that transfection with Slc26a11 stimulated acid transport via endogenous V H+-ATPase. We conclude that Slc26a11 (KBAT) is prominently distributed in output neurons of various subcortical and cortical structures in the central nervous system, with specific expression in Purkinje cells and that it may operate as a chloride channel regulating acid translocation by H+-ATPase across the plasma membrane and in intracellular compartments.

Description: A new compound, jolynamine (1), was isolated from the marine brown alga Jolyna laminarioides collected from the coast of Karachi, Pakistan. In addition, four known compounds, namely saringosterol (2), loliolide (3), methyl-4-hydroxybenzoate (4) and propyl-4-hydroxybenzoate (5), were isolated for the first time from the marine brown alga Iyengaria stellata, and two known compounds, namely 3,4,5-trimethylaniline (6) and harmine (7), were isolated for the first time from the marine brown alga Melanothamnus afaqhusainii. Compound 6 is synthetically known but was isolated for the first time from a natural source. The structures of these compounds were elucidated with the help of powerful spectroscopic techniques. Furthermore, the methanolic extracts of both algae showed anti-microbial activities against various bacteria and fungi.

Description: The future demands on professional archaeological prospection will be its ability to cover large areas in a time and cost efficient manner with very high spatial resolution and accuracy. The objective of the 2010 in Vienna established Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology in collaboration with its nine European partner organizations is the advancement of the state-of-the-art by focusing on the development of remote sensing, geophysical prospection and virtual reality applications, as well as of novel integrated interpretation approaches dedicated to non-invasive spatial archaeology combining cutting-edge near-surface prospection methods with advanced computer science. Within the institute’s research program different areas for distinct case studies in Austria, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the UK have been selected as basis for the development and testing of new concepts for efficient and universally applicable tools for spatial, non-invasive archaeology. The collective resources and expertise available amongst the new research institute and associated partners permit innovative approaches to the archaeological exploration, documentation and investigation of the cultural heritage contained in entire archaeological landscapes. First promising results illustrate the potential of the proposed methodology and concepts.

Description: In this paper, we empirically investigate the robustness of random forests for regression problems. We also investigate the performance of six variations of the original random forest method, all aimed at improving robustness. These variations are based on three main ideas: (1) robustify the aggregation method, (2) robustify the splitting criterion and (3) taking a robust transformation of the response. More precisely, with the first idea, we use the median (or weighted median), instead of the mean, to combine the predictions from the individual trees. With the second idea, we use least-absolute deviations from the median, instead of least-squares, as splitting criterion. With the third idea, we build the trees using the ranks of the response instead of the original values. The competing methods are compared via a simulation study with artificial data using two different types of contaminations and also with 13 real data sets. Our results show that all three ideas improve the robustness of the original random forest algorithm. However, a robust aggregation of the individual trees is generally more profitable than a robust splitting criterion.

Description: The annual winter sardine run along the South African east coast impacts the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) coastal system in a variety of ways. These include ecological impacts, such as enrichment of a largely oligotrophic environment, competition between migrant sardine Sardinops sagax, other migrant and resident small pelagic fish species, and interactions with predators, as well as the socio-economic impacts of the sardine run on the local people. Enrichment of KZN coastal waters with organic nitrogen contained within the sardine is compared with alternative sources of nitrogen such as upwelling, river, sewage and stormwater runoff, and groundwater discharge. The sardine run appears to contribute most nitrogen to this system—96 000 t compared to 500–3 300 t for each of the other significant sources at trophic level 2, although upwelling estimates are extremely wide. Nonetheless, the majority of surviving sardine, their young and predators return southwards, suggesting that the nett export of nitrogen to KZN waters during the run is likely to be of a similar order of magnitude as that from other sources. Further, whereas the sardine supply of nitrogen is exclusively during winter, the bulk of the riverine input is in summer, thus ensuring that nitrogen supply in the region is maintained at fairly constant levels throughout the year. Competition for food between small pelagic fish is minimised by resource partitioning, but further dietary data are needed for resident species. Although interactions between sardine and top predators must exist, further studies are needed to confirm links between top predator life cycles and the sardine run. The estimated value of sardine as a tourist spectacle is compared to that from a seasonal beach-seine or boat-based purse-seine fishery for this species. Whereas the estimated value of the sardine as a tourist attraction appears substantially higher than could be derived from catching them, the small-scale beach-seine fishery itself draws tourists and also provides limited, seasonal employment opportunities.

Description: Our understanding of the fundamental regulatory roles that tyrosine phosphatases play within cells has advanced significantly in the last two decades. Out-dated ideas that tyrosine phosphatases acts solely as the “off” switch counterbalancing the action of tyrosine kinases has proved to be flawed. PTP1B is the most characterized of all the tyrosine phosphatases and it acts as a critical negative and positive regulator of numerous signaling cascades. PTP1B’s direct regulation of the insulin and the leptin receptors makes it an ideal therapeutic target for type II diabetes and obesity. Moreover, the last decade has also seen several reports establishing PTP1B as key player in cancer serving as both tumor suppressor and tumor promoter depending on the cellular context. Despite many key advances in these fields one largely ignored area is what role PTP1B may play in the modulation of immune signaling. The important recognition that PTP1B is a major negative regulator of Janus kinase – signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling throughout evolution places it as a key link between metabolic diseases and inflammation, as well as a unique regulator between immune response and cancer. This review looks at the emergence of PTP1B through evolution, and then explore at the cell and systemic levels how it is controlled physiologically. The second half of the review will focus on the role(s) PTP1B can play in disease and in particular its involvement in metabolic syndromes and cancer. Finally we will briefly examine several novel directions in the development of PTP1B pharmacological inhibitors.

Description: The emission rates of eight volatile halogenated compounds by three tropical brown seaweed species collected from Cape Rachado, west coast Peninsular Malaysia, under different irradiances have been determined. A purge-and-trap sample preparation system with a gas chromatograph and mass-selective detector was used to measure a suite of halocarbons released by Sargassum binderi Sonder ex J. Agardh, Padina australis Hauck, and Turbinaria conoides (J. Agardh) Kützing. All species are widely distributed in Peninsular Malaysia, with S. binderi a dominant seaweed species at our survey site. Release of few halocarbons was found to be influenced by irradiance. Correlations were also observed between emission of certain halocarbons with photosynthetic activity, especially bromo-and iodinated compounds (0.6 〈 r 〈0.9; p 〈 0.01) suggesting that environmental factors such as light can affect the release of these volatile halogenated compounds by the seaweeds into the atmosphere. Compared with temperate and polar brown seaweeds, tropical species, such as T. conoides, may emit higher levels of bromoform, CHBr3, and other halocarbons. It is therefore important to investigate the contribution of tropical seaweeds towards the local atmospheric composition of halocarbons.

Description: Species distribution models (SDMs) are an important tool in biogeography and ecology and are widely used for both fundamental and applied research purposes. SDMs require spatially explicit information about species occurrence and environmental covariates to produce a set of rules that identify and scale the environmental space where the species was observed and that can further be used to predict the suitability of a site for the species. More spatially accurate data are increasingly available, and the number of publications on the influence of spatial inaccuracies on the performance of modelling procedures is growing exponentially. Three main sources of uncertainty are associated with the three elements of a predictive function: the dependent variable, the explanatory variables and the algorithm or function used to relate these two variables. In this study, we review how spatial uncertainties influence model accuracy and we propose some methodological issues in the application of SDMs with regard to the modelling of fundamental and realized niches of species. We distinguish two cases suitable for different types of spatial data accuracy. For modelling the realized distribution of a species, particularly for management and conservation purposes, we suggest using only accurate species occurrence data and large sample sizes. Appropriate data filtering and examination of the spatial autocorrelation in predictors should be a routine procedure to minimize the possible influence of positional uncertainty in species occurrence data. However, if the data are sparse, models of the potential distribution of species can be created using a relatively small sample size, and this can provide a generalized indication of the main regional drivers of the distribution patterns. By this means, field surveys can be targeted to discover unknown populations and species in poorly surveyed regions in order to improve the robustness of the data for later modelling of the realized distributions. Based on this review, we conclude that (1) with data that are currently available, studies performed at a resolution of 1–100 km2 are useful for hypothesizing about the environmental conditions that limit the distribution of a species and (2) incorporating coarse resolution species occurrence data in a model, despite an increase in sample size, lowers model performance.

Description: Cereopsis studeri was described by G. von Koch in 1891 with material from Naples. However, it was subsequently synonymized, erroneously identified, and overlooked in subsequent soft coral literature of the twentieth century. After the original description, this species was not recorded or correctly described for 120 years. The study of newly collected material from the North Western Mediterranean permits the re-description of this forgotten species and its assignation to the genus Nidalia in the family Nidaliidae. The main features of Nidalia studeri com. nov. are: colony torch-like, a capitulum light orange in colour, not laterally flattened, dome-shaped and not distinctly projecting beyond the stalk, introvert with sclerites transversally placed in two longitudinal rows per interseptal space, anthocodial crown with 28–38 sclerite rows, points separated from polyps distally, formed by 6–9 pairs of sclerites, and the presence of intermediate points (secondary points) between principal (interseptal) ones. Nidalia studeri is here compared with its closest congeners, especially with the Indonesian species N. simpsoni, species from the West Indian Region N. dissidens, N.occidentalis, N. deichmannae, and the recently described Nidalia aurantia from the Mid-Atlantic Ocean. This is the first time that the genus Nidalia and the family Nidaliidae have been reported with certainty for the Mediterranean Sea.

Description: The changes in global temperatures as a result of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has suggested that cumulative CO2 emissions will continue to increase over time. Many countries are looking for ways to reduce or alter the amount of CO2 harming our environment; therefore, this review is a compilation of CO2 adsorption on biomass-derived-biochar (BDB). This suggests that effective measures to mitigate the risk of dangerous climate change will need to limit cumulative emissions of CO2. Further, if cumulative CO2 emissions overshoot acceptable limits, it will become necessary to remove CO2 from the air, that is, the so-called “negative emissions.” In this review, we discuss the definitions and classes of technologies for capturing CO2 from the air and the application of biochar in the improvement of soil fertility. We also discuss the economic tradeoff between biochar and bio-oil, agricultural nutrient leaching, the novel magnetic property of biochar and its durability.

Description: The crystalline parts of the Bergsträsser (western) Odenwald and the southern Spessart expose Variscan I-type granitoids of the mid-German crystalline rise that formed during subduction of the Rheic ocean and collision of Avalonia and Armorica about 365 and 330 Ma ago. We present geochemical, Sr-Nd isotopic, single zircon 207Pb/206Pb evaporation and conventional U-Pb data from a diorite-granodiorite complex of the southern Spessart and from a flasergranitoid of the Bergsträsser Odenwald unit II. Both intrusions provide almost identical zircon ages (332.4 ± 1.6 Ma for Odenwald and 330.4 ± 2.0 Ma for Spessart). Lack of inherited or pre-magmatic zircon components connotes magma genesis in deep crustal hot zones despite low temperature estimates (758–786 °C) derived from zircon saturation thermometry. Investigated rock samples display normal- to high-K calc-alkaline metaluminous (Spessart) and weakly peraluminous (Odenwald) geochemical characteristics. The Spessart pluton has lower εNd(T) values (−2.3 to −3.0) and higher 87Sr/86Sri ratios (0.7060 to 0.7066) compared to Odenwald flasergranitoid (εNd(T) = −0.8 and 87Sr/86Sri = 0.7048). In terms of the tectonic setting, the diorite-granodiorite complex of the southern Spessart forms the continuation of the north Armorican arc segment exposed in the Bergsträsser Odenwald. Taking into account previously reported geochemical and isotopic results, it is concluded that the Spessart pluton does not match compositions of Odenwald unit II granitoids but likely represents the north-eastward extension of unit III.

