Marine Microbial Ecology

Macroalgal blooms may lead to dramatic changes in physicochemical variables and biogeochemical cycling in affected waters. However, little is known about the effects of macroalgal blooms on marine bacteria, especially those functioning in nutrient cycles. We measured environmental factors and investigated bacterial diazotrophs in two niches, surface waters that were covered (CC) and non-covered (CF) with massive macroalgal canopies of Ulva prolifera, in the Yellow Sea in the summer of 2011 using real-time PCR and clone library analysis of nifH genes. We found that heterotrophic diazotrophs (Gammaproteobacteria) dominated the communities and were mostly represented by Vibrio-related phylotypes in both CC and CF. Desulfovibrio-related phylotypes were only detected in CC. There were significant differences in community composition in these two environments (p < 0.001) and a much higher abundance of nifH in CC (4.55 x106 copies l-1) than in CF (2.49 x106 copies l-1). The nifH copy number was inversely related to concentrations of ammonium and dissolved inorganic nitrogen and to the stoichiometric ratios of N:P and N:Si. This indicates that macroalgal blooms significantly affect diazotrophic abundance and community composition and that vibrios and Desulfovibrio-related heterotrophic diazotrophs adapt well to the (N-rich but P-limited) environment during blooming. Potential ecological and microbiological mechanisms behind this scenario are discussed.

We examined variations in organic carbon (OC) pools and microplanktonic carbon fluxes at three stations in the Hudson River estuary during 12 cruises between Octobers of 1996 and 1998. Phytoplankton biomass and net primary production varied from 5 to 40 mol C L Ϫ1 and 0.3 to 318.3 mmol C m Ϫ2 d Ϫ1 , respectively. Biomass and production of bacterioplankton in the surface layer commonly exceeded those of phytoplankton, varying from 0.2 to 72 mol C L Ϫ1 and 1.4 to 70 mmol C m Ϫ2 d Ϫ1 , respectively. Median planktonic respiration varied from 275 to 605 mmol CO 2 m Ϫ2 d Ϫ1 between stations along the salinity gradient. Primary production/respiration (P : R) ratios varied temporally and spatially between 0.003 and 6.60, averaging 0.22. Carbon mass balances revealed that under low river discharges (Ͻ250 m 3 s Ϫ1), the estuary processed 2.4-fold more carbon internally and advected 2.7-fold less carbon seaward than under higher flows. Annual OC budgets suggest that ϳ19 ϫ 10 9 mol C yr Ϫ1 of total organic carbon (TOC) entered the estuary, whereas 30 ϫ 10 9 mol TOC yr Ϫ1 was exported seaward, representing a net gain of 11 ϫ 10 9 mol TOC yr Ϫ1 within the estuary. Microplankton processed ϳ32 ϫ 10 9 mol C yr Ϫ1 , of which 5.6 ϫ 10 9 mol C was attributed to photo-and chemoautotrophic (ϳ72%) and heterotrophic (ϳ28%) production; the remainder was respired to CO 2 (26.5 ϫ 10 9 mol CO 2 yr Ϫ1). The persistent imbalance between carbon oxidation and carbon fixation strongly suggests that the Hudson River estuary usually is net heterotrophic and is a significant source of inorganic carbon to the coastal ocean and atmosphere.

Fecal-source contamination within the coastal corridor Barra de Tonameca-Puerto Ángel Bay-La Mina, Oaxaca, México. OSpace-time variability of fecalsource contamination in subsurface sea water (SSW), sediments, and in soft tissue of bivalves (Spondylus spp. and Ostrea spp.) was evaluated within the coastal zone nearby to Puerto Ángel Bay, from May 2000 to March 2001. Coliform bacteria were used as indicator of fecal pollution, applying the Most Probable Number technique (MPN). Certain correlation between coliform bacteria concentrations with physical and chemical parameters was observed, though not quite clear ones as to let us infer tendencies. The total coliform (TC) a n d f e c a l c o l i f o r m ( F C ) concentrations in SSW pointed that the sampling stations located in Barra de Tonameca and Puerto Ángel Bay were those which showed the highest contamination levels during rainy season. There were no high bacteria concentrations registered for the dry season. The analysis of TC and FC in soft tissue of the bivalves showed high levels of these bacteria, corresponding to Puerto Ángel Bay and La Mina; high FC levels, exceeding the legal limits were found in almost all bivalves collected during both seasons. TC abundance in sediments was high during rainy season,

The Winogradsky column is a method of creating artificial environments that mimic marine and fresh water environments due to the inclusion of carbon and sulfur sources with mixed mud/aqueous environmental samples, allowing a variety of organisms from diverse physiological types to grow. This is a consequence of the formation of an oxygen gradient and sulfur gradient, enabling the growth of a variety of genera, including Clostridium, Desulfovibrio, Chlorobium, Chromatium, Rhodomicrobium, and Beggiatoa. The Winogradsky column is prepared by mixing mud, calcium sulfate and organic matter, in the form of plant debris. This is allowed to form a layer at the bottom of a graduated cylinder and covered with water. The addition of lactate and malate provides electron donors, allowing sulfur reduction and the growth of Desulfovibrio sp., which in turn makes the mud anaerobic. This prevents the fungi and algae from taking over the solid substrate. The released sulfide is oxidized by various microbes in the mud and water. Using a 10 mL pipette pump, various layers of the column were sampled in attempt to characterize the bacterial species inhabiting the column in accordance with the oxygen and sulfur gradients found at the specific sampling locations. The below chart displays a possible series of organisms and their likely locations.

The world human population is growing on an exponential phase and pace. Aquaculture, raising of aquatic animals in artificial or facilitated ecosystem, is evolving as the rapidly growing food production sector globally. The growth of aquaculture industry has been speculated to be inevitable that may certainly contribute toward meeting the food security of growing global population. India, with a vast coastline and enormous marine resources, is having greater potential to build up this industry as a productive economic sector. However, the bacterial infections in aquaculture hatcheries and farms cause a huge loss in productivity and remain a major challenge for the growth of this vital industry. Considering the ill effects to environment and public health, risk of development of antibiotic resistance, and persistence of antibiotic residues in aquaculture animal foods, it has necessitated the regulatory bodies across the globe to restrict the usage of antibiotics for aquaculture disease management. Hence, finding alternate measures for the aquaculture disease management in both hatcheries and forms is the current need. It has been well documented that exhibition of virulence factors and formation of biofilms are the major factors for the establishment of disease in aquaculture animals by the bacterial pathogens. Both these factors are being regulated by quorum sensing (QS), which is a population density-dependent expression of selected phenotypes in a coordinated manner through

Prodigiosin produced by Serratia marcescens is a promising drug owing to its reported characteristics of having antibacterial, antimalarial, antimycotic, immunomodulating and antitumor activities. Investigations were made in the present study to screen new strain of Serratia marcescens MBB05; the natural red pigment prodigiosin producing strain was isolated from Western Ghat Ecosystem, Tamil Nadu, India. The regular liquid media currently being used for prodigiosin biosynthesis are nutrient broth, peptone glycerol broth and production medium. For this, eleven natural substrates have been tested. Among these substrates, peanut powder was found to be the best natural substrate at a concentration of 2.0% in distilled water at pH-7; inoculum (5%); temperature (30°C); incubation period of 36 hours. The production was 4.5 times higher (560.4 mg/mL) than the optimized basal medium. A natural media which supports the growth of the bacteria and at the same time prove efficient to activate high levels of pigment production was the aim of this work.

