Solving the coastal eutrophication problem by large scale seaweed cultivation

Eutrophication is becoming a serious problem in coastal waters in many parts of the world. It induces the phytoplankton blooms including 'Red Tides', followed by heavy economic losses to extensive aquaculture area. Some cultivated seaweeds have very high productivity and could absorb large quantities of N, P, CO2, produce large amount of O-2 and have excellent effect on decreasing eutrophication. The author believes that seaweed cultivation in large scale should be a good solution to the eutrophication problem in coastal waters. To put this idea into practice, four conditions should be fulfilled: (a) Large-scale cultivation could be conducted within the region experiencing eutrophication. (b) Fundamental scientific and technological problems for cultivation should have been solved. (c) Cultivation should not impose any harmful ecological effects. (d) Cultivation must be economically feasible and profitable. In northern China, large-scale cultivation of Laminaria japonica Aresch. has been encouraged for years to balance the negative effects from scallop cultivation. Preliminary research in recent years has shown that Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Bory) Daws. and Porphyra haitanensis Chang et Zheng are the two best candidates for this purpose along the Chinese southeast to southern coast from Fujian to Guangdong, Guangxi and Hong Kong. Gracilaria tenuistipitata var. liui Chang et Xia is promising for use in pond culture condition with shrimps and fish.

Characterization of a homogeneous taxonomic group of marine magnetotactic cocci within a low tide zone in the China Sea

Magnetotactic bacteria are a heterologous group of motile prokaryotes, ubiquitous in aquatic habitats and cosmopolitan in distribution. Here, we studied the diversity of magnetotactic bacteria in a seawater pond within an intertidal zone at Huiquan Bay in the China Sea. The pond is composed of a permanently submerged part and a low tide subregion. The magnetotactic bacteria collected from the permanently submerged part display diversity in morphology and taxonomy. In contrast, we found a virtually homogenous population of ovoid-coccoid magnetotactic bacteria in the low tide subregion of the pond. They were bilophotrichously flagellated and exhibited polar magnetotactic behaviour. Almost all cells contained two chains of magnetosomes composed of magnetite crystals. Intriguingly, the combination of restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP) and sequencing of cloned 16S rDNA genes from the low tide subregion samples as well as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) revealed the presence of a homogenous population. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Qingdao Huiquan low tide magnetotactic bacteria belong to a new genus affiliated with the alpha-subclass of Proteobacteria. This finding suggests the adaptation of the magnetotactic bacterial population to the marine tide.

Phosphine in various matrixes

Matrix-bound phosphine was determined in the Jiaozhou Bay coastal sediment, in prawn-pond bottom soil, in the eutrophic lake Wulonglan, in the sewage sludge and in paddy soil as well. Results showed that matrix-bound phosphine levels in freshwater and coastal sediment, as well as in sewage sludge, are significantly higher than that in paddy soil. The correlation between matrix bound phosphine concentrations and organic phosphorus contents in sediment samples is discussed.

Immune condition of Apostichopus japonicus during aestivation

Aestivation is an indispensable state in the life history of sea cucumbers, Apostichopus japonicus. The immune characteristics of the coelomic fluid of A. japonicus, were investigated during aestivation. Samples were collected between July and November 2006 from a coastal pond located off the Yellow Sea in Jiaonan, Shandong Province, China. The total coelomocytes counts (TCC), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), catalase (CAT), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and lysozyme (IZM) in the coelomic fluid were measured. The activities of catecholamines, [adrenaline (AD), noradrenaline (NA), and dopamine (DOP)] were estimated. TCC decreased from July to September, indicating weakness of the cellular immune activity at that time. Activities of SOD, CAT, MPO, and LZM changed significantly from July to October. Catecholamines AD and NA in coelomic fluid were significantly higher on August 21 and November 27. There was no significant variation in DOP during the sampling period. Thus, immune characters in coelomic fluid of A. japonicus changed significantly during aestivation. Water temperature was significantly and negatively correlated with TCC, and salinity was significantly and positively correlated with AD and NA. The mechanism of aestivation in A. japonicus is complex and might not be attributed only to environmental changes, such as temperature and salinity, as shown in previous studies. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

内蒙古赤峰红花沟地区早中生代构造－岩浆活动特征及金成矿作用

Honghuagou gold field, Inner Mongolia, is selected as the study area for the dissertation. The geological background for gold mineralization, geology of gold deposits, ore-controlling factors, physical and chemical conditions, material sources, genesis and ore-forming epoch for gold mineralization are studied in the dissertation. Especially, the Early Mesozoic tectonic and magmatic activities and their relationship with gold mineralization are studied with special efforts. Based on the study, the criteria for ore-prospecting are systemically summarized, target areas for ore-prospecting are circled and their gold reserves is estimated. Based on the first discovery of Early Mesozoic ductile zone which show the detachment features and the study on the emplacement of Early Mesozoic maficintermediate dyke swarms, the author present that the studied area was mainly in extensional uplift state during Early Mesozoic. The tectonic evolution can be divided into two stages. The extension was dominated by ductile metamorphose at early stage, whose geodynamics was related with the post orogenic extension after the collision between the Northern China Plate with Siberia Plate. The extension at late stage was featured by the intrusion of diorite and the emplacement of dyke swarms, whose geodynamics was related with mantle uplift. The gold deposits in the area are just the products of the tectonic and magmatic activities resulted from Early Mesozoic extension. The plagio-amphibolite from Archean metamorphic rocks is partially melted under the influence of underplating caused by mantle uplift, result in the formation of diorite magma. The gold in metamorphic rocks will also be melted into magma pond, and ascend into the upper parts of crust along with the intrusion of magma. The gold-bearing hydrothermal fluids is formed during magma differentiation, and caused the precipitation and concentration of gold in favorable geological conditions, result in the formation of gold deposits. The fracture caused by the emplacement of dyke swarms break a path for the ascending and movement of hydrothermal fluids, some of them become parts of ore-controlling and host structure. The gold is thought to be formed in Early Mesozoic, not in Yanshanian epoch.