Manual for the Sampling Design Tool for ArcGIS

The Biogeography Branch’s Sampling Design Tool for ArcGIS provides a means to effectively develop sampling strategies in a geographic information system (GIS) environment. The tool was produced as part of an iterative process of sampling design development, whereby existing data informs new design decisions. The objective of this process, and hence a product of this tool, is an optimal sampling design which can be used to achieve accurate, high-precision estimates of population metrics at a minimum of cost. Although NOAA’s Biogeography Branch focuses on marine habitats and some examples reflects this, the tool can be used to sample any type of population defined in space, be it coral reefs or corn fields.

Atlas of the shallow-water benthic habitats of Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands

Digital maps of the shallow (<~30m deep) coral reef ecosystems of Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands, were created through visual interpretation of remote sensing imagery acquired between 2004 and 2006. Reef ecosystem features were digitized directly into a Geographic Information System. Benthic features were categorized according to a classification scheme with attributes including zone (location such as lagoon or forereef, etc.), structure (bottom type such as sand or patch reef, etc.) and percent hard bottom. This atlas consists of 27 detailed maps displaying reef zone and structure of coral ecosystems around Majuro. Adjacent maps in the atlas overlap slightly to ensure complete coverage. Maps and associated products can be used to support science and management activities on Majuro reef ecosystems including inventory, monitoring, conservation, and sustainable development applications. Maps are not to be used for navigation.

Boundary options for a research area within Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary

Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) is exploring the concept of a research area (RA) within its boundaries. The idea of a research area was first suggested in public scoping meetings held prior to the review of the Gray’s Reef Management Plan. An RA is a region specifically designed for conducting controlled scientific studies in the absence of confounding factors. As a result, a multidisciplinary group gathered by GRNMS was convened to consider the issue. This Research Area Working Group (RAWG) requested that a suite of analyses be conducted to evaluate the issue quantitatively. To meet this need, a novel selection procedure and geographic information system (GIS) was created to find the optimal location for an RA while balancing the needs of research and existing users. This report and its associated GIS files describe the results of the requested analyses and enable further quantitative investigation of this topic by the RAWG and GRNMS.

Atlas of the shallow-water benthic habitats of American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Service (NOS) initiated a coral reef research program in 1999 to map, assess, inventory, and monitor U.S. coral reef ecosystems (Monaco et al. 2001). These activities were implemented in response to requirements outlined in the Mapping Implementation Plan developed by the Mapping and Information Synthesis Working Group (MISWG) of the Coral Reef Task Force (CRTF) (MISWG 1999). As part of the MISWG of the CRTF, NOS' Biogeography Branch has been charged with the development and implementation of a plan to produce comprehensive digital coral-reef ecosystem maps for all U.S. States, Territories, and Commonwealths within five to seven years. Joint activities between Federal agencies are particularly important to map, research, monitor, manage, and restore coral reef ecosystems. In response to the Executive Order 13089 and the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, NOS is conducting research to digitally map biotic resources and coordinate a long-term monitoring program that can detect and predict change in U.S. coral reefs, and their associated habitats and biological communities. Most U.S. coral reef resources have not been digitally mapped at a scale or resolution sufficient for assessment, monitoring, and/or research to support resource management. Thus, a large portion of NOS' coral reef research activities has focused on mapping of U.S. coral reef ecosystems. The map products will provide the fundamental spatial organizing framework to implement and integrate research programs and provide the capability to effectively communicate information and results to coral reef ecosystem managers. Although the NOS coral program is relatively young, it has had tremendous success in advancing towards the goal to protect, conserve, and enhance the health of U.S. coral reef ecosystems. One objective of the program was to create benthic habitat maps to support coral reef research to enable development of products that support management needs and questions. Therefore this product was developed in collaboration with many U.S. Pacific Territory partners. An initial step in producing benthic habitat maps was the development of a habitat classification scheme. The purpose of this document is to outline the benthic habitat classification scheme and protocols used to map American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Thirty-two distinct benthic habitat types (i.e., four major and 14 detailed geomorphological structure classes; eight major and 18 detailed biological cover types) within eleven zones were mapped directly into a geographic information system (GIS) using visual interpretation of orthorectified IKONOS satellite imagery. Benthic features were mapped that covered an area of 263 square kilometers. In all, 281 square kilometers of unconsolidated sediment, 122 square kilometers of submerged vegetation, and 82.3 square kilometers of coral reef and colonized hardbottom were mapped.

