bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Picarola margalefii, gen. et sp. nov., a new planktonic coccolithophore from NW Mediterranean waters
Authors: Cros Lluïsa , Estrada Marta
Published: October 2008

A coccolithophore which is referred to a new genus Picarola gen. nov. and described as a new species Picarola margalefii sp. nov., has been observed from the NW Mediterranean. The description of the new species is based on Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) observations. The coccoliths of Picarola margalefii sp. nov. are muroliths that have a narrow high rim and a central area with a cross and an elongate four-sided central process. Energy dispersive X-ray microanalyses confirmed their calcareous nature. The relation between the new genus and the genera Papposphaera Tangen, Vexillarius Jordan et Chamberlain, and Turrilithus Jordan et al., is discussed. The coccolithophore Picarola margalefii gen. et sp. nov., is dedicated to Dr. Ramon Margalef.
Biodiversity of culturable heterotrophic bacteria in the Southern Adriatic Sea Italian coastal waters
Authors: Stabili Loredana , Cavallo Rosa Anna
Published: October 2008

The qualitative and quantitative composition of culturable heterotrophic bacteria in water samples from the Southern Adriatic Sea of Italy was examined. Water samples were collected monthly, for a year, at 16 stations along the coast line between Brindisi and Santa Maria di Leuca. The results obtained described the heterotrophic bacterial community over an annual cycle. Mean values of bacterial densities were 5.3 x 104 CFUml-1 in Brindisi, 5.8 x 104 CFUml-1 in S. Cataldo, 4.3 x 104 CFUml-1 in Otranto and 6.7 x 104 CFUml-1 in S. M. di Leuca. The differences in bacterial densities between the sites considered were estimated. The hydrodynamic circulation, the trophism and the geographical position of the examined sites contribute to justify the different bacterial density trends. The bacterial community consisted mainly of the genera Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Photobacterium and Flavobacterium. The Enterobacteriaceae represented a considerable fraction of the bacterial community in the Southern Adriatic Sea. Bacilli were predominant among the Gram positive bacteria. The enzymatic versatility of the observed genera suggest their importance in organic matter turnover of this oligotrophic ecosystem.
Thraustochytrids (fungoid protist): an unexplored component of marine sediment microbiota
Authors: Bongiorni Lucia , Pignataro Lucrezia , Santangelo Giovanni
Published: October 2008

Thraustochytrids are poorly known fungoid protists able to decompose refractory organic substrates such as cellulose. These microorganisms probably play an important role in the microbial loop of marine sediments. This paper reports a study conducted on thraustochytrids dwelling in a sandy shore of the Eastern Ligurian Sea. One hundred twenty eight samples (1 ml each) were collected, to examine Thraustochytrid spatial distribution, following a nested ANOVA design, that incorporated 3 successively smaller spatial scales (different sampling units ranging from metres to centimetres). Samples were examined by a direct, improved, fluorochrome-count method also suitable for ciliates. Sampling was repeated 4 times in autumn-winter. The average abundance of thraustochytrids (±SE) was 42.3±2.9 ml-1, with no significant decrease over time. The densities of thraustochytrids and ciliates varied significantly but at different spatial scales: the former between squares (3.3 x 3.3 m), and the latter between subplots (0.01 x 0.01m), indicating their tendency to form patches at different spatial scales. A significant correlation was found between the densities of the two protists, suggesting some interaction between them could occur. The thraustochytrid abundance supports the idea that these protists play a an important role in carbon cycling of Mediterranean sandy shores.
Modeling physiological processes in plankton on enzyme kinetic principles
Authors: Packard Ted , Blasco Dolors , Estrada Marta
Published: October 2008

Many ecologically important chemical transformations in the ocean are controlled by biochemical enzyme reactions in plankton. Nitrogenase regulates the transformation of N2 to ammonium in some cyanobacteria and serves as the entryway for N2 into the ocean biosphere. Nitrate reductase controls the reduction of NO3 to NO2 and hence new production in phytoplankton. The respiratory electron transfer system in all organisms links the carbon oxidation reactions of intermediary metabolism with the reduction of oxygen in respiration. Rubisco controls the fixation of CO2 into organic matter in phytoplankton and thus is the major entry point of carbon into the oceanic biosphere. In addition to these, there are the enzymes that control CO2 production, NH4 excretion and the fluxes of phosphate. Some of these enzymes have been recognized and researched by marine scientists in the last thirty years. However, until recently the kinetic principles of enzyme control have not been exploited to formulate accurate mathematical equations of the controlling physiological expressions. Were such expressions available they would increase our power to predict the rates of chemical transformations in the extracellular environment of microbial populations whether this extracellular environment is culture media or the ocean. Here we formulate from the principles of bisubstrate enzyme kinetics, mathematical expressions for the processes of NO3 reduction, O2 consumption, N2 fixation, total nitrogen uptake.
Seasonal patterns in plankton communities in a pluriannual time series at a coastal Mediterranean site (Gulf of Naples): an attempt to discern recurrences and trends
Authors: Ribera d'Alcalà M. , Conversano F. , Corato F. , Licandro P. , Mangoni O. , Marino D. , Mazzocchi M. G. , Modigh M. , Montresor M. , Nardella M. , Saggiomo V. , Sarno D. , Zingone A.
Published: October 2008

