A unusual pinnotherid zoea attributed to Afropinnotheres monodi Manning, 1993 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Pinnotheridea) from the Selvagens Islands (Eastern Atlantic Ocean)

A pinnotherid zoea taken in a plankton sample from the Selvagens Islands during the TFMCBM/SELVAGENS’2000 Cruise, organized by the Natural Sciences Museum of Tenerife (Canary Islands), differs from previously described zoeas of the family. The specimen has dorsal and lateral spines but no rostrum, a combination of characters not previously described from pinnotherid zoeas. The lateral spines originate behind the upper part of the eye, unlike all previously described Pinnotheridae zoeas where these spines, when present, originate near the ventrolateral margin of the carapace. The specimen is attributed to Afropinnotheres monodi, the only pinnotherid species known from the area with undescribed larvae.

The Severn Estuary: Sediments, contaminants and biota. Occasional Publication of the Marine Biological Association 19

This report about the Severn Estuary provides an up to date appraisal of the following issues: Transport and fate of sediments; Transport, fate and trends in contaminants; Bioavailability of contaminants; Consequences for biota, and pinpoints the major knowledge gaps.

Long-term changes in abundance and distribution of microzooplankton in the NE Atlantic and North Sea

Long-term changes in mesozooplankton and phytoplankton populations have been well documented in the North Atlantic region, whereas data for microzooplankton are scarce. This neglected component of the plankton is a vital link in marine food-webs, grazing on smaller flagellates and cyanobacteria and in turn providing food for the larger mesozooplankton. We use the latest tintinnid (Ciliophora, Protista) data from the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey in the NE Atlantic and North Sea to examine the phenology, distribution and abundance of this important group of ciliates. Presence/absence data came from 167 122 CPR samples collected between 1960 and 2009 and abundance data from 49 662 samples collected between 1996 and 2009. In the North Atlantic the genus Dictyocysta spp. dominated and Parafavella gigantea showed an increase in abundance around Iceland and Greenland. In the North Sea higher densities of Tintinnopsis spp., Favella serrata and Ptychocylis spp. were found. The presence of tintinnids in CPR samples collected in the North Atlantic has increased over the last 50 years and the seasonal window of high abundance has lengthened. Conversely in the North Sea there has been an overall reduction in abundance. We discuss possible drivers for these long-term changes and point the way forward to more holistic studies that examine how ecosystems, rather than just selected taxa, are responding to climate change.