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... Concrete is a widely used building material in coastal constructions worldwide. However, limited natural resources used in the production process, as well as high CO₂-emission due to the calcination process of limestone and the thermal energy demand for Portland cement clinker production, raise the demand for alternative constituents. Alternative mixture types should be environmentally friendly an ...
... According to COI DNA barcoding testing, the marine bivalve mollusc Mactra chinensis, which is native to the Asia-Pacific region, diverged into three species. These species were preliminary characterized as M. chinensis COI clade I, M. chinensis COI clade II and M. chinensis COI clade III. To find out whether it is possible to morphologically distinguish samples representing genetic clades, we exam ...
Ammonia batavus; fauna; humans; inventories; reproduction; research; sand; North Sea
Abstract:
... Supratidal sands are vitally important for coastal defence in the German Wadden Sea. They are less affected by human activities than other areas as they are located far off the mainland shore, touristical and commercial activities are generally prohibited. Therefore, supratidal sands are of high ecological interest. Nevertheless, the faunal inventory and distribution pattern of microorganisms on t ...
Haliclona; Halodule wrightii; Thalassia testudinum; anthropogenic activities; community structure; estuaries; fauna; habitats; research; species richness; sympatry; Gulf of Mexico
Abstract:
... Among the ecological roles that sponges play in marine ecosystems, one of the highlights is their ability to host a wide diversity and abundance of epibenthic organisms. However, of the different marine environments, this role has been less investigated in seagrass-dwelling sponges. In this study, the main objective was to determine whether the structure of the associated faunal assemblages in two ...
... Cells and tissues form the bewildering diversity of crustacean larval organ systems which are necessary for these organisms to autonomously survive in the plankton. For the developmental biologist, decapod crustaceans provide the fascinating opportunity to analyse how the adult organism unfolds from organ Anlagen compressed into a miniature larva in the sub-millimetre range. This publication is th ...
... Crustacean larvae have served as distinguished models in the field of Ecological Developmental Biology (“EcoDevo”) for many decades, a discipline that examines how developmental mechanisms and their resulting phenotype depend on the environmental context. A contemporary line of research in EcoDevo aims at gaining insights into the immediate tolerance of organisms and their evolutionary potential t ...
coasts; phytoplankton; research; sediments; shellfish culture; water currents
Abstract:
... Iron (Fe) is an essential component for marine ecosystems, and it is related to the growth of phytoplankton communities and environmental evolution in coastal area. However, the effect of aquaculture activities on sediment Fe levels is not well studied. Fe levels and grain sizes are determined in two cores (respectively Core C in the culture area and Core A in the control area) in Sishili Bay to r ...
data collection; geographical distribution; global change; hydrology; regression analysis; research; sediments; species abundance; North Sea
Abstract:
... An extensive data set of macrozoobenthos from the eastern North Sea was evaluated in order to describe the distribution of infaunal species with respect to water depth and median grain size of the sediment. The resulting data are presented for 134 species, in 104 species abundance correlated significantly with water depth, with most species decreasing in abundance towards the hydrographically turb ...
... In 2019 the RV Meteor cruised from Guadalupe in April/May to Cape Verde in June/July and to Namibia in August/September. The distance is about 10,000 km. The ship has a moon pool for installation of instruments. In Cape Verde we had a first glimpse of the already sparsely populated moon pool. We reached Namibian waters in mid-August. In mid-September, 47 days later and 6000 km south, the ship's mo ...
... Even though Glycymeris longior is a clam widely distributed in the SW Atlantic Ocean, little is known about its biology and life history. The present study assessed the periodicity of the internal growth increments of G. longior using thin shell sections. Each internal growth increment was composed of two alternating bands: a translucent band (light-coloured when viewed with transmitted light) and ...
Platyhelminthes; benthic organisms; byproducts; community structure; geomorphology; habitats; new taxa; research; sediments; species diversity; North Sea
Abstract:
... In the tidal inlets of the northern Wadden Sea, species composition of selected taxa of the small benthos is compared to a study performed some 35 years before, using the same methods and sampling the same sites. Site-by-site comparisons suggest a dramatic change in community composition at a local scale. However, geomorphology is highly dynamic in this area, and sediment composition, water depth, ...
