Mercury toxicity in two intertidal tropical marine molluscs

Lethal and sub-lethal effects of mercury have been studied in Perna viridis and Modiolus carvalhoi. For P. viridis LC30 is 1.0 p.p.m. at 48 h and 0.23 p.p.m. at 96 h. Recorded LC50 values for M. carvalhoi are 0.5 p.p.m. and 0.19 p.p.m. at 48 h and 96 h respectively. The results document that these two species, although inhabiting the same area in the tidal belt, exhibit clear differences in mercury resistance. It is further shown that the duration of exposure affects mortality rates. In sub-lethal concentration, between 0.01 and 0.10 p.p.m. decrease in pedal-gland activity is conspicuous in P. viridis. At concentrations much below LC50 values (at 96 h), although some animals are alive, pedal-gland activity is totally suspended, supporting the assumption that shell closure ability plays a minor role in byssus thread production. In M. carvalhoi total cessation of pedal gland activity occurred at 0.09 p.p.m. of mercury.

Acute toxicity of cadmium to six intertidal invertebrates

Following a static bioassay techniques the acute toxicity of cadmium to six species of intertidal invertebrates was determined. The sensitivity of the animals to cadmium was of the following order: Emerita sp. (burrowing crustacean) Donax spiculum (burrowing bivalve) Perna viridis (sedentary bivalve) Sabellaria clandestinus (tube-dwelling polychaete) Modiolus carvalhoi and Modiolus sp. (sedentary bivalves). The above observation was based on the median lethal concentrations recorded for the different species, Emerita sp. 1.35 p.p.m., Donax spiculum 1.8 p.p.m., Perna viridis 2.5 p.p.m., Sabellaria clandestinus 2.8 p.p.m., Modiolus carvalhoi 5.6 p.p.m. and Modiolus sp. 9.6 p.p.m. The findings throw insight into the toxicity of cadmium to the common intertidal animals which are either suspension or detritus feeders.

Filtration in some tropical intertidal bivalves exposed to mercury and cadmium mixtures

Three species of intertidal filter feeding bivalves (Modiolus carvalhoi, Modiolus sp. and Donax spiculum) exposed to mercury and cadmium filtered significantly less volume of water under individual metal and metal mixture stress. Mercury and cadmium in mixtures interacted additively and more than additively (Synergism) in depressing the filtration rate of the bivalves.

Diversity, abundance distribution and secondary production of intertidal and subtidal benthic macrofauna of Bushehr Province with emphasis on annelida groups

The present investigation was undertaken to establish a reference situation for future use, to identify temporal and spatial composition of macrofauna and estimate some ecological indices in the sub tidal waters along the Bushehr coastal waters in Persian Gulf. Six transects were selected including Genaveh, Farakeh, Shif, Bandargah, Rostami and Asalouyeh, at each transect 3 station were sampled in depths of zero, 5 and 10 metres. Sampling was seasonally carried out by a VAN VEEN grab 0.0225 m2, during summer 2008 until spring 2009. Samples were wet sieved immediately using 0.5 mm mesh size sieves and sediment retained in the sieve was preserved in 4% buffered formalin solution. Macrofauna specimen were separated from the sediments using decantation and elutriation methods, enumerated and identified up to the Genus level. Environmental factors such as temperature. pH, and salinity were recorded in field using sensitive probs and refractometer (for salinity) and also sediment samples were taken for TOM and grain size analysis in all the stations. 5611 specimens belonging to 66 genera were collected during the present study. Polychaetes were dominant both in terms of genus number (31) and relative abundance (74 % of total macrofaunal abundance). The other dominant groups were Artheropoda, (16.1%), Molusca (2.8%), Echinodermata (1.29%) and others including Nematoda, Nemertina, Echiura and Turbellaria (5.8%). Thirty one Genera belong of 27 families of polychaeta, one genus and family of Subphylum Chlicerata,19 genera belong to 14 families of Crustacea, 8 genera belong to 6 families of Molusca, were indentified in the studied region. 1 family (Polygordidae) and 3 genera (Flabeligera, Pilargis and Polygordius) of Polychaeta, 1 family (Nymphonidae) and genus (Nymphon) of Chelicerata, 1 Family (Nematoplanidae) and genus (Nematoplana) of Turbellaria, were identified for the first time in Persian Gulf area. The result indicated that macrofauna organism have strong relationship with the grain size characteristics of the sediments they inhabit. The most surface deposit feeder specimens such as Prionospio and Cossura were found in zero meters depth of Genaveh, Farakeh, Bandargah, Rostami and Asalouyeh stations with sandy substratum, however the most burrowing deposit feeder and scavenger specimens such as Capitella and Petaloproctus were collected in 5 and 10 meter depths of stations with silty–clay substratum. The annual mean abundance, Shanon- weiner diversity and evenness of macrofauna were estimated1152.73 N/ m² , 2.72 and 0.792 respectively .The annual average biomass and secondary production were computed 1.797 gDW m² and 3.594 gDW m² y-1 .The average of water temperature, salinity, pH and oxygen concentration were recorded between 16.37-36.05 °C, 38-42 g/l, 7.89-8.76 and 4.23-8.23 mg/l, respectively during this study in 6 studied region. Among of investigated stations Asalouyeh adjacent of effluent canal of Gas and petrochemical industry sewage and Farakeh regions adjacent the Helleh estuary had the lowets and the highest community indices. The average of diversity and density in 5 meters depth stations with moderate of sand, silt and clay were slightly more than 2 other depths stations, it seems that 5 meters stations are made a transition habitats between 2 sandy and clay habitats, that can be used by 2 groups of surface and borrowing deposit feeders. Based on the data provided in this survey, the temperature variation, sediment texture, TOM, type habitat and manmade factors of Gas and petrochemical industries have had the most effect on the macrofauna community structure in the studied region during sampling periods.

