Physical and biological consequences of a climate event in the central North Pacific

Climatic changes over the North Pacific which began in the mid 1970s, peaked in the early 1980s, and ended by the late 1980s, appear to have altered productivity at various trophic levels in the marine ecosystem in the central North Pacific. The climatic change resulted in increased mixed layer depth and the frequency of deep mixing events, particularly during January-March. A number of biological time series for species ranging from primary to apex levels in the North-western Hawaiian Islands, show corresponding declines in productivity of 30–50% from the early 1980s to the present. We hypothesize that during the early 1980s, increased mixing due to the climate event resulted in greater nutrient input into the euphotic zone and ultimately increased ecosystem productivity. Productivity over a range of trophic levels declined when the climate event ended.     

Influences of population density,temperature and latitude on the growth of invasive topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva

Plasticity in life‐history traits provides advantages for introduced fish in overcoming demographic bottlenecks that would otherwise inhibit establishment. Here, the influence of population density, temperature and latitude was tested on the growth increments and growth rates of invasive populations of topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva, a small Asian cyprinid fish that is invasive across Europe. Aquaria experiments tested the roles of fish number and temperature on growth increments under a fixed food supply, pond experiments tested the role of density on growth increments, and a field study completed in England and Wales tested the influence of density and latitude on growth rates. In aquaria experiments, whilst growth increments were higher at 21 and 23 °C than at 19 and 25 °C, fish number had a greater influence on growth than temperature. Higher growth increments were produced at lower densities. In experimental ponds, growth increments were significantly higher in ponds with low densities of P. parva compared with those at elevated densities. In the field study comprising 10 wild populations across a latitudinal gradient of 4.0°N, a difference in mean air temperatures of approximately 3 °C, and estimated densities between 0.5 and 65.0 m^?2, population density was the only significant predictor of growth rates. Whilst populations at very low densities comprised of significantly faster growing individuals, there were no significant differences when densities were between 15 and 65 m^?2. Thus, invasive P. parva populations have considerable growth plasticity, especially at low densities, with this likely to be important in their ability to colonise new environments.     

盐度骤变对金钱鱼幼鱼鳃线粒体丰富细胞形态结构的影响

文章采用显微技术研究了盐度骤降(20盐度组投入5盐度组)、盐度骤升(20盐度组投入35盐度组)胁迫下,金钱鱼(Scatophagus argus)幼鱼鳃线粒体丰富细胞(Mitochondria-rich cells,MRCs)形态结构的变化.结果显示,低盐胁迫3 h MRCs长径[(9.517±1.390)μm]和短径...     

Determining home range,changes in habitat use with time,and the threats to an endangered freshwater turtle (Rafetus euphraticus) in Turkey

1. The Euphrates softshell turtle (Rafetus euphraticus) is the most threatened chelonian species in the Middle East, where it is endemic to the Tigris and Euphrates basins. Since the ecology of this species is little known, it is difficult to plan any reliable action for its correct management and conservation.
2. To enhance the scientific knowledge on R. euphraticus, and to establish a science-based management strategy, a detailed investigation was undertaken on the distribution, habitat, activity and home range of R. euphraticus in Turkey. The previous distribution records in Turkey are for the 1990s; thus, this study is the first comprehensive field research on the species after nearly 3 decades.
3. There was a significant sexual size dimorphism in the Turkish population, with males larger than females.
4. Four individuals were radiotracked for 1 year. The mean home range was highly variable depending on how it was calculated, but that of males was considerably greater than that of females by all methods used.
5. A quantitative evaluation was made of habitat change with time. The land cover classes potentially available to turtles in the Euphrates River basin increased by more than 100% between the 1990s and 2018: 92% of this enhancement was derived from water bodies and coastal lands.
6. Fifteen dams have been built in the lower part of the basins in the last 30 years. In addition, continuing human interactions have caused the fragmentation or destruction of suitable habitats for R. euphraticus.
7. The factors threatening R. euphraticus were assessed and a conservation action plan was developed. Some objectives such as monitoring and creating awareness of this action plan have been met while others are still waiting to be achieved.

     

Sex change in coral reef fish

Gonadal differentiation can take many forms in fish, ranging from gonochorism, where individuals directly develop as male or female and finally possess only testis or ovaries at sexual maturation, to hermaphroditism where the same individuals can produce mature male and female gametes at some time in their lives. Hermaphrodite fish are, thus, an excellent model for studying the plasticity of sex determination and differentiation in vertebrates. We have shown that sex steroids play a principal role in sex differentiation and sex change in fish. Our laboratory implements several fish models that undergo sex change from female to male or male to female or in both directions. In this review, we will briefly discuss recent advances in our understanding of the mechanism of sex change in coral reef fish.     