A habitat-use model to determine essential fish habitat for juvenile brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus) in Galveston Bay, Texas

A density prediction model for juvenile brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus) was developed by using three bottom types, five salinity zones, and four seasons to quantify patterns of habitat use in Galveston Bay, Texas. Sixteen years of quantitative density data were used. Bottom types were vegetated marsh edge, submerged aquatic vegetation, and shallow nonvegetated bottom. Multiple regression was used to develop density estimates, and the resultant formula was then coupled with a geographical information system (GIS) to provide a spatial mosaic (map) of predicted habitat use. Results indicated that juvenile brown shrimp (<100 mm) selected vegetated habitats in salinities of 15−25 ppt and that seagrasses were selected over marsh edge where they co-occurred. Our results provide a spatially resolved estimate of high-density areas that will help designate essential fish habitat (EFH) in Galveston Bay. In addition, using this modeling technique, we were able to provide an estimate of the overall population of juvenile brown shrimp (<100 mm) in shallow water habitats within the bay of approximately 1.3 billion. Furthermore, the geographic range of the model was assessed by plotting observed (actual) versus expected (model) brown shrimp densities in three other Texas bays. Similar habitat-use patterns were observed in all three bays—each having a coefficient of determination >0.50. These results indicate that this model may have a broader geographic application and is a plausible approach in refining current EFH designations for all Gulf of Mexico estuaries with similar geomorphological and hydrological characteristics.

Spawning cycles and habitats for ballyhoo (Hemiramphus brasiliensis) and balao (H. balao) in south Florida

Two halfbeak species, ballyhoo (Hemiramphus brasiliensis) and balao (H. balao), are harvested as bait in south Florida waters, and recent changes in fishing effort and regulations prompted this investigation of the overlap of halfbeak fishing grounds and spawning grounds. Halfbeaks were sampled aboard commercial fishing vessels, and during fishery-independent trips, to determine spatial and temporal spawning patterns of both species. Cyclic patterns of gonadosomatic indices (GSIs) indicated that both species spawned during spring and summer months. Histological analysis demonstrated that specific stages of oocyte development can be predicted from GSI values; for example, female ballyhoo with GSIs >6.0 had hydrated oocytes that were 2.0−3.5 mm diameter. Diel changes in oocyte diameters and histological criteria demonstrated that final oocyte maturation occurred over a 30- to 36-hour period and that ballyhoo spawned at dusk. Hydration of oocytes began in the morning, and ovulation occurred at sunset of that same day; therefore females with hydrated oocytes were ready to spawn within hours. We compared maps of all locations where fish were collected to maps of locations where spawning females (i.e. females with GSIs >6.0) were collected to determine the degree of overlap of halfbeak fishing and spawning grounds. We also used geographic information system (GIS) data to describe the depth and bottom type of halfbeak spawning grounds. Ballyhoo spawned all along the coral reef tract of the Atlantic Ocean, inshore of the reef tract, and in association with bank habitats within Florida Bay. In the Atlantic Ocean, balao spawned along the reef tract and in deeper, more offshore waters than did ballyhoo; balao were not found inshore of the coral reef tract or in Florida Bay. Both halfbeak species, considered together, spawned throughout the fishing grounds of south Florida.

