Quorum Quenching Agents: Resources for Antivirulence Therapy

The continuing emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens is a concern to human health and highlights the urgent need for the development of alternative therapeutic strategies. Quorum sensing (QS) regulates virulence in many bacterial pathogens, and thus, is a promising target for antivirulence therapy which may inhibit virulence instead of cell growth and division. This means that there is little selective pressure for the evolution of resistance. Many natural quorum quenching (QQ) agents have been identified. Moreover, it has been shown that many microorganisms are capable of producing small molecular QS inhibitors and/or macromolecular QQ enzymes, which could be regarded as a strategy for bacteria to gain benefits in competitive environments. More than 30 species of marine QQ bacteria have been identified thus far, but only a few of them have been intensively studied. Recent studies indicate that an enormous number of QQ microorganisms are undiscovered in the highly diverse marine environments, and these marine microorganism-derived QQ agents may be valuable resources for antivirulence therapy.     

Synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering for Marine Carotenoids: New Opportunities and Future Prospects

Carotenoids are a class of diverse pigments with important biological roles such as light capture and antioxidative activities. Many novel carotenoids have been isolated from marine organisms to date and have shown various utilizations as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. In this review, we summarize the pathways and enzymes of carotenoid synthesis and discuss various modifications of marine carotenoids. The advances in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology for carotenoid production are also reviewed, in hopes that this review will promote the exploration of marine carotenoid for their utilizations.     

大型低速船用柴油机燃油共轨系统建模

以瓦锡兰Sulzer 7RT—flex60C型船用柴油机为研究对象,首先介绍了燃油共轨系统的组成,分析了燃油共轨系统的特性,然后利用流体力学原理构建了燃油共轨系统各个模块的数学模型,最后采用MATLAB／Simulink软件进行仿真计算．仿真结果与船用柴油机台架数据误差符合要求,具有一定的有效性和准确性．     

粤柘林东湾-南澳岛海洋牧场的海水营养状况及其等级评价

柘林湾-南澳岛海洋牧场由网箱养殖区、贝类底播区、海藻养殖区和人工鱼礁区等4个不同的功能区构成.为了了解海洋牧场建设过程中海水的营养状况及其变化趋势,根据海洋牧场2011-2012年春、夏、秋、冬4个航次海水营养盐的监测数据,分析不同功能区海水营养盐的时空分布特征,并采用N/P和潜在性富营养化评价模式对不同功能区的海水营养状况及其营养等级进行了评价.结果表明:(1)海洋牧场海域的无机氮(DIN)和活性磷酸盐(PO4-P)全年呈现自西北部柘林湾向东南海域递减、近岸向离岸递减的变化趋势.(2)NO3-N是DIN的主要存在形式,NO3-N/DIN的最大值出现在柘林湾内的网箱养殖区,且网箱养殖区DIN和PO4-p的年均值均远高于其他功能区,分别为0.726 mg/L和0.036 mg/L.(3)根据营养等级评价的结果,网箱养殖区和贝类底底播区全年平均处于磷中等限制的潜在性富营养状态,海藻养殖区全年平均处于磷限制的中度营养状态,人工鱼礁区全年平均处于良好的中度营养状态.因此,可以推断海洋牧场的建设对海洋环境具有一定的调节能力.     

我国涉海机构自建海洋文献资源质量调查

为了深入了解我国涉海机构自建海洋文献资源的现状,采用网页访问法调查我国15所海洋研究所、海洋信息中心以及涉海院校图书馆建设的海洋文献资源,结果表明自建海洋文献资源存在数量少、价值低、更新慢、共享程度低等问题。建议加强涉海文献资源建设和管理,提高质量,促进资源共享,为我国海洋经济的发展做出应有的贡献。     

海水鱼类室内育苗与室外育苗对比试验

为建立一套海水鱼类人工育苗技术,分别采用室内水泥池、室外对虾高位池以及室内水泥池与室外对虾高位池相结合的育苗方法进行美国红鱼、花尾胡椒鲷等鱼类人工育苗试验。结果表明:室内水泥池育苗成活率为11%～98 8%,室外对虾高位池育苗成活率最高为6%,室内外相结合育苗的成活率为37 5%～73%。采用前期室内人工培育,幼苗体长约10mm移到室外对虾高位池培育,既可提高育苗成活率,又可降低育苗成本,是目前值得推广的育苗方法。     