Description: Three new compounds, 4′-(4,5-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)methyl-phenol (1), (3′-hydroxybutan-2′-yl)5-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxylate (2), and atroviridetide (3), have been isolated from the marine-derived fungus Trichoderma atroviride G 20-12. Their structures were determined on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic methods.

Description: It is well known that random forests reduce the variance of the regression predictors compared to a single tree, while leaving the bias unchanged. In many situations, the dominating component in the risk turns out to be the squared bias, which leads to the necessity of bias correction. In this paper, random forests are used to estimate the regression function. Five different methods for estimating bias are proposed and discussed. Simulated and real data are used to study the performance of these methods. Our proposed methods are significantly effective in reducing bias in regression context.

Description: A histological study of the reproductive cycle of male and female shore crabs, Carcinus maenas (Linnaeus), was performed monthly on the South West coast of Ireland (from December 2006 to July 2008). The calculated sex ratio deviated from equality, 1:0.53, revealing a strong male bias. A system was devised, based on screening of tissue sections, to describe and stage gametogenic development. Histological examinations revealed that ovarian development occurred biannually, with a primary winter cycle in which the larger crabs reproduced and a secondary summer cycle, when smaller crabs reproduced. An association was observed where more of the larger specimens were caught in the summer months and the smaller specimens in the winter months, which inversely correlated with the segregated breeding cycles. There was strong evidence that mature male crabs could potentially copulate year round since all mature specimens, collected throughout the year, contained viable spermatozoa. Developmental stages of oogenesis and spermatogenesis were described to develop a practical gonadal index for this portunid crab, providing information on the biology of this species, which will be of benefit for fisheries management.

Description: Regression trees represent one of the most popular tools in predictive data mining applications. However, previous studies have shown that their performances are not completely satisfactory when the dependent variable is highly skewed, and severely degrade in the presence of heavy-tailed error distributions, especially for grossly mis-measured values of the dependent variable. In this paper the lack of robustness of some classical regression trees is investigated by addressing the issue of highly-skewed and contaminated error distributions. In particular, the performances of some non robust regression trees are evaluated through a Monte Carlo experiment and compared to those of some trees, based on M-estimators, recently proposed in order to robustify this kind of methods. In conclusion, the results obtained from the analysis of a real dataset are presented.

Description: Overpressure generation due to rapid sediment deposition can result in low effective stresses within the sediment column. It has been proposed that these large overpressures are the main preconditioning factor for causing large-scale submarine slope failure on passive continental margins, such as those in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Norway. The rate of overpressure generation depends on the sedimentation rate, sediment compressibility and permeability. The Gulf of Mexico and the Norwegian continental slope have experienced comparatively high sediment input, but large-scale slope failure also occurs in locations with very low sedimentation rates such as the Northwest African continental margin. Here we show results from 2D numerical modelling of a 2° continental slope subjected to deposition rates of 0.15 m/ka. These results do not indicate any evidence for significant overpressure or slope instability. We conclude that factors other than overpressure must be fundamental for initiating slope failure, at least in locations with low sedimentation rates.

Description: There has been a good deal of interest in the potential of marine vegetation as a sink for anthropogenic C emissions (“Blue Carbon”). Marine primary producers contribute at least 50% of the world’s carbon fixation and may account for as much as 71% of all carbon storage. In this paper, we analyse the current rate of harvesting of both commercially grown and wild-grown macroalgae, as well as their capacity for photosynthetically driven CO2 assimilation and growth. We suggest that CO2 acquisition by marine macroalgae can represent a considerable sink for anthropogenic CO2 emissions and that harvesting and appropriate use of macroalgal primary production could play a significant role in C sequestration and amelioration of greenhouse gas emissions.

Description: Inhibitors of bacterial quorum sensing have been proposed as potentially novel therapeutics for the treatment of certain bacterial diseases. We recently reported a marine Halobacillus salinus isolate that secretes secondary metabolites capable of quenching quorum sensing phenotypes in several Gram-negative reporter strains. To investigate how widespread the production of such compounds may be in the marine bacterial environment, 332 Gram-positive isolates from diverse habitats were tested for their ability to interfere with Vibrio harveyi bioluminescence, a cell signaling-regulated phenotype. Rapid assay methods were employed where environmental isolates were propagated alongside the reporter strain. “Actives” were defined as bacteria that interfered with bioluminescence without visible cell-killing effects (antibiotic activity). A total of 49 bacterial isolates interfered with bioluminescence production in the assays. Metabolite extracts were generated from cultures of the active isolates, and 28 reproduced the bioluminescence inhibition against V. harveyi. Of those 28, five extracts additionally inhibited violacein production by Chromobacterium violaceum. Chemical investigations revealed that phenethylamides and a cyclic dipeptide are two types of secondary metabolites responsible for the observed activities. The active bacterial isolates belonged primarily to either the genus Bacillus or Halobacillus. The results suggest that Gram-positive marine bacteria are worthy of further investigation for the discovery of quorum sensing antagonists.

Description: Introduction: Nanocarriers are considered to be one of the most innovative drug delivery systems, owing to their high potential in drug protection, delivery and targeting to the diseased site. Unfortunately, their applicability is hampered mainly by their uptake, due to macrophagic recognition and lack of specificity, if not properly engineered. Areas covered: Sialic acid (SA) and its derivatives have recently been studied in order to govern their stealthness as carriers and their effectiveness as targeting moieties. In this review, the most outstanding research (in vitro and in vivo) dealing with the use of SA or its derivatives to modify the surface carriers, in order to achieve targeted or stealth nanosystems, is summarized. Moreover, the application of SA or its derivatives as modifiers in cancer targeting and therapy, and in recognition purposes, is considered. Expert opinion: The application of SA-based strategies for nanocarrier engineering represents one of the most stimulating challenges in drug delivery and drug targeting. Both in vivo and in vitro results on stealth or targeted nanocarriers, modified with different kinds of SA or SA derivative, have highlighted the great potential of this approach. These studies have drawn attention to both the advantages (stealth properties, targeting ability, cancer inhibition, viral and inflammation recognition, brain targeting) and the possible disadvantages (i.e., presence of possible multi-target side effect outputs) of this strategy, and overall suggests that further investigations on this strategy are required.

Description: North Pacific flatfishes are gaining increased popularity on the German market. Isoelectric focusing of sarcoplasmic proteins and PCR-based DNA analysis were applied to identify fillets of nine Alaskan Flatfish species: Artheresthes stomias (Arrow-tooth flounder), Limanda aspera (Yellowfin sole), Isopsetta isolepis (Butter sole), Lepidopsetta bilineata (Southern rock sole), Lepidopsetta polyxystra (Northern rock sole), Hippoglossus stenolepis (Pacific halibut), Hippoglossoides elassodon (Flathead sole), Platichthys stellatus (Starry flounder), and Glyptocephalus zachirus (Rex sole). Characteristic protein patterns were obtained for raw fillets of several species. Reactivity of flatfish DNA against five pairs of primers was tested, amplifying segments of the mitochondrial cytochrome b, cytochrome oxidase subunit I, 16S rRNA gene, as well as the nuclear parvalbumin gene. Amplicons of the cytochrome b gene were sequenced and used for single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. The survey of deep-frozen commercial yellowfin sole fillets resulted in the detection of 17% of the fillets being mislabelled; Northern rock sole, butter sole and flathead sole had been used as substitutes.

Description: Marine habitats worldwide are increasingly pressurized by climate change, especially along the Antarctic Peninsula. Well-studied areas in front of rapidly retreating tidewater glaciers like Potter Cove are representative for similar coastal environments and, therefore, shed light on habitat formation and development on not only a local but also regional scale. The objective of this study was to provide insights into habitat distribution in Potter Cove, King George Island, Antarctica, and to evaluate the associated environmental processes. Furthermore, an assessment concerning the future development of the habitats is provided. To describe the seafloor habitats in Potter Cove, an acoustic seabed discrimination system (RoxAnn) was used in combination with underwater video images and sediment samples. Due to the absence of wave and current measurements in the study area, bed shear stress estimates served to delineate zones prone to sediment erosion. On the basis of the investigations, two habitat classes were identified in Potter Cove, namely soft-sediment and stone habitats that, besides influences from sediment supply and coastal morphology, are controlled by sediment erosion. A future expansion of the stone habitat is predicted if recent environmental change trends continue. Possible implications for the Potter Cove environment, and other coastal ecosystems under similar pressure, include changes in biomass and species composition.

Description: A polyphasic analysis was carried out to clarify the taxonomic status of four marine actinomycete strains that share a phylogenetic relationship and phenotypic characteristics with the genus Salinispora. These strains formed a distinct lineage within the Salinispora 16S rRNA and gyrB trees and were found to possess a range of phenotypic properties and DNA:DNA hybridization values that distinguished them from the type strains of the two validly named species in this genus, Salinisporatropica (CNB-440T, ATCC BAA-916T) and Salinispora arenicola (CNH-643T, ATCC BAA-917T). The combined genotypic and phenotypic data support this conclusion. It is proposed that the strains be designated as Salinisporapacifica sp. nov., the type strain of which is CNR-114T (DSMZ YYYYT = KACC 17160T).

Description: Human disturbances, such as overfishing, may disrupt predator-prey interactions and modify food webs. Underwater surveys were carried out at six shallow-water reef barrens in temperate waters of northern-central Chile from October to December 2010 to describe the effects of predation, habitat complexity (low, medium and high) and refuge availability on the abundance and population structure of the rock shrimp Rhynchocinetes typus (Rhynchocinetidae), an important mesoconsumer on subtidal hard substrata. Three sites were within managed (restricted access) areas for fishermen, and three were unmanaged (open-access). Field observations and tethering experiments were conducted to examine the relationship between fish and shrimp abundances, and the relative predation rates on shrimps. Direct effects of predation on R. typus body-size distribution were examined from shrimps collected in the field and fish stomachs. The presence and the abundance of R. typus increased with habitat reef complexity and refuge availability. Shrimp abundance was negatively related to fish abundance in managed areas, but not in open-access areas, where shrimp densities were the highest. Also, predation rates and body-size distribution of shrimps were unrelated, although fish consumed more large shrimps than should be expected from their distribution in the field. R. typus occurred most often in shelters with wide openings, offering limited protection against predators, but providing potential aggregation sites for shrimps. Overall, direct effects of predation on shrimp densities and population structure were weak, but indirect effects on shrimp distribution within reefs appear to have been mediated through behavioural responses. Our study highlights the need to assess both numerical and behavioural responses of prey to determine the effects of predator loss on mesoconsumer populations.

Description: Whilst a range of animals have been shown to respond behaviourally to components of the Earth’s magnetic field, evidence of the value of this sensory perception for small animals advected by strong flows (wind/ocean currents) is equivocal. We added geomagnetic directional swimming behaviour for North Atlantic loggerhead turtle hatchlings (Carettacaretta) into a high-resolution (1/4°) global general circulation ocean model to simulate 2,925-year-long hatchling trajectories comprising 355,875 locations. A little directional swimming (1–3 h per day) had a major impact on trajectories; simulated hatchlings travelled further south into warmer water. As a result, thermal elevation of hatchling metabolic rates was estimated to be between 63.3 and 114.5% after 220 days. We show that even small animals in strong flows can benefit from geomagnetic orientation and thus the potential implications of directional swimming for other taxa may be broad.

