Temas de Ciencias Naturales.

El 29 de abril del año próximo pasado se cumplieron veinte años del fallecimiento de Raúl Adolfo Ringuelet, quién fuera uno de los científicos más destacados que han dado las ciencias naturales de la Argentina. Salvo contadas excepciones, no hubo recordatorios sobre este acontecimiento, pero el Dr. Ringuelet es uno de los casos que no necesita de la magnanimidad y el tiempo de los mortales para tenerlo presente, ya que la vigencia y el peso de su obra, hacen cumplir con aquello de que “mientras el recuerdo permanece, la muerte no existe”. El Programa para el Estudio y Uso Sustentable de la Biota Austral (ProBiota) quiere recordarlo reproduciendo la publicación de una serie de conferencias dictadas en su juventud, durante 1943 y 1944, en LS 11 Radio Provincia de Buenos Aires y que fueron publicadas en 1946 bajo el título de “Temas de Ciencias Naturales”. En ese año, Raúl A. Ringuelet contaba con treinta dos años y el mundo se encontraba en su mayor parte lacerado y bajo ruinas por la conducta recurrente de la “especie hipócrita” que, en nombre de las ideologías y la paz universal, había concretado la matanza de varios millones de personas. En nuestro país se asistía al nacimiento de un nuevo movimiento histórico y el comienzo de profundos desencuentros en nuestra sociedad, los cuales, lamentablemente, aún no han terminado. En esta década la ciencia argentina sería destacada con el Premio Nóbel a través del Dr. Bernardo Houssay y en las ciencias naturales se habían publicado, entre otras obras, los rasgos principales de la Fitogeografía argentina de J. Frenguelli, la Zoogeografía de Cabrera y Yepes, la última entrega del catalógo sistemático de las aves de Argentina de Steullet y Deautier, y el estudio de la Selva Marginal de Punta Lara de A. L. Cabrera (hijo) y G. Dawson. La lectura de estas conferencias, un total de diez, nos muestra, ya entonces, el espíritu rico, inquieto y polifacético de Raúl A. Ringuelet, el cuál lo distinguiría pocos años después. En algunas de ellas realiza la reseña de la vida y obra de diferentes científicos y naturalistas de nuestro país; en las restantes, expresa ingeniosamente conceptos precursores sobre biodiversidad, conservación y manejo de los recursos naturales y su transferencia a los diferentes niveles de la sociedad. Finalmente, desde ProBiota consideramos que la trascripción de este tipo de documentos constituye un aporte para aquellos interesados en la historia de las ciencias naturales y, asimismo, una contribución para que nuestras jóvenes generaciones de biólogos y naturalistas posean una noción más clara de quienes marcaron rumbos e hicieron escuela en nuestra disciplina con un genuino sentido nacional.

Laboratorio de Ictiofisiología de la Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata

Historia del primer Laboratorio de Ictiofisiología de la Argentina. History of the first Laboratory of Icthyophysiology in Argentina.

The state of the benthos in the Rybinsk reservoir, 1953-55. [Translation of the abstract from: Trudy biol. Sta. Borok 3, 195-213, 1958]

This abstract summarises the 1953-1955 surveys of the distribution of benthos in the Rybinsk Reservoirs. It includes the mean biomass of benthos.

The influence of blue-green algae on development of the zooplankton. [Translation of: Byull.mosk.Obshch.Ispyt.Prir.(Biol.) 67, 128-131, 1962]

Many have observed the reduction of the quantity of zooplankton in the presence of water blooms. It is known that in seas zooplankton as it were avoids places of accumulation of blue-green algae. By observations on one of the tributaries of the Rybinsk reservoir - the River Shumorovka - the authors tried by simultaneous collections to trace the changes in numbers, not only of zoo- and phytoplankton but also of bacteria. The plankton was collected by quantitative nets with suitable numbers of gauze and bacteria were taken account of by the method of direct calculation on membrane filters. It can be seen that the development of blue-green algae appears as an important factor, determining not only the intensity but also the direction of the process of production of zooplankton.

Key to the identification of the naupliar instars of the genus Cyclops. [Translation from: Arb.biol.Stat.Kossino 5 31-39, 1927. ]

This is a short excerpt of the original paper giving the key to the identification of the naupliar instars of the genus Cyclops.

