Ultrastructure of adhesion and movement of the tetraspores of Gelidium Lamour (Geldiaceae; Rhodophyta)

The outer part of the tetraspora cell wall in Gelidium crinale (Turner) J.V. Lamour. and G. spathulatum (Kutz.) Bornet is morphologically described in relation to the movements and displacement of these spores when they settle on a substratum. We also describe the mechanism of adhesión and the transformations undergone by this mechanism over time. The cell wall shows a network of fibrillar threads embedded in abundant mucilage. The deformations that tetraspores undergo show that the cell wall is relatively elastic.

Marine benthic algae of Namibia

The first comprehensive study of the marine algal flora of Namibia including descriptions and illustrations of most species is presented. The main objective of this work is to report a flora that, until now, has scarcely been studied. The work compiles all the available information on the marine benthic flora of Namibia and provides new data about it composition and biogeography, as well as detailed descriptions and remarks of most of its species. The samples on which this study is based were collected between 1986 and 1989 in the eulittoral and the upper sublittoral zones of the north half of the Namibian coast. According to the present data, the marine benthic flora of Namibia comprises 196 taxa (147 Rhodophyceae, 20 Phaeophyceae, 15 Ulvophyceae, 6 Cladophorophyceae and 8 Bryopsidophyceae), 21 of which has not been recorded from this coasts. This temperate flora is mainly characterized by a low number of species, a low proportion of Phaeophyceae and a high degree of endemism. Concerning the species number, the flora is quite poor due to both the scarce availability of colonizable substratum and the low diversity of habitats. On the other hand, the low proportion of Phaeophyceae is the reason for which the R/P and (R+C)/P ratios take disproportionately high values and so they are not useful in this geographical area. As regards the degree of endemism, the marine benthic flora of Namibia includes quite a high number of taxa endemic to southern Africa (55 taxa; 28.1% of the flora); 25 of these 55 taxa (12.8% of the flora) are endemic to the biogeographic Benguela Marine Province and only Acrosorium cincinnatum is endemic to the Namibian coasts.

Antimicrobial Activity of Iberian macroalgae

The antibacterial and antifungal activity of 82 marine macroalgae (18 Chlorophyceae, 25 Phaeophyceae and 39 Rhodophyceae) was studied to evaluate their potential for being used as natural preservatives in the cosmetic industry. The bioactivity was analysed from crude extracts of fresh and lyophilised samples against three Gram-positive bacteria, two Gram-negative bacteria and one yeast using the agar diffusion technique. The samples were collected seasonally from Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of the Iberian Peninsula. Of the macroalgae analysed, 67% were active against at least one of the six test microorganisms. The highest percentage of active taxa was found in Phaeophyceae (84%), followed by Rhodophyceae (67%) and Chlorophyceae (44%). Nevertheless, red algae had both the highest values and the broadest spectrum of bioactivity. In particular, Bonnemaisonia asparagoides, Bonnemaisonia hamifera, Asparagopsis armata and Falkenbergia rufolanosa (Bonnemaisoniales) were the most active taxa. Bacillus cereus was the most sensitive test microorganism and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most resistant. The highest percentages of active taxa from Phaeophyceae and Rhodophyceae were found in autumn, whereas they were found in summer for Chlorophyceae.

Noves citacions de Chondrymenia lobata (Meneghini) Zanardini i Laminaria rodriguezii Bornet per a la Peninsula Iberica

Noves citacions de Chondrymenia lobata (Meneghini) Zanardini i Laminaria rodriguezii Bornet, per a la Peninsula Ibèrica PAÍS VALENCIA: Peniscola, entre 100-120 braces de profunditat, a les xarxes dels pescadors (14-6-1983).

Corologia de las especies de algas en relacion a ciertos factores ecologicos en el litoral Malagueño

Los estudios taxonómicos, ecológicos y corológicos sobre la vegetación algal bentónica en el litoral malagueño nos han hecho detectar un límite geográfico,entre los alrededores de Marbella y el Faro de Calaburras (Fuengirola), para la gran mayoría de las especies atlánticas que penetran en el Mar de Alborán, especialmente para algunas Fucoceoe y Lominariales. Las corrientes locales, la temperatura y salinidad, así como los distintos factores climatológicos, son los responsables de dicha distribución. En este trabajo se cita por primera vez para el Mediterráneo europeo el taxon Gracilario cervicornis (Turner) J. Ag. Constituyen novedad para la Península Ibérica, las especies: Spermothamnion capitatum (Schousb.) Bornet y Bonnemaisonia hamifera Hariot.

Comunidades bentonicas del sustrato duro del litoral NE Español, XIII. Vegetacion: diversidad y sociabilidad

A partir de los datos obtenidos en el estudio bionómico del bentos de la costa catalana, exponemos los correspondientes a la vegetación marina. Se comparan los índices de diversidad de las localidades de muestreo en relación con el espacio, la profundidad y las estaciones del año, relacionándolo con el número de especies de Clorófitos, Feófitos y Rodófitos que se han hallado en las muestras estudiadas. Con los valores de las afinidades entre las especies de mayor frecuencia de aparición se ha confeccionado un diagrama, donde aparecen varios grupos de algas que forman comunidades bastante características en algunas localidades de la costa catalana.