... In this study, antifouling and antibacterial properties of polar, semi polar and non-polar bioactive compounds derived from the sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota were investigated. A series comprising n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts from four different organs of sea cucumber (body wall, gonad, digestive tract and respiratory tree) were investigated for their antibacterial and anti ...
... Salmonines in the Baltic Sea and North American lakes suffer from thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, which is connected to an abundant lipid-rich diet containing substantial amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). In the Baltic region, this is known as the M74 syndrome. It affects both adult salmon (Salmo salar) and especially their offspring, impairing recruitment. However, very little is ...
... Ocean acidification has become serious, and seawater hypoxia has become evident in acidified waters. The combination of such stressors may have interactive effects on the fitness of marine organisms. In order to investigate the interactive effects of seawater acidification and hypoxia on the early development of marine bivalves, the eggs and sperm of the thick shell mussel Mytilus coruscus were ex ...
... Carrier culture is the combination of suspension culture and adherent culture. Carriers could be used to improve the culture efficiency of large-scale culture of adherent benthic diatom. In order to identify a suitable carrier for mass suspension culture of the benthic diatoms Nitzschia sp. powders of seven macroalgae were used as carriers for diatom attachment including Ulva pertusa, degummed Lam ...
Rhizophora mangle; coastal ecosystems; coral reefs; epibionts; estuaries; geographical distribution; oxygen; prop roots; research; salinity; species diversity; Belize; Caribbean; Colombia; Cuba; Guadeloupe; Gulf of Mexico; Gulf of Mexico region; Jamaica; Martinique; Panama; Trinidad and Tobago; Venezuela
Abstract:
... Sponges are one of the most conspicuous groups of epibionts in mangrove prop root habitats. However, with the exception of the Caribbean and the Indo-Pacific regions, studies focused on species diversity are lacking in other locations that have high mangrove coverage and are relatively distant from coral reef environments. Because mangrove-root epibiont communities, in general, have been understud ...
Stomatopoda; adults; body size; gizzard; larvae; metamorphosis; research
Abstract:
... Crustacean larvae are usually recognised as small organisms, below one millimeter body size. However, in different crustacean groups such as Stomatopoda, Polychelida, or Achelata, also very large larvae occur with sizes of 20 mm and beyond. Also from few meiuran species (“short-tailed” crustaceans, including crabs, hermit crabs, or squat lobsters), rather large larvae are known, though still consi ...
... Tropical reef ecosystems are generally considered to be sinks of marine zooplankton, mainly due to the predation by scleractinian corals and other planktivores. The present study aims to evaluate the zooplankton community of a coastal reef in two specific environments: the reef edge and open-water channels between patch reefs. Sampling was carried out at two patch reefs that border the Tamandaré c ...
Nephrops norvegicus; autumn; body size; females; insemination; periodicity; research; resorption; sexual maturity; spermatozoa; spring; summer; winter; Irish Sea; North Sea
Abstract:
... The Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus, is an important fisheries species in the North-East Atlantic area. In some circumstances, mature females of Nephrops norvegicus can resorb their ovary rather than completing spawning, but the implications of this phenomenon to reproductive biology and fisheries sustainability are not known. To understand after effects of ovary resorption, we studied long-te ...
Scleractinia; corals; extinction; research; risk; saffron; sexual reproduction; surface water temperature; Gulf of California
Abstract:
... The biology of the scleractinian Porites sverdrupi, endemic to the Gulf of California, is poorly studied. In order to fill that gap, the present study documents the reproductive biology of this coral which is to date protected by the IUCN’s as “vulnerable” and listed as “in risk of extinction” in the Mexican Federal Law for species protection. Also, potential distribution models were constructed t ...
Buccinum; continental shelf; fisheries; gonadosomatic index; males; penis; reproduction; research; spring; summer; water temperature; winter; Eastern United States
Abstract:
... Development of the unmanaged waved whelk (Buccinum undatum) fishery on the Mid-Atlantic continental shelf of the United States has initiated investigation into fisheries-related biological and population attributes of the species in this region. Maturation and reproduction timing vary by location for this species and are likely linked to bottom water temperature. This study examined the seasonal f ...