The annual cycle of plankton was studied over 14 years from 1984 to 2000 at a coastal station in the Gulf of Naples, with the aim of assessing seasonal patterns and interannual trends. Phytoplankton biomass started increasing over the water column in February-early March, and generally achieved peak values in the upper layers in late spring. Another peak was often recorded in autumn. Diatoms and phytoflagellates dominated for the largest part of the year. Ciliates showed their main peaks in phase with phytoplankton and were mainly represented by small (< 30 mm) naked choreotrichs. Mesozooplankton increased in March-April, reaching maximum concentrations in summer. Copepods were always the most abundant group, followed by cladocerans in summer. At the interannual scale, a high variability and a decreasing trend were recorded over the sampling period for autotrophic biomass. Mesozooplankton biomass showed a less marked interannual variability. From 1995 onwards, phytoplankton populations increased in cell number but decreased in cell size, with intense blooms of small diatoms and undetermined coccoid species frequently observed in recent years. In spite of those interannual variations, the different phases of the annual cycle and the occurrence of several plankton species were remarkably regular.
Deep-sea distribution, biological and ecological aspects of Aristeus antennatus ( Risso, 1816) in the western and central Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Sardà Francisco , D'Onghia Gianfranco , Politou Chrissi Yianna , Company Joan Baptista , Maiorano Porzia , Kapiris Konstantinos
Published: October 2008

The object of the DESEAS Project, funded by the EC, was to gather preliminary data on the abundance and maximum depth distribution of the rose shrimp Aristeusantennatus in the Mediterranean Sea. An exploratory survey was therefore designed with that goal in mind and conducted on the R/V García del Cid, sampling the maximum depths in three specific areas in the central and western Mediterranean, one off Ibiza (Balearic Islands), one off Calabria (western Ionian Sea), and one off the southern Peloponnesian Peninsula (Gulf of Kalamata, eastern Ionian Sea). The depths sampled ranged from 600 to 4000 m, with specimens of A. antennatus being collected down to 3300 m. There were three distinct boundaries marking the abundance of this species: < 1000 m, relatively high abundance (up to 1000 ind km-2); 1000-1500 m, relatively moderate abundance (up to 300 ind km-2); and > 1500 m, relatively low abundance (
Indications of low macrobenthic activity in the deep sediments of the eastern Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Basso Daniela , Thomson John , Corselli Cesare
Published: October 2008

The fluxes and budget of organic matter from the oligotrophic surface waters of the eastern Mediterranean to the deep waters are poorly known, and little information is available on past and present macrobenthic activity on the sea floor. Evidence of macrobenthic activity can be direct, through recovery of living organisms or their autochthonous skeletal remains, or indirect, through bioturbation and trace fossils. The evidence of biological activity in deep eastern Mediterranean sediments has been evaluated and compared through 210Pb profiles from box-cores and study of dredge samples from sites on Medina Rise (1374 m water depth), the Messina Abyssal Plain (4135 m) and several sites along the Mediterranean Ridge, SW and S of Crete (1783 to 3655 m). All these sites are remote from the continental shelves, so the biological benthic activity is expected to depend primarily on primary production from surface waters. The results show that present-day macrobenthos and trace fossils are generally scarce, especially at depths > 2500 m. This observation is supported by surface sediment 210Pb excess distributions that show a surface mixed layer (SML) 2500 m. The historical layer of some box-cores and the Pleistocene hardgrounds collected in the Cleft area (Mediterranean Ridge) do, however, record a macrobenthic activity that is apparently more intense than at present, which may be related to higher primary production of the Pleistocene glacial intervals. In contrast with most areas of the present-day deep eastern Mediterranean which depend on surface primary production based on photosynthesis, a relatively dense and diversified macrobenthic community based on chemosynthesis has been recognised at depths > 1100 m on the Napoli Dome mud volcano in the Olimpi area, and on the Kazan and other mud volcanoes in the Anaximander Mountains.
An introduction to Mediterranean deep-sea biology
Authors: Sardà Francisco , Calafat Antoni , Flexas Mª Mar , Tselepides Anastasios , Canals Miquel , Espino Manuel , Tursi Angelo
Published: October 2008

This chapter presents the state of the art concerning the deep-sea Mediterranean environment: geology, hydrology, biology and fisheries. These are the fields of study dealt with in the scientific papers of this volume. The authors are specialists who have addressed their research to the Mediterranean deep-sea environment during the last years. This introduction is an overview but not an exhaustive review.
Deep-water fish assemblages in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: D'Onghia Gianfranco , Politou Chrissi Yianna , Bozzano Anna , Lloris Domingo , Rotllant Guiomar , Sión Letizia , Mastrototaro Francesco
Published: October 2008

