The Moray Firth Seal Management Plan: an adaptive framework for balancing the conservation of seals,salmon, fisheries and wildlife tourism in the UK

• 1. Within the Moray Firth, north‐east Scotland, there is a history of conflict between seals and salmon fisheries. Under the UK's Conservation of Seals Act 1970 (CoSA) seals are shot to protect fisheries. In 1999 six rivers in the Moray Firth were designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for Atlantic salmon under the EU Habitats Directive, and in 2000 an SAC for harbour seals was designated in the Dornoch Firth.
• 2. In the 1990s salmon stocks declined. Fisheries managers believed the decline was partly caused by seal predation and consequently increased shooting effort. In years 1993–2003 Moray Firth harbour seal numbers declined possibly due to shooting, posing a potential threat to the status of the Dornoch Firth SAC. Meanwhile wildlife tourism based on marine mammals has increased. The declines in salmon and harbour seals, and the implementation of the Habitats Directive forced a watershed in the approach of statutory authorities to managing seals, salmon and tourism.
• 3. In years 2002–2005 local District Salmon Fishery Boards, the Scottish Executive, Scottish Natural Heritage and stakeholders negotiated a pilot Moray Firth Seal Management Plan to restore the favourable conservation status of seal and salmon SACs, and to reduce shooting of harbour seals and seal predation on salmon.
• 4. Key facets of the plan are the management of the Moray Firth region under a CoSA Conservation Order; application of the Potential Biological Removal concept to identify a limit of seals to be killed; management areas where removal of seals is targeted to protect salmon, while avoiding seal pupping and tourism sites; a training and reporting system for marksmen; a research programme, and a framework allowing an annual review of the plan.
• 5. The plan was introduced in April 2005. A maximum limit of 60 harbour and 70 grey seals was set. Forty‐six harbour and 33 grey seals were killed in 2005 while in 2006 these figures were 16 and 42 respectively. Although the numbers killed were below the maximum limits in both years the returns raised questions about the plan's ability to manage seal shooting at netting stations. The plan provides a useful adaptive co‐management framework for balancing seal and salmon conservation with the protection of fisheries and/or fish farms and tourism for application in the UK and internationally.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

凡纳滨对虾和罗氏沼虾肠道微生物及抗生素抗性基因多样性分析

探究凡纳滨对虾和罗氏沼虾肠道微生物及抗生素抗性基因(antibiotic resistance genes, ARGs)种类的差异。通过高通量测序和变性梯度凝胶电泳(denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, DGGE)技术分析2种虾肠道微生物群落结构差异和微生物多样性,并运用PCR方法检测了2种虾肠道细菌常见38种ARGs的携带情况。结果显示,获得凡纳滨对虾和罗氏沼虾肠道细菌有效序列分别为42 795和40 713条,物种注释单元(operational taxonomic unit, OTU)数目分别为124和82,分类地位明确的细菌种类分别隶属5个门、17个属和5个门、16个属。凡纳滨对虾肠道细菌的优势类群为变形菌门,所占比例为75.45%,优势菌属为副球菌属(25.83%)和不动杆菌属(25.24%);罗氏沼虾肠道细菌的优势类群是厚壁菌门(49.74%),优势菌属为乳球菌属(49.01%)和弧菌属(29.98%)。凡纳滨对虾肠道细菌(2.19)Shannon指数高于罗氏沼虾肠道细菌(1.78),表明前者肠道细菌多样性大于后者。DGGE图谱的分析结果与高通量测序一致,2种虾肠道细菌种类差异很大。PCR结果显示,凡纳滨对虾肠道细菌携带15种ARGs,罗氏沼虾肠道细菌携带14种ARGs。本实验表明凡纳滨对虾肠道细菌的群落种类多样性、OTU丰富度、物种总数和ARGs种类均高于罗氏沼虾肠道细菌,为后续肠道微生物资源的挖掘提供了理论依据。     

Trikoramides B–D,Bioactive Cyanobactins from the Marine Cyanobacterium Symploca hydnoides

Three new cyanobactins, trikoramides B (1)–D (3), have been isolated from the marine cyanobacterium, Symploca hydnoides, following a preliminary bioassay-guided isolation of the two most active polar fractions based on the brine shrimp toxicity assay. These new cyanobactins are new analogues of the previously reported cytotoxic trikoramide A (4) with differences mainly in the C-prenylated cyclotryptophan unit. Their planar structures were elucidated from their 1D and 2D NMR spectral data in combination with the HRMS/MS data. Marfey’s method, 2D NOESY NMR spectroscopic and ECD spectra analyses were used to determine the absolute stereochemistry of trikoramides B (1)–D (3). Trikoramides B (1) and D (3) exhibited cytotoxicity against MOLT-4 acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line with IC₅₀ values of 5.2 µM and 4.7 µM, respectively. Compounds 1 and 3 were also evaluated for their quorum-sensing inhibitory assay based on the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 lasB-gfp and rhlA-gfp bioreporter strains. Although trikoramide B (1) exhibited weak quorum-sensing inhibitory activity, the Br-containing trikoramide D (3) exhibited moderate to significant dose-dependent quorum-sensing inhibitory activities against PAO1 lasB-gpf and rhlA-gfp bioreporter strains with IC₅₀ values of 19.6 µM and 7.3 µM, respectively.     