Integration of submersible transect data and high-resolution multibeam sonar imagery for a habitat-based groundfish assessment of Heceta Bank, Oregon

In the face of dramatic declines in groundfish populations and a lack of sufficient stock assessment information, a need has arisen for new methods of assessing groundfish populations. We describe the integration of seafloor transect data gathered by a manned submersible with high-resolution sonar imagery to produce a habitat-based stock assessment system for groundfish. The data sets used in this study were collected from Heceta Bank, Oregon, and were derived from 42 submersible dives (1988–90) and a multibeam sonar survey (1998). The submersible habitat survey investigated seafloor topography and groundfish abundance along 30-minute transects over six predetermined stations and found a statistical relationship between habitat variability and groundfish distribution and abundance. These transects were analyzed in a geographic information system (GIS) by using dynamic segmentation to display changes in habitat along the transects. We used the submersible data to extrapolate fish abundance within uniform habitat patches over broad areas of the bank by means of a habitat classification based on the sonar imagery. After applying a navigation correction to the submersible-based habitat segments, a good correlation with major boundaries on the backscatter and topographic boundaries on the imagery were apparent. Extrapolation of the extent of uniform habitats was made in the vicinity of the dive stations and a preliminary stock assessment of several species of demersal fish was calculated. Such a habitat-based approach will allow researchers to characterize marine communities over large areas of the seafloor.

全球变化下中国东北样带植物多样性梯度分析及气候-NDVI-植被的关系研究

中国东北样带（NorthEast China Transect, NECT）是位于中纬度温带以降水量作为主要驱动因素的陆地样带。本文的工作以此作为研究平台，利用生态信息系统（Ecological Information System, EIS）以及Microsoft Excel 7.0软件包建立了样带的地理数据库和植物多样性数据库，包括气候数据库、植被数据库、遥感数据库和内蒙内C_4植物数据库以及样带内生态系统特征数据库。在此基础上，主要研究了以下四个方面的内容： 1. 利用Holdridge的生命地带方法对NECT内的生物群区进行了划分。 主要是确定了生物群区间过渡带的位置与宽度，并预测了在全球变化三种模式下NECT内生物群区，尤其是过渡带的变化图景。湿度升高2 ℃后，过渡带的面积都呈扩大化的趋势。森林区对于降水量的变化反应很敏感。荒漠灌丛（即荒漠草原类型）由于其水热条件处于样带内较极端类型，因而对于全球气候变化反应也比较敏感。 2. 研究了NECT内的α、β多样性以及包括生活型、水分生态型、区系地理成分等在内的植物群落特征多样性的梯度变化规律。 研究了样带内的多样性梯度，提出了在样带内存在的α多样性测度问题以及β多样性沿样带的变化规律：样带内由东到西，β多样性逐渐升高，群落内物种被替代的速率变慢;两种植被类型边界上的两个样地之间的相似程度由东到西呈上升趋势;同一类型群落之间的物种周转率比不同类型群落间的物种周转率相对要低。同时将各个环境因子与α、β多样性作了回归分析，找出样带内决定α、β多样性的主要环境因子指标。 样带内沿43.5°N一线附近植物群落的生活型共有17类，水分生态型8类，区系地理成分包括17类，以此为基础分析了群落特征沿样带的变化规律。并探讨了生活型分布的历史地理原因。 3. 对样带气候－NDVI间的关系以及植被－NDVI的关系进行了探讨。 利用来自气象卫星的遥感数据一归一化植被指数（NDVI），和数值化后的样带1:100万植被图进行叠加，找到NECT内每种植被类型对应的NDVI值。样带内共有植被类型147种，反映在NDVI变化上的植被类型有106类。其中，自然植被101种。 影响年均NDVI分布的因子主要有经度、辐射日照百分率及7月温度，与经度呈正相关，与辐射日照时数及7月温度呈负相关。回归方程如下： NDVI = -220.426 + 3.273Lon - 80.338Ratio - 1.962T_7 (R~2 = 0.9714, F = 521.52, p < 0.001) 4. 研究了NECT内的光合功能型。 主要包括内蒙古地区的C_4植物及其生态地理特性。揭标C_4植物的分类群特性、生活型、水分生态型与区系地理成分等生态学特性。C_4植物分布的科属极其集中。C_4光合型为维管植物某些分类群（科、属、种）的特性，为它们固有的遗传特性。推断C_4起源于草本的某些科属。C_4植物为喜热、耐旱的类群。世界种、泛热带种、泛地中海种C_4植物较集中。 样带内的C_3、C_4功能型及其与环境因子的相关性。样带内C_4和C_3光合型植物组成比例由东到西表现出两高两低的趋势。分布主要与年均温和降水量呈显著相关。 提出了一种新的C_3、C_4鉴别方法。即根据野外测定的光合数据建立了C_3、C_4的判别模型： f_1(x) = -1.5493 + 0.1427Pn + 0.1035Tr + 0.3768ΔT + 0.1000Gs f_2(x) = -15.6142 + 1.0542Pn - 0.2503Tr - 0.2957ΔT + 0.6491Gs 最后，综合7个GCMs模型（GFDL，GISS，LLNL，MPI，OSU，UKMOH，UKMOL）的输出结果，利用此结果和本文建立的回归模型，模拟了样带内生物多样性的窨分布格局，并预测了末来全球变化下归一化植被指数NDVI的空间分布格局的变化。