Data collected during the DESEAS survey carried out in three areas of the Mediterranean Sea (Balearic Sea, western and eastern Ionian Sea) were used to describe the structure and spatial distribution of the fish assemblages at depths between 600 and 4000 m. A total of 55 species (8 chondrichthyes and 47 teleost fish) were sampled, 38 of them in the Balearic Sea, 30 in the western Ionian and 37 in the eastern Ionian. Multivariate analysis showed a clear pattern of zonation with depth and geographic area. Three main assemblages were identified across the vertical gradient investigated: on the upper slope around a depth of 600 m, on the middle slope between 800 and 1300 m, and on the lower slope below 1300 m. The geographic characterisation of the ichthyofauna structure was mainly observed on the upper and middle slope. The highest abundance and biomass values were found at depths of 1000-1200 m due to the presence of larger species with high energy requirements, such as Alepocephalusrostratus, Mora moro and Galeus melastomus. On the middle slope, significant differences in the abundance, biomass and mean fish weight were detected between the three areas. Significant differences for these parameters were also shown between the middle and lower slope assemblages. A significant decrease in species richness and diversity was shown with increasing depth, indicating an impoverishment of the megafauna with depth and a higher similarity between the Balearic Sea and the Ionian Sea with regard to the greatest depths. The dominant species on the deepest bottoms were Bathypteroismediterraneus, Chalinura mediterranea and Coryphaenoides guentheri. On the lower slope, the shark Centroscymnuscoelolepis was also found to be relatively abundant off the Balearic Islands, Etmopterusspinax in the eastern Ionian Sea and the teleost fish Cataetyx laticeps throughout the three study areas. The deepest bottoms of the Mediterranean Sea shelter an ichthyofauna dominated by small-medium species living in a food scarce environment in which some large mobile fishes are widespread. The results are discussed in relation to previous studies mostly carried out in the Atlantic and western Mediterranean.
Fishery research: current approaches, tensions and emerging aspects. The future and how to approach it
Authors: Bas Carles
Published: October 2008

The current development of fishery research can be considered as much a technical development as a scientific-conceptual one. In relation to the technical development we analyse the evolution of the concepts fishing effort and fishing power, as well as vulnerability, availability and accessibility. In the conceptual analysis of the basic parameters we consider new contributions with regards to recruitment and evolution of populations based on concepts such as the system’s carrying capacity and the effect of inverse density dependence. The impact of the available space is analysed as well as the effect of the prey-predator relationship in the context of the flows between the different levels in the trophic web. We point out that fishery analysis strategies need to consider that, from both the biological and socio-economic points of view, the system is never balanced but rather is at the very limit or even over the limit. On the whole, fishing (human action on the resource) can be understood within the context of the ecosystem. This situation implies introducing the concept of uncertainty. Aspects such as ecosystem elasticity are analysed in their broadest sense. In these terms, recovery of an ecosystem and of Large Marine Ecosystems (LME) is still possible, but the result can be different due to the appearance of opportunistic species. Some concepts such as fuzzy sets, and chaos and fractal analysis are important tools for analysing the evolution and management of ecosystems exploited by fisheries.
How to Census Marine Life: ocean realm field projects
Authors: O'Dor Ron , Gallardo Víctor Ariel
Published: October 2008

COML field projects will extend our understanding of ocean diversity, distribution and abundance from the nearshore to the abyssal plains. In nearshore, coastal and the upper ocean zones where diversity is reasonably well known it will add details about ranges, migrations and population size, but in the deep ocean there are still likely millions of new species to be described. Global coverage with standard, economical protocols is the goal in the shallow zones, but demonstrating and calibrating efficient new technologies in the deeps may be all that is possible in the 10 year life of the program. Representative sampling from such challenging habitats as the continental margins, abyssal plains, seamounts, deep sea vents, ice-covered oceans and kilometers deep mid-waters is planned. There is even a plan to reveal the four billion years of evolution in the microbial oceans, but strong global cooperation, participation and investment will be require to make the these vast hidden realms as well know as the human edges. There is great interest and international teams supporting the COML now and its legacy in Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) and Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) will be the foundation of future monitoring and assessment of ocean life.
The Census of Marine Life: goals, scope and strategy
Authors: Yarincik Kristen , O'Dor Ron
Published: October 2008

The Census of Marine Life aims to assess and explain the changing diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine species from the past to the present, and to project future ocean life. It assembles known historical data back to 1500 in an online Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) and has over 1000 scientists from 70 countries using advanced technologies to quantify and discover unknown life in under-explored ocean realms. Over 99% of the 6 million records now in OBIS are from the top 1000m of the water column, so the mid-waters and floor of the open ocean and the polar ice oceans are special targets. Even where the species are known, their distributions and abundance are largely speculative. This report outlines the strategies of COML projects to efficiently reveal the 95% of the biosphere beneath the waves, from microbes to whales. Open access to the OBIS data set will improve capacity to predict future impacts of climate and human activity. The baseline created by 2010 and the calibrated techniques developed will become important tools for monitoring and managing future ocean ecosystems to maintain their capacity to provide crucial services to our blue planet.
Sediment transport in the coastal ocean: a retrospective evaluation of the benthic tripod and its impact, past, present, and future
Authors: Sternberg Richard
Published: October 2008