Some sources and biogeochemical processes of the nitrogen cycle were studied to determine the existing balance of this nutrient in the first 300 m of the water column of Alfonso Basin. The seasonal variability of microbial planktonic abundances were described, as well as, their association to the carbon assimilation (AC) levels, organic production and physicochemical variables. The dynamics of the thermohaline, during the process of winter mixing and the elevation of deep water due to pumping (April to July) of a cyclonic eddy caused a prolonged period of high levels of oxidized nutrients, which resulted in high planktonic abundances. However, this increase generally was restricted to the uppermost layer, where according to canonical correspondence analysis, the planktonic components were positively associated to dissolved oxygen and temperature. Estimated annual AC values in the euphotic zone (Zeu) were substantially higher (6741 kg C ha-1 yr-1) compared to previous reports for the Gulf of California, where the fraction between 0.4 to 20 μm had a contribution of ~ 63 %. At 150 m depth, AC rates fluctuated between 0.26-3.2 mg C m-3 h-1 which were attributed to both the activity of chemolithotrophic organisms, as well as phytoplankton groups adapted to very low irradiances, which were consistent with their densities distribution. Among the evaluated nitrogen inputs, vertical transport of nitrate due to cyclonic eddy was the most important for the Zeu (63 kg N ha-1 yr-1), followed by biological N2 fixation (FBN) and atmospheric deposition of gas + aerosol (26 and 7 kg N ha-1 yr-1, respectively). FBN registered large values compared to previous measurements for the Gulf of California and other coastal and oceanic systems, as well as detection levels at 150 m depth under high concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen suggesting a positive feedback due low nitrogen to phosphorus ratio. Between 100-300 m, nitrogen losses by N2 production via denitrification and ANAMMOX were low compared to observed rates in sites of the Pacific oxygen minimum zones. Likewise, ANAMMOX was predominant (79%) relative to denitrification. This characteristic was attributed mainly to the physiological inhibition by relatively high dissolved oxygen content at the site (0.15-1.72 ml O2 l-1), the presence of denitrification inhibitors (e.g. H2S and HS-), and/or unevaluated production and consumption of intermediate forms such as N2O. Nitrification in the aphotic layer as a mechanism for regeneration of dissolved inorganic forms, showed a high contribution to the mobilization of nitrogen (251 kg N Ha-1 yr-1) compared to other physiological rates, and integrated values were similar to previous estimates of nitrification for the Zeu of the Gulf of California and Mexican Pacific Ocean. However, the temporal variability of these rates was strongly associated with the availability of substrates (e.g. nitrite and ammonium) during periods of high biological production. Indirect calculations of assimilation of dissolved inorganic nitrogen from AC rates corroborate the prevalence of this activity in the mobilization of nitrogen in the Zeu (949 kg N ha-1 yr-1). Indirect calculations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen assimilation through AC rates corroborate the predominance of this activity to the mobilization of nitrogen in the euphotic layer (949 kg N Ha-1 yr-1). The nitrogen budget indicated that external inputs and nitrification in the first 300 m depth barely contributed with 53% of the requirement of this element for phytoplankton growth organisms. This suggests the presence of alternative routes or reservoirs associated with the dissolved organic fraction as a nitrogen supply mechanism for mixotrophic populations. Clearly the results provided by this study indicate a highly dynamic cycle of nitrogen and its potential for positive feedback nitrogen inventory to mitigate the N:P unbalance prevailing in Cuenca Alfonso.

Sponges host a remarkable diversity of microbial symbionts, however, the benefit their microbes provide is rarely understood. Here, we describe two new sponge species from deep-sea asphalt seeps and show that they live in a nutritional symbiosis with methane-oxidizing (MOX) bacteria. Metagenomics and imaging analyses revealed unusually high amounts of MOX symbionts in hosts from a group previously assumed to have low microbial abundances. These symbionts belonged to the Marine Methylotrophic Group 2 clade. They are host-specific and likely vertically transmitted, based on their presence in sponge embryos and streamlined genomes, which lacked genes typical of related free-living MOX. Moreover, genes known to play a role in host–symbiont interactions, such as those that encode eukaryote-like proteins, were abundant and expressed. Methane assimilation by the symbionts was one of the most highly expressed metabolic pathways in the sponges. Molecular and stable carbon isotope patterns of lipids confirmed that methane-derived carbon was incorporated into the hosts. Our results revealed that two species of sponges, although distantly related, independently established highly specific, nutritional symbioses with two closely related methanotrophs. This convergence in symbiont acquisition underscores the strong selective advantage for these sponges in harboring MOX bacteria in the food-limited deep sea.

We assessed the capacity of real-time PCR markers to identify the origin of contamination in shellfish. Oyster, cockles or clams were either contaminated with fecal materials and host-associated markers designed from Bacteroidales or Catellicoccus marimammalium 16S RNA genes were extracted from their intravalvular liquid, digestive tissues or shellfish flesh. Extraction of bacterial DNA from the oyster intravalvular liquid with FastDNA spin kit for soil enabled the selected markers to be quantified in 100% of artificially contaminated samples, and the source of contamination to be identified in 13 out of 38 naturally contaminated batches from European Class B and Class C areas. However, this protocol did not enable the origin of the contamination to be identified in cockle or clam samples. Although results are promising for extracts from intravalvular liquid in oyster, it is unlikely that a single protocol could be the best across all bacterial markers and types of shellfish.

Schema, broadly defined, is a representative framework or plan. After the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process began and the scientific community flocked to the Gulf of Mexico to study the spill's impacts. Unfortunately, shipwrecks and other submerged cultural resources were largely ignored. Through Federal and academic partnerships and contracts funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a multidisciplinary team of scientists was assembled to examine the spill's impacts on deepwater shipwrecks and their resident microbial communities. Presented here is the project's "schema": its design and objectives, site selection criteria, and development through partnerships.

