Physical oceanography, sea-bed photographs and videos of benthos from the Weddell Sea taken with remote operated vehicle CHEROKEE during POLARSTERN cruise ANT-XXIII/8

The marine ecosystem on the eastern shelf of the Antarctic Peninsula was surveyed 5 and 12 years after the climate-induced collapse of the Larsen A and B ice shelves. An impoverished benthic fauna was discovered, that included deep-sea species presumed to be remnants from ice-covered conditions. The current structure of various ecosystem components appears to result from extremely different response rates to the change from an oligotrophic sub-ice-shelf ecosystem to a productive shelf ecosystem. Meiobenthic communities remained impoverished only inside the embayments. On local scales, macro- and mega-epibenthic diversity was generally low, with pioneer species and typical Antarctic megabenthic shelf species interspersed. Antarctic Minke whales and seals utilised the Larsen A/B area to feed on presumably newly established krill and pelagic fish biomass. Ecosystem impacts also extended well beyond the zone of ice-shelf collapse, with areas of high benthic disturbance resulting from scour by icebergs discharged from the Larsen embayments.

(Table 2) Age determination of Aegean Sea sediments

The modern Aegean Sea is an important source of deep water for the eastern Mediterranean. Its contribution to deep water ventilation is known to fluctuate in response to climatic variation on a decadal timescale. This study uses marine micropalaeontological and stable isotope data to investigate longer-term variability during the late glacial and Holocene, in particular that associated with the deposition of the early Holocene dysoxic/anoxic sapropel S1. Concentrating on the onset of sapropel-forming conditions, we identify the start of 'seasonal' stratification and highlight a lag in d18O response of the planktonic foraminifer N. pachyderma to termination T1b as identified in the d18O record of G. ruber. By use of a simple model we determine that this offset cannot be a function of bioturbation effects. The lag is of the order of 1 kyr and suggests that isolation of intermediate/deep water preceded the start of sapropel formation by up to 1.5 kyr. Using this discovery, we propose an explanation for the major unresolved problem in sapropel studies, namely, the source of nutrient supply required for export productivity to reach levels needed for sustained sapropel deposition. We suggest that nutrients had been accumulating in a stagnant basin for 1-1.5 kyr and that these accumulated resources were utilized during the deposition of S1. In addition, we provide a first quantitative estimate of the diffusive (1/e) mixing timescale for the eastern Mediterranean in its "stratified" sapropel mode, which is of the order of 450 years.

Stable isotope record of foraminifera from the Barents Sea

We measured the oxygen isotopic composition of planktonic and benthic foraminifera in three cores collected at key positions to reconstruct the paleoceanography of the Barents Sea: core ASV 880 on the path of the northern branch of Atlantic water inflowing from the Arctic Ocean, core ASV 1200 in the central basin near the polar front, and core ASV 1157 in the main area of brine formation. Modern seawater d18O measurements show that far from the coast, d18O variations are linearly linked to the salinity changes associated with sea ice melting. The foraminifer d18O records are dated by 14C measurements performed on mollusk shells, and they provide a detailed reconstruction of the paleoceanographic evolution of the Barents Sea during the Holocene. Four main steps were recognized: the terminal phase of the deglaciation with melting of the main glaciers, which were located on the surrounding continent and islands, the short thermal optimum from 7.8 ka B.P. to 6.8 ka B.P., a cold mid-Holocene phase with a large reduction of the inflow of Atlantic water, and the inception of the modern hydrological pattern by 4.7 ka B.P. Brine water formation was active during the whole Holocene. The paleoclimatic evolution of the Barents Sea was driven by both high-latitude summer insolation and the intensity of the Atlantic water inflow.

Seawater carbonate chemistry and calcification during experiments with maerl beds, 2007