In-situ observations of near-bed flow and sediment transport have been carried out for approximately 50 years. The observational technique employs a benthic tripod which can remain submerged on the seafloor for an extended period of time upon which are mounted various oceanographic instruments. The instruments transmit their signals to shipboard via connecting cable or more frequently record their output in accompanying data loggers. During the early years of benthic tripod work, measurements emphasized nearbed current velocity and associated suspended sediment profiles over periods of tidal cycles. The objectives of these studies were to evaluate existing boundary-layer flow and sediment transport theories under natural marine conditions. More recently, instrument capabilities and tripod deployment times have increased dramatically. Research objectives have expanded to include documentation of the physical processes active in the coastal ocean and their contribution to along-and across-margin sediment transport. Tripod-based studies continue to be a significant component of many comprehensive field programs. These long-term studies provide a way to document seabed physical processes and sediment transport over the full range of environmental conditions and continue to shape our concepts of sediment transport on continental shelves. Additionally, these boundary-layer studies have provided critical input for boundary-layer-numerical model development. Benthic tripods and self-contained instrumentation also represent a base of expertise that will help with design and implementation of coastal observatories in the future.
Physical forcing and phytoplankton distributions
Authors: Platt Trevor , Bouman Heather , Devred Emmanuel , Fuentes-Yaco César , Sathyendranath Shubha
Published: October 2008

At the global and regional scales, the distribution and abundance of marine phytoplankton are under the control of physical forcing. Moreover, the community structure and the size structure of phytoplankton assemblages also appear to be under physical control. Areas of the ocean with common physical forcing (ecological provinces) may be expected to have phytoplankton communities that respond in a similar fashion to changes in local forcing, and with ecophysiological rate parameters that are predictable from local environmental conditions. In modelling the marine ecosystem, relevant parameters may be assigned according to a partition into ecological provinces. To the extent that physical forcing of the ocean is not constant within or between years, the boundaries of the provinces should be considered as dynamic. The dynamics and the associated changes in taxa can be revealed by remote sensing.
Methods of sampling and analysis and our concepts of ocean dynamics
Authors: Wangersky Peter J.
Published: October 2008

In the last two decades, the increase in multi-nation, multi-ship projects has underlined the importance of intercalibration and intercomparison studies. At the same time, it is becoming obvious that with our present methods of sampling and analysis we can never hope to distinguish the variability in our sampling and analysis techniques from the variability in the universe sampled. The presence of discontinuities in many of the quantities measured suggests that our sampling grid, as maintained by oceanographic vessels, is too limited both in space and in time. Some variety of self-reporting sampling buoy is the obvious answer for physical and chemical parameters, although as yet we do not have detectors for many of the quantities of interest. Even with such buoys, it would seem unlikely that we could construct a grid of such buoys tight enough to measure the local variability of the oceans without the buoys themselves contributing to this variability. The limit finally selected for such a sampling grid will probably be some compromise between scientific capability and economic reality.
Anthropogenic CO2 in the ocean
Authors: Peng Tsung-Hung
Published: October 2008

The focus of this review article is on the anthropogenic CO2 taken up by the ocean. There are several methods of identifying the anthropogenic CO2 signal and quantifying its inventory in the ocean. The ?C* method is most frequently used to estimate the global distribution of anthropogenic CO2 in the ocean. Results based on analysis of the dataset obtained from the comprehensive surveys of inorganic carbon distribution in the world oceans in the 1990s are given. These surveys were jointly conducted during the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) and the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS). This data set consists of 9618 hydrographic stations from a total of 95 cruises, which represents the most accurate and comprehensive view of the distribution of inorganic carbon in the global ocean available today. The increase of anthropogenic CO2 in the ocean during the past few decades is also evaluated using direct comparison of results from repeat surveys and using statistical method of Multi-parameter Linear Regression (MLR). The impact of increasing oceanic anthropogenic CO2 on the calcium carbonate system in the ocean is reviewed briefly as well. Extensive studies of CaCO3 dissolution as a result of increasing anthropogenic CO2 in the ocean have revealed several distinct oceanic regions where the CaCO3 undersaturation zone has expanded.
Scotia Arc bryozoans from the LAMPOS expedition: a narrow bridge between two different faunas
Authors: Moyano G. Hugo I.
Published: October 2008