One sentence summary: This study gives insight into the bacterial community composition related to iron-cycling in suboxic marine sediments based on 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. ABSTRACT To gain insight into the bacterial communities involved in iron-(Fe) cycling under marine conditions, we analysed sediments with Fe-contents (0.5–1.5 wt %) from the suboxic zone at a marine site in the Skagerrak (SK) and a brackish site in the Bothnian Bay (BB) using 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. Several bacterial families, including Desulfobulbaceae, Desulfuromonadaceae and Pelobacteraceae and genera, including Desulfobacter and Geobacter, known to reduce Fe were detected and showed highest abundance near the Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox boundary. Additional genera with microorganisms capable of coupling fermentation to Fe-reduction, including Clostridium and Bacillus, were observed. Also, the Fe-oxidizing families Mariprofundaceae and Gallionellaceae occurred at the SK and BB sites, respectively, supporting Fe-cycling. In contrast, the sulphate (SO 4 2−) reducing bacteria Desulfococcus and Desulfobacterium were more abundant at greater depths concurring with a decrease in Fe-reducing activity. The communities revealed by pyrosequencing, thus, match the redox stratification indicated by the geochemistry, with the known Fe-reducers coinciding with the zone of Fe-reduction. Not the intensely studied model organisms, such as Geobacter spp., but rather versatile microorganisms, including sulphate reducers and possibly unknown groups appear to be important for Fe-reduction in these marine suboxic sediments.

Blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis genus are a recurrent phenomenon in tropical and temperate regions worldwide. The most widely distributed species in the Mediterranean Sea, Ostreopsis cf. ovata, produces blooms with increasing intensity, frequency and distribution. These blooms have been associated with respiratory problems and skin irritations in humans, causing health problems along Italian coasts. In addition, palytoxin-like substances produced by this species can be accumulated by various organisms and make the seafood toxic, with further risks to human health. This thesis is based on the analysis of a multiannual dataset gathered at different coastal sites along the Campania region: 1) the area of Posillipo, in the Gulf of Naples, where the most intense blooms of O. cf. ovata for the Campania Region are regularly recorded; 2) the Ischia Island coasts, which are subjected to natural acidification due to the presence of volcanic vents; 3) the sandy littoral of the Gulf of Salerno littoral, where O. cf. ovata has not been found previously, and where structures for the defence from coastal erosion will be built. Results showed that: i) Ostreopsis cf. ovata blooms are a stable phenomenon, occurring at regular frequency over the years in summer months along Posillipo and Ischia Island coasts; ii) the blooms show a marked seasonality, with peaks in the summer months, thus representing a risk for people during the bathing season, either through direct contact and aerosol or following the consumption of contaminated seafood; iii) based on the results from the Ischia island, a lower pH does not affect Ostreopsis blooms, meaning no risk decrease in future scenarios of ocean acidification; iv) Ostreopsis does occur in the Gulf of Salerno, although at low concentrations, probably due to the absence of a suitable substrate; by providing a hard substrate for macroalgae hosting Ostreopsis blooms, artificial structures against coastal erosion might determine an increase of the species in an area where it has not represented a risk so far. The present study highlights the relevance of appropriate strategies for monitoring Ostreopsis blooms. Knowledge and data obtained can be used for a better assessment and interpretation of these phenomena, thus supporting informed management actions to protect the environment, seafood resources and human health.

Marine plastic debris has become a significant concern in ocean ecosystems worldwide. Little is known, however, about its influence on microbial community structure and function. In 2008, we surveyed microbial communities and metabolic activities in seawater and on plastic on an oceanographic expedition through the " great Pacific garbage patch. " The concentration of plastic particles in surface seawater within different size classes (2 to 5 mm and 5 mm) ranged from 0.35 to 3.7 particles m 3 across sampling stations. These densities and the particle size distribution were consistent with previous values reported in the North Pacific Ocean. Net community oxygen production (NCP gross primary production community respiration) on plastic debris was positive and so net autotrophic, whereas NCP in bulk seawater was close to zero. Scanning electron microscopy and metagenomic sequencing of plastic-attached communities revealed the dominance of a few metazoan taxa and a diverse assemblage of photoautotrophic and hetero-trophic protists and bacteria. Bryozoa, Cyanobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Bacte-roidetes dominated all plastic particles, regardless of particle size. Bacteria inhabiting plastic were taxonomically distinct from the surrounding picoplankton and appeared well adapted to a surface-associated lifestyle. Genes with significantly higher abundances among plastic-attached bacteria included che genes, secretion system genes, and nifH genes, suggesting enrichment for chemotaxis, frequent cell-to-cell interactions , and nitrogen fixation. In aggregate, our findings suggest that plastic debris forms a habitat for complex microbial assemblages that have lifestyles, metabolic pathways, and biogeochemical activities that are distinct from those of free-living planktonic microbial communities. IMPORTANCE Marine plastic debris is a growing concern that has captured the general public's attention. While the negative impacts of plastic debris on oceanic macrobiota, including mammals and birds, are well documented, little is known about its influence on smaller marine residents, including microbes that have key roles in ocean biogeochemistry. Our work provides a new perspective on microbial communities inhabiting microplastics that includes its effect on microbial biogeo-chemical activities and a description of the cross-domain communities inhabiting plastic particles. This study is among the first molecular ecology, plastic debris biota surveys in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. It has identified fundamental differences in the functional potential and taxonomic composition of plastic-associated microbes versus planktonic microbes found in the surrounding open-ocean habitat.

Ooids are sedimentary grains that are distributed widely in the geologic record. Their formation is still actively debated, which limits our understanding of the significance and meaning of these grains in Earth's history. Central questions include the role played by microbes in the formation of ooids and the sources of ubiquitous organic matter within ooid cortices. To address these issues, we investigated the microbial community composition and associated lipids in modern oolitic sands at Pigeon Cay on Cat Island, The Bahamas. Surface samples were taken along a transect from the shallow, turbulent surf zone to calmer, deeper water. Grains transitioned from shiny and abraded ooids in the surf zone, to biofilm-coated ooids at about 3 m water depth. Further offshore, grapestones (cemented aggregates of ooids) dominated. Benthic diatoms and Proteobacteria dominated biofilms. Taxa that may promote carbonate precipitation were abundant, particularly those associated with sulfur cycling. Compared to the lipids associated with surface biofilms, relict lipids bound within carbonate exhibited remarkably similar profiles in all grain types. The enhanced abundance of methyl-branched fatty acids and β-hydroxy fatty acids, 1-O-monoalkyl glycerol ethers and hopanoids bound within ooid and grapestone carbonate confirms a clear association of benthic sedimentary bacteria with these grains. Lipids bound within ooid cortices also contain molecular indicators of microbial heterotrophic degradation of organic matter, possibly in locally reducing conditions. These included the loss of labile unsaturated fatty acids, enhanced long-chain fatty acids/short-chain fatty acids, enriched stable carbon isotopes ratios of fatty acids, and very high stanol/stenol ratios. To what extent some of these molecular signals are derived from later heterotrophic endolithic activity remains to be fully resolved. We speculate that some ooid carbonate forms in microbial biofilms and that early diagenetic degradation of biofilms may also play a role in early stage carbonate precipitation around ooids.