Maerl community respiration, photosynthesis and calcification were measured seasonally in the Bay of Brest (France). The dynamics of oxygen, carbon and carbonate fluxes at the water-sediment interface were assessed using benthic chambers. Community respiration (CR) fluctuated in accordance with the seasonal changes in water temperature, from 1.5 mmol C m**-2 h**-1 in winter to 8.7 mmol C m**-2 h**-1 in summer. Mean gross community production (GCP) varied significantly among seasons, according to incident irradiance and temperature, from 3.4 mmol C m**-2 h**-1 in winter to 12.7 mmol C m-2 h-1 in summer. Mean annual Pmax for the P-E curve was estimated to 13.3 mmol C m-2 h-1. Carbonate precipitation only occurred during light incubations and varied seasonally from 0.7 mmol CaCO3 m-2 h-1 in winter to 4.2 mmol CaCO3 m-2 h-1 in summer. Mean annual Pmax was 3.2 mmol CaCO3 m-2 h-1. Annual CR was estimated to 407.4 g C m**-2 yr**-1, and GCP, to 240.9 g C m**-2 yr**-1. Maerl communities are, therefore, heterotrophic systems (GCP:CR = 0.6), and are a source of CO2 for surrounding environments. In addition, CO2 released by calcification averaged 39.2 g C m**-2 yr**-1. Maerl community annual carbonate production was estimated to 486.7 g CaCO3 m**-2 yr**-1; they are therefore one of the most important carbonate producers in shallow coastal waters.

Late Holocene diatom abundaces in sediment core HC-11

The study of diatoms in core HC11 collected from the southwestern part of Chukchi Sea, allowed to distinguish 3 diatoms ecological zones, reflecting paleoenvironmental changes during the last 2300 years. The sediment age was based on the sedimentation rates, determined by 210Pb and radiocarbon dating of mollusk shells. The environmental changes of Chukchi Sea revealed by examination of diatoms correlates with global climate changes - the warming of the early and middle Subatlantic and cooling of the late Subatlantic (Little Ice Age). Warming early and middle Subatlantic in the Chukchi Sea was probably stronger than the warming of the late 20th century and was not accompanied by significant changes in sea level.

Marine radiocarbon resservoir effect of coastal waters off Cape Verde Archipelago

Quantification of the marine radiocarbon reservoir effect (R) is essential in order to calibrate conventional 14C dates from marine shell samples with reliability. R also provides information concerning the intensity of coastal upwelling in marine regions influenced by this phenomenon. 14C ages of closely associated marine samples (mollusk shells) and terrestrial samples (goat bones) from São Vicente Island, Cape Verde Archipelago, permitted the first calculation of the marine 14C reservoir effect in this region. A R weighted mean value of 70 ± 70 14C yr was obtained. This value is in accordance with the previously published oceanographic conditions of the region indicating the existence of a seasonal active upwelling regime.

When males are more inclined to stay at home :Insights into the partial migration of a pelagic seabird provided by geolocators and isotopes

Partial migration has never been studied in pelagic seabirds, but investigating old unresolved questions in new contexts can provide useful fresh insights. We used geolocators and stable isotopes to investigate this phenomenon in a migratory pelagic seabird, the Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea). Although most birds migrated to the southern hemisphere, 8.1% of studied birds (N = 172) remained close to the breeding colony (Selvagem Grande, Madeira, Portugal), foraging within the Canary current. Almost all resident birds were males, while age or body size did not predict migratory status. Despite displaying a high repeatability (R = 0.72) in the choice of wintering area, residency was not a fixed strategy and individuals could switch between migrating and staying in the Canary current in different years. The predictions resulting from the “body size” and the “social dominance” hypotheses, in which larger individuals or dominant individuals, respectively, remain closer to the breeding areas, were not supported by our data. Resident males were able to occupy the nesting burrows much earlier than migratory males and arrival time in this species is known to affect the probability of engaging in a reproductive attempt. The selective pressure to arrive early at the colony is therefore the most likely explanation for the maintenance of this partial migration system.

Utilização da berberina na identificação dos mastócitos do molusco Anomalocardia brasiliana

Berberine is an alkaloid used as a fluorochrome in the identification of heparin and DNA. Enerback, 1974, described the technique used until today to study granules rich in heparin of vertebrate mast cells. Santos et al., 2003, studied mast cells of the mollusk Anomalocardia brasiliana using biochemical and histological analysis. This work used the fluorescent dye berberine technique to improve characterization of these cells. Mollusk organs (ctenidium and mantle) were processed with routine histological techniques. Tissue sections were treated with berberine 0,02% in redistilled water acidified to pH 4, by the addition of citric acid for 20 minutes. The visualization was made through fluorescence microscopy with ultraviolet region emission. The mast cell fluorescence had a strong yellow color, where cell nuclei appeared more greenish. This result was very similar to the ones reported before. Mast cells are location at the epithelium surface is the same in both organs, mantle and ctenidium. The fluorescence was easily observed in the granules. Therefore, this technique showed to be good and sensitive to study mast cell of invertebrates