The zonation of soft-bottom sediments in Gorgan Bay (Caspian Sea) using macrobenthos as indicator of ecological health

In this study, in order to assess the ecological health status and zoning of soft bottom of Gorgan Bay, the spatial and temporal distribution of macrofauna and their relationship with environmental stress were investigated. Sediment samples were collected using a Van Veen grab at 22 sampling points, seasonally during 2012-2013. The averages (±SD) of the percentages of sand, silt, clay and TOM (Total Organic Matter) in the sediment samples were determined (44.4± 15, 53.4 ± 14, and 2.2 ±2.2 and 7.2% ± 1.6, respectively). Our results showed that mean (range) of Al, As, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn in the sediment samples were 1.2 % (0.4-2.1), 4.8 (2.5- 10.3) ppm, 10.5 (4.4-16.9) ppm, 1 (0.4 – 1.6) % , 13.6 (6.2-21.5) ppm, 9.1 (4.7-12.9) ppm and 23.9 (3.1-39.4) ppm, respectively. In spring, both Al and Ni were higher than the guideline level. In the event that arsenic was exceeds the guidelines in summer. In this study, 14 species of macrofauna from 12 families were identified. Polychaeta with 3 species was the most dominant group in terms of abundance. The four most abundant taxa making up 85% of all specimens (Streblospio gynobranchiata, Tubificidae, Hediste versicolor and Abra segmentum). The western area were characterized by the higher species diversity (H', 1.94). So Gorgan Bay presents transitional macrobenthic assemblages that are spatially distributed along substrate gradients .The mean of Shannon index, BENTIX, BO2A, AMBI and M-AMBI in the bay was 1.3, 2.2, 0.4, 3.2 and 0.65 respectively. According to the results of these indices, ecological status of the western part of the bay assessed better than the other parts. According to the results of the nmMDS (non-metric Multidimensional Scaling), PCA (Principal Components Analysis), the map of distribution of heavy metals and the map of the ecological status , it seems Gorgan Bay is divided into two separate zones (the eastern and the western parts).M-AMBI finaly introduced reliable index for assessing the ecological status of the Bay.

Chemical ecology fatty acids of mollusks dominant species in intertidal zone of Chabahar Bay

Chemical ecology is the science of study and analysis of natural chemical products in result of biochemical processes in organisms and their reactions to variations of ecological and environmental parameters. In marine chemical ecology the existence of natural products in aquatic organisms and their ecological roles in marine animals and their reactions to environmental parameters variations will be studied. Among them, fatty acids are the most various and abundant ones in natural products which had been extracted from many marine organisms such as mollusks and algae. In this study selected animals were the dominant species of mollusks in intertidal zone of chabahar bay including gastropods, bivalves and polyplacophora classes. Nerita textilis and Turbo coronatus species are among gastropoda, Saccostrea cucullata is from bivalve, and Chiton lamyi is from polyplacophora. After seasonal sampling, separation and identification of natural products of these species, fatty acids had been isolated and identified by GC mass chromatography and their seasonal variations had been identified. In addition environmental factors of the location including pH, salinity temperature, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a and nutrients were measured monthly. Then the effect of seasonal variations of environmental factors on fatty acids had been studied by applying statistical analysis. GC/MS resulted thirteen fatty acids, which the most importants were myristic, stearic, oleic, palmitoleic, arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids. In majority of species palmitic acid was most abundant than the others and saturatedes had the most percentage levels than unsaturated ones. Although seasonal variations of identified fatty acids was not similar in species, but the majority of unsaturated ones had their maximum during winter, while saturated acids reached their maximum in summer. Statistical Analysis showed the strong correlations between Environmental factors and some fatty acids and temperature, nitrate, silicate and pH had strong correlations in all species. The species was studied from the point of lipid content and the results showed a good quality of lipid content in the selected species in the intertidal zone of Chabahar bay.