The 78 bryozoan species collected by the German R/V “Polarstern” during the LAMPOS cruise in April 2002, encompassing the Scotia Arc archipelagos between Tierra del Fuego and the Antarctic Peninsula, were studied to discern the biogeographical patterns of the Magellan region of South America, the Scotia Arc archipelagos and the Antarctic. The resulting dendrogram shows three clusters: an isolated one with the three easternmost archipelagos and the other two linking some of the northern and southern Scotia Arc archipelagos with Tierra del Fuego. A more comprehensive analysis using all the species previously recorded from the Scotia Arc archipelagos and adjacent areas (214 spp.) produced a clearer zoogeographical pattern without isolated clusters of localities. The Antarctic Peninsula plus the Scotia Arc archipelagos form a large cluster distinct from the Magellan-Falkland Subantarctic area. A third analysis making use of 78 genera present in the study area plus Australia and New Zealand reinforces this pattern, showing two clusters: one uniting South America and the Australian-New Zealand realm and the other linking the Scotia Arc archipelagos with the Antarctic Peninsula. These results indicate that the Scotia Arc archipelagos represent merely a very narrow bridge connecting two different bryozoan faunas with only a few bryozoan species in common between the study areas.
Sublittoral and bathyal Harpacticoida (Crustacea, Copepoda) of the Magellan region. Composition, distribution and species diversity of selected major taxa
Authors: George Kai Horst
Published: October 2008

Two expeditions, undertaken in 1994 and 1996, provided quantitatively sampled material of sublittoral and bathyal meiobenthos from the Paso Ancho of the Straits of Magellan, the Beagle Channel, and the Patagonian continental slope (Chile). To investigate whether these distinct geographic areas might also be characterised by different harpacticoid assemblages, qualitative and quantitative analyses of Copepoda Harpacticoida were carried out. At supraspecific level 25 harpacticoid families were found, as well as several species that could not yet be assigned to any major harpacticoid taxon. Due to the high amount of collected Harpacticoida, detailed investigations at species level had to be restricted to six taxa, namely the Ancorabolidae, Argestidae, Cletodidae, Diosaccinae, Paramesochridae, and Paranannopinae. The corresponding specimens were assigned to 122 species in 52 genera. More than 80% of them are new to science. Qualitative comparisons of both species composition and species distribution allow the three areas to be distinguished in terms of species richness. However, statistical analyses confirm these results only partly. Similarity analyses applying non-metrical multidimensional scaling, as well as diversity analyses using the rarefaction method, suggest that the observed differences in distribution and diversity patterns are due to small-scale, local conditions, which may overlay possible large-scale ones.
Species richness and faunistic affinities of the Gammaridea and Corophiidea (Amphipoda) from shallow waters of southern Tierra del Fuego, Argentina: preliminary results
Authors: Luis Chiesa Ignacio , Alonso Gloria María , Zelaya Diego Gabriel
Published: October 2008

Species richness and faunistic affinities of gammaridean and corophiidean amphipods from southern Tierra del Fuego were studied. The material was collected with dredges and grabs at 7 locations (15 sampling stations) in a range of 5 to 35 m depth. A total of 61 species belonging to 20 families and 43 genera were identified. The genera Cephalophoxoides, Ceradocopsis and Photis are reported for the first time from the Magellan region and 3 species belonging to Atylus, Ischyrocerus and Photis appear to be new to science. Most of the species collected belong to Phoxocephalidae, whereas most individuals were contained in the Stenothoidae and Lysianassidae s.l. The analysis of the faunistic affinities showed that 16 species (39%) are endemic to the Magellan region, 9 species (22%) extend to the south, 5 species (12.2%) to the north and 5 other species (12.2%) to both the north and south. In addition, 6 species extend beyond the Magellan region as far as Oceania.
Cryptic speciation in the giant Antarctic isopod Glyptonotus antarcticus (Isopoda, Valvifera, Chaetiliidae)
Authors: Held Christoph , Wägele Johann Wolfgang
Published: October 2008

The genus Glyptonotus is most commonly regarded as monospecific, with Glyptonotus antarcticus Eights 1852 being its only constituent. Two more forms (G. acutus, G. antarcticus var. obtusus) that had been described based on morphological evidence have received little attention in the literature, though no formal attempt to evaluate their taxonomic status has been undertaken. In a survey of within-species genetic diversity, 23 specimens of the benthic Antarctic isopod Glyptonotus antarcticus from three sampling areas around the Antarctic had a high genetic variability in their mitochondrial LSU (16S) gene. Eleven unique mitochondrial haplotypes were found, two at the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), two in the Ross Sea (RS) and seven in the Eastern Weddell Sea (EWS). Average haplotype variation within sampling areas (AP, RS, EWS) was one order of magnitude less than between sampling areas. In the EWS, however, two highly differentiated haplotypes co-exist. These four groups of haplotypes may represent cryptic, but reproductively isolated species rather than a single species.
Biodiversity of Antarctic echinoids: a comprehensive and interactive database
Authors: David Bruno , Choné Thérèse , Festeau Alain , Mooi Rich , De Ridder Chantal
Published: October 2008