Sargassum horneri; Sargassum muticum; colonizing ability; community structure; herbivores; littoral zone; macroalgae; research; California
Abstract:
... In marine systems, algal abundance and community composition is often heavily influenced by top-down control by herbivores. As a result, examining the extent to which native herbivores exert grazing pressure on non-native marine algae can provide valuable insight into mechanisms controlling invasion success. The purpose of this study was to examine the grazing preferences of two common intertidal ...
Sepia; females; gonads; males; morphometry; oocytes; Africa
Abstract:
... Analysis of 322 cuttlebones of Sepia bertheloti caught in the waters of the Northwest Africa showed significant differences in growth between males and females. Morphometric analysis revealed a relatively different cuttlebone growth pattern between sexes, with males presenting faster growth in length to reach larger sizes and females displaying greater growth in width. This difference in cuttlebon ...
... Diatoms are thought to provide about 40% of total global photosynthesis and diatoms of the genus Coscinodiscus are an important, sometimes dominant, cosmopolitan component of the marine diatom community. The oomycete parasitoid Lagenisma coscinodisci is widespread in the northern hemisphere on its hosts in the genus Coscinodiscus. Because of its potential ecological importance, it would be a suita ...
... Sea urchin grazing rates can strongly impact kelp bed persistence. Elevated water temperature associated with climate change may increase grazing rates; however, these effects may interact with local stressors such as sedimentation, which may inhibit grazing. In Alaska, glacial melt is increasing with climate change, resulting in higher sedimentation rates, which are often associated with lower gr ...
Arenaria interpres; Laridae; Monte Carlo method; Numenius; Pluvialis squatarola; Uca; birds; computer simulation; crabs; models; monitoring; predation; predator avoidance; Argentina
Abstract:
... The southernmost permanent population of the fiddler crab Leptuca uruguayensis occurs along the Samborombón Bay (36°22′S, 56°45′W, Argentina), an important feeding site for many bird species, including ruddy turnstones (Arenaria interpres), whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus), grey plovers (Pluvialis squatarola), american golden plovers (Pluvialis dominica) and gull-billed terns (Gelochelidon nilotica). ...
... For a better understanding of functioning and stability of ecosystems, it is important to know to what extent constituent species show similarity in their long-term fluctuation patterns, i.e. whether their numbers and biomass frequently show simultaneous peaks and lows. Synchronic peaks and lows of important species would enhance variability in the functioning of the entire system and might affect ...
... Fish harbor a high diversity of parasites that play an important role for the ecosystem. Because these parasites have different life-cycle traits, changes in their populations or communities may provide useful information related to ecosystem health. Highly stressful conditions may reduce parasite communities or populations. However, it is not a rule since host-parasite interactions are hardly pre ...
... Despite the availability of well-documented data, a comprehensive review of the discovery progress of polychaete worms (Annelida) has never been done. In the present study, we reviewed available data in the World Register of Marine Species, and found that 11,456 valid species of Recent polychaetes (1417 genera, 85 families) have been named by 835 first authors since 1758. Over this period, three d ...
El Nino; advection; chlorophyll; environmental monitoring; marine environment; moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer; remote sensing; satellites; surface water temperature; time series analysis; wind speed; winter; Pacific Ocean
Abstract:
... During 2015–2016, a strong El Niño, the “Godzilla El Niño,” which is similar to El Niño events that occurred in 1982/1983 and 1997/1998, occurred in the Pacific Ocean. In this paper, we report on the influence of the “Godzilla El Niño” on the sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a (Chla) concentrations in the Tehuantepec upwelling system using satellite observation data. A time-series of ...
... Predation is an interaction between species that influences community organisation by the direct consumption of prey, influencing prey numbers, behaviours and traits. The intensity of predation is greatly influenced by the environment, and the physical structure of habitats may influence predation intensity by providing refuge for prey or reducing the foraging efficiency of predators. In this cont ...
Veneroida; coasts; invasive species; novel foods; research; North America; North Sea; Norway; Spain; United Kingdom
Abstract:
... Since its introduction from North America in the 1970s, the American razor clam Ensis leei (M. Huber, 2015) has successfully spread throughout North Sea coasts from Spain to Norway and the United Kingdom to the western Baltic. We investigated the distribution and abundance of this non-indigenous bivalve species as a potential novel food resource for common scoter Melanitta nigra (Linnaeus, 1758) a ...