Aportacion a la flora bentonica de las islas Baleares IV. Flora de Ibiza

En este trabajo se presentan 21 táxones procedentes de diferentes localidades de la isla de Ibiza, 13 de los cuales suponen nuevas citas para el archipiélago balear y los restantes son especies poco conocidas en estas islas. Se destaca Discosporangium mesarthrocarpum (Falkenb.) Hauck, desconocida hasta ahora en las costas mediterráneas españolas y escasamente citada en el resto de este mar.

Quatre dècades de recerca a les illes Medes

Fa exactament 30 anys, l’agost de 1982, un de nosaltres signava la presentació (Ros, 1984a) del volum Els sistemes naturals de les illes Medes, que no veuria la llum fins dos anys després (Ros, Gili i Olivella, 1984). Fou aquell un esforç col·lectiu important, en el que participaren 54 autors, que al llarg de més de vuit-centes pàgines, 42 capítols i una vintena de làmines i mapes desplegables explicava tot el que llavors se sabia de l’entorn físic, la flora, la fauna i les comunitats, marines i terrestres, delpetit arxipèlag empordanès. L’esperó del llibre havien estat uns projectes de recerca, modestos si es comparen amb els actuals, endegats per joves llicenciats, estudiants i afeccionats que al llarg de ladècada prèvia exploraren extensivament els fons de les illes, en mostrejaren les comunitats i en feren diversos estudis faunístics, florístics i comunitaris relativament complets.

Stable C and N isotope concentration in several tissues of the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta from the western Mediterranean and dietary implications

The isotopic concentrations of carapace scutes, skin, muscle and blood of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from the Balearic Archipelago were analysed to investigate the pattern of variation between tissues and to assess the position of this species in the trophic webs of the Algerian Basin. Skin showed higher δ13C values than muscle or carapace scutes and these showed higher values than blood. Conversely, muscle showed higher δ15N values than skin, skin showed higher values than blood and blood showed higher values than carapace scutes. Dead and live sea turtles from the same habitat did not differ in the concentration of stable isotopes. However, some of the tissues of the turtles caught in drifting longlines in the oceanic realm showed higher δ13C values than those from the turtles caught by hand or in trammel nets over the continental shelf, although they did not differ in the δ15N. Comparison of the concentration of stable isotopes in the turtles with that of other species from several areas of the Algerian Basin revealed that they consumed planktonic prey and that the trophic level of the sea turtles was higher than that of carnivorous cnidarians but lower than that of zooplanktophagous fish and crustaceans.

Tagging reveals limited exchange of immature loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) between regions in the western Mediterranean.

Exchange of immature loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) between the northern and southern regions of the western Mediterranean was investigated using data obtained from several Spanish tagging programmes. Tagged turtles ranged in straight carapace length from 23.0 to 74.0 cm. Thirty-six turtles were recaptured after an average interval of 390.5±462.6 days (SD). As the mean dispersal distance (MDD) of a turtle population that spreads over the western Mediterranean would stabilize after 117 days (CI 95%: 98 to 149), two analyses were conducted that included data from turtles recaptured after 98 and 149 days respectively. In both analyses, turtles were recaptured more often than expected in the same region where they had been tagged. No difference was found in either of the two regions between the average distance between the capture and recapture locations and the expected MDD if the turtles were to remain in the region where they were first captured. Turtles recaptured after 15 and 25 days respectively were excluded from the analysis to ensure data independence. The overall evidence indicates that immature turtles exhibit strong site fidelity to certain areas and that there is a strong barrier to dispersal between the northern and southern parts of the western Mediterranean. Therefore, loggerhead turtles in the western Mediterranean should be split into at least two management units.

Mortality rates in by-caught loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta in the Mediterranean Sea and implications for the Atlantic populations

Reliable estimates of the post-release mortality probability of marine turtles after incidental by-catch are essential for assessing the impact of longline fishing on these species.Large numbers of loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta from rookeries in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean have been by-caught annually in the southwestern Mediterranean Sea since the 1980s, but nothing is known about their post-release mortality probability under natural conditions. Pop-up archival transmitting tags were attached to 26 loggerhead turtles following incidental capture by Spanish longliners. Hooks were not removed, and 40 cm of line was left in place. The post-release mortality probability during the 90 d following release ranged from 0.308 to 0.365, and was independent of hook location. When the post-release mortality probability was combined with previously reported estimates of the mortality probability before hauling, the aggregated by-catch mortality probability ranged from 0.321 to 0.378. Assuming a total annual by-catch of 10656 loggerhead turtles by the Spanish longline fleet operating in the southwestern Mediterranean, by-catch results in 3421 to 4028 turtle deaths annually. This range is equivalent to 8.5−10.1% of the approximately 40000 turtles inhabiting the fishing grounds used by Spanish longliners, most of them from rookeries in the northwestern Atlantic. As a consequence, the accumulated mortality during the oceanic stage is expected to be larger for those loggerhead turtles of Atlantic origin that spend several years in the Mediterranean Sea than for turtles of the same cohort that remain in the Atlantic. For this reason, the Mediterranean can be considered a dead end for loggerhead turtle populations nesting in the Atlantic, although the actual demographic relevance of by-catch mortality of loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean remains unknown.