Study of distribution, growth and reproduction polychaetes Nereidae in intertidal zone of Bandar Abbas and effect dominant species on white Indian shrimp brood stocks (Fenneropenaeus indicus)

Distribution of polychaetes worms Nereidae in intertidal zone of Bandar Abbass indicated that distribution rate of worms from the west to east for the reason status of seabed type, habitat and feeding substrate used to worms increased. Also investigation description that last-mentioned worms are belong to Nereididae family, Perinereis genus and species of Perinereis nuntia. By viewpoint seabed soil types experiments implement indicated Nereididae worms have higher survival with sandy clay loam soil texture. Statistical analysis showed positive relation coefficient correlation of Pearson between substrate type to frequency of worms and too substrate type with soil organic matter value (P<0.05). By viewpoint feeding also experiments with different feed treatment indicated that Nereid worms is Omnivore but in natural condition more utilized algae substrate special Entermorpha and survival rate had the worms last-mentioned in dietary treatments on this algae 93/3% different significant with other treatments (P<0.05). In this project pond-reared white Indian shrimp (Fenneropenaeus indicus) were used in four maturation and spawning trials lasting 60 days. one group of shrimps was fed a formulated pelleted special of broodstock diet only, a second group was fed squid meat diet; a third group of shrimps with mollusca (Solen vagina) meat diet and fourth group was fed polychaete worms Nereidae family, collected in intertidal zone of Bandar Abbass. Four types of dietary treatments (M1, M4) were given to separate batches that were run in three duplicate. Results of experiments demonstrate that more grew rate and maturation and spawning rate and we found that shrimps fed with polychaete worms have the best condition and then shrimps fed with solen. This is demonstrate furthermore environmental circumstance, endocrine hormone, types of feed important of maturation and spawning of shrimps and in polychaete worms used HUFA help to maturation ovarian in shrimp.

Six new records of intertidal polychaetes from Pakistan

This paper describes six species of polychaete worms, which are new records from Pakistan. The species are: Arabella iricolor (Montagu), Capitella capitata (Fabricius), Mesochaetopterus sagittarius (Claparede), Phyllochaetopterus herdmani Willey, Lysidice natalensis Kinberg and Marphysa depressa (Schmarda).

Investigation on reproduction process in two species of crab, Eriphia sebana and Ocypode saratan in the intertidal zone of Chabahar area

The present study with headline investigation on reproduction in two species of crab Eriphia sebana and Ocypode saratan was carried out in the intertidal zone of Chabahar in thirteen month from December 2004 to December 2005. Checked samplings have been taken, 45 number Crab monthly from any four stations by manual or use trap. During this study the following subjects were measured: temperature range and salinity, measurable coast granule, determination of sex ratio, relations carapace width with carapace length, Carapace width with total body weight, Gonad weight, gonadosomatic index, condition factor, gastrosomatic index, investigation content in stomach, LM50, growth parameters, plenty distribution length and width and gonad weight and total body weight. Studied on measurable coast granule were expressed that Ocypode saratan in Desalination station, were nest in soils equable sand and this quantity were confirmed in Pozm station. Sex ratio were assign in desalination area and Pozm M: F 0/44:0/56 and in Tiss and Chabahar M:F 0/45:0/55. Carapace length and carapace width (cm) and body weight (g) Furthest were designated in Ocypode saratan within carapace width sequential: In female: 5/42-6/15-105/13 and in male: 5/53-6/25-108/91 and in Eriphia sebana within Tiss area sequential: in female: 5/12-5/94-110/21 and in male 5/14-60/01-114/37. Have been linear relationship between carapace length and carapace width and equaled CW=aCL+b. Weight growth in two species were be modal and equaled BW=aCLb And increased crab weight by built up carapace width. Maximum gonad weight in Ocypode saratan within Desalination area in female have been outcome 3/39 and in male 0/84g and in Eriphia sebana extreme within Tiss during may in female were be 4/18 and in male 1/1g. Stomach content in Eriphia sebana were involved a black until half-purplish liquid and yellowish in Ocypode saratan. Stomach contents identifiable were being in four groups: Molluscoid, Crustacean, Plankton and Fish. Carapace width during the first year of maturation have been LM50:3/77 in Desalination area and LM50:3/92 in Pozm for Ocypode saratan and LM50:4/26 in Tiss and LM50:4/62 in Chabahar. Ability spawning in Eriphia sebana within Tiss has been CW=4/17cm and in Ocypode saratan within Desalination area CW=4/23cm. Maximun value of Loo for Eriphia sebana was equal 59/67 and growth factor K=0/68 within Tiss and Loo =61/64, K=0/65 for Ocypode saratan within Desalination area. Maximun GSI and GI have been within Desalination area and Tiss and minimum within Pozm and Chabahar. The maturity stages of two species were classifed into six stages. Review on GSI, CF have been showed that relation with temperature and salinity and definer in two species have been spawned in two period that Maximun in spring premier than autumn.