Eighty-one echinoid species are present south of the Antarctic Convergence, and they represent an important component of the benthic fauna. “Antarctic echinoids” is an interactive database synthesising the results of more than 100 years of Antarctic expeditions, and comprising information about all echinoid species. It includes illustrated keys for determination of the species, and information about their morphology and ecology (text, illustrations and glossary) and their distribution (maps and histograms of bathymetrical distribution); the sources of the information (bibliography, collections and expeditions) are also provided. All these data (taxonomic, morphologic, geographic, bathymetric…) can be interactively queried in two main ways: (1) display of listings that can be browsed, sorted according to various criteria, or printed; and (2) interactive requests crossing the different kinds of data. Many other possibilities are offered, and an on-line help file is also available.
The Antarctic-Magellan connection: macrobenthos ecology on the shelf and upper slope, a progress report
Authors: Arntz Wolf E. , Thatje Sven , Gerdes Dieter , Gili Josep Maria , Gutt Julian , Jacob Ute , Montiel Americo , Orejas Covadonga , Teixidó Núria
Published: October 2008

Ecological work carried out on the Antarctic and Magellan shelves since the first IBMANT conference held at the UMAG, Punta Arenas in 1997 is summarized to identify areas where progress has been made and others, where important gaps have remained in understanding past and present interaction between the Antarctic and the southern tip of South America. This information is complementary to a review on shallow-water work along the Scotia Arc (Barnes, 2005) and recent work done in the deep sea (Brandt and Hilbig, 2004). While principally referring to shipboard work in deeper water, above all during the recent international EASIZ and LAMPOS campaigns, relevant work from shore stations is also included. Six years after the first IBMANT symposium, significant progress has been made along the latitudinal gradient from the Magellan region to the high Antarctic in the fields of biodiversity, biogeography and community structure, life strategies and adaptations, the role of disturbance and its significance for biodiversity, and trophic coupling of the benthic realm with the water column and sea ice. A better understanding has developed of the role of evolutionary and ecological factors in shaping past and present-day environmental conditions, species composition and distribution, and ecosystem functioning. Furthermore, the science community engaged in unravelling Antarctic-Magellan interactions has advanced in methodological aspects such as new analytical approaches for comparing biodiversity derived from visual methods, growth and age determination, trophic modelling using stable isotope ratios, and molecular approaches for taxonomic and phylogenetic purposes. At the same time, much effort has been invested to complement the species inventory of the two adjacent regions. However, much work remains to be done to fill the numerous gaps. Some perspectives are outlined in this review, and suggestions are made where particular emphasis should be placed in future work, much of which will be developed in the frame of SCAR’s EBA (Evolution and Biodiversity in the Antarctic) programme.
Mesozooplankton assemblages in two bays in the Beagle Channel (Argentina) during January, 2001
Authors: Fernández-Severini Melisa Daiana , Hoffmeyer Monica Susana
Published: October 2008

This paper describes the composition and abundance of mesozooplankton of Bahía Ushuaia and Bahía Golondrina. These small bays are located in the northern Beagle Channel. Sampling was carried out from January 20 to 23, 2001 and samples were collected from the upper layer at nine stations. This study is the first research on mesozooplankton in this part of the Beagle Channel. Due to their dominance in the mesozooplankton community, we compared our Copepoda data with those reported by other authors from Antarctic coastal environments. By applying cluster analysis, we found two station groups in both bays: one in slightly polluted zones and the other in undisturbed external zones. Four assemblages in Bahía Ushuaia and two in Bahía Golondrina were determined by using non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) and cluster analysis. Mesozooplanktonic assemblages showed a certain resemblance in zones with and without anthropogenic influence. Most of the copepod species in our samples are typical of the sub-Antarctic region. Oithona similis (=O. helgolandica sensu Ramírez, 1966), Oncaea curvata, and Ctenocalanus citer show either similar or higher abundances at Antarctic coastal sites, including the upper layer in oceanic areas, in comparison with sub-Antarctic coastal localities. This suggests that, in agreement with other findings, the Polar Front is probably not a major geographic boundary for the distribution of these species.
Thoughts on controls on evolution and dispersal of benthos in the Magellan-Scotia Sea region: a workshop proposal
Authors: Thomson Michael R.A.
Published: October 2008

The Scotia Arc and the Scotia Sea comprise a geologically young feature of the Earth’s surface that evolved over the last 40 million years (Ma) or so, between the southern tip of South America and the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. With the notable exception of the much younger South Sandwich Islands, the islands, banks and seamounts of the arc represent dispersed fragments of a previous continental link between southern South America (Magellan region) and the Antarctic Peninsula. The benthic marine shelf faunas of the region are the focus of the IBMANT (Investigación Biolólogica Marina en Magallanes relacionada con la Antártida) programme, and those of the surrounding oceanic deeps are the focus of ANDEEP (Antarctic Benthic Deep-Sea Biodiversity). Elucidating the potential relationships between the faunas of the region and the profound geographical, oceanographic and climatic changes undergone by the region in later Cenozoic time is hampered by significant unknowns in the geological history, the expense of further geoscientific exploration to fill these, and a general lack of communication between the biological and geological science communities. It is suggested that the time is opportune for a truly multidisciplinary workshop at which all the involved science communities have much to gain from the others.
Seasonal variation of mesozooplankton biomass, abundance and copepod grazing in the central Cantabrian Sea (southern Bay of Biscay)
Authors: Huskin Iñaki , López Eva , Viesca Leticia , Anadón Ricardo
Published: October 2008

