Impact of microzooplankton and copepods on the growth of phytoplankton in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea

Dilution and copepod addition incubations were conducted in the Yellow Sea (June) and the East China Sea (September) in 2003. Microzooplankton grazing rates were in the range of 0.37-0.83 d(-1) stopin most of the experiments (except at Station A3). Correspondingly, 31-50% of the chlorophyll a (Chl a) stock and 81-179% of the Chl a production was grazed by microzooplankton. At the end of 24 h copepod addition incubations, Chl a concentrations were higher in the copepod-added bottles than in the control bottles. The Chl a growth rate in the bottles showed good linear relationship with added copepod abundance. The presence of copepods could enhance the Chl a growth at a rate (Z) of 0.03-0.25 (on average 0.0691) d(-1) ind(-1) l. This study, therefore parallels many others, which show that microzooplankton are the main grazers of primary production in the sea, whereas copepods appear to have little direct role in controlling phytoplankton.

Spatial variability in biomass and production of heterotrophic bacteria in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea

The distributions of heterotrophic bacterial abundance and production were investigated in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea during the autumn of 2000 and spring of 2001. Bacterial abundance varied in the range 3.2-15.7 (averaging 5.7) x 10(5) and 2.3-13.6 (averaging 6.2) x 10(5) cells cm(-3) in the spring and autumn, respectively. During autumn, bacterial production (BP) (0.27-7.77 mg C m(-3) day(-1)) was on average 3 fold that in spring (0.001-2.04 mg C m(-3) day(-1)). Bacterial average turnover rate (ratio of bacterial production:bacterial biomass, mu=0.21 day(-1)) in autumn was 3 times as high as in spring (0.07 day(-1)). The ratio of integrated bacterial biomass to integrated phytoplankton biomass in the euphotic zone ranged from 4 to 101% (averaging 35%) in spring and 24 to 556% (averaging 121%) in autumn. The results indicate that the distributions of heterotrophic bacteria were controlled generally by temperature in spring and additionally by substrate supply in autumn. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isolation and characterization of a marine magnetotactic spirillum axenic culture QH-2 from an intertidal zone of the China Sea

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are ubiquitous in aquatic habitats. Because of their fastidious requirements for growth conditions, only very few axenic MTB cultures have been obtained worldwide. In this study, we report a novel marine magnetotactic spirillum axenic culture, designated as QH-2, isolated from the China Sea. It was able to grow in semi-solid or liquid chemically defined medium. The cells were amphitrichously flagellated and contained one single magnetosome chain with an average number of 16 magnetosomes per cell. Phosphate and lipid granules were also observed in the cells. Both rock magnetism and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy characterizations indicated that the magnetosomes in QH-2 were single-domain magnetites (Fe3O4). QH-2 cells swam mostly in a straight line at a velocity of 20-50 mu m/s and occasionally changed to a helical motion. Unlike other magnetotactic spirilla. QH-2 cells responded to light illumination. As a consequence of illumination, the cells changed the direction in which they swam from parallel to the magnetic field to antiparallel. This response appears to be similar to the effect of an increase in [O-2]. Analysis of the QH-2 16S rRNA sequence showed that it had greater than 11% sequence divergence from freshwater magnetotactic spirilla. Thus, the marine QH-2 strain seems to be both phylogenetically and magnetotactically distinct from the freshwater Magnetospirillum spp. studied previously. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Autumn net copepod abundance and assemblages in relation to water masses on the continental shelf of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea

Copepod species diversity, abundance and assemblages in relation to water masses over the continental shelf of the Yellow Sea (YS) and East China Sea (ECS) were studied extensively based on the net plankton samples in autumn 2000. Multivariate analysis based on copepod assemblage resulted in recognition of five groups (Groups 1-5) corresponding to the water masses. Groups 1 and 2 delineated from inshore stations with low salinity YS Surface Water, and offshore stations with YS Cold Water in the YS. Group 3 located in the joint area of YS and ECS mainly with Mixed Water. Groups 4 and 5 in the ECS delineated two assemblages mainly from inshore and shallow stations with ECS Mixed Water in the southeastern ECS, and offshore stations along the ECS shelf edge controlled by saline Kuroshio Water. Salinity and temperature were more important in characterizing copepod assemblage of the continental shelf than chlorophyll a. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of the causative algae of large-scale HAB in the East China Sea on egg hatching of Argopecten irradians, and population growth of Brachionus plicatilis and Moina mongolica