Daily timing of emersion and elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration affect photosynthetic performance of the intertidal macroalga Ulva lactuca (Chlorophyta) in sunlight

The lunar day differs in length from the solar day so that times of low tide vary from day to day. Thus, aerial exposure of intertidal seaweeds may be during the day or during the night. We measured photosynthetic CO, assimilation rates of the intertidal green macroalga Ulva lactuca during exposures of varied daily timings during sunny days of summer to establish how photosynthetic performance responds to emersion timing under varied CO2 levels [at ambient (360 ppmv) and 2x ambient (720 ppmv) atmospheric CO2 concentrations]. There was an increase in net photosynthetic rates following some duration of exposure when the initial timing of exposure occurred during early morning (06.30 h) and late afternoon (17.15 h). In contrast, net rates exhibited a sharp decline with exposure duration when the initial timing of exposure occurred at 09.30 h, 15.30 h and especially at noon (12.30 h), implying the occurrence of a severe photoinhibition resulting from mid-day insolation. Doubled atmospheric CO2 concentration significantly enhanced the emersed photosynthetic rates, indicating that the emersed photosynthesis is CO2-limited at ambient CO2 levels. However, increasing CO2 barely stimulates the emersed photosynthetic rates during mid-day insolation.

Responses of dark respiration in the light to desiccation and temperature in the intertidal macroalga, Ulva lactuca (Chorophyta) during emersion

Dark respiration (nonphotorespiratory mitochondrial CO2 release) in the light (R-L) of the intertidal macroalga Ulva lactuca (Chorophyta) during emersion was investigated with respect to its response to variations in temperature and desiccation. R-L was estimated by CO2 gas-exchange analysis using the Kok effect method, whereas dark respiration in darkness (R-D) was determined from CO2 release at zero light. Rates of R, were significantly and consistently lower than those of R-D in emersed U. lactuca across all the temperature and desiccation levels measured. This demonstrated that dark respiration was partially depressed in the light, with the percentage inhibition ranging from 32 to 62%. Desiccation exerted a negative effect on R-L and R-D at a high temperature, 33 degrees C, whereas it had much less effect on respiration at low and moderate temperatures, 23 and 28 degrees C. In general, R-L and R-D increased with increasing temperature in U. lactuca during all stages of emersion but responded less positively to temperature change with increasing desiccation. Additionally, the Q(10) value (i.e. the proportional increase of respiration for each 10 degrees C rise in temperature) for R-L calculated over the temperature range of 23 to 33 degrees C was significantly higher than that for R-D in U. lactuca during the initial stages of emersion. Respiratory carbon loss as a percentage of gross photosynthetic carbon gain increased with increasing temperature and/or desiccation but was significantly reduced when estimated using R-L rather than R-D. It is suggested that measurements of R-L and how it changes in a variable environment are as important as estimates of R-D and photosynthesis in determining simultaneous balance between photosynthetic carbon uptake and respiratory carbon loss and in modeling the net daily carbon gain for an intertidal macroalga.