The predatory feeding of Acanthocyclops viridis (Jur.) (Copepoda, Cyclopoida). [Translation from: Trudy Inst.Biol.Vodokhranil. 2(5) 117-127, 1959. ]

The feeding of freshwater copepods, especially cyclopoida, has been poorly covered in research so far. The majority of existing special works on the feeding of cyclopoida illustrate this question only from the qualitative side. The food content of the nauplius of freshwater cyclops has not been studied at all, as also the feeding of adult entomostracans on bacteria. Moreover the question of the suitability of vegetable food for Cyclops is not clear enough. This article aims to elucidate as fully as possible the nutrition of Acanthocyclops viridis (Jur.) - a large cyclops, inhabiting the mass of demersal layers of the open parts of the Rybinsk reservoir and its foreshore. The present work is devoted only to the predatory feeding of A. viridis, and includes data from the content of the intestines of cyclops, collected in natural conditions, and also the results of experimental observations carried out in a laboratory during 1958.

Rhythms of division of some algae in situ and in laboratory culture. [Translation from: Studii Cerc.Biol.(Bot.) 21, 61-65, 1969. ]

The rhythm of division of 9 species belonging to different groups of algae were analysed in situ and in the laboratory. The research which developed in different environmental conditions attempted to establish the capacity for multiplication and assimilation of chlorophyll on the part of the algae under study with a view to placing them in a culture. The results obtained showed that the green multicellular algae (eg. Ulothrix) and the blue algae (eg. Lyngbya, Oscillatoria) are able to produce an appreciable quantity of dry matter, just as the unicellular algae. At the same time it arises that amongst the numerous factors of the environment, temperature plays one of the most important roles in the process of multiplication.

Key to the identification of the naupliar instars of the genus Cyclops. [Translation from: Arb.biol.Stat.Kossino 5 31-39, 1927.]

This is a short excerpt of the original paper giving the key to the identification of the naupliar instars of the genus Cyclops.

Histochemical investigations on the interrenal system of the brook lamprey (Lapetra planeri Bloch). [Translation from: Acta biol.med.germ. 24, 553-554, 1970. ]

Histochemical experiments are conducted in order to study the interrenal cells of European brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri).

Fundamental aspects of the feeding of the amphipod Gammarus (R.) balcanicus (Crustacea, Amphipoda). [Translation from: Nauchn.Dokl.vyssh.Shkoly (Biol.Nauk) 1970(7) 12-16, 1970]

The amphipods are major food items for many commercial fishes, and they are used as protein food for agricultural animals. In the present paper are presented the results of four-year observations on the feeding of Gammarus balcanicus in nature and in an aquarium. Among the studied aspects were the dependence of daily food ration on sex and physiological state (with and without eggs) and feeding on different kinds of plant food. The study concludes that Gammarus balcanicus willingly feed on soft half-decayed plant residues; into their ration also enters food of animal origin. In contrast to other amphipods, G. balcanicus eats representatives of its own species very rarely, and only dead or immobile ones.

On the feeding of the larvae of Chironomidae during the planktonic period of life [Translation from: Nauch.Dokl.vyssh.Shk.Biol.Nauk 1 19-21, 1965]

It is known that the larvae of Chironomidae in the first stages of life after leaving the egg case, swim for a long time in a body of water. Positive reaction in light, the capability of directed swimming and passive floating in suspension allow the larvae to temporarily carry out a planktonic way of life. This study describes the behaviour of Chironomus dorsalis larvae after leaving the egg case. The feeding of chironomid larvae in the first stages of development was also described.

IX Congreso de Ciencias del Mar, 29 de octubre al 2 de noviembre de 2012. Ciencias Marinas y Costeras al Servicio de la Sociedad

Contiene los trabajos presentados, el programa científico y el perfil de instituciones marinas cubanas. Contains the papers presented, the scientific program and the profile of Cuban marine institutions.

ColacMarCuba XIII Congreso Latinoamericano de Ciencias del Mar COLACMAR.VIII Congreso de Ciencias del Mar MarCuba. 4to. Taller Internacional PESCA'2009.

Contiene los trabajos presentados, el programa científico y el perfil de instituciones marinas cubanas. Contains abstracts of the papers presented, the scientific program and the profile of Cuban marine institutions.