Reproductive performance,survival and development of nauplii and copepodites,sex ratio and adult life expectancy of the harpacticoid copepod,Euterpina acutifrons,fed different microalgal diets

A series of laboratory experiments were conducted on the harpacticoid copepod, Euterpina acutifrons, to assess the influence of 10 different microalgal diets (four monoalgal and six mixed algal diets) on several parameters related to its productivity in culture. The four monoalgal diets were the Tahitian strain of Isochrysis sp. (T‐Iso), Pavlova salina (Pav), Tetraselmis chuii (Tet) and the diatom Chaetoceros muelleri (Chaet), the five binary diets were T‐Iso+Tet, Pav+Tet, T‐Iso+Pav, Tet+Chaet and Pav+Chaet, while the tri‐algal diet was T‐Iso+Tet+Pav. All diets were fed to copepods at 1500 μ gC L^?1 and in the case of binary or trialgal diets, carbon concentration was divided equally between the two or three algae offered. Among monoalgal diets, the diatom Chaet was excellent for E. acutifrons. Out of the 10 diets tested, the binary diet Tet+Chaet, which contained the diatom Chaet, was the best for naupliar production of single pair E. acutifrons (19.5±1.7 nauplii female^?1 day^?1), significantly (P<0.05) higher than all other treatments except for the Chaet treatment (P>0.05). Similarly, in the group naupliar production trial (50 adult E. acutifrons per replicate), Tet+Chaet produced a significantly higher number of nauplii (405.8±18.6 nauplii day^?1) than the other treatments (P<0.05). Tet+Chaet further supported the highest naupliar survival (82.0±2.8%) and copepodite survival (89.0±2.8%), while the mono‐algal diet Chaet produced the second highest naupliar (76.7±2.6%) and copepodite survival (83.5±2.6%). In contrast, Pav produced the lowest overall survival at the naupliar stage (30.0±2.9%), significantly lower than all other treatments (P<0.05). While development from newly hatched nauplii to copepodites was not significantly affected by diets, mean development time from nauplius to adult was significantly different among treatments. Mean development time from hatching (naupliar I stage; NI) to the adult stage was the fastest with Tet+Chaet and Chaet (6.8±0.0 days for both treatments), which was significantly faster than that of Pav, T‐Iso Pav+Tet and T‐Iso+Pav+Te treatment (P<0.05). E. acutifrons sex ratio was significantly affected by diets, and always skewed in favour of males. Feeding on Pav resulted in the lowest proportion of females (23.7±1.2%), significantly lower than for six of the other treatments (P<0.05). Adult females had longer average life expectancy than males for all treatments, and were the longest when fed Tet+Chaet (9.5±0.4 days), which was more than twice as long as the shortest lifespan recorded for the Pav treatment (4.2±0.6 days) (P<0.05). In summary, among 10 diets tested, the binary diet Tet+Chaet appeared to support the highest culture productivity of E. acutifrons while the diatom Chaet also performed well as a monoalgal diet.     

Effect of dietary defatted diatom biomass on egg production and quality of laying hens

Background： This study was to determine if feeding laying hens with defatted diatom microalgal biomass （DFA） from biofuel production affected their egg production and health status. Methods： Five replicates of 5 individually caged ISA Babcock White leghorn hens were fed 4 diets, including a corn-soybean meal control diet, a diet containing 7.5% DFA substituting for soybean meal, and diets containing 7.5% or 15% DFA substituting for corn and soybean meal. Body weights, feed intake, feed conversion ratio （FCR）, rate of egg production, egg size, egg mass, and several characteristics of eggs were determined at 4 and 8 wk. Venous blood was sampled at 4 and 8 wk for measurement of 5 biomarkers of health. Results： The15% DFA diet decreased （P 〈 0.05） feed intake, egg production, and plasma uric acid concentrations as compared with the control diet, but increased （P 〈 0.05） egg albumen weight and height compared with the 7.5% DFA diets. The two levels of DFA produced dose-dependent （P 〈 0.05） changes in three color measures of egg yolk, without affecting four hen plasma biochemical indicators of health. Conclusions： Feeding laying hens with 7.5% DFA in the corn-soybean meal diet for 8 wk had no adverse effect on their health, egg production, or egg quality, but 15% inclusion reduced feed intake, egg production, and efficiency of feed utilization.     