Sardine and anchovy regime fluctuations of abundance in four regions of the world oceans: a workshop report

Regimes of high abundance of sardine (Sardinops sagax and Sardina pilchardus) have alternated with regimes of high abundance of anchovy (Engraulis spp.) in each of the five regions of the world where these taxa co-occur and have been extensively fished. When one taxon has been plentiful, the other has usually been at a reduced level of abundance, and vice versa. Changes in the four heavily fished regions that support S. sagax–the Japanese, Californian, Humboldt, and Benguela systems–from a regime dominated by one taxon to a high level of abundance of the other have occurred more or less simultaneously. In the Pacific Ocean, sardines have tended to increase during periods of increasing global air and sea temperatures and anchovies to decrease. The Japanese system is dominated by sardines to a greater extent than the other systems, and sardines off Japan appear to increase as the Kuroshio Current cools. At the eastern edge of the Pacific Ocean, sardines colonize cooler areas during periods of warming. The Benguela system is out of phase with the three Pacific systems. The four systems all appeared to be in a state of flux in the 1980s. Increased abundance of the subdominant taxon is often one of the first signs of change. Sardines are relatively sedentary in refuge areas when scarce but change behavior to become highly migratory and colonize cooler areas when abundant. Anchovies, by contrast, expand around a fixed geographic center.     

主体意识的归隐 显现与本质寻求——意识形态的质性裂变

随着意识形态理论的发展,意识形态的所指已经发生了实质性的功能性裂变。它的发生逻辑隐含了主体意识的无意识的归隐与自为的显现,而主体意识与意识形态的本质寻求无论是隐匿性的暗示或遮蔽性的深层所指,都与意识形态的功能性机制及社会历史性的存在状况具备极强的内在一致性。     

Changes in radiocesium concentration in a blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum Aiton) orchard resulting from radioactive fallout

We investigated changes in the radiocesium concentration in a blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum Aiton) orchard in Fukushima prefecture to clarify the radiocesium contamination for 3 years after the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident occurred in mid-March 2011. In the aboveground part of blueberry bushes, the concentrations of radiocesium in branches that were directly affected by radioactive fallout were the highest among the samples investigated, and the concentrations in fruits were the lowest. The concentration of radiocesium decreased exponentially in the fruits and leaves over 3 years. The radiocesium concentrations in soils were higher in the surface layer. The amount of radiocesium in organic matter on the soil surface under the canopy greatly decreased from 2011 to 2012. The transfer factor of the radiocesium from soil to blueberry fruits decreased annually. These results suggest that radiocesium adhered directly to the aboveground organs of blueberry bushes in March 2011, and it is possible that the accumulation of radiocesium in fruits is mainly due to radiocesium transfer from the branches and trunk to fruits for several years after the nuclear power plant accident.     

Decadal trends in abundance,size and condition of Antarctic toothfish in McMurdo Sound,Antarctica, 1972–2011

We report the analyses of a dataset spanning 39 years of near‐annual fishing for Dissostichus mawsoni in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, 1972–2011. Data on total length, condition and catch per unit effort (CPUE) were derived from the > 5500 fish caught, the large majority of which were measured, tagged and released. Contrary to expectation, the length frequency of the McMurdo Sound catch was dominated by fish in the upper two‐thirds of the overall distribution exhibited in the industrial catch for the Ross Sea shelf. Fish length and condition increased from the early 1970s to the early 1990s and then decreased. Fish length positively correlated with Ross Sea ice extent in early spring, a relationship possibly caused by more ice encouraging larger fish to move farther south over the shelf and into the study area. Fish condition positively correlated with the amount of open water in the Ross Sea during the previous summer (Feb), perhaps reflecting greater availability of prey with the higher productivity that more open water brings. Decreasing fish size corresponds to the onset of the fishery, which targets the large individuals. CPUE was constant through 2001 and then decreased dramatically. We hypothesize that this decrease is related to the industrial fishery, which began in the 1996–97 austral summer, and concentrates effort over the ice‐free Ross Sea continental slope. As a result of limited prey choices and close coupling among mesopredators of the region, Antarctic toothfish included, the fishery appears to be dramatically altering the trophic structure of the Ross Sea.     

Temporal variation in Lake Balaton and its fish populations

Abstract— Dramatic changes have occurred in Lake Balaton in the last 40–45 years. Variations in water quality have resulted in a decrease in fish and invertebrate diversity. Fish assemblages have changed in response to human-induced eutrophication, environmental perturbations, introduction of exotic fish species, over-fishing and species-habitat interactions. Fish biomass and productivity first increased during the early 1970s with enhanced primary production, then decreased with the reduction of exploitation since the late 1970s and induced intra- and interspecific competition. Previous stable populations began to oscillate, and the majority of stocks became fragile by the mid-1980s. Extinction of native fish and invasion of new alien species alternate. Alien species have transformed the food webs, causing long-lasting ecological changes. Reduced and non-selective exploitation has resulted in higher fish density and lower production rates. Recent studies have revealed differences in the carrying capacity of fish between the littoral zone and the open water areas.