Photosynthetic recovery of desiccated intertidal seaweeds after rehydration

Intertidal seaweeds experience periodical desiccation and rehydration to different extents due to the tidal cycles and their vertical distributions. Their photosynthetic recovery process during the rehydration may show different patterns among the seaweeds from different zonations or depths at intertidal zone. In this study 12 species of seaweeds collected from the upper, middle, lower and sublittoral zones were examined. The relationship of the photosynthetic recovery to vertical distribution was assessed by comparing their patterns of photosynthetic and respiratory performances after rehydration following desiccation. Both the photosynthesis and dark respiration declined during emersion, showing certain degrees of recovery after re-immersion into seawater for most species, but the extents were markedly different from one species to the other. The species from upper intertidal zone after being rehydrated for 1 hour, following 2 hours of desiccation, achieved 100 % recovery of their initial physiological activity, while most of the lower or sublittoral species did not achieve full recovery. It is the ability to withstand desiccation stress (fast recovery during rehydration), but not that to avoid desiccation (water retaining ability) that determines the distribution of intertidal seaweeds. Such physiological behavior during rehydration after desiccation reflects the adaptive strategy of intertidal seaweeds against desiccation and their capability of primary production in the process of rehydration.

Cultivation of the intertidal brown alga Hizikia fusiformis (Harvey) Okamura: mass production of zygote-derived seedlings under commercial cultivation conditions, a case study experience

Mariculture of the brown alga Hizikia fusiformis (Harvey) Okamura as an export-oriented human food has been there more for than 20 years in China. It is now one of the five major farmed algal species along the Chinese coast. Stable and sufficient supply of young seedlings for scaling up the cultivation has been a problem throughout the farming history of this species due to the unique dioecious life cycle and relatively short time window of sexual reproduction in nature. These two factors led to a practical difficulty in obtaining zygotes at identical developmental stage in viable amounts for seedling production. A key solution to this problem is to control the synchronization of the receptacle development and to realize the simultaneous discharge of male and female gametes, such that the fertilization rate could be greatly enhanced. Focusing on one of the farmed populations in this report, we present our results on mass production of seedlings using the synchronization technique on a large scale performed in 2007. Totally 5.5 hundred million embryos were obtained from 100 kg female sporophytes. The seedlings were raised up to 3.5 mm in length in greenhouse tanks over a month and were further grown in open sea for over 3 months at two experimental sites. The success of mass production of seedlings in this alga helped to lay the basis for future trials in other species in the genus of Sargassum that have identical life cycle.

Enrichment of the hydrogen-producing microbial community from marine intertidal sludge by different pretreatment methods

To determine the effects of pretreatment on hydrogen production and the hydrogen-producing microbial community, we treated the sludge from the intertidal zone of a bathing beach in Tianjin with four different pretreatment methods, including acid treatment, heat-shock, base treatment as well as freezing and thawing. The results showed that acid pretreatment significantly promoted the hydrogen production by sludge and provided the highest efficiency of hydrogen production among the four methods. The efficiency of the hydrogen production of the acid-pretreated sludge was 0.86 +/- 0.07 mol H-2/mol glucose (mean +/- S.E.), whereas that of the sludge treated with heat-shock, freezing and thawing, base method and control was 0.41 +/- 0.03 mol H-2/mol glucose, 0.17 +/- 0.01 mol H-2/mol glucose, 0.11 +/- 0.01 mol H-2/mol glucose and 0.20 +/- 0.04 mol H-2/mol glucose, respectively. The result of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) showed that pretreatment methods altered the composition of the microbial community that accounts for hydrogen production. Acid and heat pretreatments were favorable to enrich the dominant hydrogen-producing bacterium, i.e. Clostridium sp., Enterococcus sp. and Bacillus sp., However, besides hydrogen-producing bacteria, much non-hydrogen-producing Lactobacillus sp. was also found in the sludge pretreated with base, freezing and thawing methods. Therefore, based on our results, we concluded that, among the four pretreatment methods using acid, heat-shock, base or freezing and thawing, acid pretreatment was the most effective method for promoting hydrogen production of microbial community. (C) 2009 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evidences of the intertidal red alga Grateloupia turuturu in turning Vibrio parahaemolyticus into non-culturable state in the presence of light

Grateloupia turuturu, previously known as Grateloupia doryphora, has been widely reported to be an invasive algal species. There are no studies to relate the impact of its existence on its surrounding environment. In this paper, we present our results to show that about 70% of individuals collected from the field could turn Vibrio parahaemolyticus into non-culturable state on both selective (TCBS) and non-selective (2216E) culture medium in 24 h in the presence of light in live algal culture. Total bacteria counts on TCBS and 2216E plates dropped from the initial 565 (174) and 1192 (60) cfu ml(-1) respectively to zero in 24 h. This effect disappeared when the alga was grown in darkness. The same effect was not found in two other intertidal macroalgae Laminaria japonica and Palmaria palmata. Further tests showed that the settlement ability of bacteria in seawater was impaired significantly in the presence of this alga in comparison with three other algal species. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.