Description: The effect of phototrophic biofilm activity on advective transport of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) in sandy sediments was examined using percolated columns. Cd and Ni in the effluent exhibited clear diel cycles in biofilm-containing columns, with concentrations at the end of dark periods exceeding those during illumination by up to 4.5- and 10-fold for Ni and Cd, respectively. Similar cycles were not observed for Pb or Cu. Breakthrough of the latter metals was greatly retarded and incomplete relative to Cd and Ni, and trends in biofilm treatments did not differ greatly from those in control columns. Inhibition of photosystem II by DCMU (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea) proved that diel cycles of Cd and Ni were controlled by oxygenic photosynthesis, and microsensor measurements showed that metal cycles closely matched metabolic activity-driven pH variations. The sorption edge pH for the sand/biofilm substrate followed the order Ni 〉 Cd 〉 Cu 〉 Pb, and for Ni and Cd, was within the pH 7–10 range observed in the biofilm-containing column. Adsorption dynamics over the light periods matched pH increases, but desorption during dark periods was incomplete and slower than the rate of change of pH. Over a diel cycle, desorption was less than adsorption, resulting in net binding of dissolved metals due to the biofilm metabolic activity. Extraction with selective reagents indicated that the adsorbed metals were readily exchangeable, and potentially bioavailable. Thus, phototrophic benthic biofilms can control the transport of some metals across the sand–water interface, and processes in this very thin surficial layer should be considered when evaluating chemical fluxes in permeable sediments.

Description: Although long-distance transport of marine organisms is constrained by numerous oceanic and biological factors, some species have evolved life-histories reliant on such movements. We examine the factors that promote long-distance transport in a transoceanic migrant, young loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), from the southeastern U.S. Empirical data from near-surface buoys and simulations in two ocean circulation models indicated that passive drifters are often retained for long periods shoreward of oceanic fronts that delineate coastal and offshore waters. Further simulations revealed that offshore swimming aided newly hatched turtles in moving past fronts and increased turtles’ probability of survival, reaching distant foraging grounds, and encountering favorable temperatures. Swimming was most beneficial in regions that were more favorable under scenarios assuming passive drift. These results have broad implications for understanding the movement processes of many marine species, highlighting likely retention of more planktonic species and potential for dispersal in more nektonic species.

Description: The four rhopalia of cubomedusae are integrated parts of the central nervous system carrying their many eyes and thought to be the centres of visual information processing. Rhopalial pacemakers control locomotion through a complex neural signal transmitted to the ring nerve and the signal frequency is modulated by the visual input. Since electrical synapses have never been found in the cubozoan nervous system all signals are thought to be transmitted across chemical synapses, and so far information about the neurotransmitters involved are based on immunocytochemical or behavioural data. Here we present the first direct physiological evidence for the types of neurotransmitters involved in sensory information processing in the rhopalial nervous system. FMRFamide, serotonin and dopamine are shown to have inhibitory effect on the pacemaker frequency. There are some indications that the fast acting acetylcholine and glycine have an initial effect and then rapidly desensitise. Other tested neuroactive compounds (GABA, glutamate, and taurine) could not be shown to have a significant effect.

Description: There has been debate in the literature about whether jellyfish abundance has increased in the northern Benguela upwelling system, or not, over the past five decades and what impact they are having on pelagic fish. Here we review old expedition literature as well as more recent spatial and temporal patterns in distribution of jellyfish off Namibia at a number of different scales, using both published and previously unpublished data. Specifically, we have used data from fishery-dependent sources of both the demersal (359 638 trawls) and pelagic fisheries (11 324 purse-seine sets) that cover the period 1992–2006, supported by data from fishery-independent demersal (6 109 trawls) and pelagic trawls (1 817 trawls) from 1996 to 2006. Using frequency of capture as an index of abundance, it is clear that jellyfish are not randomly distributed within the northern Benguela ecosystem, but show specific areas of concentration that broadly reflect regional oceanography and the distribution of other zooplankton. Although jellyfish are present throughout the year, peaks in abundance are shown that often coincide with peaks in the spawning activity of fish of commercial importance. Interannual changes in jellyfish abundance observed from all sources do not agree, with some showing increases, others declines, and still others showing no change, which suggests caution should be exercised in their interpretation. Based on the multiple lines of evidence synthesised here, we conclude that jellyfish abundance has increased concomitant with a decline of pelagic fish stocks. We conclude that future recovery of the pelagic fishery off Namibia is likely to be considerably challenged because of significant overlaps in space and time between fish and jellyfish, and through the effects of competition and predation effects of jellyfish on fish.

Description: In this paper, drained behaviour of cemented sand under high pressure is studied. A recently developed high pressure triaxial apparatus is used. The test results indicate the significance of degree of cementation and confining pressure on the isotropic compression, volumetric change, stress-strain behaviour and stress-dilatancy relationship of cemented sand at high confining pressures. The results suggest that the influence of cementation is greater at low confining stresses and it reduces with increasing confining stress where the effect of the confining pressure becomes dominant. A Scanning Electron Microscope analysis has also been included in the paper. It revealed that the particle and cement bonding breakage at high pressure is dependent on the stress level and the cement content. The higher the confining pressure the more significant particle and cement bonding breakage is observed. The higher the cement content the fewer sand particles and cement bonds are broken.

Description: The abundance of gold in crustal rocks is an important constraint on the formation of gold deposits. Gold concentrations in unmineralised igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks range from 0.05 to 20 ppb with average concentrations commonly between 0.5 and 5 ppb. Analytical methods with ultra-low detection limits are required to observe the full range of concentrations. Gold concentrations in igneous rocks are strongly controlled by the behaviour of sulphur. Higher gold concentrations occur in sulphur-undersaturated rocks compared to sulphur saturated igneous rocks. Mid ocean ridge basalt has lower gold concentration than ocean-island and volcanic-arc basalt, due mainly to lower oxygen fugacity at MOR settings that causes sulphur saturation. Gold concentrations in sedimentary rocks increase with increasing abundance of diagenetic sulphide minerals and organic matter. Gold concentrations in metamorphic rocks decrease systematically with increasing metamorphic grade. Amphibolite facies rocks commonly contain between 50 and 80% less gold than their unmetamorphosed protolith rocks.

Description: This paper provides an introduction to, and overview of, the natural phenomenon known as the KwaZulu-Natal sardine run. Previous literature on this topic and hypotheses about the reasons why, and the mechanisms how, the run occurs are briefly synthesised and described. Papers contributing to this suite that detail more recent work on a variety of aspects of the sardine run, ranging from physical oceanography through sardine biology and ecology to socio-economic and ecological consequences, are outlined. Such studies will lead to improved understanding of the factors that regulate the timing and intensity of the run, which may permit predictions of whether it will occur, when fish will arrive on the KZN beaches, and how long it will persist. Such predictions would have substantial benefits for this ecologically and economically important event.

Description: This study investigates the types of subaqueous deposits that occur when hot pyroclastic flows turbulently mix with water at the shoreline through field studies of the Znp marine tephra in Japan and flume experiments where hot tephra sample interacted with water. The Znp is a very thick, pumice-rich density current deposit that was sourced from subaerial pyroclastic flows entering the Japan Sea in the Pliocene. Notable characteristics are well-developed grain size and density grading (lithic-rich base, pumice-rich middle, and ash-rich top), preponderance of sedimentary lithic clasts picked up from the seafloor during transport, fine ash depletion in coarse facies, and presence of curviplanar pumice clasts. Flume experiments provide a framework for interpreting the origin and proximity to source of the Znp tephra. On contact of hot tephra sample with water, steam explosions produced a gas-supported pyroclastic density current that advanced over the water while a water-supported density current was produced on the tank floor from the base of a turbulent mixing zone. Experimental deposits comprise proximal lithic breccia, medial pumice breccia, and distal fine ash. Experiments undertaken with cold, water-saturated slurries of tephra sample and water did not produce proximal lithic breccias but a medial basal lithic breccia beneath an upper pumice breccia. Results suggest the characteristics and variations in Znp facies were strongly controlled by turbulent mixing and quenching, proximity to the shoreline, and depositional setting within the basin. Presence of abundant curviplanar pumice clasts in submarine breccias reflects brittle fracture and dismembering that can occur during fragmentation at the vent or during quenching. Subsequent transport in water-supported pumiceous density currents preserves the fragmental textures. Careful study is needed to distinguish the products of subaerial versus subaqueous eruptions.

Description: In this article, wave refraction and shoaling in coastal areas were investigated and used to derive the bathymetry. With its high spatial resolution, which can achieve up to 1 m in SpotLight mode, and its low cut-off wavelength, the TerraSAR-X satellite provides images that are particularly suitable for the observation of wave behaviour in transient and shallow waters. By computing the two-dimensional (2D) spectra, shoaling waves were tracked from the open sea to the shoreline. The observed wave refraction and shoaling were compared with wave refraction laws and first-order wave theory (Airy theory). The retrieved bathymetry was compared against depth data from other sources such as ETOPO1, the US Coastal Relief Model and sea charts from the British Admiralty. A further aim of this article was the investigation of breaking waves showing up as near-shore image patterns. A theory is presented of how to derive the height of breaking waves by use of this pattern. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images with azimuth as well as range travelling waves were investigated. As test sites, we chose the entrance of Port Phillip near Melbourne (Australia) and the Duck Research Pier in North Carolina (USA).

Description: Mineral exploration activities require robust predictive models that result in accurate mapping of the probability that mineral deposits can be found at a certain location. Random forest (RF) is a powerful machine data-driven predictive method that is unknown in mineral potential mapping. In this paper, performance of RF regression for the likelihood of gold deposits in the Rodalquilar mining district is explored. The RF model was developed using a comprehensive exploration GIS database composed of: gravimetric and magnetic survey, a lithogeochemical survey of 59 elements, lithology and fracture maps, a Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper image and gold occurrence locations. The results of this study indicate that the use of RF for the integration of large multisource data sets used in mineral exploration and for prediction of mineral deposit occurrences offers several advantages over existing methods. Key advantages of RF include: (1) the simplicity of parameter setting; (2) an internal unbiased estimate of the prediction error; (3) the ability to handle complex data of different statistical distributions, responding to nonlinear relationships between variables; (4) the capability to use categorical predictors; and (5) the capability to determine variable importance. Additionally, variables that RF identified as most important coincide with well-known geologic expectations. To validate and assess the effectiveness of the RF method. Statistical measures of map quality indicate that the RF method performs better than LR, with mean square errors equal to 0.12 and 0.19, respectively. The efficiency of RF is also better, achieving an optimum success rate when half of the area predicted by LR is considered.

Description: This article reports the results of a study of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to coastal waters of Majorca (NW Mediterranean). The overall aim is to evaluate the relevance of SGD of the island and chemically characterize the components that are supplied to the coastal waters through this pathway. Although other discharge areas are identified, we particularly focus on SGD in bays and areas of increased sea water residence time where effects of the discharges are expected to be most notable. Analysis at four selected embayments with different land-use characteristics indicated a link between human activities (mainly agriculture and urban) and compounds arriving to the coast. A pathway for these elements is the diffuse discharge along the shoreline, as suggested by the inverse relationship between salinity and nutrients in nearshore porewaters. A general survey was conducted at 46 sites around the island, and used dissolved radium as a qualitative indicator of SGD. Measurements of nutrients (P and N), pCO2 and TOC were performed to characterize the elements delivered to the coastal environment. Most nearshore samples showed 224Ra enrichment (mean ± SE, 7.0 ± 0.6 dpm 100 l−1) with respect to offshore waters (1.1 ± 0.2 dpm 100 l−1); however, 224Ra measurements along the coast were highly variable (1.0–38.1 dpm 100 l−1). Coastal samples with enhanced radium levels showed elevated pCO2 with respect to atmospheric concentrations, which together with high pCO2 in groundwater (〉5,000 ppm) indicates that SGD is an important vector of CO2 to coastal waters. Moreover, a relationship between 224Ra and phytoplankton biomass was established, suggesting an important impact of SGD on coastal productivity. The results presented here provide a first approximation of the SGD effect in the coastal waters of Majorca, and indicate that SGD could be an important source of nutrients and CO2 to the coast, strongly influencing the productivity and biogeochemical cycling of the coastal waters of Majorca.