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN RETRACTED Exergy as an ecological application used in the recovery process of benthic communities

Exergy, the thermodynamic function that represents the distance of an open system from equilibrium, is proposed as an ecological indicator for summarizing the complex dynamics occurring in a disturbed community during its recovery processes. These complex dynamics can be difficult to capture by using classical indices. In this study, we sampled macrobenthos using the BACI scheme (before versus after; control versus impact) in tidal wetlands of west Chongming Island, China, an area that has been disturbed by ecological engineering measures. Exergy storage is estimated for benthic communities. The control area is proposed as dynamic reference for estimating local exergy storage of the benthic community. Three different methods were used for estimating exergy on the basis of coefficients: (a) taken for taxa groups; (b) estimated from coding genes given for broad taxonomic groups; and (c) estimated from genome size taken as close as possible to the taxonomic level of the species, providing a basis for inferring similarities. We found a decrease of local exergy content in the disturbed area 9 days after the disturbance. Subsequently, the reference exergy of the benthic community increased (i.e. in the surrounding control area) in accordance with the proposed hypothesis regarding the dynamics of exergy storage during a system's development. Estimates of local exergy arrived at using the three methods provided comparable results. Based on this, we then discuss the feasibility of using the more readily available genome size data for estimating exergy. This result may have important implications for broader application of this indicator to biological systems. Moreover, the adjacent control samples seem to represent an appropriate dynamic reference for estimating the local exergy of disturbed communities. We found that exergy was a useful indicator that integrates the processes underlying the recovery of the benthic community after disturbance.     

基于底栖大型无脊椎动物BI指数法的大浑太流域水质生物评价

采用底栖大型无脊椎动物BI指数法对大浑太流域14个点位进行了水质评价,评价结果与理化监测结果基本吻合。共监测到底栖大型无脊椎动物3门7纲12目25科62属90种,以水生昆虫为主,其次为环节动物、软体动物和甲壳动物。BI指数在2.56～8.82之间,评价结果清洁的点位6个,均位于河流上游地区;良好的点位2个,位于河流中上游地区;轻污染的点位2个;中污染的点位3个;重污染的点位1个。中污染和重污染点位均位于河流下游及河口地区。     

大型底栖无脊椎动物水质快速生物评价的研究进展

概述了大型底栖无脊椎动物快速评价技术在取样方法、评价指数、参照系列和参照性状的建立等方面的研究进展，并对快速评价技术中有良好发展前景的多度量评价法和多变量分析法作了扼要介绍。     

Settling and raising postlarval abalone Haliotis diversicolor supertexta (Lischke) on microparticulate diets embedded in a layer of alginate

Two 21 day experiments were conducted to determine whether microparticulate diets could be used to substitute for diatoms for raising (Experiment 1) as well as settling and on‐growing (Experiment 2) Haliotis diversicolor supertexta postlarvae. The experiments were conducted in 10 L flow‐through tanks and each diet had three replicate tanks. In experiment 1, three experimental microparticulate diets supplied by a commercial feed company, labelled SF‐15, SF‐15 (T) and JFY‐13–1, were used, and in experiment 2, SF‐15 and SF‐15 (T). Artificial diets were compared to diatoms in terms of supporting growth and survival. The survival rate for experiment 1 was lowest for JFY‐13–1 (0%) and highest for diatoms (12.9±0.8%). The final size of postlarvae fed SF‐15 and SF‐15 (T) was significantly greater than that of postlarvae fed diatoms, 973±193 μm and 996±220 μm compared to 786±141 μm. In experiment 2, a total number of 501 larvae settled onto plates covered with SF‐15, 254 on SF‐15 (T) and 1085 on diatoms. The highest survival rate was 33.1±6.9% for SF‐15 and the lowest was 17.3±5.0% for diatoms. However, the final length of postlarvae fed diatoms was significantly greater than SF‐15 and SF‐15 (T); 1018±379 μm compared to 728±89 μm and 717±90 μm. The artificial micro diets used in this study were comparable to diatoms in terms of grow and survival of postlarval H. diversicolor supertexta.     

Linking geomorphic character,behaviour and condition to fluvial biodiversity: implications for river management

• 1. The River Styles^® framework is a geomorphic approach to the classification of river types, assessment of the physical condition of rivers, and planning of physical rehabilitation. However, the linkages between River Styles and aquatic biodiversity conservation are still only weakly developed.
• 2. In this study, 41 sites in the Bega River basin in New South Wales, Australia, were classified according to River Style and geomorphic condition, and surveyed for four biological assemblages: diatoms, aquatic and semi‐aquatic macrophytes, aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish.
• 3. Each assemblage differed significantly among River Styles. However, in the case of diatoms and fish, these differences could be accounted for by geographic clustering of sites in the same River Style, and a tendency for River Styles to occupy particular altitudinal zones and sizes of streams. This result was attributed to the overriding influences of water quality on diatoms and of altitude‐related variation in water temperature and distance from the ocean on fish. For macrophytes and macroinvertebrates, geomorphic river type appeared to exert a direct influence, probably via variation in physical habitat characteristics.
• 4. Geomorphic condition, judged as good, moderate or poor by reference to the inferred natural condition of each River Style, was also significantly associated with differences in biological assemblages other than fish. Twice as many taxa appeared to favour sites in good geomorphic condition as favoured sites in poor condition. Many of the taxa associated with sites in poor condition are alien taxa introduced to Australia since European settlement.
• 5. These findings imply that protection of reaches that are in good geomorphic condition is likely to be critical for the maintenance of indigenous biodiversity, and that rehabilitation of geomorphic condition can assist in the rehabilitation of native riverine biota.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrodynamic method for estimating production carrying capacity of coastal finfish cage aquaculture in Southeast Asia