Laguna de Macapule, Sinaloa is an eutrophic and shallow aquatic system with nitrogen limited conditions for phytoplankton growth. It suggests an important participation of planktonic microorganism recycling nutrients and supporting ecosystem food webs. To estimate their participation, we quantified microbial components monthly from December 2007 to December 2008 in two points of Macapule (estuary and entrance). Also, in these same fractions was determined their possible association to white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in the lagoon and in two sites (reservoir and pond) at shrimp farm Doña Juana by means of molecular analysis. Some autotrophic fractions, like autotrophic picoplankton (PA) and microphytoplankton (MF) were different between both location sampling. This defined a bimodal production cycle with two seasonal peaks: spring and summer-autumn. The former increase was characterized by larger MF densities in the Macapule entrance, which were favored by high dissolve inorganic Nitrogen and silica concentration derived from coastal upwelling and agricultural activities. The second peak in the estuary occurred under strong Nitrogen:Phosphorus (N:P) unbalance and was associated to PA, cyanobacterial trycome and some diatoms predominance. Bacterioplankton, virioplankton and nannoplankton dynamics were similar between both sites. These two first components were tightly related with some phytoplanktonic blooms in the cold period (January-April) indicating a high available organic substrates and hosts. During this period, the virus-microorganism ratio registered high values suggesting a stronger viral control. Stimulated PA abundance at ending spring and early summer was related to water temperature and dissolve inorganic phosphorus increase. Their densities were usually higher in the estuary than the entrance because of possible microzooplankters grazing loss unbalance and some differences in their taxonomic structure from both sites. A significant contribution of mixotrophic and Nitrogen fixing populations was a feature of the phytoplankton community from Macapule lagoon. This study revealed that microbial food web in Macapule is favored by eutrophization process. This condition suggests that much of the organic carbon flux is retained by the microbial components. The WSSV was associated with nano-and microplankton fractions only in the pond during high levels of infectious events. The low detection during the annual cycle and in <2.0 μm fractions could be related to low concentrations of virus in the water sample, as long as the possible occurrence of genetic variables in viral sequences corresponding to the hybridization sites of primers in each PCR analysis.

Background: Since ancient times, various infectious diseases have been treated using herbaldrugs. Today, efforts regarding the discovery of the effectual components of plants pos-sessing antimicrobial properties are advanced. Herbal essential oils are widely used fortreatment of various diseases, and they play an important role in health care considerations.Methods: The antibacterial activity of Artemisia kermanensis, Lavandula officinalis, and Zatariamultiflora Boiss essential oils against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Pseudomonasaeruginosa (PTCC 1310), and Klebsiella pneumonia (PTCC 1053) was evaluated using the diskdiffusion method as well as determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration and min-imal bactericidal concentration. The composition of the three essential oils was determinedwith gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Variable amounts of different components(such as oxygenated monoterpenes, thymol, carvacrol, and 1,8-cineol) were found in allthree oils. Among the tested bacteria, S. aureus was the most sensitive to the three essentialoils.Results: The obtained results showed that each of the three essential oils has an inhibitoryeffect on pathogenic strains. Of these three oils, Z. multiflora Boiss essential oil showed thehighest inhibitory effect on microbial strains. Furthermore, comparison of the antibacterialeffects of these three essential oils with ampicillin and tetracycline revealed that theseantibiotics have a better effect in controlling pathogenic strains.Conclusion: The essential oils used in the present study with different components showedantibacterial activity (especially Z. multiflora Boiss essential oil), and therefore they can beused as a new antibacterial substance.

A new ichnospecies of the bioeroding sponge ichnogenus Entobia, i.e., E. cracoviensis isp. n., is distinguished by having a single, large, isolated chamber and radiating canals. It occurs in a rockground surface on a Turonian or Santonian abrasion platform that is cut into Oxfordian limestones as exposed at Bonarka, Cracow. The morphology of the new ichnospecies is compared with fossil and modern sponge boring morphologies. In every case, the borings lack their upper parts and are roofless. Three models are constructed for the depositional history of the rockground and its colonization by the E. cracoviensis tracemaker: (1) that the roof has been removed by physical erosion, causing, or subsequent to, the death of the sponge; (2) that the lack of the roof is primary (biological), the roof having been removed by the sponge itself; and (3) that the boring sponge was psammobiontic, initiating its boring beneath a thin sand deposit, where there was no need to maintain a roof to the boring. The third model, based on living species of Aka, fits the details of preservation best, and is considered to represent the most likely scenario.

The Caulobacter are aerobic, gram-negative, chemotrophs with polar flagellated rods. During their unequal form of binary fission, the bacteria lose their flagella and the mother cell synthesizes a holdfast stalk that attaches to solid substrates, enabling anchoring, while the daughter cell has a polar flagella, enabling motility. The stalk is an extension of cytoplasm and involved in cell division. Frequently found in aquatic environments attached to particulate matter, plants, or other organisms the Caulobacter will adhere to microscope slides submerged into pond water due to the presence of holdfast. They tend to swarm and form biofilms. The previous Sphaerotilus enrichment was used to isolate Caulobacter.

Coastal upwelling areas are highly productive marine systems in which the development of oxygen-depleted conditions and the availability of diverse electron donors (e.g., organic matter, NH z 4 , H 2 S) favor the processes involved in nitrogen (N) loss. We characterize the temporal and vertical variability of anammox and denitrification over the continental shelf off central Chile (36.5uS), through 15 N and 13 C tracer experiments, including amendments with H 2 S and S 2 O 2{ 3 along with measurements of 15 N 2 and 15 N 2 O production and oceanographic variables during a year (2009 to 2010). Restricted to the bottom waters, both anammox and denitrification contributed similarly (, 500 nmol N 2 L 21 d 21) to N loss during spring, while a marked decrease in the activity of these processes occurred in summer (103 and 14 nmol N 2 L 21 d 21 for anammox and denitrification, respectively). During fall, denitrification was the only contributor to the observed nitrogen deficit (894 nmol N 2 L 21 d 21). Interestingly, a substantial increase in the rates of denitrification (, 1200 nmol N 2 L 21 d 21) and dark 13 C assimilation were observed after the addition of H 2 S, indicating an autotrophic contribution to denitrification, which could be fueled in situ by H 2 S emitted from sediments or produced in the water column. The observed patterns seem to be controlled (stimulated or inhibited) by the availability of oxygen, organic matter, and H 2 S. This study establishes the magnitude and co-occurrence of the different processes responsible for N removal in the coastal upwelling system of central Chile. This linkage of the nitrogen, carbon, and sulfur cycles is relevant to a global climate change scenario.

Soft corals contain bioactive compounds that can be used as a marine natural product. The puposes of this study was to determine of the soft corals inhibition potential for antibacterial
activity. The methodology in this study included field sampling, extraction (in the solvent of nhexane, ethyl acetate and methanol), antibacterial bioassay, and briefly describe the type of soft coral that possesed the highest inhibition. In sampling treatment, the biomass among wet samples and dry samples varied. The highest shrinkage due to drying was found in Nephthea, followed by Lobophytum and Sarcophyton, while the lowest was found in the genus of Sinularia. Extracted from 12 samples of soft coral, the lowest extract weight was found in the semi-polar solvent (EtOAc), while the extract weight of n-Hex and MeOH was vary. Inhibition power from all extract samples was found on soft coral extract in the EtOAc and MeOH solvents. The highest value of inhibition power was found in soft coral of Sinularia polydactyla and S. Flexibilis within strong catogery.