Applications of biotechnology for forest regeneration

The Forest Biotechnology Centre is an interdisciplinary research group dedicated to the development and application of advanced technology for the enhancement of forest regeneration. The Centre carries out contracts on behalf of clients in forest-related industries and government agencies. In addition, there are a number of long-term, in-house projects aimed at the development of proprietary technologies in genetics and propagation, and seedling production and establishment. Technical capabilities include: tissue culture, molecular genetics, pathology and microbial inoculants, and ecophysiology. These techniques are also being used to improve nursery culture regimes, disease assessment, planting regimes, and new product development for a variety of conifer species. Additional programs relate population genetics to adaptive traits, and develop clonal testing within elite families from tree-breeding programs.     

长江下游棉花落叶型黄萎病发生消长与气象因子关系分析

１９９３～１９９７ 年, 在江苏省常熟市徐市镇棉花落叶型黄萎病地（致病小种为落叶型ＪＣ５）,对苏棉８ 号从６ 月初至９ 月中旬进行棉花黄萎病调查, 并结合当地的气温、雨日等气象因子对黄萎病的发生消长关系进行统计分析。结果表明, 平均气温２３℃最适宜发病, 平均气温大于２８℃时发病停止（隐症）。黄萎病的日增病指与平均气温、雨日相关性较强, 与雨量相关性较差。合并５ 年的资料, 通过多因子筛选, 得出日增病指（Ｙ）与雨日（Ｘ２）、大于２３℃的有效积温值（Ｘ１）的关系式： Ｙ＝ － ０．１４９４９Ｘ１＋ ０．１４５４４Ｘ２＋ ０．９３５５１。     

Identification of the principal viruses infecting tomato crops in Tunisia

Serological tests have been used to detect viruses associated with tomato in 257 samples collected in different regions in Tunisia, Cap-Bon, Sahel and South during successive seasons. The viruses detected were cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV) and tomato aspermy cucumovirus (TAV), potato Y potyvirus (PVY), tobacco etch potyvirus (TEV) and pepper veinal mottle potyvirus (PVMV), tomato mosaic tobamovirus (ToMV) and tobacco mosaic tobamovirus (TMV), tobacco rattle tobravirus (TRV), alfalfa mosaic alfamovirus (AMV), tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (TSWV), tomato ringspot nepovirus (TomRSV) and potato X potexvirus (PVX). Some were detected in all three regions surveyed, at variable frequencies: TMV, CMV, TEV, PVY, ToMV, AMV, TAV, TSWV and TRV. Others were only detected in two regions (PVMV in Cap-Bon and Sahel and PVX in Sahel and in the south) or one region (TomRSV in Cap-Bon). Movement of individual viruses from one region to another may be due to movement of specific vectors, as in the case of the thrips-transmitted TSWV moving from the south to the north. Some of these viruses were found for the first time in Tunisia.     

Antioxidant compounds from Ebenus pinnata

Activity-guided fractionation of the methanol extract of Ebenus pinnata aerial parts led to the isolation of ombuoside (1), kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside (2), rutin (3), catechin (4), and picein (5), along with beta-sitosterol and beta-sitosterol glucoside. Compounds 1-4 showed significant antioxidant activity in the DPPH, and TEAC, reducing power assays.     

用小卫星探针33.6对中华绒螯蟹遗传多态性的DNA指纹图谱研究

运用DIG标记的人源小卫得探针33.6与HaeⅢ消化的中华绒螯蟹（Eriocheir sinensis）基因组DNA杂交，进行了中华绒螯蟹种群遗传多态性的非放射性DAN图谱研究。实验表明：用人源小卫星探针33.6在中华绒螯蟹DNA指纹图谱中可检测到10个以上位点的遗传变异，这些位点均表现丰富的多态性；人源小卫星探针33.6产生的中华绒螯蟹DNA指纹图谱具有个体特异性，但未表现出中华绒螯蟹种或种群特异的分子遗传标记，长江蟹、辽河蟹与人工繁育长江触的群体内相似指数分别为0.292、0.375和0.306；长江蟹与辽河蟹、长江蟹与人工繁育长江蟹、辽河蟹与人工繁育长江蟹群体间相似指数分别为0.178、0.266和0.179。     

不同国家松材线虫体表携带优势细菌种类及其毒性

收集了来源于美国、日本和中国的松材线虫虫株,分离了各虫株体表携带的细菌,确定了优势菌并进行鉴定,并用细菌培养的无细胞滤液对无菌黑松和马尾松切根苗进行了生物测定,以了解各细菌菌株对松苗的毒性.结果表明:所有虫株均携带明显的优势菌.经Biolog细菌自动鉴定系统和16S rDNA 序列分析鉴定表明,美国线虫虫株上分离的优势...     

外源C4二羧酸对转玉米PEPC基因水稻C4光合途径的促进作用

以转PEPC基因水稻和野生型水稻Kitaake为材料, 研究了不同基因型水稻叶片中的C4光合微循环及其功能。通过测定与光合C4途径有关的关键酶,如磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸羧化酶(PEPC)、NADP苹果酸酶(NADP-ME)、NADP苹果酸脱氢酶(NADP-MDH)和丙酮酸磷酸双激酶(PPDK),说明野生型水稻叶片中具有完整的C4光合酶体系;用外源草酰乙酸(OAA)或苹果酸(MA)饲喂叶切片或叶绿体后明显增加光合速率,证明野生型水稻中具有一个有限的光合C4微循环。将玉米的PEPC基因导入原种水稻后,可大幅度提高光合C4微循环的速率。测定不同基因型的CO2交换速率,看出水稻中C4光合微循环的增强有提高净光合速率(Pn)和降低Pr/Pn比值的作用。叶绿素荧光特性分析表明,C4光合微循环的增强伴随着PSⅡ电子传递效率(Fv/Fm)和光化学猝灭(qp)的增加,以及非光化学猝灭(qN)的降低。 