Size fractionated mesozooplankton biomass, abundance and copepod grazing were investigated over an annual cycle (1998) at two stations off Cudillero (central Cantabrian Sea). Mesozooplankton biomass was higher in summer/early autumn, reaching ~3000 mg dw m-2 in September. Copepods were the most abundant taxonomic group, representing 91 and 81% of the total mesozooplankton abundance in the coastal and shelf-break station respectively. Copepod gut contents were higher in summer at the coastal station, while the shelf-break station showed maximum gut contents in April. Gut contents were linearly related to integrated chlorophyll, except in the case of large animals at the shelf break station. Copepod community carbon ingestion was higher from June to September at both stations, reaching a maximum value of ~165 mg C m-2 day-1. Calculated grazing rates translates into an average daily consumption values of 8.7% (coast) and 5.25% (shelf-break) of total chlorophyll stock, or 20% (shelf-break) of total primary production.
Analysis of feeding of Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) larval stages in the central Cantabrian Sea
Authors: Munuera Fernandez Itziar , Gonzalez-Quiros Rafael
Published: October 2008

Diet analysis of larval fish may clarify the role that zooplankton—not only its abundance but also its size structure and taxonomic composition—may have on larval growth and subsequent recruitment levels. Taking into account the increase in size during larval stages, we followed a larval size-dependent approach for the analysis of prey size in the diet of larval sardine (Sardina pilchardus). Studies on feeding patterns of clupeid larvae typically involve a problem due to regurgitation and defecation of gut contents during capture. Therefore, an alternative sampling method was tested in this study, but no significant differences from conventional methods were found. Despite the low feeding incidence observed (23%), we found a circadian feeding pattern with the highest mean gut contents after dawn, decreasing during the day and with the lowest values at night. Diet was mostly composed of copepod developmental stages, mainly nauplii, and prey size increased with larval size following a power function. Maximum and mean prey size were related to larval mouth gape, though other factors may be restricting the maximum prey size ingested, since most prey width values were between 20 and 40% of larval mandible width.
Flabelligena gascognensis sp. nov. (Polychaeta: Acrocirridae), a new species from the Capbreton Canyon (Bay of Biscay, NE Atlantic)
Authors: Aguirrezabalaga Florencio , Ceberio Argiloa
Published: October 2008

Flabelligena gascognensis (Annelida: Polychaeta), a new species of the family Acrocirridae Banse, 1969 is described from the northeastern Atlantic. The specimens were collected from the Capbreton Canyon, Bay of Biscay, at depths between 545 and 1113 m. The new species has three pairs of branchiae and a pair of large ventral papillae. A light emendation of the diagnosis of the genus is proposed with the aim of including the new species and two other species, Flabelligella mediterranea Kolmer, 1985 and Flabelligella biscayensis Kolmer, 1985, into the genus Flabelligena. A key and a comparative table of the main characters of the known species of the genus are also included.
Mesoscale hydrological variability induced by northwesterly wind on the French continental shelf of the Bay of Biscay
Authors: Puillat Ingrid , Lazure Pascal , Jegou Anne-Marie , Lampert Luis , Miller Peter
Published: October 2008

On the French continental shelf of the Bay of Biscay the variability of the surface salinity distribution has been mainly investigated at the seasonal and inter-annual scales. Here, new mesoscale features such as lower-salinity lenses observed in model results are investigated by hydrological measurements acquired during 8 cruises (1997-2000). These lenses are 50-80 km wide and ~30 m thick and occur during westerly to northerly wind events that push offshore the less saline water of river plumes. These water masses detached from the coast are replaced with upwelled saltier water at the coast, so coastal upwelling is often observed at the same time along Landes and southern Brittany coasts. We show that in addition to the influence of seasonal and inter-annual variability of the wind and river outflows, short term meteorological variability may drive mesoscale structures on this continental shelf.
Internal tides modelling in the bay of Biscay. Comparisons with observations
Authors: Pichon Annick , Correard Stephanie
Published: October 2008

An Isopycnic Coordinate Ocean Model is used to represent the three-dimensional propagation of internal tides in the Bay of Biscay. The model is forced by the semi-diurnal tidal waves M2, S2, N2 and K2. A high resolution topography of French and Iberian continental slopes preserves the shape of the main canyons, which are areas of internal tide generation. Hydrological and velocity data collected during a French Naval experiment in 1994 are compared with the model results. Near the generation area, the vertical distribution of the internal tide amplitude, associated with a vertical shear of baroclinic tidal currents, is in agreement with the observations. Moreover, at most locations, the increase in the baroclinic current modelled near the bottom depth matches the data. This increase is related to the distribution of the internal tide amplitude along the ray slope defined by c(z) = (w2-f2/Nwhere w is the tidal frequency, f the Coriolis parameter and N(z) the buoyancy frequency. In most of the data/model comparisons, the vertical density variation in the deep layers shows a difference in phase in agreement with the ray theory. Over the abyssal plain, high horizontal shears of surface current are modelled at mid-bay, i.e. in areas where the internal wave energy coming from the deep ocean encounters the seasonal thermocline. However, the location of these areas is very sensitive to the initial vertical density profile: the three-dimensional variation of the density must be introduced in the initial conditions to improve the model results.
Spawning and nursery habitat of the wedge sole Dicologlossa cuneata (Moreau, 1881) in the Gulf of Cádiz (SW Spain)
Authors: García-Isarch Eva , Juárez Ana , Ruiz Javier , Romero Zeneida , Jiménez Paz , Baldó Francisco
Published: October 2008