Prodigiosin produced by Serratia marcescens is a promising drug owing to its reported characteristics of having antibacterial, antimalarial, antimycotic, immunomodulating and antitumor activities. Investigations were made in the present study to screen new strain of Serratia marcescens MBB05; the natural red pigment prodigiosin producing strain was isolated from Western Ghat Ecosystem, Tamil Nadu, India. The regular liquid media currently being used for prodigiosin biosynthesis are nutrient broth, peptone glycerol broth and production medium. For this, eleven natural substrates have been tested. Among these substrates, peanut powder was found to be the best natural substrate at a concentration of 2.0% in distilled water at pH-7; inoculum (5%); temperature (30°C); incubation period of 36 hours. The production was 4.5 times higher (560.4 mg/mL) than the optimized basal medium. A natural media which supports the growth of the bacteria and at the same time prove efficient to activate high levels of pigment production was the aim of this work.

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　ｍｅｃｈａｎｉｓｍｓ　ｕｎｄｅｒｌｙｉｎｇ　ａｌｇａｌ　ｏｕｔｂｒｅａｋｓ　ａｎｄ　ｉｎ　ｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｉｎｇ　ｓｔｒａｔｅｇｉｅｓ　ｏｆ　ｐｒｅｖｅｎｔｉｏｎ．Ｉｎ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｓｔｕｄｙ，
ｗｅ　ｎｅｗｌｙ　ｄｅｓｉｇｎｅｄ　ｓｐｅｃｉｆｉｃ　ＰＣＲ　ｐｒｉｍｅｒｓ　ｔａｒｇｅｔｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　ｉｎｔｅｒｎａｌ　ｔｒａｎｓｃｒｉｐｔ　ｒｅｇｉｏｎ（ＩＴＳ）ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｒｉｂｏｓｏｍａｌ
ＲＮＡ　ｇｅｎｅｓ（ｒＤＮＡ）ｏｆ　ｔｈｒｅｅ　ｍａｃｒｏａｌｇａｌ　ｓｐｅｃｉｅｓ，Ｕｌｖａ　ｃｆ．ｌｉｎｚａ，Ｕｌｖａ　ｓｐ．，ａｎｄ　Ｓｃｙｔｏｓｉｐｈｏｎ　ｌｏｍｅｎｔａｒｉａ，
ｗｈｉｃｈ　ａｌｌ　ａｒｅ　ｋｎｏｗｎ　ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ｐｏｔｅｎｔｉａｌｌｙ　ｂｌｏｏｍｉｎｇ　ｓｐｅｃｉｅｓ　ｉｎ　ｍａｒｉｃｕｌｔｕｒｅ　ｐｏｎｄｓ．Ｔｈｅ　ｓｐｅｃｉｆｉｃｉｔｙ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅｓｅ　ｐｒｉｍｅｒｓ
　ｗａｓ　ｖｅｒｉｆｉｅｄ　ｉｎ　ｓｉｌｉｃｏ，ｉｎ　ｖｉｔｒｏ　ａｎｄ　ｉｎ　ｓｉｔｕ．Ｒｅａｌ－ｔｉｍｅ　ｑｕａｎｔｉｔａｔｉｖｅ　ＰＣＲ（ｑＰＣＲ）ａｓｓａｙｓ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｔｈｅｓｅ　ｐｒｉｍｅｒｓ
　ｗｅｒｅ　ｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｅｄ　ａｎｄ　ｖｅｒｉｆｉｅｄ，ｓｈｏｗｉｎｇ　ａ　ｄｅｔｅｃｔｉｏｎ　ｌｉｍｉｔａｔｉｏｎ　ａｓ　ｌｏｗ　ａｓ　２００～４００ＩＴＳ　ｃｏｐｙ　ｎｕｍｂｅｒｓ　ｏｆ
ｔｈｅ　ａｌｇａｌ　ｇｅｎｏｍｉｃ　ＤＮＡ．Ｔｈｅ　ｎｅｗｌｙ　ｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｅｄ　ａｓｓａｙｓ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｆｕｒｔｈｅｒ　ａｐｐｌｉｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｑｕａｎｔｉｆｙ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｐｏｒｅｓ／ｇａｍａｔｅｓ
ｏｆ　Ｓ．ｌｏｍｅｎｔａｒｉａｉｎ　ｓｕｒｆａｃｅ　ｗａｔｅｒｓ　ｏｆ　ａ　ｆａｒｍｉｎｇ　ｐｏｎｄ　ｆｏｒ　ｓｅａ　ｃｕｃｕｍｂｅｒｓ．Ｔｈｅ　ｑｕａｎｔｉｆｉｃａｔｉｏｎ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｐｏｒｅｓ　ｏｆ
Ｓ．ｌｏｍｅｎｔａｒｉａｄｕｒｉｎｇ　ａ　１６－ｍｏｎｔｈ　ｐｅｒｉｏｄ（ｆｒｏｍ　Ｄｅｃｅｍｂｅｒ　ｏｆ　２０１４ｔｏ　Ｍａｒｃｈ　ｏｆ　２０１６）ｓｈｏｗｅｄ　ｔｈａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ＩＴＳ
ｒＤＮＡ　ｃｏｐｙ　ｎｕｍｂｅｒ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｓｐｅｃｉｅｓ　ｗａｓ　ｒｅｌａｔｉｖｅｌｙ　ｈｉｇｈ　ｉｎ　Ｄｅｃｅｍｂｅｒ　ｏｆ　２０１５，ｗｈｉｃｈ　ｗａｓ　ｉｎ　ｃｏｉｎｃｉｄｅｎｃｅ　ｗｉｔｈ
ｔｈｅ　ｏｂｓｅｒｖｅｄ　ｂｌｏｏｍｉｎｇ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｐｅｃｉｅｓ　ｉｎ　Ｍａｒｃｈ　ｏｆ　２０１６，ｓｕｇｇｅｓｔｉｎｇ　ａ　ｌｉｎｋ　ｂｅｔｗｅｅｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｈｉｇｈ　ｓｐｏｒｅ　ａｂｕｎｄａｎｃｅ
　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｗｉｎｔｅｒ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｂｌｏｏｍ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｍａｃｒｏａｌｇａ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｅａｒｌｙ　ｓｐｒｉｎｇ　ｏｆ　ｎｅｘｔ　ｙｅａｒ．

 Abstract— Excessive coal mining activities disrupt the ecosystem stability and function. The overburden when exposed to air and water, it forms acid mine drainage. Being deficient in soil nutrients and pyrite (FeS2) as major contaminants with heavy metals, it harbors specific groups of microbes especially chemolithotrophs. Realizing the facts, the present study is based on the isolation and identification of the bacterium isolated from acid mine drainage. The isolated bacterium was found to be Gram negative and round shaped cocci under the microscope, the bacterium is obligately and facultatively chemolithotroph and requires an optimal temperature of 37C for optimal growth and proliferation. The study suggested that the bacterium was observed to be acidophilic in nature. The thermal resistance of the isolated bacterium was found out to be 2hrs 60C. Besides, its growth pattern revealed that the isolated bacterium has a tendency to shift its metabolism from chemolithotrophy to heterotrophy culture conditions. The isolated bacterium showed sensitivity as well as resistant against different antibiotics. In addition, the culture dependent approach based on PCR amplification the 16S rDNA sequence was used to identify the bacterium isolated from acid mine drainage. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequence homology using neighbor-joining method suggested that the isolated bacterium belongs to Pseudomonas sp. with close affiliation with other microbial populations that have the ability to thrive in such hostile environment. All sequences used in the study were obtained from the GenBank (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov).