Alexandrium; Bacillariophyceae; Chaetoceros; Dinophysis; ecosystems; metadata; phytoplankton; scanning electron microscopes; scanning electron microscopy; surveys; time series analysis; toxicity
Abstract:
... The Helgoland Roads time series is one of the longest and most detailed time series in the world. It comprises daily phytoplankton counts accompanied by physico-chemical measurements. As such, it provides valuable long-term record of changes and their underlying causes in the phytoplankton community around Helgoland. This work provides an updated check-list of the phytoplankton species encountered ...
calcium carbonate; hardness; littoral zone; loess; mussels; sandstone; space and time; Argentina
Abstract:
... Mussel attachment strength varies in space and time, frequently in association with variations in wave exposure. Yet, it remains uninvestigated whether different rock types can contribute to variation in mussel attachment. Here we compared the attachment strength of the mussel Brachidontes rodriguezii between soft and hard intertidal rock substrates that are typical of coastal Buenos Aires Provinc ...
Hydrozoa; Mnemiopsis leidyi; Scyphozoa; biodiversity conservation; brackish water; coral polyps; habitat preferences; habitats; ichthyoplankton; life history; monitoring; risk; salinity; salt tolerance; summer; surveys; temperature; Baltic Sea; Northern European region
Abstract:
... Marine invasions are of increasing concern for biodiversity conservation worldwide. Gelatinous macrozooplankton contain members, which have become globally invasive, for example the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi or the hydromedusae Blackfordia virginica. B. virginica is characterised by a large salinity tolerance, with a brackish-water habitat preference, and by a metagenic life history strategy wi ...
... In a nuclear-follower fish foraging association, the follower benefits from food uncovered or flushed out when the nuclear fish disturbs the bottom, while nuclear species generally do not seem to be benefiting. Among nuclear species, eels (anguilliform fish) are known to be one of the most represented groups. Here we investigated the frequency and time duration of foraging associations among the g ...
... Marine organism adaptive capacity to different environmental conditions is a research priority to understand what conditions are important in structuring the spatial distribution of natural populations. In this context, this study evaluates whether potential differences in Siphonaria lessonii morphology (size and shell shape) and physiology (water loss regulation) at different shore heights are li ...
biodiversity; biogeography; coasts; crabs; estuaries; fauna; South Africa
Abstract:
... The South African coastline can be divided into at least four temperature-defined marine bioregions, including the tropical north-east coast, the subtropical east coast, the warm-temperate south coast, and the cool-temperate west coast. There are also two biogeographical transition zones, the south-west coast and the south-east coast (or Wild Coast). The former is sometimes considered a distinct m ...
Chromista; benthic organisms; birds; coasts; ecosystems; fauna; flora; global change; habitats; inventories; mammals; microorganisms; nekton; rare species; species diversity; temperate zones; time series analysis; zooplankton; North Sea
Abstract:
... Based on the past 150 years of research and ongoing time-series observations we give a comprehensive overview of marine species composition around the island of Sylt in the eastern North Sea. A total of 2758 species is listed according to the categories microplankton (591 species), zooplankton (137), nekton (118), benthic microflora (158), benthic macroflora (125), benthic micro-and meiofauna (120 ...
roots; developmental stages; reproductive behavior; breeding; space and time; spawning; fish; Diapterus; eggs; habitats; estuaries; Brazil
Abstract:
... Many fish species have behavioral traits related to reproduction that aim to improve egg conditions and survival of early life stages. Here, we provide the first detailed description of reproductive strategies performed by the rhomboid mojarra, Diapterus rhombeus. We based this description on several mating events, which occurred in mangroves located in Todos os Santos Bay, Brazil. These spawning ...
animal models; behavior change; body size; burrows; crabs; environmental factors; females; landscapes; latitude; males; mark-recapture studies; philopatry; salt marshes; summer; tides; vegetation; Argentina
Abstract:
... Neohelice granulata provides an interesting animal model for studying behavioural process because it is widely distributed, ensuring variability related to different environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to analyse variation in site fidelity with relation to landscape heterogeneity. Field observations were carried out in three geographically distant marshes in Argentina (Mar Chiquita ...