内蒙古锡林河流域空间生态学研究

本文从物种和景观两个组织水平上研究了气候、土壤、地形等自然环境因子和人类活动因子对生物空间分布格局的影响。基于锡林河流域地理信息系统各环境因子的专题数据，利用空间异质性分析方法研究了锡林河流域环境因子的空间分布格局;基于锡林河流域野外调查数据，运用空间异质性分析方法研究了重要物种的空间分布格局，并采用典范对应分析(Canomc Correspondence Analvsis，CCA)方法分析了物种分布与环境因子的关系：基于锡林河流域地理信息系统各环境因子的专题数据，研究了锡林河流域植被斑块的空间格局特征及其与环境因子的关系，并采用典范对应分析方法分析了植被类型组成与环境因子的关系：基于内蒙古草原生态系统定位研究站放牧样地的样方调查数据．采用空间异质性分析方法，研究了放牧压力对物种空间分布格局的影响：基于多年的卫星遥感数据，采用建模和对比等方法，研究了定居放牧方式下植被状况空间变化规律及植被状况时空变化与人类活动、社会经济发展的关系。通过上述分析，得到的主要结论如下： 1、锡林河流域各个环境因子都具有自己的空间特征尺度，共同形成多尺度等级体系，按特征尺度的大小可以分为如下3个组： ·小尺度组(15km左右)：有机暖、全N的较小的特征尺度 ·中尺度组(30～50km)：T1，碳酸钙含量．PER、全N和海拔高度的较小的特征尺度 ·大尺度组(100km左右)：ANNR，PER、全N和海拔高度的较大的特征尺度多尺度等级的生态学意义是它反映生态变量异质斑块的镶嵌和包含特征，环境因子多尺度等级体系反映共性，具有普遍性：反映生态关系，具有生态学意义。 2、对物种空间异质性的Mantel检验和半方差分析得到了一致的结果产即羊草、糙隐子草和星毛萎菱菜在锡林河流域的空间分布呈现随机特征，而大针茅和冷蒿则表现为十分显著的格局特征。按分布格局的显著程度从大到小排列为冷蒿>大针茅>星毛萎菱菜>糙隐子草>羊草。理论半方差图显示大针茅和冷蒿的空间自相关域分别为30．447公里和30公里。物种空间分布格局是受自然条件、人类活动以及它们自身的生理生态特征综合决定的，物种自身的生理生态特征决定了它们对外界环境变化的适应性反应机制，而自然与人类活动这两种因素在空间的交错配置决定了物种适应性反应的方向和程度，从而综合导致物种空间分布格局的形成。 3、对锡林河流域物种分布与环境因子关系的CCA分析和交叉半方差方法分析显示：1)气候因子(11个指标)、土壤性状因子(3个指标)和地形因子(3个指标)对物种分布的贡献率分别为11．2％、9．5％和11％，三者总和为31．7％。2)各个环境因子对物种分布空间作用方向具有一致性，物种分布与环境因子几乎都在135。和157．5。两个方向上具有相对明显的相关性，从锡林河流域来看，这两个方向反映了气候、土壤以及地形从东南往西北的变化梯度方向。 