Description: Escalation theory proposes enemy-related selection as the most relevant factor of natural selection among individual organisms. When hazardous to predators, prey might be considered enemies that influence predator evolution. Opisthobranch molluscs that prey on chemically defended prey are an interesting study case on this subject. Predation on chemically defended species paved the way for opisthobranchs to enter in an arms race, developing means to detoxify and/or excrete harmful compounds, which led to the sequestration of those compounds and their self-defensive use, an escalation of defenses. Here we aim to understand whether the opisthobranch predator is better protected than its chemically defended prey, using as predator–prey model, a nudibranch (Hypselodoriscantabrica) and the sponge it preys upon (Dysidea fragilis), and from which it obtains deterrent chemical compounds. Specimens of both species were collected on the Portuguese coast, and their crude extracts were analyzed and used in palatability tests. Nudibranchs revealed a higher natural concentration of crude extract, probably due to a progressive accumulation of the compounds. Both predator and prey extracts revealed similar mixtures of deterrent metabolites (furanosesquiterpenes). Palatability tests revealed a more effective deterrence in the nudibranch extracts because significant rejection rates were observed at lower concentrations than those necessary for the sponge extracts to have the same effect. We concluded that the predator is chemically better protected than its prey, which suggests that its acquisition of chemical defenses reveals a defensive escalation.

Description: The family Rhodobacteraceae can be considered a paradigm of modern taxonomy of prokaryotes. Taking into account the number of species and genera that conforms the family, together with the knowledge about their abundance and vast global distribution, it surprises that most of them have been described relatively recent to our days. Two notable exceptions are Rhodonostoc capsulatum (Molisch, Die purpurbakterien nach neuen untersuchungen, vols i–vii. G. Fischer, Jena, pp 1–95, 1907) and Micrococcus denitrificans Beijerinck and Minkman (Zentbl Bakteriol, Parasitenkd, Infektionskr Hyg. Abt II 25:30–63, 1910), early basonyms of Rhodobacter capsulatus and Paracoccus denitrificans, respectively. The fact that so many descriptions within this family are recent means that some studies have been concomitant and pose a challenge not only for pure taxonomic studies but also for interpreting other studies in which a rapidly evolving nomenclature had to be used anyway. The metabolic and ecological diversity of the group adds further complexity. In spite of all these difficulties, the picture is far from being a chaos and it can be considered an exciting and important bacterial group to study. Rhodobacteraceae are, fundamentally, aquatic bacteria that frequently thrive in marine environments. They comprise mainly aerobic photo- and chemoheterotrophs but also purple non-sulfur bacteria which perform photosynthesis in anaerobic environments. They are deeply involved in sulfur and carbon biogeochemical cycling and symbiosis with aquatic micro- and macroorganisms. One hundred genera are currently recognized as members of the family although the Stappia group, Ahrensia, Agaricicola, and Rhodothalassium do not belong, phylogenetically, to the family. The 90 other genera are distributed in 5 phylogenetic groups (the Rhodobacter, the Paracoccus, the Rhodovulum, the Amaricoccus, and the Roseobacter clades) that might be considered a family on its own.

Description: Digital terrain models (DTMs), finding a wide range of applications in the exploration of water areas, are mainly created on the basis of bathymetric data from a multibeam echosounder. The estimation of DTM accuracy dependent on the choice of the survey parameters is difficult due to the lack of reference surface. These authors have developed the methodology of simulation called virtual survey, which enables examining how various parameters of the echosounder, survey and DTM construction algorithms affect the errors of the created models. They are aimed at precise estimation of the model accuracy and the optimization of depth measurement work. The article includes the results of the examination of the effect of parameters determining the density of measurement points on the accuracy of the obtained GRID model. It has been proved that a significant reduction of recorded data density leads to only a slight increase in the modeling error, which makes the bathymetric survey much more cost-effective.

Description: During a sea survey session performed using a multibeam echosounder millions of measurement points are generated. Sea surveys should be carried out in such a way, that the maximum accuracy of created seabed models (DTM) is achieved and the standards specified by the IHO S-44 guidelines are met. One of the requirements is so called full sea floor search, which means the ability of a system to detect all the cubic features at least 1 m in size. Spatial distribution of measurement points is irregular and the distances between closest data points are varying, depending on many factors (on survey parameters, depth or distance between the beam and the vessel). Due to those reasons, it is difficult for the users of hydrographic systems to evaluate the degree of coverage of seabed by measurement points, and therefore to confirm fulfilment of the normative requirements. As a solution we propose visualisation methods for measurement data collected in sea surveys. Specific features of such a visualisation are explained and a method for creating the images is presented, along with some exemplary results.

Description: Based on an empirical orthogonal function analysis of satellite altimeter data, guidance from numerical model results, and CANEK transport estimates, we propose an index, based on differences in satellite-measured sea surface height anomalies, for measuring the influence of Gulf of Mexico Loop Current intrusion on vertically integrated transport variability through the Yucatan Channel. We show that the new index is significantly correlated at low frequencies (cut-off 120 days) with the cable estimates of transport between Florida and the Bahamas. We argue that the physical basis for the correlation is the geometric connectivity between the Yucatan Channel and the Straits of Florida.

Description: A thorough knowledge of global ocean precipitation is an indispensable prerequisite for the understanding of the water cycle in the global climate system. However, reliable detection of precipitation over the global oceans, especially of solid precipitation, remains a challenging task. This is true for both, passive microwave remote sensing and reanalysis based model estimates. The optical disdrometer ODM 470 is a ground validation instrument capable of measuring rain and snowfall on ships even under high wind speeds. It was used for the first time over the Nordic Seas during the LOFZY 2005 campaign. A dichotomous verification of precipitation occurrence resulted in a perfect correspondence between the disdrometer, a precipitation detector and a shipboard observer's log. The disdrometer data is further point-to-area collocated against precipitation from the satellite based Hamburg Ocean Atmosphere Parameters and fluxes from Satellite data (HOAPS) climatology. HOAPS precipitation turns out to be overall consistent with the disdrometer data resulting in a detection accuracy of 0.96. The collocated data comprises light precipitation events below 1 mm h–1. Therefore two LOFZY case studies with high precipitation rates are presented that indicate plausible HOAPS satellite precipitation rates. Overall, this encourages longer term measurements of ship-to-satellite collocated precipitation in the near future.

Description: Grateloupia turuturu Yamada is an economically valuable red alga with great potential in nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Filaments of G. turuturu are of primary importance in germplasm preservation and sporeling culture, although filaments were not present in its life cycle. In this study, effects of temperature (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 °C) and irradiance (10, 30, 60, and 90 μmol photons m−2 s−1) with photoperiod 10:14 h (light/dark) on filament development were investigated. Our results indicated that 25 °C was the optimal temperature for the formation of discoid crusts regardless of the irradiance. Conditions of 20 °C and 60 μmol photons m−2 s−1 promoted the development of discoid crusts and formation of upright thalli.

Description: Many Penicillium species produce enzyme systems with good performances in lignocellulose degradation. In our laboratory, lignocellulolytic enzyme-producing Penicillium oxalicum (formerly classified as Penicillium decumbens) strains have been studied for more than 30 years. High cellulase-producing mutants have been obtained through random mutagenesis and genetic engineering, and the components in the enzyme systems have been elucidated using systems biology tools. The effects of different carbon sources on the production level of lignocellulolytic enzymes have been studied, and the related molecular mechanisms have been investigated. When compared with the widely used cellulase producer Trichoderma reesei, some unique features have been found in P. oxalicum, including higher β-glucosidase activity, higher numbers of lignocellulolytic enzyme gene, and different response of cellulase gene expression to some disaccharides. To boost the economic potential of the biorefineries using lignocellulosic biomass, P. oxalicum strains need to be further improved regarding the performance and production level of the enzyme systems.

Description: Bacterial light production involves enzymes-luciferase, fatty acid reductase, and flavin reductase-and substrates-reduced flavin mononucleotide and long-chain fatty aldehyde-that are specific to bioluminescence in bacteria. The bacterial genes coding for these enzymes, luxA and luxB for the subunits of luciferase; luxC, luxD, and luxE for the components of the fatty acid reductase; and luxG for flavin reductase, are found as an operon in light-emitting bacteria, with the gene order, luxCDABEG. Over 30 species of marine and terrestrial bacteria, which cluster phylogenetically in Aliivibrio, Photobacterium, and Vibrio (Vibrionaceae), Shewanella (Shewanellaceae), and Photorhabdus (Enterobacteriaceae), carry lux operon genes. The luminescence operons of some of these bacteria also contain genes involved in the synthesis of riboflavin, ribEBHA, and in some species, regulatory genes luxI and luxR are associated with the lux operon. In well-studied cases, lux genes are coordinately expressed in a population density-responsive, self-inducing manner called quorum sensing. The evolutionary origins and physiological function of bioluminescence in bacteria are not well understood but are thought to relate to utilization of oxygen as a substrate in the luminescence reaction.

Description: Fertilization depends on distribution and aggregation patterns of sea urchins which influence gamete contact time and may potentially enhance their vulnerability to ocean acidification. In this study, we conducted fertilization experiments to assess the effects of selected pH scenarios on fertilization success of Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, from Spitsbergen, Arctic. Acidification was achieved by aerating seawater with different CO2 partial pressures to represent pre-industrial and present conditions (measured ~180–425 µatm) and future acidification scenarios (~550–800, ~1,300, ~2,000 µatm). Fertilization success was defined as the proportion of successful/unsuccessful fertilizations per treatment; eggs were classified according to features of their fertilization envelope (FE), hyaline layer (HL) and achievement of cellular division. The diagnostic findings of specific pathological aberrations were described in detail. We additionally measured intracellular pH changes in unfertilized eggs exposed for 1 h to selected acidification treatments using BCECF/AM. We conclude that (a) acidified conditions increase the proportion of eggs that failed fertilization, (b) acidification may increase the risk of polyspermy due to failures in the FE formation supported by the occasional observation of multiple sperms in the perivitelline space and (c) irregular formation of the embryo may arise due to impaired formation of the HL. The decrease in fertilization success could be also related to the observed changes in intracellular pH at pCO2 ~ 1,000 μatm or higher.

Description: Bioturbation of bottom sediments at the sediment–water interface is currently gaining more attention in studies dealing with the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. Such bioturbation can be caused by a variety of benthic macroinvertebrates or benthivorous fish that forage and burrow various bottom tubes, holes and pits. Thus, the processes involved may either be a result of direct interception by benthic animals, e.g., through bioresuspension of particles or through food ingestion and biodeposition, or of other indirect effects, e.g., changes in the physical properties of sediments or through the constructions mentioned above, along with corresponding changes in pond ecosystem functioning. The most distinct effect of benthivorous fish bioturbation activities is an increase in the turbidity of the water, which can lead to many subsequent knock-on effects, including inhibition of phytoplankton and submersed macrophyte growth with resulting alterations in physico-chemical water conditions. The importance of benthic macroinvertebrates and fish in bioturbation processes is also indicated by an increase in the numbers of resting cyanobacterial colonies recruited due to bioturbation of bottom sediments.