Distribución y abundancia de Opistobranchios (Mollusca) en el área natural protegida complejo Los Cóbanos, Sonsonate, El Salvador

Se estudió la distribución y abundancia de la fauna opistobranchia en cuatro estaciones de monitoreo ubicadas en cuatro playas que forman parte del Área Natural Protegida Complejo Los Cóbanos, siendo estas: playa Los Cóbanos, playa El Faro, playa La Privada y playa de Decameron (Salinitas); en el municipio de Acajutla, departamento de Sonsonate, El Salvador; durante los meses de diciembre de 2014, a abril de 2015. Se utilizó la metodología de transectos lineales de 300m perpendiculares a la costa, en la zona intermareal y cuadrantes de 10m2 aplicando conteos visuales con buceo libre. Se contabilizaron un total de 9 especies, pertenecientes a los órdenes anaspidea, sacoglossa, nudibranchia, cephalaspidea; con un total de 2728 individuos, de estos la especie más abundante fue Elysia diomedea, con 1417 individuos; seguida de Stilocheilus striatus con 1171 individuos. La playa con mayor riqueza de especies fue El Faro y con menor Los Cóbanos; se presentó una mayor abundancia en el mes de abril, y menor abundancia en el mes de febrero. Respecto a la distribución, el mayor número de individuos de Elysia diomedea fueron encontrados a los 200m, Estilocheilus striatus hasta los 200m presenta mayor número de individuos y Dolabrifera dolabrifera presenta mayor número de individuos hasta los 100m, siendo su amplitud de distribución corta; el resto de especies no se puede concluir que presenten una afinidad específica hacia una distancia particular. La similitud entre las especies encontradas fue variada: en el caso de Glossodorys sedna, presentó una similitud del 0% respeto al resto de especies, la mayor similitud corresponde a Elysia diomedea y Stilocheilus striatus, con el 41% de similitud. Respecto a la diversidad, la playa que presentó un mayor valor de diversidad fue La Privada, siendo la menos diversa Decameron. Los datos obtenidos en la presente investigación pueden ser empleados en la planificación de actividades de conservación y manejo sostenible del ecosistema.

Marine radiocarbon resservoir effect of coastal waters off Cape Verde Archipelago

Quantification of the marine radiocarbon reservoir effect (R) is essential in order to calibrate conventional 14C dates from marine shell samples with reliability. R also provides information concerning the intensity of coastal upwelling in marine regions influenced by this phenomenon. 14C ages of closely associated marine samples (mollusk shells) and terrestrial samples (goat bones) from São Vicente Island, Cape Verde Archipelago, permitted the first calculation of the marine 14C reservoir effect in this region. A R weighted mean value of 70 ± 70 14C yr was obtained. This value is in accordance with the previously published oceanographic conditions of the region indicating the existence of a seasonal active upwelling regime.

Características de las enfermedades de transmisión sexual en pacientes atendidos en el Hospital José Carrasco Arteaga, durante el periodo de enero del 2013 - abril del 2015

OBJETIVO: Determinar las características de las enfermedades de transmisión sexual en pacientes que acudieron al Hospital José Carrasco Arteaga, durante el período de enero del 2013 al mes de abril del 2015. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Fue un tipo de estudio descriptivo, el método utilizado fue la revisión de historias clínicas, el instrumento utilizado fue un formulario el cual permitió registrar la información para su posterior análisis y organización en tablas estadísticas. Se utilizó el programa SPSS V 15.0, en el que se creó una base de datos con la información obtenida, se utilizaron tablas que permitió realizar el análisis a través de las medidas estadísticas: distribución de frecuencias y porcentaje. RESULTADOS: De los 145 pacientes, en cuanto a edad y sexo; en el sexo masculino los adultos joven presentaron con mayor frecuencia 52.08% y en los de sexo femenino fue la categoría adulto 52.00%. En el sexo masculino y femenino el estado civil más frecuente fueron los casados representando el 65% y 60.82% La ETS más prevalente en el sexo masculino es el molusco contagioso 33.33 % y en el sexo femenino la Tricomoniasis 52.58%. Dentro del adulto joven y adulto la ETS más frecuente es la Tricomoniasis con el 39.71% y 35.82%; se relaciona con el tratamiento recibido, fueron los antiparasitarios con el 27.50% y 29%. CONCLUSIONES: De las enfermedades de trasmisión sexual la más frecuente fue la tricomoniasis con predominio del sexo femenino