4、对锡林河流域14个植被景观指数进行的PCA分析表明，锡林河流域植被斑块空间分布的物理特征主要表现在斑块的数目和大小方面，其次是在斑块的多样性方面，并可将它们分为4个组，分别反映锡林河流域植被斑块的不同特征： ·第一组：NP、PRD、LPI、MPS、PSSD和TE，主要反映景观斑块在数量和大小方面的特征; ·第二组：SHDI、SIDI、SHEI和SIEI，主要反映景观斑块的多样性特征; ·第三组：PSCV和[J]．主要反映景观斑块之间的相互邻接程度; ·第四组：MSI和AWMSI，主要反映景观斑块的形状特征。 MPS和PSSD两个指数与环境因子无论是在相关系数的性质还是显著程度上都保持了很好的一致性，它们与纬度(LAT)及可能蒸散率(PER)呈极显著的正相关关系，而与经度(LNG)、海拔高度(ALT)、年平均降水量(ANNR)及土壤有机质含量(0RG)呈极显著的负相关关系：平均形状指数(MSI)只与LAT呈显著的正相关关系;多样性指数和扩散毗连指数与任何一个环境因子都没有表现出显著的相关性。 5、锡林河流域植被分布与环境因子的关系CCA排序方法分析表明，气候因子(11个指标)、土壤性状因子(3个指标)和地形因子(3个指标)对植被分布的贡献率分别为19.8%、11.1%和14.5%，三者总和为45.4％。环境因子在植被和物种两个水平上的贡献率表现了相似的特点，自然环境因子不能完全解释植被的空间分布，人类活动的影响应该受到重视。 6、放牧压力对物种空间分布格局的研究表明： ·牧压对温带典型草原物种的空间分布格局有明显的影响。随着牧云的增大，属于原生群落物种的羊草与大针茅空间分布的随机性减小，空间自相关尺度逐渐增大;而对于退化过程中的入侵物种冷蒿和星毛萎菱菜，其空间分布的随机性逐渐增大．空间自相关尺度也呈增大趋势。在牧压胁迫超过一定水平时，冷蒿空间分布的自相关尺度开始下降，而星毛萎菱菜的空间分布格局则表现出强烈的随机性。 ·物种空间格局的变化是反映群落演替过程较为稳定的特征，适用于不同放牧条件下 群落之间的比较。 7、利用遥感数据对人类活动对植被影响的研究表明： ·定居放牧方式下，NDVI随定居点距离的变化格局经历了3个阶段。第一阶段，草场处于原生阶段，NDVI不随距离变化;第二阶段，定居点附近开始局部退化，NDVI随距离增加而增大：第三阶段，退化区域扩大，NDVI不随距离变化。 ·在草场局部退化阶段，NDVI随距离的变化呈对数函数规律，定居点的放牧区具有放牧半径、原生NDVI值、NDVI变化率等特征。根据这些特征、NDVI对数规律以及NDVI与地上生物量的关系可以推测定居点的总载畜量。 ·锡林河流域从87年到85年NDVI值降低最大的区域为流域的中部和南部，这与这一区域人类活动强度以及社会经济发展具有密切关系。

Effect of furanace on the development of larval stages of Penaeus monodon Fabricius