我国海洋休闲渔业发展模式初探 --以舟山蚂蚁岛省级休闲渔业示范基地为例的实证分析

休闲渔业已经成为我国海洋旅游的新亮点和海岛经济发展的新兴产业。本文通过分析舟山蚂蚁岛成功打造省级休闲渔业示范基地的模式，提出海洋休闲渔业的发展应注重挖掘海洋文化和地方特色，与旅游等三产发展相结合，与落实“五个统筹”、建设社会主义现代化新型渔农村以及构建和谐社会相结合，并探讨了我国海洋休闲渔业的发展模式。提出了规划要科学化、统筹化，经营要产业化、集约化，管理要规范化、法制化，发展要可持续化等对策建议。     

Local and remote physical processes driving variability of the planktonic system in the Juan Fernández Archipelago: A multidisciplinary framework providing conservation insights

1. The Juan Fernandez Ridge, a vulnerable marine ecosystem located far off the coast of central Chile and formed by several seamounts, guyots and three islands (Robinson Crusoe, Santa Clara and Alejandro Selkirk), has recently been declared a Coastal Marine Protected Area of Multiple Uses with several National Parks embedded in it.
2. Recent studies have highlighted the influence of remote and local oceanographic structures on the hydrographic dynamics of this ridge. However, there is still a gap in understanding how they affect the structure and dynamics of the surrounding insular planktonic communities.
3. A hydroacoustic and oceanographic survey was conducted during the austral spring (October 2016), including hydrographic and zooplankton sampling around Robinson Crusoe Island. Oceanographic features were identified and tracked using satellite data (chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and sea surface temperature) and modelling results.
4. Two events of Chl-a increase relative to a threshold (>0.45 mg m⁻³) were forced by different physical processes, both affecting the western side of Robinson Crusoe Island. In event A during the cruise period, Chl-a subsurface maxima were associated with the arrival of a coastal meander originating on the continental shelf off Chile (remote process); the zooplankton was dominated by copepods and salps, with an evident coastal–oceanic gradient. In event B, Chl-a maxima were linked to a local upwelling forced by the intensification of a localized SSW wind. No influence of remote eddies or local Von Kármán vortices on Chl-a distribution was observed.
5. These findings highlight the influence of remote and local physical processes on the structure of planktonic communities around Robinson Crusoe Island. Understanding the variability of these mechanisms and their effects at the base of the pelagic food web is critical in adopting an ecosystem-level approach.

     

Temporal changes in seabird assemblage structure and trait diversity in the Rapa Nui (Easter Island) multiple-use marine protected area

1. For Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and its largest islet, Motu Nui, the change of the species assemblage over time was analysed, and a trait-based approach to evaluate the potential losses in seabird function across the past centuries was applied. At a finer scale, the seasonal changes in seabird species composition in the current seabird assemblage was assessed to better understand the dynamics of the long-term inferred patterns.
2. For Rapa Nui, the composition of the seabird assemblage between the prehistorical, historical, and current time has changed significantly. The most critical change, probably associated with human colonization, was observed between prehistoric and current times. The current diminished number of nesting seabird species was probably the result of local extirpation without evidence of colonization by new species.
3. For Motu Nui, changes in species composition were also followed by changes in trait structure, which were smaller than observed in Rapa Nui. This is probably due to the presence of a relatively high number of related species (i.e. Procellariids) with high similarities in their foraging behaviour.
4. The nesting seabird assemblages in Rapa Nui and Motu Nui differ in exposure to risk; thus, conservation strategies applied to the islands should be planned on a fine spatial scale. For Rapa Nui, which is an urban wildlife area with several invasive species and a low number of remaining native seabird species, management should focus on fencing and pets control. For Motu Nui, management should instead focus on the establishment of quarantine and other biosecurity tools to avoid both the entry and proliferation of new invasive species.