The impacts of Prorocentrum donghaiense Lu and Alexandrium catenella Balech, causative species of the large-scale HAB in the East China Sea, were studied under laboratory conditions. According to bloom densities, the effects of monoculture and mixture of the two species were examined on the egg-hatching success of Argopecten irradians Lamarck, and the population growth of Brachionus plicatilis Muller and Moina mongolica Daday. The results showed that monoculture of A. catenella had a significant inhibition on the egg hatching success of A. irradians, and the population growth of B. plicatilis and M. mongolica. The median effective densities ( EDSo) inhibiting the egg hatching success of A. irradians for 24 h and the population growth of B. plicatilis and M. mongolica for 96 h were 800, 630, and 2 400 cells/cm(3), respectively. Monoculture of P. donghaiense has no such inhibitory effect on the egg hatching success of A. irradians; P. donghaiense at lower suitable densities could sustain the population growth of B. plicatilis (1 x 10(4) similar to 3 x 10(4)cells/cm(3)) and M. mongolica (2 x 10(4) similar to 5 x 10(4) cells/cm(3)); P. doaghaiense at higher densities had significantly adverse effect on the population growth of B. plicatilis (4 x 10(4) similar to 10 x 10(4) cells/cm(3)) and M. mongolica (10 x 10(4) cells/cm(3)). When the two algae were mixed according to bloom densities, P. donghaiense at suitable densities to some extent could decrease the toxicity of A. catenella to B. plicatilis and M. mongolica. The results indicated that the large-scale HAB in the East China Sea could have adverse effect on zooplankton, and might further influence the marine ecosystem, especially when there was also Alexandrium bloom.

A three-dimensional coupled physical-biological model study in the spring of 1993 in the Bohai Sea of China

A three-dimensional (3-D) coupled physical and biological model was used to investigate the physical processes and their influence on the ecosystem dynamics of the Bohai Sea of China. The physical processes include M-2 tide, time - varying wind forcing and river discharge. Wind records from I to 31 May in 1993 were selected to force the model. The biological model is based on a simple, nitrate and phosphate limited, lower trophic food web system. The simulated results showed that variation of residual currents forced by M, tide, river discharge and time-varying wind had great impact on the distribution of phytoplankton biomass in the Laizhou Bay. High phytoplankton biomass appeared in the upwelling region. Numerical experiments based on the barotropic model and baroclinic model with no wind and water discharge were also conducted. Differences in the results by the baroclinic model and the barotropic model were significant: more patches appeared in the baroclinic model comparing with the barotropic model. And in the baroclinic model, the subsurface maximum phytoplankton biomass patches formed in the stratified water.

Identification of a silicatein(-related) protease in the giant spicules of the deep-sea hexactinellid Monorhaphis chuni

Silicateins, members of the cathepsin L family, are enzymes that have been shown to be involved in the biosynthesis/condensation of biosilica in spicules from Demospongiae (phylum Porifera), e. g. Tethya aurantium and Suberites domuncula. The class Hexactinellida also forms spicules from this inorganic material. This class of sponges includes species that form the largest biogenic silica structures on earth. The giant basal spicules from the hexactinellids Monorhaphis chuni and Monorhaphis intermedia can reach lengths of up to 3 m and diameters of 10 mm. The giant spicules as well as the tauactines consist of a biosilica shell that surrounds the axial canal, which harbours the axial filament, in regular concentric, lamellar layers, suggesting an appositional growth of the spicules. The lamellae contain 27 kDa proteins, which undergo post-translational modification (phosphorylation), while total spicule extracts contain additional 70 kDa proteins. The 27 kDa proteins cross-reacted with anti-silicatein antibodies. The extracts of spicules from the hexactinellid Monorhaphis displayed proteolytic activity like the silicateins from the demosponge S. domuncula. Since the proteolytic activity in spicule extracts from both classes of sponge could be sensitively inhibited by E-64 (a specific cysteine proteinase inhibitor), we used a labelled E-64 sample as a probe to identify the protein that bound to this inhibitor on a blot. The experiments revealed that the labelled E-64 selectively recognized the 27 kDa protein. Our data strongly suggest that silicatein(-related) molecules are also present in Hexactinellida. These new results are considered to also be of impact for applied biotechnological studies.