This paper presents the development of a simple and generally applicable hydrodynamic method for the estimation of production carrying capacity (PCC) of coastal finfish cage aquaculture. Dimensional analysis was used to find significant and general interdependencies between the hydrodynamics at fish farm locations and particulate wastes deposited on the seafloor by fish farms. Modeled ratios of deposition to emission of particulate wastes underneath fish farms were found to be primarily a function of the flow Reynolds numbers at the farming locations and the non-dimensional settling velocity of emitted wastes. In the non-dimensional model, farming conditions include daily feed rate, proportion of unconsumed feed, and carbon content in feed and fish feces. The relationship can be used to estimate the PCC of floating net cages imposing a threshold value for deposition. Results of in-situ assessments of the benthic impacts of several fish farms in an aquaculture site in the northwest of Bali, Indonesia were used to validate and demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. Predicted results were able to clearly identify fish farms operating beyond ecologically sustainable carrying capacity. The proposed method has broad applicability and could help make decisions regarding the estimation of production potential of individual farms in pristine areas, for providing first estimates in sites that have scarce data, and for assessment, expansion, and optimization of the currently operating aquaculture sites in Southeast Asia, China and potentially other data-poor island nations. As the method relies on dynamic models, it enables straightforward assessments over the entire aquaculture region.     

东海区单层流刺网对棘绿鳍鱼的选择性

为了解东莞生态园湿地水域群落结构特征,探讨2种类型刺网 (沉网和浮网)及不同网目网片渔获物组成的差异性,实验利用多网目 (1.0、1.25、1.6、2.0、2.5、3.1、3.9、4.8、5.8、7.0、8.6和11.0 cm)单层刺网对该湿地的鱼类进行了调查。研究期间共采集到13种鱼类,相对重要性指数显示,海南似鱎和莫桑比克罗非鱼为优势种,前者密度最高 (占84.8%),后者生物量居多 (40.2%)。渔获物物种组成沉浮网间差异显著,但单位努力捕捞数量 (NPUE)、单位努力捕获重量 (BPUE)及物种数与沉浮网间均无显著差异;海南似鱎的NPUE在2种类型刺网间无显著差异,但莫桑比克罗非鱼和尼罗罗非鱼的NPUE浮网显著低于沉网。12个网目网片的渔获物物种聚成2类,1.0~2.0 cm网目网片渔获物聚为1类,海南似鱎为指示种;2.5~11.0 cm片的聚为另1类,莫桑比克罗非鱼和尼罗罗非鱼为指示种。渔获物大小结构聚为2类,1.0~3.9 cm网目网片渔获物聚为1类,4.8~11.0 cm网目网片的聚为另1类。随着网目大小增加,渔获物平均体长线性递增,NPUE呈幂函数式下降。研究表明,为对内陆水域鱼类群落特征进行更加科学地估计,刺网需要增加1~2 cm网目网片,且需要同时放置沉网和浮网进行鱼类调查。     

Trawl fishing impacts on the status of seabed fauna in diverse regions of the globe

Bottom trawl fishing is a controversial activity. It yields about a quarter of the world's wild seafood, but also has impacts on the marine environment. Recent advances have quantified and improved understanding of large‐scale impacts of trawling on the seabed. However, such information needs to be coupled with distributions of benthic invertebrates (benthos) to assess whether these populations are being sustained under current trawling regimes. This study collated data from 13 diverse regions of the globe spanning four continents. Within each region, we combined trawl intensity distributions and predicted abundance distributions of benthos groups with impact and recovery parameters for taxonomic classes in a risk assessment model to estimate benthos status. The exposure of 220 predicted benthos‐group distributions to trawling intensity (as swept area ratio) ranged between 0% and 210% (mean = 37%) of abundance. However, benthos status, an indicator of the depleted abundance under chronic trawling pressure as a proportion of untrawled state, ranged between 0.86 and 1 (mean = 0.99), with 78% of benthos groups > 0.95. Mean benthos status was lowest in regions of Europe and Africa, and for taxonomic classes Bivalvia and Gastropoda. Our results demonstrate that while spatial overlap studies can help infer general patterns of potential risk, actual risks cannot be evaluated without using an assessment model that incorporates trawl impact and recovery metrics. These quantitative outputs are essential for sustainability assessments, and together with reference points and thresholds, can help managers ensure use of the marine environment is sustainable under the ecosystem approach to management.