Description: The 5th International Workshop on Modeling the Ocean (IWMO http://www.uib.no/en/IWMO2013/-58927/iwmo-2013-bergen-norway) was held in June 17–20, in Bergen, Norway. The historic city of Bergen is the gateway to the fjords and a center for oceanic research. The workshop was hosted by the University of Bergen and also sponsored by the Research Council of Norway. Approximately 80 researchers worldwide participated in the workshop. Professor Mellor, Princeton University, gave the keynote lecture. The 5th IWMO meeting in Bergen was the first IWMO held in Europe, followed on the footsteps of previous meetings, IWMO-2009 in Taipei, Taiwan (Oey et al. 2010a, b), IWMO-2010 in Norfolk, USA (Ezer et al. 2011), IWMO-2011 in Qingdao, China (Oey et al. 2013a), and IWMO-2012 in Yokohama, Japan (Oey et al. 2013b). The participants presented approximately 60 oral talks and 20 posters, covering a wide range of ocean modeling and data analysis topics, as described below. In the spirit of promoting young s ...

Description: The temporal and spatial variability of sea-ice radar signatures in the Southern Ocean during late winter, spring and early summer from QuikSCAT data is presented. We observe a circumpolar and broad band of sea-ice close to the marginal ice zone that is characterized by very high radar backscatter. This feature is explained through detailed in situ observations of snow and sea-ice properties as well as in relation to meteorological conditions, which were derived from US National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) reanalysis data. Our results indicate that high backscatter regions are caused by metamorphous snow, which forms through re-freezing after short-term melt events. This process is connected with the episodic passes of low-pressure systems entraining warmer air from the north. South of the Antarctic Circumpolar Trough, sea-ice is not affected by this influence and shows spatially homogenous microwave signatures with low backscatter.

Description: The Adula Nappe in the Central Alps is a mixture of various pre-Mesozoic continental basement rocks, metabasics, ultrabasics, and Mesozoic cover rocks, which were pervasively deformed during Alpine orogeny. Metabasics, ultrabasics, and locally garnet–mica schists preserve eclogite-facies assemblages while the bulk of the nappe lacks such evidence. We provide garnet major-element data, Lu profiles, and Lu–Hf garnet geochronology from eclogites sampled along a north–south traverse. A southward increasing Alpine overprint over pre-Alpine garnets is observed throughout the nappe. Garnets in a sample from the northern Adula Nappe display a single growth cycle and yield a Variscan age of 323.8 ± 6.9 Ma. In contrast, a sample from Alpe Arami in the southernmost part contains unzoned garnets that fully equilibrated to Alpine high-pressure (HP) metamorphic conditions with temperatures exceeding 800 °C. We suggest that the respective Eocene Lu–Hf age of 34.1 ± 2.8 Ma is affected by partial re-equilibration after the Alpine pressure peak. A third sample from the central part of the nappe contains separable Alpine and Variscan garnet populations. The Alpine population yields a maximum age of 38.8 ± 4.3 Ma in line with a previously published garnet maximum age from the central nappe of 37.1 ± 0.9 Ma. The Adula Nappe represents a coherent basement unit, which preserves a continuous Alpine high-pressure metamorphic gradient. It was subducted as a whole in a single, short-lived event in the upper Eocene. Controversial HP ages and conditions in the Adula Nappe may result from partly preserved Variscan assemblages in Alpine metamorphic rocks.

Description: Ecosystems and their biodiversity have to be protected and preserved as sources of services and goods. The human population controls and modifies ecosystems to improve its health conditions and welfare. The consequences of human activities should be carefully monitored and ecosystems should be managed to protect all of the species and preserve their functioning. The development of strategies for ecosystem management benefits from the use of computational techniques to model the dynamics of species that interact with their abiotic and biotic environment. Life scientists and computer scientists need to work together to define and analyse ecosystem models. However, there is a multifaceted gap between the approaches used in life science and those used in computer science. Such gap is both cultural and technical, and results in a number of challenges. In this paper we identify these challenges and provide technical and cultural proposals for solving them.

Description: A multidisciplinary analysis of intraplate volcanic complexes interbedded with shallow and deeper marine sediments of a Late Miocene carbonate platform (Iblean Plateau, Sicily) has allowed a detailed paleo-environmental reconstruction. Our approach includes sedimentology, physical volcanology, stratigraphy, geochemistry/mineralogy, paleontology and 40Ar/39Ar dating. Four volcanic complexes are distinguished from each other. Two comprise an eastern shallow water platform (diatreme field and Carlentini complex) and two a western deeper water environment representing a seamount belt on the carbonate ramp (Valle Guffari seamount and Mineo complex). The late Miocene volcanism was not time-equivalent: episodic eruptions took place from the Late Tortonian (ca. 9.38 Ma at Mt. Carrubba) to Early Messinian (ca. 6.46 Ma at Valle Guffari). Explosive volcanism of the diatreme field may be related geodynamically to the period of periodic sea-level oscillations at the onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Marine diatomites preserved in the crater areas of two diatremes are the only remnants of Early Messinian diatomites in the eastern Iblean Mountains.

Description: Meltponds on Arctic sea ice have previously been reported to be devoid of marine metazoans due to fresh-water conditions. The predominantly dark frequently also green and brownish meltponds observed in the Central Arctic in summer 2007 hinted to brackish conditions and considerable amounts of algae, possibly making the habitat suitable for marine metazoans. Environmental conditions in meltponds as well as sympagic meiofauna in new ice covering pond surfaces and in rotten ice on the bottom of ponds were studied, applying modified techniques from sea-ice and under-ice research. Due to the very porous structure of the rotten ice, the meltponds were usually brackish to saline, providing living conditions very similar to sub-ice water. The new ice cover on the surface had similar characteristics as the bottom layer of level ice. The ponds were thus accessible to and inhabitable by metazoans. The new ice cover and the rotten ice were inhabited by various sympagic meiofauna taxa, predominantly ciliates, rotifers, acoels, nematodes and foraminiferans. Also, sympagic amphipods were found on the bottom of meltponds. We suggest that, in consequence of global warming, brackish and saline meltponds are becoming more frequent in the Arctic, providing a new habitat to marine metazoans.

Description: Prey regurgitation during capture is a potential important confounding effect in fish dietary ecology studies as it may lead to overestimation of stomach vacuity and underestimation of prey consumption. This study investigates patterns of prey regurgitation and stomach vacuity among five grouper and three snapper species in shallow water off French Polynesia and tests the effectiveness of piercing swim-bladders after capture as a method to prevent regurgitation. Groupers exhibited a moderate overall regurgitation rate of 15.6% of full stomachs and a high true (i.e., after accounting for regurgitation) stomach vacuity rate of 40.5%. In contrast, snappers showed high regurgitation (mean 31.7%) and low true stomach vacuity (14.6%). Not accounting for regurgitation would have resulted in a moderate overestimation of stomach vacuity in groupers, but an almost 3-fold overestimation in snappers. Swim-bladder decompression by piercing after capture prove a highly effective method to reduce regurgitation (more than 2-fold for groupers and near 8-fold for snappers). This study enables a more general understanding of prey regurgitation in two commercially valuable fish families, thus improving understanding of the dietary ecology of these fishes. This information is particularly important in the context of prey consumption estimates and subsequent estimations of the impact of fish predators on ecosystems.

Description: The temporal variation in the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of particulate organic matter (POM) in the Rhone River was investigated on a monthly basis during a 2-year period (2004–2005). In spite of high month-to-month variation, interannually consistent seasonal trends appeared, with significantly lower δ13C (〈−28.2‰) in spring than in the other seasons. In contrast, δ15N did not exhibit significant temporal variation. In spring and summer, high chlorophyll a and b concentrations were associated with low C/N values (〈8) and a high percentage of organic carbon (%C) and organic nitrogen (%N), testifying to high development of autochthonous riverine phytoplankton (mainly diatoms and chlorophytes). In fall and winter, higher δ13C (〉−27.2‰) and C/N (〉8) values, and lower %C, %N, and chlorophylls concentrations indicated the predominance of allochthonous terrestrial detritus material in the river POM. The lower δ13C values recorded in spring–summer, when the phytoplankton biomass was high, were related to the lower carbon isotopic signatures of freshwater diatoms and chlorophytes compared to those of terrestrial plants. Overall, Rhone River POM was mainly composed of terrestrially derived material (90%), with autochthonous phytoplankton representing only 10% as a mean, in spite of a higher mean contribution of phytoplankton (27%) to river POM in summer.

Description: Nutritional imbalances between predator and prey are the rule rather than the exception at the lower end of food webs. We investigated the role of different grazers in the propagation of nutritionally imbalanced primary production by using the same primary producers in a three-trophic-level food chain and a four-trophic-level food chain experimental setup. The three-trophic-level food chain consisted of a classic single-cell primary producer (Rhodomonas salina), a metazoan grazer (the copepod Acartia tonsa) and a top predator (the jellyfish Gonionemus vertens), while we added a protozoan grazer (Oxyrrhis marina) as primary consumer to the food chain to establish the four-trophic-level food chain. This setup allowed us to investigate how nutrient-limitation effects change from one trophic level to another, and to investigate the performance of two components of our experimental food chains in different trophic positions. Stoichiometry and fatty acid profiles of the algae showed significant differences between the nutrient-depleted [no N and no P addition (−P), respectively] and the nutrient-replete (f/2) treatments. The differences in stoichiometry could be traced when O. marina was the first consumer. Copepods feeding on these flagellates were not affected by the nutritional imbalance of their prey in their stoichiometry, their respiration rates nor in their developmental rates. In contrast, when copepods were the primary consumer, those reared on the −P algae showed significantly higher respiration rates along with significantly lower developmental rates. In neither of our two experimental food chains did the signals from the base of the food chains travel up to jelly fish, our top predator.

Description: A one-dimensional model is used to analyze, at the local scale, the response of the equatorial Atlantic Ocean under different meteorological conditions. The study was performed at the location of three moored buoys of the Pilot Research Moored Array in the Tropical Atlantic located at 10° W, 0° N; 10° W, 6° S; and 10° W, 10° S. During the EGEE-3 (Etude de la circulation océanique et de sa variabilité dans le Golfe de Guinee) campaign of May-June 2006, each buoy was visited for maintenance during 2 days. On board the ship, high-resolution atmospheric parameters were collected, as were profiles of temperature, salinity, and current. These data are used here to initialize, force, and validate a one-dimensional model in order to study the diurnal oceanic mixed-layer variability. It is shown that the diurnal variability of the sea surface temperatures is mainly driven by the solar heat flux. The diurnal response of the near-surface temperatures to daytime heating and nighttime cooling has an amplitude of a few tenths of degree. The computed diurnal heat budget experiences a net warming tendency of 31 and 27 W m‑2 at 0° N and 10° S, respectively, and a cooling tendency of 122 W m‑2 at 6° S. Both observed and simulated mixed-layer depths experience a jump between the nighttime convection phase and the well-stabilized diurnal water column. Its amplitude changes dramatically depending on the meteorological conditions occurring at the stations and reaches its maximum amplitude (~50 m) at 10° S. At 6° and 10° S, the presence of barrier layers is observed, a feature that is clearer at 10° S. Simulated turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation rates, compared to independent microstructure measurements, show that the model tracks their diurnal evolution reasonably well. It is also shown that the shear and buoyancy productions and the vertical diffusion of TKE all contribute to the supply of TKE, but the buoyancy production is the main source of TKE during the period of the simulation.