Ichthyoplankton samples and hydrological data were obtained in an inshore area, between the mouths of the Rivers Guadalquivir and Guadiana (Gulf of Cádiz, SW Spain) during monthly surveys carried out from March 2002 to March 2003. Horizontal and temporal distributions of wedge sole (Dicologlossa cuneata) egg and larval abundances were analysed during this annual cycle in relation to environmental parameters. This area proved to be an important spawning and nursery ground for the species, which showed a winter-spring reproductive strategy with a long reproductive period lasting from autumn until early summer. Spawning areas were located in the shallowest waters (above 30 m depth) between the mouths of the Rives Guadiana and Tinto-Odiel, and to a lesser extent in the coastal zone between the mouths of the Rivers Tinto-Odiel and Guadalquivir. The spawning habitat was mainly determined by the distribution of the adults, the bathymetry and the temperature, and a preference for shallow and colder waters was observed. The inshore zone between the mouths of the Rivers Tinto-Odiel and Guadalquivir is the main nursery ground, with the greatest larval concentration and productivity in the area, due to the influence of the River Guadalquivir. The presence of recruits in this area may be linked to these favourable conditions for larval growth and survival.
PCR-SSCP of the 16S rRNA gene, a simple methodology for species identification of fish eggs and larvae
Authors: Garcia-Vazquez Eva , Alvarez Paula , Lopes Placida , Karaiskou Nikoletta , Perez Juliana , Teia Ana , Martinez José L. , Gomes Laurentina , Triantaphyllidis Costas
Published: October 2008

Patterns of the 16S rRNA gene obtained in 8 and 12% acrylamide gels by the SSCP (Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism) method were different for various marine fish species (Macrorhamphosus scolopax, Scomber scombrus, Lepidorhombus boscii, L. whiffiagonis, Trachurus trachurus, T. mediterraneus, Molva molva, Merluccius merluccius). SSCP patterns of this gene were employed to successfully identify formaldehyde-fixed eggs of different species (Merluccius merluccius, Scomber scombrus, Macrorhamphosus scolopax and L. whiffiagonis) in plankton samples. The advantages of SSCPs in comparison with current genetic methods of egg identification are based on their technical simplicity and low price. The application of the PCR-SSCP methodology is proposed for routine genetic analyses in plankton surveys.
Influence of spring river flow on the recruitment of Japanese seaperch Lateolabrax japonicus into the Chikugo estuary, Japan
Authors: Shoji Jun , Tanaka Masaru
Published: October 2008

The estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) zone is considered to serve as a predation refuge for fish during the early life stages due to the high turbidity and high prey concentration. River flow can be one of the important determinants for survival of early life stages of estuarine dependent fish because it affects both the physical and biological properties of the ETM. We tested the hypothesis that fluctuation of river flow explains the variability in recruitment of Japanese seaperch Lateolabrax japonicus around the ETM region of the Chikugo River estuary, upper Ariake Bay, Japan. Japanese seaperch recruitment showed a 43.3-fold fluctuation from 1990 to 2000 and was inversely correlated with the mean daily river flow of the Chikugo River in March. The recruitment was high and variable in years of low March river flow and was poor in years of high March river flow. We conclude that high river flow potentially decreases Japanese seaperch recruitment in the Chikugo River estuary by blocking the larval migration into the river and by increasing the probability of larval dispersion to the downriver/upper bay areas, where potential predators (jellyfish and Sagitta spp.) were more abundant, and prey (Sinocalanus sinensis) availability and turbidity were lower.
Individual-based dispersal patterns of larval gobies in an estuary as indicated by otolith elemental fingerprints
Authors: Chang Mei-Yu , Wang Chia-Hui , You Chen-Feng , Tzeng Wann-Nian
Published: October 2008

Otolith trace elements were used as natural tags to study the dispersal patterns of goby larvae in an estuary. Ninety-six larval gobies representing 10 species were collected in the estuary of Gongshytyan Creek in northwestern Taiwan in September 1997. Fifteen trace elements in fish otoliths were analysed with solution-based ICPMS. Trace elemental composition in otoliths differed significantly among the species. Habitat use by the larvae of the 10 species can be divided into four groups, based on principal component analysis of otolith elemental composition. All 10 goby species used the estuary as a nursery area irrespective of the fish being amphidromous or non-amphidromous. A part of the population may be lost during larval dispersal, as indicated from trace elemental composition recorded in the otolith.