The Caspian Sea is heavily polluted due to industrial and agricultural effluents as well as extraction of oil and gas reserves. Microbial communities can influence the fate of contaminants and nutrients. However, insight into the microbial ecology of the Caspian Sea significantly lags behind other marine systems. Here we describe microbial biomass, diversity and composition in sediments collected from three sampling stations in the Caspian Sea. Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes revealed the presence of a number of known bacterial and archaeal heterotrophs suggesting that organic carbon is a primary factor shaping microbial communities. Surface sediments collected from bottom waters with low oxygen levels were dominated by Gammaproteobacteria while surface sediments collected from bottom waters under hypoxic conditions were dominated by Deltaproteobacteria, specifically sulfate-reducing bacteria. Thaumarchaeota was dominant across all surface sediments indicating that nitrogen cy...

Fishery was begun in Sri Lanka since prehistoric age and therefore there is a vast storage of indigenous knowledge about fish processing and preservation. Majority of that knowledge is barred by the indigenous women and they have being practiced it from generation to generation. Current study aims to make a preliminary study on the scientific background of the indigenous knowledge that used in making Ambulthiyal (sour fish curry) in order to create a platform to further studies. Data were collected from the discussions with 25 indigenous women who engage with food processing in Matara, Sri Lanka and the preparation method, preference to modifications and the ability of describe the scientific base of the method were questioned. Results indicate that the making Ambulthiyal is majorly focused on controlling and reducing the microbial activity of fish by controlling the temperature, pH and water activity to increase the shelf life. Majority of the women got the knowledge of making Ambulthiyal from the indigenous knowledge which given by their mothers and most of them not prefer to make modifications to the method because they value the traditional taste and flavor. Indigenous knowledge is nourished in over ages with the people's experience and therefore it is very suit to the local environment and socio economic patterns. Indigenous knowledge about fish processing and preservation is mainly stored in women and collecting and preserving that knowledge is important to establish the food security in order to achieve sustainable development.

The Taganga bay supports a strong anthropogenic pressure that threatens the communities and marine ecosystems established in this sector, especially organisms sensible to environmental changes and contamination like the echinoderms. In this study, the structure of the Phylum Echinodermata community in shallows waters of Taganga bay was determined, with the purpose of establishing a base line for monitoring the human activities impact on the marine fauna of this tourist sector. For the survey of the main species of this phylum, field trips were organized from January to September of 2006, identifying the existing species of echinoderms in the area by visual census and manual collects. The samplings were taken in the intermareal zone up to a depths of <10m; the 283 specimens collected were identified in the laboratory of CIZEM at the Magdalena University following the corresponding keys for each class and genus. A systematic list is presented for this locality that includes 18 species of echinoderms distributed in five classes and twelve, being the Class Echinoidea and Ophiuroidea the best represented in terms of richness with seven and six species respectively, as well as of relative abundance

A unicellular marine microalga, Entomoneis sp. was isolated and studied as had become the dominant species compared to other bacillariophyta species in different environmental fluctuations in Izmir Bay. In effort to better understand the dynamics of this microalga that has achieved unprecedented domination, we conducted a monoculture isolation study. In this study, experiments were planned within the annual range of the Izmir Bay temperature, and the demonstrated behavior of the species in light and nutrient conditions. The stock culture medium was illuminated by approximately 50μmol photons m-2 s-1 of illumination with 14/24 daylight. The temperature of the climate chamber was set at the summer (T1 (21±1 o C)), spring (T2 (17±1 o C)) and winter (T3 (13±1 o C)) temperatures of Izmir Bay. Experiments were also conducted with four different light intensities (L1 (50 μmol photons m-2 s-1), L2 (25 μmol photons m-2 s-1), L3 (5 μmol photons m-2 s-1) and L4 (dark)). In this context, nutrient measurements were made on samples of the exponential, stationary and death phase of the culture and nutrient analyses were carried out. The results, which were designed according to ceteris paribus assumptions, were adapted to Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Consequently, considering the lifetime of the diatom at different temperature conditions, T3 was determined as an optimum temperature. Maximum growth rate and process time were observed at this temperature. This explains why these diatoms are abundant available in the winter. Once the light intensity was increased, the growth rate was increased at the T1 and T2 temperatures. However, T3 had a high growth rate at nearly L1 light intensity. Considering the consumption and transformation of different nutrient conditions, different results for both types of microalgae were obtained.

Phospholipid ester-linked fatty acids 16S rRNA gene barcoded pyrosequencing Shelf sediment Irish Sea a b s t r a c t The bacterial community composition and biomass abundance from a depositional mud belt in the western Irish Sea and regional sands were investigated by phospholipid ester-linked fatty acid profiling, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and barcoded pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes. The study area varied by water depth (12–111 m), organic carbon content (0.09–1.57% TOC), grain size, hydrographic regime (well-mixed vs. stratified), and water column phytodetrital input (represented by algal poly-unsaturated PLFA). The relative abundance of bacterial-derived PLFA (sum of methyl-branched, cyclo-propyl and odd-carbon number PLFA) was positively correlated with fine-grained sediment, and was highest in the depositional mud belt. A strong association between bacterial biomass and eukaryote primary production was suggested based on observed positive correlations with total nitrogen and algal polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, 16S rRNA genes affiliated to the classes Clostridia and Flavo-bacteria represented a major proportion of total 16S rRNA gene sequences. This suggests that benthic bacterial communities are also important degraders of phytodetrital organic matter and closely coupled to water column productivity in the western Irish Sea.