Description: Background, aim, and scope Dissolved humic substances (HSs) are exogenous stressors to aquatic plants and animals which activate a variety of transcriptional and biochemical reactions or block photosynthesis. While there are consistent indications which structures may lead to reduced photosynthetic activity, there is much less clear information available on which HS structures or building blocks act as stressors in animals. Consequently, this work was designed to comparatively study the impact of natural organic matter (NOMs) from different sources on major anti-stress mechanisms in one single animal. We utilized major antioxidant responses and relative expression levels of stress proteins (small HSPs and HSP70) and expected that different HSs provoke different response patterns. Materials and methods We tested the freshwater amphipod Gammarus pulex which was collected from several shallow creeks in Northern Germany. All specimens were maintained in aerated 5-L tanks with filtered water from their natural environment at 10°C with prior acclimation. Animals were fed ad libitum with a commercial preparation once every second day. The exposure water was exchanged with the same frequency. NOMs were isolated from three different sources: two from small brown-water lakes in Northern Germany by reverse osmosis and the third one as an aqueous extract from a black layer of a Brazilian sandbar soil (State of Rio de Janeiro). The rationale was to apply NOMs of contrasting quality. Chemical fingerprint features of the NOMs were taken by high-performance size exclusion chromatography. As stress parameters in the animals, the activities of peroxidase and catalase were recorded quantitatively, and stress proteins, HSP70, as well as small α-crystalline HSPs were analyzed semiquantitatively. Results The three NOMs clearly differed in molecular masses, humic substance contents, the moieties of polysaccharides, and low-molecular-weight substances. With the exception of one short-term response, the peroxidase activity increased after 3 to 12 h exposure, whereas the catalase activity did not show any significant modulation. With one exception, the stress protein expression increased after 30 min exposure in a biphasic pattern, and the sHSPs responded less strongly than HSP70. Discussion Although the quality of the exposed NOMs differs significantly, a rather uniform response pattern appears in the animals. Obviously, the contrasting contents of HSs and polysaccharides did not affect the anti-stress response of the exposed gammarids which is in contrast to previous lifespan studies with Caenorhabditis elegans. Furthermore, all NOM sources led to increased contents of both HSP70 and sHSPs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first protein study to show that also small HSPs are expressed when the animals are exposed against humic material. Conclusions Since the response patterns of the exposed gammarids, in contrast to the initial hypothesis, are rather uniform and since HSs are parts of life on Earth, we furthermore presume that they may have been a primordial exogenous trigger for the development of anti-stress systems in exposed organisms. Recommendations and perspectives Effect studies of chemical stresses on organisms should consider exposure to both natural triggers and xenobiotic compounds in low concentrations—in order to prospectively differentiate between these triggers and, subsequently, classify them.

Description: The tissue distribution and ontogeny of Na+/K+-ATPase has been examined as an indicator for ion-regulatory epithelia in whole animal sections of embryos and hatchlings of two cephalopod species: the squid Loligo vulgaris and the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis. This is the first report of the immunohistochemical localization of cephalopod Na+/K+-ATPase with the polyclonal antibody α (H-300) raised against the human α1-subunit of Na+/K+-ATPase. Na+/K+-ATPase immunoreactivity was observed in several tissues (gills, pancreatic appendages, nerves), exclusively located in baso-lateral membranes lining blood sinuses. Furthermore, large single cells in the gill of adult L. vulgaris specimens closely resembled Na+/K+-ATPase-rich cells described in fish. Immunohistochemical observations indicated that the amount and distribution of Na+/K+-ATPase in late cuttlefish embryos was similar to that found in juvenile and adult stages. The ion-regulatory epithelia (e.g., gills, excretory organs) of the squid embryos and paralarvae exhibited less differentiation than adults. Na+/K+-ATPase activities for whole animals were higher in hatchlings of S. officinalis (157.0 ± 32.4 µmol gFM−1 h−1) than in those of L. vulgaris (31.8 ± 3.3 µmol gFM−1 h−1). S. officinalis gills and pancreatic appendages achieved activities of 94.8 ± 18.5 and 421.8 ± 102.3 µmolATP gFM−1 h−1, respectively. High concentrations of Na+/K+-ATPase in late cephalopod embryos might be important in coping with the challenging abiotic conditions (low pH, high pCO2) that these organisms encounter inside their eggs. Our results also suggest a higher sensitivity of squid vs. cuttlefish embryos to environmental acid-base disturbances.

Description: The phytoplankton of the Bahía Blanca Estuary, Argentina, has been surveyed since 1978. Chlorophyll a, phytoplankton abundance, species composition and physico-chemical variables have been fortnightly recorded. From 1978 to 2002, a single winter–early spring diatom bloom has dominated the main pattern of phytoplankton interannual variability. Such pattern showed noticeable changes since 2006: the absence of the typical winter bloom and changes in phenology, together with the replacement of the dominant blooming species, i.e. Thalassiosira curviseriata, and the appearance of different blooming species, i.e. Cyclotella sp. and Thalassiosira minima. The new pattern showed relatively short-lived diatom blooms that spread throughout the year. In addition, shifts in the phytoplankton size structure toward small-sized diatoms, including the replacement of relatively large Thalassiosira spp. by small Cyclotella species and Chaetoceros species have been noticed. The changes in the phenology and composition of the phytoplankton are mainly attributed to warmer winters and the extremely dry weather conditions evidenced in recent years in the Bahía Blanca area. Changing climate has modified the hydrological features in the inner part of the estuary (i.e. higher temperatures and salinities) and potentially triggered the reorganization of the phytoplankton community. This long-term study provides evidence on species-specific and structural changes at the bottom of the pelagic food web likely related to the recent hydroclimatic conditions in a temperature estuary of the southwestern Atlantic.

Description: Somatic mutations are an underappreciated source of genetic variation within multi-cellular organisms. The resulting genetic mosaicism should be particularly abundant in large clones of vegetatively propagating angiosperms. Little is known on the abundance and ecological correlates of genetic mosaicism in field populations, despite its potential evolutionary significance. Because sexual reproduction restores genetic homogeneity, we predicted that in facultatively clonally reproducing organisms, the prevalence of genetic mosaicism increases with increasing clonality. This was tested among 33 coastal locations colonized by the ecologically important marine angiosperm Zostera marina, ranging from Portugal to Finland. Genetic mosaics were detectable as complex microsatellite genotypes at two hypervariable loci that revealed additional mosaic alleles, suggesting the presence of one or more divergent cell lineages within the same ramet. The proportions of non-mosaic genotypes in a population sharply decreased below a clonal richness of 0.2. Accordingly, more genetic mosaics were found at the southern and northern limit of the distribution of Z. marina in Europe where sexual reproduction is rare or absent. The genetic mosaics observed at neutral microsatellite markers suggest the possibility of within-clone variation at selectively relevant loci and supports the notion that members of clones are seldom genetically identical.

Description: A new species of the pelagic marine copepod family Oncaeidae, Oncaea serrulata, is described from the Mediterranean Sea. The species belongs to the notopus-group of Oncaeidae, which are characterized by a long, free exopod on leg 5. It differs from Oncaea notopus Giesbrecht 1891 and any other described species of this group by a combination of morphological characters, including: (1) the relative lengths of distal endopod spines on swimming legs 2 and 3, (2) the denticulate ornamentation of the exopod segment and the two exopodal setae on leg 5, (3) the proportional lengths of the caudal setae, and (4) the comparatively small body length. The species occurs widespread in the Mediterranean Sea in mesopelagic and deep-sea layers down to 3,000 m depth and was also found in near-bottom sediment traps moored at a bottom depth of 2,347 m in the Ligurian Sea. O. serrulata appears to be the only representative of the notopus-group in the Mediterranean Sea and seems to have consistently been confounded with the allegedly cosmopolitan O. notopus Giesbrecht in most earlier studies in this area. The taxonomic history of Giesbrecht’s O. notopus, which was originally described from the Pacific, is summarized and morphological identification parameters applicable for the species identification of notopus-type oncaeids are discussed. In the future, identification may be facilitated by using genetic barcodes in comparison with those recently analysed for the Mediterranean O. serrulata (as Oncaea sp. 7 sensu Böttger-Schnack 1997). Published data on the zoogeographical and vertical distribution as well as the abundance of notopus-type oncaeids in the Mediterranean Sea are reviewed. Possible causes for the lack of positive records of this taxon in Mediterranean studies earlier than 1980 are discussed.

Description: Regional erosion of the Rock Garden ridge top, a bathymetric high within New Zealand’s Hikurangi Subduction Margin, is likely associated with its gas hydrate system. Seismic data reveal gas pockets that appear partially trapped beneath the shallow base of gas hydrate stability. Steady-state fluid flow simulations, conducted on detailed two-dimensional geological models, reveal that anomalous fluid pressure can develop close to the sea floor in response to lower-permeability hydrate-bearing sediments and underlying gas pockets. Transient simulations indicate that large-scale cycling of fluid overpressure may occur on time scales of a few to tens of years. We predict intense regions of hydro-fracturing to preferentially develop beneath the ridge top rather than beneath the flanks, due to more pronounced overpressure generation and gas migration through hydrate-bearing sediments. Results suggest that sediment weakening and erosion of the ridge top by hydro-fracturing could be owed to fluid dynamics of the shallow gas hydrate system.

Description: Detailed geological and petrological-geochemical study of rocks of the lava complex of Young Shiveluch volcano made it possible to evaluate the lava volumes, the relative sequence in which the volcanic edifice was formed, and the minimum age of the onset of eruptive activity. The lavas of Young Shiveluch are predominantly magnesian andesites and basaltic andesites of a mildly potassic calc-alkaline series (SiO2 = 55.0–63.5 wt %, Mg# = 55.5–68.9). Geologic relations and data on the mineralogy and geochemistry of rocks composing the lava complex led us to conclude that the magnesian andesites of Young Shiveluch volcano are of hybrid genesis and are a mixture of silicic derivatives and a highly magnesian magma that was periodically replenished in the shallow-depth magmatic chamber. The fractional crystallization of plagioclase and hornblende at the incomplete segregation of plagioclase crystals from the fractionating magmas resulted in adakitic geochemical parameters (Sr/Y = 50–71, Y 〈 18 ppm) of the most evolved rock varieties. Our results explain the genesis of the rock series of Young Shiveluch volcano without invoking a model of the melting of the subducting Pacific slab at its edge.

Description: The production of defence metabolites is assumed to be costly in metabolic terms. If this holds true, low-light stress should reduce the ability of seaweeds to defend themselves chemically against herbivory and fouling. We investigated the effect of energy limitation on the defensive status of seaweeds by assessing their attractiveness to mesograzers and their activity against a bivalve macrofouler in comparison with non-stressed conspecifics. The macroalgae Codium decorticatum (Woodw.) M. Howe, Osmundaria obtusiloba (C. Agardh) R. E. Norris, Pterocladiella capillacea (S. G. Gmel.) Santel. and Hommer., Sargassum vulgare C. Agardh and Stypopodium zonale (Lamour.) Papenf. collected at the southeastern Brazilian coast were exposed to six levels of irradiation (between 1 and 180 μmol photons m−2 s−1) for 10–14 days. After this period, algae from all treatment levels were: (a) processed as artificial food and offered to an amphipod community dominated by Elasmopus brasiliensis Dana and (b) extracted to test for differences in settlement rates of the fouling mussel Perna perna L. on filter paper loaded with the crude extracts. Generally, photosynthesis rates and growth were reduced under low light conditions. Attractiveness to herbivores and macrofoulers, however, was insensitive to energy limitation. We discuss possible explanations for the observed absence of a relationship between light availability and algal defence including the change in nutritional value of the algal tissue, the allocation of resources towards defence instead of growth and the absence of costs for defence.

Description: A model of the interactive effects of disturbance and productivity on diversity predicts peak diversity to shift towards higher disturbance regimes as productivity increases, confining the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis to intermediate productivity levels. We conducted a two-factorial (disturbance, nutrients) field experiment to test the validity of this model for two subtropical intertidal rocky shores. Treatment responses varied between distinct community types at two sites. Intensified disturbance increased evenness, and under high nutrient enrichment decreased species richness of communities dominated by encrusting algae, whereas turf-dominated communities remained unaffected. Nutrient additions increased biomass and modulated community composition at both sites, in addition to increasing species richness in encrusting-algal and decreasing evenness of turf-forming assemblages. Thus, only highly enriched encrusting-algal communities followed the model predictions. Different mechanisms appear to control species coexistence in different types of communities, some violating the assumptions of the tested model, i.e. resource limitation and competitive exclusion.