... The sudden appearance and disappearance of nudibranchs in intertidal areas have puzzled researchers all over the world, giving rise to a great diversity of theories to explain it. Here we conducted a five-year survey to evaluate seasonal changes in the abundance of Dendrodoris herytra and D. grandiflora in the Sado estuary (Portugal) and to explore a possible relationship with environmental factor ...
Enrico Bazzicalupo; Fabio Crocetta; Ka‘ala Estores-Pacheco; Haleh Golestani; Hocein Bazairi; Salvatore Giacobbe; Andrej Jaklin; Dimitris Poursanidis; B. K. Sneha Chandran; Juan Lucas Cervera; Ángel Valdés
Aplysiidae; basins; cytochrome-c oxidase; genetic analysis; haplotypes; population genetics; population structure; provenance; slugs; Mediterranean Sea; Red Sea
Abstract:
... The sea hare Bursatella leachii (de Blainville 1817) (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Aplysiidae) is a pantropical sea slug that has colonized the Mediterranean Sea in modern times. Because the initial records in the non-native range started in the Eastern Mediterranean, and its pattern of spread was relatively consistent with those observed in well-known Lessepsian invaders, B. leachii is c ...
breeding season; burrows; color; crabs; endangered species; females; habitat destruction; males; models; philopatry; population structure; seasonal variation; transponders; Brazil
Abstract:
... Understanding the patterns of displacement and site fidelity in blue land crabs (Cardisoma guanhumi Latreille, 1825) has important implications for their conservation and management. The central objective of this study was to analyze seasonal variations in site fidelity in C. guanhumi, a species that is intensively exploited in Brazil, in spite of being part of the Official National List of Critic ...
Platyhelminthes; benthic organisms; biodiversity; biogeography; ecoregions; fauna; habitats; new species; surveys; North Sea
Abstract:
... Most of our planet’s biodiversity is still unknown, particularly in the sea. Although around the island of Sylt in the North Sea, the small zoobenthos (meiofauna) has been studied intensively since the 1950s, repeating previous surveys revealed an unexpected wealth of new species in addition to the 330 species of free-living microturbellarians (non-parasitic Platyhelminthes) already known from thi ...
... The introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) in new environments represents a major threat for coastal ecosystems. A good understanding of the mechanisms and magnitude of the impact of NIS colonisation on native ecosystems is becoming increasingly crucial to develop mitigation measures and prevent new invasions. In this present study, we asked if distinct coastal benthic communities from an oc ...
Crassostrea gigas; DNA barcoding; environmental factors; monitoring; morphs; oysters; phenotypic plasticity; species identification; spermatozoa; testes; Sea of Japan
Abstract:
... According to recent reports, shell morphology is unreliable for the identification of oysters because of the high phenotypic plasticity of these bivalves. Using COI DNA barcoding and sperm morphology, we reinvestigated the species validity of wild Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas habituating the Peter the Great Bay (Sea of Japan). DNA barcoding confirmed the species validity of samples collected. ...
Michael L. Zettler; Jan Beermann; Jennifer Dannheim; Brigitte Ebbe; Michael Grotjahn; Carmen-Pia Günther; Manuela Gusky; Britta Kind; Ingrid Kröncke; Ralph Kuhlenkamp; Claus Orendt; Eike Rachor; Anja Schanz; Alexander Schröder; Lisa Schüler; Jan Witt
... The present compilation is the first attempt to generate a comprehensive list of all macrozoobenthic species recorded at least once in the German regions of the North Sea and Baltic Sea including non-indigenous species and freshwater species which occurred in brackish waters (estuaries, bays, fjords etc.). Based on the data of several research institutes and consultancies, the macrozoobenthic spec ...
... Recruitment patterns of sessile species often do not reflect the composition of the local propagule pool. This is, among other processes, attributed to the stimulation or inhibition of settlement by resident species. In an experimental study, we evaluated the effects of different densities of the ascidian Diplosoma listerianum on the settlement of the hydrozoan Obelia sp. For this, we monitored th ...
... Epibenthic and benthopelagic medusae are rarely collected by standard benthic or pelagic sampling methods, and many species are considered uncommon and geographically restricted. Peer-reviewed scientific literature contains only two records of medusae belonging to the monotypic genus Tesserogastria Beyer, 1958 since their original description, both from the vicinity of the type locality in Oslofjo ...