The possibility analysis of habitats, origin and reappearance of bloom green alga (Enteromorpha prolifera) on inshore of western Yellow Sea

Combining some information from field investigation of algae along the coastal areas in China and a few pictures materialized from the western Yellow Sea in 2008, authors analyze the necessary conditions and possible water area in China producing a large biomass, some reasons for firestorm, and the possibility of the reappearance of marine bloom green alga Enteromorpha prolifera. The change of habitats and the increase of nutritional levels related to the water area could be considered as direct reasons. It was transferred northward by the combination of the flow of rainwater, wind and alongshore marine current. The original region of large biomass produced is possibly located in the southwestern Yellow sea. It will possibly be appearing again in the coming years or in the future. A summary is also given referring to its reproduction, development and distribution worldwide.

A new species, Gerres septemfasciatus (Perciformes: Gerreidae) from the Chinese coastal waters of the South China Sea

We describe a new species of gerreid fish, Gerres septemfasciatus, based on four specimens collected from the northern South China Sea. G septemfasciatus most closely resembles G limbatus in general appearance. However, G. septemfasciatus is distinguished from the latter and other congeners by having 3 to 3.5 scales between the base of. the fifth dorsal spine and lateral line. This species has a distinctive color pattern, including 7-8 regular, vertical, blue-grayish bands on its side. The distribution of this species is currently known to include the Chinese coastal waters of the South China Sea, but may be also include the coastal waters of southeastern Asia.

Two new species of Family Prasiolaceae (Prasiolales, Chlorophyta) from China Sea

Amomg the 30 known species of the algal family Prasiolaceae (Prasiolales, Chlorophyta), nine marine species have been found in marine environments but none in China seas. We reported here two new species Prasiola fangchengensis Luan et Ding sp. nov. and Prasiola volcanica Luan et Ding sp. nov. from subtropical coastal water of southern China.

First record of Paraonella platybranchia (Hartman, 1961) (Polychaeta: Paraonidae) from the Yellow Sea

This paper reports for the first time a species of polychaetous family Paraonidae, Paraonella platybranchia (Hartman, 1961), a rare species found previously only in the coast near the boundary between the United States and Mexico, and it was recently discovered in the samples collected in 1982 from Chinese side of the Yellow Sea. This is the first record of the species in China as well as in the Northwest Pacific.

Holosticha hamulata n. sp and Holosticha heterofoissneri Hu and Song, 2001, two urostylid ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora) from intertidal sediments of the Yellow Sea

Two marine urostylid ciliates, Holosticha hamulata n. sp. and Holosticha heterofoissneri Hu and Song, 2001, were investigated using live observation and protargol impregnation. Both species were isolated from Korean intertidal sediments of the Yellow Sea. Holosticha hamulata measures about 150 x 25 pro in vivo, and is characterized by a tripartite body shape with a narrow head, an inflated trunk, and a tail that distally projects ventrally forming a hook-like structure. It is the characteristic body shape that distinguishes H. hamulata distinctly from congeners. Holosticha hamulata differs from H. heterofoissneri, possibly the nearest relative, also by the location of the contractile vacuole (ahead of mid-body versus near posterior body third) and the configuration of the macronucleus (on average, 33 scattered nodules assuming a Y-shape versus 17 nodules that may form a U shape). The average number of the macronuclear nodules is a pronounced feature showing great consistency in populations of each species. However, their arrangement is variable in H. heterofoissneri where the nodules are basically scattered or connected by fine fibers forming an elongate U-shape. The location of the contractile vacuole as a taxonomic feature is discussed and a dichotomous key to the species of Holosticha sensu stricto is provided.

Some palaemonid shrimps (Crustacea : Decapoda) from northern South China Sea, with descripitions of two new species

Thirty-four palaemonid species from the northern area of South China Sea are reported in the present paper, including two new species, Paranchistus lini, new species, and Periclimenes chacei, new species, and eight other species are reported for the first time from South China Sea: Leander tenuicornis (Say, 1818), Leandrites stenopus Holthuis, 1950, Palaemon debilis Dana, 1852, Urocaridella antonbrurnii (Bruce, 1967), Kemponia platycheles (Holthuis, 1952), Paraclimenes franklini (Bruce, 1990b), Paranchistus spondylis Suzuki, 1971, Periclimenes hirsutus Bruce, 1971.

Phyllophorus (Phyllophorus) maculatus, a new species of sea cucumber from the Yellow Sea (Echinodermata : Holothuroidea : Dendrochirotida)

Phyllophorus (Phyllophorus) maculatus new species is described from a depth of 22-45 meters near the western edge of the Yellow Sea. The body is cylindrical, with body wall ossicles present only in the anal region. Ossicles are four-pillared tables with low spires and indented disc margin. A revised key to the eleven phyllophorine (Family Phyllophoridae, Subfamily Phyllophorinae) species now known from China is presented.