Description: Pore water profiles from 24 stations in the South Atlantic (located in the Guinea, Angola, Cape, Guyana, and Argentine basins) show good correlations of oxygen and silicon, suggesting microbially mediated dissolution of biogenic silica. We used simple analytical transport and reaction models to show the tight coupling of the reconstructed process kinetics of aerobic respiration and silicon regeneration. A generic transport and reaction model successfully reproduced the majority of Si pore water profiles from aerobic respiration rates, confirming that the dissolution of biogenic silica (BSi) occurs proportionally to O2 consumption. Possibly limited to well-oxygenated sediments poor in BSi, benthic Si fluxes can be inferred from O2 uptake with satisfactory accuracy. Compared to aerobic respiration kinetics, the solubility of BSi emerged as a less influential parameter for silicon regeneration. Understanding the role of bacteria for silicon regeneration requires further investigations, some of which are outlined. The proposed aerobic respiration control of benthic silicon cycling is suitable for benthic–pelagic models. The empirical relation of BSi dissolution to aerobic respiration can be used for regionalization assessments and estimates of the silicon budget to in crease the understanding of global primary and export production patterns.

Description: The pelagic marine copepod family Oncaeidae is highly diversified (over 100 species worldwide) and includes a great number of sibling species, which are difficult to identify morphologically, because of their very small size (0.18–1.2 mm total length as adults). Global investigations of oncaeid biodiversity are severely hampered by insufficient taxonomic knowledge, in particular for species which have first been described from the European Mediterranean Sea (type locality). Many of these species have been reported as key taxa of small-sized copepod communities in very distant oceanic regions. However, due to the taxonomic uncertainties it cannot be excluded that at least some of these allegedly cosmopolitan species in reality represent a complex of distinct, yet closely related, species. To improve the basis for the identification of Oncaeidae of Mediterranean origin, new diagnostic characters in combination with traditional methods were applied in the present study. Copepods were sampled with fine nets of 0.1 mm mesh size down to a maximum depth of 1,000 m on a west-east-transect in the Mediterranean Sea. Oncaeid species and form variants were predefined morphologically and the genetic identity of the morphospecies was analysed by about 650 and 500 bp region of the mitochondrial COI and 12S srRNA gene sequence, respectively (barcoding). A total of 67 individuals from 24 oncaeid species and forms were successfully analysed, including 12 species and one form of Mediterranean origin. For Oncaeidae, the 12S amplification turned out to be more successful (23 species) than the COI amplification (13 species and 1 form). Together, the morphological and molecular results are discussed with respect to three topics: (1) confirmation of a genetic distinction of three Triconia species, which have been interpreted as sibling species by morphological characters, (2) genetic distance of species within the ovalis-complex of oncaeids and (3) the taxonomic status of two form variants of Oncaea mediterranea (Claus).

Description: Prevention of epibiosis is of vital importance for most aquatic organisms, which can have consequences for their ability to invade new areas. Surface microtopography of the shell periostracum has been shown to have antifouling properties for mytilid mussels, and the topography shows regional differences. This article examines whether an optimal shell design exists and evaluates the degree to which shell microstructure is matched with the properties of the local fouling community. Biomimics of four mytilid species from different regional provenances were exposed at eight different sites in both northern and southern hemispheres. Tendencies of the microtopography to both inhibit and facilitate fouling were detected after 3 and 6 weeks of immersion. However, on a global scale, all microtopographies failed to prevent fouling in a consistent manner when exposed to various fouling communities and when decoupled from other shell properties. It is therefore suggested that the recently discovered chemical anti-microfouling properties of the periostracum complement the anti-macrofouling defence offered by shell microtopography.

Description: We analyzed bare human footprints in Holocene tuff preserved in two pits in the Acahualinca barrio in the northern outskirts of Managua (Nicaragua). Lithology, volcanology, and age of the deposits are discussed in a companion paper (Schmincke et al. Bull Volcanol doi: 10.1007/s00445-008-0235-9, 2008). The footprint layer occurs within a series of rapidly accumulated basaltic–andesitic tephra that is regionally correlated to the Masaya Triple Layer Tephra. The people were probably trying to escape from a powerful volcanic eruption at Masaya Caldera 20 km farther south that occurred at 2.1 ka BP. We subdivided the swath of footprints, up to 5.6 m wide, in the northern pit (Pit I) into (1) a central group of footprints made by about six individuals, the total number being difficult to determine because people walked in each other’s footsteps one behind the other and (2) two marginal groups on either side of the central group with more widely spaced tracks. The western band comprises tracks of three adjacent individuals and an isolated single footprint farther out. The eastern marginal area comprises an inner band of deep footprints made by three individuals and, farther out, three clearly separated individuals. We estimate the total number of people as 15–16. In the southern narrow and smaller pit (Pit II), we recognize tracks of ca. 12 individuals, no doubt made by the same group. The group represented in both pits probably comprised male and female adults, teenagers and children based on differences in length of footprints and of strides and depth of footprints made in the soft wet ash. The smallest footprints (probably made by children) occur in the central group, where protection was most effective. The footprint layer is composed of a lower 5–15-cm thick, coarse-grained vesicle tuff capped by a medium to fine-grained tuff up to 3 cm thick. The surface on which the people walked was muddy, and the soft ash was squeezed up on the sides of the foot imprints and between toes. Especially, deep footprints are mainly due to local thickening of the water-rich ash, multiple track use, and differences in weight of individuals. The excellent preservation of the footprints, ubiquitous mudcracks, sharp and well-preserved squeeze-ups along the margins of the tracks and toe imprints, and the absence of raindrop impressions all suggest that the eruption occurred during the dry season. The people walked at a brisk pace, as judged from the tight orientation of the swath and the length of the strides. The directions of a major erosional channel in the overlying deposits that probably debouched into Lake Managua and the band of footprints are strictly parallel, indicating that people walked together in stride along the eastern margin of a channel straight toward the lake shore, possibly a site with huts and/or boats for protection and/or escape.

Description: We propose a new method for obtaining average velocities and eddy diffusivities from Lagrangian data. Rather than grouping the drifter-derived velocities in geographical bins, we group them by nearest-neighbor distance using a clustering algorithm. This yields sets with approximately the same number of observations, covering unequal areas. A major advantage is that, because the number of observations is the same for the clusters, the statistical accuracy is more uniform than with geographical bins. We illustrate the technique using synthetic data from a stochastic model, employing a realistic mean flow. The latter represents the surface currents in the Nordic Seas and is strongly inhomogeneous in space. We use the clustering algorithm to extract the mean velocities and diffusivities and compare the results with the corresponding quantities from the stochastic model. We perform a similar comparison with the means and diffusivities obtained with geographical bins. Clustering is more successful at capturing the mean flow and improves convergence in the eddy diffusivity estimates. We discuss both the advantages and shortcomings of the new method.

Description: The influence of the natural variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) on the atmosphere is studied in multi-centennial simulations of six global climate models, using Maximum Covariance Analysis (MCA). In all models, a significant but weak influence of the AMOC changes is found during the Northern Hemisphere cold-season, when the ocean leads the atmosphere by a few years. Although the oceanic pattern slightly varies, an intensification of the AMOC is followed in all models by a weak sea level pressure response that resembles a negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The signal amplitude is typically 0.5 hPa and explains about 10% of the yearly variability of the NAO in all models. The atmospheric response seems to be due primarily due to an increase of the heat loss along the North Atlantic Current and the subpolar gyre, associated with an AMOC-driven warming. Sea-ice changes appear to be less important. The stronger heating is associated to a southward shift of the lower-tropospheric baroclinicity and a decrease of the eddy activity in the North Atlantic storm track, which is consistent with the equivalent barotropic perturbation resembling the negative phase of the NAO. This study thus provides some evidence of an atmospheric signature of the AMOC in the cold-season, which may have some implications for the decadal predictability of climate in the North Atlantic region.

Description: Subfossil Cladocera were sampled and examined from the surface sediments of 35 thermokarst lakes along a temperature gradient crossing the tree line in the Anabar-river basin in northwestern Yakutia, northeastern Siberia. The lakes were distributed through three environmental zones: typical tundra, southern tundra and forest tundra. All lakes were situated within the continuous permafrost zone. Our investigation showed that the cladoceran communities in the lakes of the Anabar region are diverse and abundant, as reflected by taxonomic richness, and high diversity and evenness indices (H = 1.89 ± 0.51; I = 0.8 ± 0.18). CONISS cluster analysis indicated that the cladoceran communities in the three ecological zones (typical tundra, southern tundra and forest-tundra) differed in their taxonomic composition and structure. Differences in the cladoceran assemblages were related to limnological features and geographical position, vegetation type, climate and water chemistry. The constrained redundancy analysis indicated that TJuly, water depth and both sulphate (SO4 2−) and silica (Si4+) concentrations significantly (p ≤ 0.05) explained variance in the cladoceran assemblage. TJuly featured the highest percentage (17.4 %) of explained variance in the distribution of subfossil Cladocera. One of the most significant changes in the structure of the cladoceran communities in the investigated transect was the replacement of closely related species along the latitudinal and vegetation gradient. The results demonstrate the potential for a regional cladoceran-based temperature model for the Arctic regions of Russia, and for and Yakutia in particular.

Description: A large monothalamous foraminiferan, Toxisarcon taimyr sp. nov., has been isolated from the benthic samples from the Kara Sea inner shelf near the mouth of Yenisey river estuary, at a depth of 50–100 m. In its overall morphology, the new species closely resembles T. synsuicidica, one of the two species of Toxisarcon described to date. It possesses a large irregularly shaped cell body, covered by a thin layer of a fibrous organic coating. Numerous reticulopodia typically extend from all over the cell surface; the species is very motile and rapidly changes cell shape. Long and thick reticulopodial bundles form in the direction of movement. In the phylogenetic tree based on partial small-subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) sequences, T. taimyr branches together with the two other known species of Toxisarcon within the clade C of monothalamous foraminifera.

Description: The Hydrograph model (a distributed process-based model) was applied to the simulation of soil freeze-thaw and runoff processes, to assess the viability of the model approach and the influence of specific environmental factors in a permafrost environment. Three mountainous permafrost watersheds were studied, at the Kolyma Water Balance Station in north-eastern Russia. The watersheds include rocky talus, mountainous tundra and moist larch-forest landscape regimes, and they were modelled at daily time-steps for the period 1971–1984. Simulated results of soil freeze-thaw depth and runoff showed reasonable agreement with observed values. This study reveals and mathematically describes the dependence of surface and subsurface flow on thawing depth and landscape characteristics. Process analysis and modelling in permafrost regions, including ungauged basins, is suggested, with observable properties of landscapes being used as model parameters, combined with an appropriate level of physically based conceptualization.

Description: A regional forest carbon budget accounting technique based on carbon pools balance with incomes from growing woodstocks and losses from harvesting, fires and other disturbances have been developed. Forest carbon budgets of the Russian administrative units during 1988–2009 have been accounted. The carbon sink to Russian forests have increased from 80 Mt C × yr−1 in 1988 to 230–240 Mt C × yr−1 in late 2000s. This tendency is explained with the decline in harvesting, which have started in 1990s. European part of Russia was found to have higher areally averaged carbon sink compared with the Asian part. It have been associated with peculiar ways of wildfires governance in these two parts.