The association of trace fossils from the late Silurian Río Seco de los Castaños Formation in central-western
Argentina (San Rafael Block) is mainly composed of Dictyodora, including Dictyodora scotica, Dictyodora tenuis
and a new ichnospecies named Dictyodora atuelica. The latter shows a tendency to migrate to a deeper level –
analogous to Dictyodora liebeana's – which reflects more sophisticated behavioural patterns. The Dictyodora
ichnospecies (one of the most diverse assemblages in Gondwana) coexists with Nereites. SEM observations
and EDS analyses suggest that the wall structure of Dictyodora could be the result of an activity other than the
traditional suggestion of respiration, e.g., feeding. The succession, including some of the levels containing
Dictyodora, presents microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS) that would indicate a photic zone.
This discovery favours previous deltaic interpretations instead of the deep-sea fan deposits traditionally
suggested for the Siluro-Devonian greywackes of the Cuyania terrane, and particularly for this unit. The abundant
Dictyodora, Nereites, Zoophycos and undermat miners ichnofossils, as well as the scarce arthropod trackways,
resemble older records in Europe and North America. The studied section is very well age-constrained, and the
autochthonous Gondwana ichnofauna permits to cast doubt on previous interpretations, suggesting that after
the Ordovician, microbial mats retreated to marginal marine environments and then spread later in the
Carboniferous. More importantly, the occurrence of Dictyodora and Nereites in beds that bear abundant wrinkle
structures or records of biofilms in someplaces is challengingwith regard to deep-sea interpretations. Dictyodora
is probably not a good stratigraphic indicator, and the provincialism suggested for this ichnogenus may be an
artefact of the lack of more complete records in Gondwana.

This paper describes the physiological dualism of yeast cells during their exponential growth and the method to detect and measure the subpopulations in such alternative physiological states of cell as exotrophy or endotrophy, which are the consumptions of either extracellular or intracellular, previously accumulated sources of energy, respectively. All cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae population growing in the medium with glucose had low alcoholdehydrogenase (ADH) activity. Meanwhile, the population growing in the medium with ethanol as a source of energy contained cells with either high ADH activity (ADH-H cells) or low ADH activity (ADH-L cells). Physiological heterogeneity of yeast cells by activity of alcoholdehydrogenase was studied using selective killing of cells with high ADH activity after 10 min incubation of cells in 1% (v/v) solution of allyl alcohol. The content of ADH-H cells increased from zero in the lag-phase to 32% in the exponential phase of batch culture and then dropped to zero in the stationary phase. Presence of both ADH-H and ADH-L cells in the yeast population growing in the medium with ethanol was explained that ADH-H cells actively oxidize external ethanol but ADH-L cells oxidize intracellular storage of carbohydrates without involvement of ADH. The method for enumeration of exotrophic and endotrophic cells can be used to monitor the heterogeneity of yeast populations consuming ethanol as a source of energy.

MIRRI, the Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure, is a pan-European project that supports research and development in academia and industry by improving access to microbial resources. To date the landscape of mBRCs (microbial domain Biological Resource Centres) is fragmented: for researchers it is time consuming to find the appropriate place for a deposited resource, what kind of associated data for this resource exists and who he would find the expert to contact for more detailed information. There is a disadvantage for the mBRCs too, because, due to the lack of coordination of policy and practice, financial resources are wasted in duplication of biological material and of human efforts. As a result researchers and technical staff are slowed down in their attempts to provide optimal service to the user community. Put more dramatically and in a global way: not even a mere glimpse of biodiversity is currently visible in public microbial resource holdings. This situation clearly impedes the research and development across Europe. MIRRI will address the challenge of access to microbial diversity and its potential by providing a single virtual portal facilitating access to microbial resources, the related data as well as expertise, thereby accelerating discovery and fostering innovation in the field of biotechnology.

Facultative anaerobe fungus Goa Marine Morphological dimorphism Phylogeny a b s t r a c t A fungal culture (FCAS11) was isolated from coastal sediments of the Arabian Sea during the anoxic season. Multigene phylogenetic analyses confidentially place the organism as a novel species within the recently defined class Tritirachiomycetes, subphylum Pucciniomycotina, phylum Basidiomycota. We named the new species Tritirachium candoliense and provide the first description of a member of this class from a marine environment. DNA sequences and morphological characters distinguish T. candoliense from previously described Tritirachium species. Its growth characteristics, morphology, and ultrastructural features showed that under anoxic conditions the species grows slowly and produces mainly hyphae with only few blastoconidia. Electron microscopy revealed differences when the culture was exposed to anoxic stress. Notable ultrastructural changes occur for example in mitochondrial cristae, irregularly shaped fat globules and the presence of intracellular membrane invaginations. We assume that the growth characteristics and substrate utilization patterns are an adaptation to its source location, the seasonally anoxic environment of the Arabian Sea.

In order to study fungal diversity in oxygen minimum zones of the Arabian Sea, we analyzed 1440 cloned small subunit rRNA gene (18S rRNA gene) sequences obtained from environmental samples using three different PCR primer sets. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses yielded 549 distinct RFLP patterns, 268 of which could be assigned to fungi (Dikarya and zygomycetes) after sequence analyses. The remaining 281 RFLP patterns represented a variety of nonfungal taxa, even when using putatively fungal-specific primers. A substantial number of fungal sequences were closely related to environmental sequences from a range of other anoxic marine habitats, but distantly related to known sequences of described fungi. Community similarity analyses suggested distinctively different structures of fungal communities from normoxic sites, seasonally anoxic sites and permanently anoxic sites, suggesting different adaptation strategies of fungal communities to prevailing oxygen conditions. Additionally, we obtained 26 fungal cultures from the study sites, most of which were closely related (4 97% sequence similarity) to well-described Dikarya. This indicates that standard cultivation mainly produces more of what is already known. However, two of these cultures were highly divergent to known sequences and seem to represent novel fungal groups on high taxonomic levels. Interestingly, none of the cultured isolates is identical to any of the environmental sequences obtained. Our study demonstrates the importance of a multiple-primer approach combined with cultivation to obtain deeper insights into the true fungal diversity in environmental samples and to enable adequate intersample comparisons of fungal communities.

A marine sediment core obtained from a methane seepage site off the northern coast of Ireland was analysed, at 3 depths, for catabolic genes associated with the aerobic and anaerobic degradation of aromatic compounds. Catabolic gene copy numbers varied through the core peaking at 2.1 meters below sediment surface (mbsf)-just above the sulphate boundary. Beyond the sulphate boundary gene copy numbers fell considerably, suggesting the boundary may be a critical factor in the degradation of aromatic compounds within marine sediments. At the 2.1 mbsf depth our data also suggest that known benzoyl CoA reductase utilizing bacteria are readily detectable.

The eastern Pacific intermediate oxygen minimum layer (OML) is particularly well-developed and shoals close to the Mexican coast. We obtained hydrographic profiles including oxygen concentration [O], measured dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), continuous surface pCO 2 in water and air and took biological data south of the Gulf of California in March 2005. The core of the OML, with close to zero [O] was centered around 475 m with a thickness of the core varying between 80 m and 700 m and the upper limit of the core ranging from 500 m to 80 m. At the surface [O] was close to air-saturation and showed no relation with the depth of the OML contrary to DIC and pCO 2 concentrations. Below 50-m depth the changes in DIC and Apparent Oxygen Utilization (AOU) yielding a molar ratio of dDIC 5 0.79 3 dAOU. When the OML shoaled, surface temperature, chlorophyll concentration [CHL], and depth-integrated zooplankton increased, resulting in positive correlations among plankton biomass, pCO 2, and DIC in surface waters. When [CHL] is recalculated as particulate organic carbon (POC), a linear relationship with the sum of DIC and POC is observed as expected for concomitant transport of DIC and inorganic nutrients supporting POC formation. Neglecting ventilation of carbon into the atmosphere and the production of dissolved organic carbon, the results suggested that , 16% of the carbon transported up from the OML was present in surface waters in the form of POC and the rest in inorganic form.