Zoea 2(Z SUB-2 ) Mysis 1 (M SUB-1 ) and Postlarva 1 (P SUB-1 ) of P. monodon artificially spawned in closed-system concrete hatchery tanks were bioassayed for their tolerance to the antibiotic furanace. The setup consisted of four 20-liter capacity plastic basins previously conditioned for 15 days with freshwater in full sunlight. During the experiment, each basin was filled with 5 liters of seawater to which was added filtered Chaetoceros and Brachionus to give densities of 5 . 0-7 . 5 x 10 SUP-4 cells/ml and 10-20 individuals/ml, respectively. The following are the properties of the water used throughout the experiments: salinity, 26-32%; pH, 7 . 3-8 . 4; temperature, 25-30 degree C; dissolved oxygen, 4 . 5-8 . 4 ppm; nitrite, 0 . 36-0 . 99 ppm; and ammonia, 0 . 10-0 . 30 ppm. To each basin were added 50 healthy larvae of specific stages of P. monodon. After an initial acclimation of one hour in the medium, preweighed amounts of the antibiotic were added and thoroughly dissolved. The concentrations tested were 1 . 0, 2 . 0 and 3 . 0 ppm. One basin always served as control. After 24 hours of exposure, the surviving population in each basin was counted. The survivors were then examined thoroughly under the microscope for unusual behavior and morphological defects brought about by the exposure. To minimize wide variations in the medium as a result of feeding and other manipulations, the systems were all prepared at 9:00 a.m. each time, and the feeds on two instances, one at 5:00 p.m. and another at 5:00 a.m. Fifteen trials conducted with Z SUB-2 showed survival ranges of 68% to 98% with a mean of 77 . 6% in the controls; 32% to 94% with a mean of 65 . 7% at 1 ppm, and 0% to 56% with a mean of 36 . 5% at 2 ppm. There were no survivors at 3 ppm. Interpolation from the survival-dose curve gave a 24-hr LC SUB-50 of approximately 1 . 6 ppm.

地理信息系统及其在动物空间行为研究中的应用

空间属性是动物行为的重要特征,也是行为生态学研究中必须要面对的难题之一.地理信息系统(Geographic Information System,GIS)具有强大的空间分析功能,它在动物行为生态学研究中得到了越来越广泛的应用,如生境选择、领域分析、迁徙路线、活动节律等.本文较系统地阐述了GIS的原理以及在行为生态学研究中所涉及的基本概念和原理,对近年来利用GIS进行的行为生态学研究做了回顾和总结,并对其未来的发展进行了展望.

Report of the training in database and spatial analysis for Marine Protected Areas staff in Indonesia's BOBLME region, Medan, Indonesia, 30 June-4 July, 2015

Training included: Geographic Information System (GIS)concept and software; Global Positioning System (GPS); Ecological Gap Analysis and Marine Protected Area (MPA) design using Marine Reserve Design using Spatially Explicit Annealing (MARXAN); and cartography.

Comparative electrophoretic patterns of lactase dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase in five Lake Victoria cichlid species