Description: Homoscleromorph sponges such as Oscarella spp. are characterized by unique morphological features, and Homoscleromorpha were therefore recently proposed as the fourth class of sponges. The microbiology of these sponges was mainly studied by electron microscopy while molecular studies are scarce. The aim of this study was to characterize the bacteria in Oscarella sponges using molecular tools. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis revealed distinct bacterial profiles in five Oscarella species and several color morphs of Oscarella lobularis. These profiles are characteristic of low microbial abundance (LMA) sponges. This was further confirmed by analysis of a 16S rRNA clone library from O. lobularis that yielded a low phylum-level diversity with dominance of Alphaproteobacteria. Bacterial communities in O. lobularis were very similar among different individuals (collected at the same site and time), five different color morphs, and specimens from different depths and locations, indicating a species-specific association. These results allow novel insights into the microbiology of the first known LMA sponge genus within the new class Homoscleromorpha.

Description: Submarine slope failures of various types and sizes are common along the tectonic and seismically active Ligurian margin, northwestern Mediterranean Sea, primarily because of seismicity up to ~M6, rapid sediment deposition in the Var fluvial system, and steepness of the continental slope (average 11°). We present geophysical, sedimentological and geotechnical results of two distinct slides in water depth 〉1,500 m: one located on the flank of the Upper Var Valley called Western Slide (WS), another located at the base of continental slope called Eastern Slide (ES). WS is a superficial slide characterized by a slope angle of ~4.6° and shallow scar (~30 m) whereas ES is a deep-seated slide with a lower slope angle (~3°) and deep scar (~100 m). Both areas mainly comprise clayey silt with intermediate plasticity, low water content (30–75 %) and underconsolidation to strong overconsolidation. Upslope undeformed sediments have low undrained shear strength (0–20 kPa) increasing gradually with depth, whereas an abrupt increase in strength up to 200 kPa occurs at a depth of ~3.6 m in the headwall of WS and ~1.0 m in the headwall of ES. These boundaries are interpreted as earlier failure planes that have been covered by hemipelagite or talus from upslope after landslide emplacement. Infinite slope stability analyses indicate both sites are stable under static conditions; however, slope failure may occur in undrained earthquake condition. Peak earthquake acceleration from 0.09 g on WS and 0.12 g on ES, i.e. M5–5.3 earthquakes on the spot, would be required to induce slope instability. Different failure styles include rapid sedimentation on steep canyon flanks with undercutting causing superficial slides in the west and an earthquake on the adjacent Marcel fault to trigger a deep-seated slide in the east.

Description: Several cold vents are observed at the northern Cascadia margin offshore Vancouver Island in a 10 km2 region around Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 311 Site U1328. All vents are linked to fault systems that provide pathways for upward migrating fluids and at three vents methane plumes were detected acoustically in the water column. Downhole temperature measurements at Site U1328 revealed a geothermal gradient of 0.056 ± 0.004°C/m. With the measured in situ pore-water salinities the base of methane hydrate stability is predicted at 218–245 meters below seafloor. Heat-probe measurements conducted across Site U1328 and other nearby vents showed an average thermal gradient of 0.054 ± 0.004°C/m. Assuming that the bottom-simulating reflector (BSR) marks the base of the gas hydrate stability zone variations in BSR depths were used to investigate the linkages between the base of the gas hydrate stability zone and fluid migration. Variations in BSR depth can be attributed to lithology-related velocity changes or variations of in situ pore-fluid compositions. Prominent BSR depressions and reduced heat flow are seen below topographic highs, but only a portion of the heat flow reduction can be due to topography-linked cooling. More than half of the reduction may be due to thrust faulting or to pore-water freshening. Distinct changes in BSR depth below seafloor are observed at all cold vents studied and some portion of the observed decrease in the BSR depth was attributed to fault-related upwelling of warmer fluids. The observed decrease in BSR depth below seafloor underneath the vents ranges between 7 and 24 m (equivalent to temperature shifts of 0.07–0.15°C).

Description: Mid-latitudinal cyclones are a key factor for understanding regional anomalies in primary meteorological parameters such as temperature or precipitation. Extreme cyclones can produce notable impacts on human society and economy, for example, by causing enormous economic losses through wind damage. Based on 41 annually initialised (1961–2001) hindcast ensembles, this study evaluates the ability of a single-model decadal forecast system (MPI-ESM-LR) to provide skilful probabilistic three-category forecasts (enhanced, normal or decreased) of winter (ONDJFM) extra-tropical cyclone frequency over the Northern Hemisphere with lead times from 1 yr up to a decade. It is shown that these predictions exhibit some significant skill, mainly for lead times of 2–5 yr, especially over the North Atlantic and Pacific. Skill for intense cyclones is generally higher than for all detected systems. A comparison of decadal hindcasts from two different initialisation techniques indicates that initialising from reanalysis fields yields slightly better results for the first forecast winter (month 10–15), while initialisation based on an assimilation experiment provides better skill for lead times between 2 and 5 yr. The reasons and mechanisms behind this predictive skill are subject to future work. Preliminary analyses suggest a strong relationship of the model’s skill over the North Atlantic with the ability to predict upper ocean temperatures modulating lower troposphere baroclinicity for the respective area and time scales.

Description: The Northern Pacific seastar, Asterias amurensis, is a benthic marine predator, which has recently established several invasive populations in Australian waters. To investigate population structure, diversity and patterns of connectivity, we isolated and characterised 27 microsatellite loci and tested their polymorphism based on 46 individuals from two invasive populations. The mean allelic richness was 4.33; observed heterozygosity was 0.42, while the percentage of polymorphic loci was 92.6%. The polymorphic markers will prove useful in the assessment of population genetic parameters, in both invasive and native A. amurensis populations.

Description: This Encyclopedia comprises the current knowledge in marine geosciences whereby not only basic but also applied and technical sciences are covered. Through this concept a broad scale of users in the field of marine sciences and techniques is addressed, from students and scholars in academia to engineers and decision makers in industry and politics. Globally growing demand of energy and mineral resources, reliable future projection of climate processes and the protection of coasts to mitigate the threats of disasters and hazards require a comprehensive understanding of the structure, ongoing processes and genesis of the marine geosphere. Beyond the “classical” research fields in marine geology in current time more general concepts have been evolved integrating marine geophysics, hydrography, marine biology, climatology and ecology. As an umbrella the term “marine geosciences” has been broadly accepted for this new complex field of research and the solutions of practical tasks in the marine realm.

Description: Oceanic eddies having scales from several hundred meters to several hundred kilometers are ubiquitous phenomena in the World’s ocean. This became evident only after they could be observed from satellites and space shuttles. Here we present several images taken in different spectral bands which show signatures of eddies of different spatial scales in sea areas around Africa. In particular, we present a series of satellite images showing the propagation of a small-scale cyclonic (cold) eddy generated at Cap-Vert at the coast of Senegal into the open ocean. We show that this small-scale eddy transported nutrients from the Senegal upwelling region westward into the oligotrophic North Atlantic thus giving rise to enhanced chlorophyll-a concentration there. Since eddies are also areas of high fish population, knowledge of their position and properties is of great importance for fishery.

Description: The bright colouration of the cytoplasm in intertidal rotaliid foraminifera and their particle-gathering activity reliably reveals live specimens in fresh samples, without any fixatives or dyes applied. Using this approach, we demonstrate that live representatives of three rotaliid species, all belonging to the genus Elphidium, were common on intertidal mud and sand beaches. Two species, E. excavatum clavatum and E. albiumbilicatum, lived close to freshwater outflows, whereas E. williamsoni occupied beaches bathed by waters with normal salinity (surface 26–27‰ in the western White Sea). A least 13 species were found alive in the intertidal zone. Among non-calcareous foraminifera, Miliammina fusca, Ammotium cassis and Ovammina opaca were the most numerous.

Description: The success of the 1st International Symposium on Sponge Microbiology reflects the growing interest of the scientific community in this new and emerging field. Research themes of the symposium included symbiont diversity, physiology and function, secondary metabolites, metagenomics, single-cell genomics and other -omics approaches, sponge–symbiont interactions, sponge diseases, environmental stress, and many more. This article summarizes the major developments in the field and identifies future foci for research.

Description: Water temperature has received considerable attention as steering factor for the genesis of different types of marine carbonate sediments. However, parameters other than temperature also strongly influence ecosystems and, consequently, the carbonate grain associations in the resulting carbonate rock. Among those factors are biological evolution, water energy, substrate, water chemistry, light penetration, trophic conditions, CO2 concentrations, and Mg/Ca ratios in the seawater. Increased nutrient levels in warm-water settings, for example, lead to heterotrophic-dominated associations that are characteristic of temperate to cool-water carbonates. Failure to recognize the influence of such environmental factors that shift the grain associations towards heterotrophic communities in low latitudes can lead to misinterpretation of climatic conditions in the past. Modern analogues of low-latitude heterozoan carbonates help to recognize and understand past occurrences of heterozoan warm-water carbonates. Careful analysis of such sediments therefore is required in order to achieve robust reconstructions of past climate.

Description: According to historical data, the glacial relict higher crustaceans, Mysis relicta and Pallaseopsis quadrispinosa, as well as a plankton crustacean Limnocalanus macrurus had earlier been recorded in Lake Drüksiai. Our data and investigations of other authors evidence that these crustaceans no longer inhabit the lake. What are the prospects for the recovery of these crustaceans after restoring the natural thermal regime in Lake Drüksiai? One of the possibilities is to reintroduce these species after restoring the natural thermal regime in the lake and improving dissolved oxygen level in the hypolimnion, which would provide conditions for long-term survival and recovery of populations of these crustaceans. As reintroduction of relict species is rather costly, it is necessary to assess effectiveness of such works.

Description: Previous studies have revealed silica formation in the teeth of mandibular gnathobases of copepods while significant amounts of zinc and copper are present, which might improve mechanical stability of the teeth and represent an adaptation to compact food particles. The present study aimed at analysing the distribution and concentration of trace elements in the mandibular gnathobases of females of the Antarctic copepod species Calanoides acutus. Because of the low overall masses of few micrograms per specimen the application of a combination of position-resolved micro-beam techniques was necessary and micro-particle-induced X-ray emission spectrometry and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were used to determine Ba, Br, Ca, Cl, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, Ni, P, S, Si and Zn in the samples with μm to sub-μm resolution. Calibration strategies were optimised to fit for the carbonate matrix. The analyses revealed a distinct enrichment of Br, Ca, Fe, K, S, Si and Zn in the teeth of the gnathobases.

Description: The main migrations of the Polar front (PF) during the last 300 ka were identified using planktic foraminiferal census data and derived from them sea surface paleotemperature (SST) estimates in two synchronized AMK-4438 and M23414 cores recovered directly beneath the main stream of the North Atlantic Current (NAC) south of Iceland. During the summer seasons, the cold waters adjacent to the PF did not reach the studied sites. These waters occurred here only during the winter seasons of MIS 2, 6, and 8. The northern part of the study area was influenced by the arctic waters more often than its southern part. During MIS 8 and 6 isotherms in the North Atlantic had mainly the subzonal orientation, while during MIS 2-4 they had the submeridional orientation. During the interglacials, the PF was located northward and westward from the study area. During MIS 7, the front was presumably situated closer to the study area in comparison with its modern position, and the isotherms were oriented mainly subzonal. For the MIS 5e period, we observed the most distant retreat of PF from the investigated area in the western and northwestern direction in relation to the anomalous deflection of the NAC to the north-west (intensification of the Irminger current) and the predominance of the submeridional orientation of the isotherms in the study area. During MIS 1, as well as MIS 7, the isotherms in the study area had mainly the subzonal orientation.