Larval settlement responses of the ribbed mussel, Aulacomya maoriana Iredale 1915, were investigated after exposure to various chemicals and mono-species bacteria. Identification of settlement inductive compounds assists in the elucidation of intermediary biochemical mechanisms involved in the neuronal control of settlement behaviour downstream from primary cue reception. Neuroactive compounds and amino acids (potassium ions, GABA, acetylcholine, l-Phenylalanine, l-Tyrosine, dopamine, epinephrine, l-Tryptophan, and 5-HTP) and planktonic bacteria, biofilms and biofilm exudates of Macrococcus sp. AMGM1, Bacillus sp. AMGB1, and Pseudoalteromonas sp. AMGP1 were tested for their abilities to induce larval settlement. Toxicity effects of each treatment also were simultaneously identified by recording larval mortalities. Results indicate that all chemicals used induced larvae to settle, with acetylcholine being the most effective (~ 24% at 10−6 M compared to < 2% in control assays). Toxicities of treatment compounds were low at optimal settlement inducing concentrations, except for l-Tryptophan (~ 32%) and GABA (~ 59%). Our data suggest that catecholamines (and their precursors) play an important role in the biochemical mechanisms of settlement for A. maoriana. While serotonin precursors did induce low levels of larval settlement at some concentrations, high toxicity responses to 5-HTP at 10−5 M, combined with complete settlement inhibition indicate that the mechanism of action may be more complex than can be elucidated in this study. Larval settlement responses to bacterial treatments were low for planktonic and biofilm phases across all three strains, and settlement inhibition was observed when larvae were exposed to biofilm exudates of all bacterial strains. Comparisons of A. maoriana responses to other endemic and worldwide distributed mussel species are provided as a means to highlight potential evolutionary differences in chemoreception mechanisms.

A new ichnospecies of the bioeroding sponge ichnogenus Entobia, i.e., E. cracoviensis isp. n., is distinguished by having a single, large, isolated chamber and radiating canals. It occurs in a rockground surface on a Turonian or Santonian abrasion platform that is cut into Oxfordian limestones as exposed at Bonarka, Cracow. The morphology of the new ichnospecies is compared with fossil and modern sponge boring morphologies. In every case, the borings lack their upper parts and are roofless. Three models are constructed for the depositional history of the rockground and its colonization by the E. cracoviensis tracemaker: (1) that the roof has been removed by physical erosion, causing, or subsequent to, the death of the sponge; (2) that the lack of the roof is primary (biological), the roof having been removed by the sponge itself; and (3) that the boring sponge was psammobiontic, initiating its boring beneath a thin sand deposit, where there was no need to maintain a roof to the bori...

The eastern Pacific intermediate oxygen minimum layer (OML) is particularly well-developed and shoals close to the Mexican coast. We obtained hydrographic profiles including oxygen concentration [O], measured dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), continuous surface pCO 2 in water and air and took biological data south of the Gulf of California in March 2005. The core of the OML, with close to zero [O] was centered around 475 m with a thickness of the core varying between 80 m and 700 m and the upper limit of the core ranging from 500 m to 80 m. At the surface [O] was close to air-saturation and showed no relation with the depth of the OML contrary to DIC and pCO 2 concentrations. Below 50-m depth the changes in DIC and Apparent Oxygen Utilization (AOU) yielding a molar ratio of dDIC 5 0.79 3 dAOU. When the OML shoaled, surface temperature, chlorophyll concentration [CHL], and depth-integrated zooplankton increased, resulting in positive correlations among plankton biomass, pCO 2, and DIC in surface waters. When [CHL] is recalculated as particulate organic carbon (POC), a linear relationship with the sum of DIC and POC is observed as expected for concomitant transport of DIC and inorganic nutrients supporting POC formation. Neglecting ventilation of carbon into the atmosphere and the production of dissolved organic carbon, the results suggested that , 16% of the carbon transported up from the OML was present in surface waters in the form of POC and the rest in inorganic form.

The Western areas of the Adriatic Sea are subjected to inputs of inorganic nutrients and organic matter that can modify the trophic status of the waters and consequently, the microbiological processes involved in the carbon and phosphorus biogeochemical cycles, particularly in shallow coastal environments. To explore this topic, a survey was carried out during the spring of 2003 in a particular hydrodynamic area of the Gulf of Manfredonia, where the potential (P) and real (R) rates of four different microbial exoenzymatic activities (EEA) (α [αG] and ß glucosidases [ßG], leucine aminopeptidase [LAP], and alkaline phosphatase [AP]) as well as the P and R rates of prokaryotic heterotrophic production (PHP), AP as well as the P and R rates of PHP, primary production (PPnet), the prokaryotic and phototrophic stocks and basic hydrological parameters were examined. Three different water masses were found, with a thermohaline front (THF) being detected between the warmer and less saline coastal waters and colder and saltier offshore Adriatic waters. Under the general oligotrophic conditions of the entire Gulf, a decreasing gradient from the coastal toward the offshore areas was detected, with PHP, PPnet, stocks and EEA (αG, ßG, AP) being directly correlated with the temperature and inversely correlated with the salinity, whereas opposite relationships were observed for LAP activity. No enhancement of microbiological activities or stocks was observed at the THF. The use of P or R rates of microbiological activities, which decrease particularly for EEA, could result in discrepancies in interpreting the efficiency of several metabolic processes.

The first recorded incidence of cold-water coral disease was noted in Eunicella verrucosa, a coral on the international ‘red list’ of threatened species, at a marine protected area in SW England in 2002. Video surveys of 634 separate colonies at 13 sites revealed that disease outbreaks were widespread in SW England from 2003 to 2006. Coenchyme became necrotic in diseased specimens, leading to tissue sloughing and exposing skeletal gorgonin to settlement by fouling organisms.
Sites where necrosis was found had significantly higher incidences of fouling. No fungi were isolated from diseased or healthy tissue, but significantly higher concentrations of bacteria occurred in diseased specimens. Of 21 distinct bacteria isolated from diseased tissues, 19 were Vibrionaceae, 15 were strains of Vibrio splendidus and 2 others closely matched Vibrio tasmaniensis. Vibrios isolated from E. verrucosa did not induce disease at 15°C, but, at 20°C, controls remained healthy and test gorgonians became diseased, regardless of whether vibrios were isolated from diseased or healthy colonies. Bacteria associated with diseased tissue produced proteolytic and cytolytic enzymes that damaged E. verrucosa tissue and may be responsible for the necrosis observed. Monitoring at the site where the disease was first noted showed new gorgonian recruitment from 2003 to 2006; some individuals had died and become completely overgrown, whereas others had continued to grow around a dead central area.