Biochemical techniques designed to compare species on the basis of protein differences were started by NUTTALL (1904) who used immunological methods to compare the serum of humans with that of other primates. Since then more refined techniques have led to better results at the protein level in taxonomy, The analyses of proteins are considered to be the simplest indirect approach to understanding the structure and function of the genetic material, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Interest in these analyses arises because of the close relationship between protein structure and gene structure. Thus by comparing the properties of homologous proteins from different taxa one is in essence comparins their genes (GORMAN er al., 1971). It is now an established fact that genetic information coded in molecules of DNA is translated through a series of reactions in the structure of proteins which form the principal morphological units of the animal body at the molecular level of organization (SIBLEY, 1952). A convenient method of comparing molecular differences between species is to measure the electrophoretic mobility of proteins in a starch gel medium (ASPINWALL and TSUYUKI, 1968) or acrylamide gel (RAYMOND and WEINTRAUB, 1959; BOUCK and BALL, 1968). Proteins with enzymatic properties can be compared on the basis of catalytic activity in the presence or absence of inhibitors (KAPLAN et al., 1959); BAILEY et al., t 1970). A combination of gel electrophoresis and histochemical enzyme detection techniques (HUNTER and MARKERT, 1957) makes it possible to combine electrophoretic mobility anti catalytic activity comparison, Enzyme patterns exhibited in starch gel or acrylamide gel have been used to classify different species. BOUCK and BALL (1968)working with lactate dehydrogenase in species of Trout found that each Trout species had LDH pattern characterbtic of that species. ASPINIWALL and TSUYUKI (1968) used muscle protein electrophoretic patterns to identify hybrid fishes. TSUYUKI and ROBERTS (1963) and TSUYUKI et al. (1964-65) found that myogen protein patterns in fishes were species specific. The myogen patterns within one family were remarkably parallel with the existing morphometric classification and these patterns constituted a single criterion by which the fishes could be identified. The fish used in these investigations were collected from shallow waters (10 metres) of Lake Victoria in two areas, Jinja and Kisumu, using gillnets and beach-seines. The study included ten specimens of each of the following specIes: (l) Haplochromis michaeli (2) Haploehromis obems (3) Astatoreochromis ulluaudi (4) Tilapia zillii and (5) Tilapia nilotica.

mRNA 很可能携带三维遗传信息

The forming mechanism of the three - dimensional structures of proteins，i.e.the mechanism of protein folding，is a basic problem in molecular biology which is still unsolved unitl now. In which a core problem is whether there is the three – dimensional genetic information that decide the three - dimensional structures of proteins. However, the research on this field has mot yet been reported. Recently，we made a comparative study on the folded structures of more than 70 mature messeneger RNAs (mRNAs) and the three - dimensional structures of the proteins encoded by them，it has been found that there exist marked correspondences between their featured structures in the following aspects: 1.The number of the structural units. An RNA molecule can form a secondary structure(stem and loop structure) by the folding and the base pairing of itself. The elementary structural unit of an RNA secondary structure is hairpin(or compound hair pin).The regular structural unit in the secondary structure of a protein is # alpha # - helix or #beta# - sheet . We have found that the hairpin number in the secondary structure of each mature mRNA is equal or approximately equal to the number of the regular secondary structural unis of the encoded protein. 2 .Turning region. Turn is a main structrual element in the secondary structure of a protein, which decides the backbone orientation of a protein molecule to some extent .Our analysis shows that the nucleotide sequence segments in an mRNA which encode the turns of the corresponding protein are overall situated in the turning regions of the mRNA secondary structure such as haipin，bulge loop or multibaranch loops. 3 .The arrangement of structural elements in space. In order to understand the backbone orientation of an RNA molecule and the arangement of its structural elements in space，we have modeled the three一dimensional structure of the mRNA molecule on SGI workstation based on its secondary structure.The result shows that the spatial arrangement of most of the nucleotide sequence segments encoding the structural elements of a protein is consistent with that of these stretural exements in the protein. For instance，the nucleotide sequences corresponding to each pleated sheet of a # beta # - sheet structure are close to each other in the mRNA secondary stucture and in the three - dimensional structure，although some of the nucleotide segments are far apart from each other in the one - dimensional sequence. For another instance，the two triplet codons of cysteines which form a disulphide bridge geneal1y are very close to each other in the mRNA folded structure. In addition，we also analyzed the locations of the codons proline - coding and the distrbution of the nucleotide sequences #alpha# - helix - coding in the folded structures of mRNAs . Some distribution laws have been found. All of these results suggest that the transfer of the genetic information from mRNA to protein not only is one – dimensional but also is three - dime ns ional. That is，there exists the genetic information that decide the three - dimensional structures of proteins. To a certain extent，we could say that the mRNA folding detemines the protein folding. Based on these results，it would be possible to predict the three - dimensional structures of proteins from the primary，secondary and tertiary structures of the m RNAs at a higher accuracy.And more important is that a new clue has been provided to uncover the“spatial coding" of the genetic information.