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Luteal development and progesterone levels during pregnancy of the viviparous temperate lizard Barisia imbricata imbricata (Reptilia: Anguidae).

The relationship between plasma progesterone (P(4)) levels and the formation and degeneration of the corpus luteum (CL) was assessed monthly during gestation of the viviparous lizard Barisia imbricata imbricata. Histochemical activity of the delta(5-4) isomerase 3 beta-hydroxysteroide dehydrogenase (delta(5-4)3beta-HSD) in the luteal tissue and embryonic development were also observed. Females were gravid throughout winter and great part of spring (late November or early December until late May or early June). Corpus luteum development occurred in the first third of gestation (December and January) when the embryo reached developmental stage 27. Four sequential stages were identified during development and three stages during regression of the CL. The follicular and thecal tissue participated in the formation of the luteal cell mass. According to Xavier's classification, the CL of B. i. imbricata is a subtype from Type III. The activity of delta(5-4)3beta-HSD was observed mainly in the luteal cell mass. The first degenerative changes in the CL were observed in the early second third of the gestation and continued gradually until parturition. Progesterone levels increased in early pregnancy and reached its highest level during January (3.07+/-1.04 ng/ml) when mature corpora lutea were present. Gradual diminution in progesterone concentrations occurred in the second and last third of pregnancy and coincided with advanced degenerative changes and diminution in histochemical activity of delta(5-4)3beta-HSD in the luteal tissue. These observations suggest that the CL is the major source of progesterone during pregnancy of B. i. imbricata.

Animals↗

The effects of sedimentation and light on recruitment and development of a temperate, subtidal, epifaunal community.

Sedimentation has often been implicated as a factor in structuring epifaunal assemblages on hard substrata yet there are few studies that empirically test this relationship. This study investigated the effects of light and sedimentation conditions on the initial recruitment and subsequent development of an encrusting community at Lough Hyne, S.W. Ireland. Slate settlement panels were subjected to four different conditions of sedimentation and light. The five replicates of each treatment were photographed at approximately 6-week intervals over 13 months. Values for Brillouin diversity (HB) and number of recruits were greatest for shaded panels sheltered from sediment. Number of species was much higher on downward facing panels relative to upward facing panels, regardless of conditions of sedimentation and light. Sedimentation resulted in reduced cover for some species, such as Lithothamnion spp., whilst others, such as Anomia ephippium, were less affected by this variable. Total space occupied was significantly higher for inverted panels, possibly indicating geotaxic behaviour of some larvae. Number of species on each panel condition was more similar for sets of panels exposed for shorter periods relative to the 13-month experiment, implying that post-settlement mortality may differ between treatments.

Journal Article↗

Thermal compensation of metabolism in the temperate coral, Plesiastrea versipora (Lamarck, 1816).

Plesiastrea versipora is a hermatypic coral with a distribution that extends to the southern limit for hermatypic corals. The normal annual temperature range for this coral in Port Phillip Bay (Victoria) (approximately 10-21 degrees C) is well below the physiological optimum for the majority of hermatypic corals (25-29 degrees C). The rate of photosynthesis and respiration in Plesiastrea generally increased with temperature before levelling out at the higher temperatures, with Q(10) data suggesting that both photosynthesis and respiration in Plesiastrea acclimate to changing temperatures. Respiration showed a similar trend to photosynthesis, with respect to temperature, but with a slightly lower rate of increase. Photosynthetic rate in Plesiastrea is comparable with that of reef corals despite lower temperatures and irradiance. When expressed as a function of chlorophyll a content photosynthesis approached perfect temperature compensation with prolonged exposure to various temperatures. Temperature-dependent changes with chlorophyll content may be responsible for temperature related changes in photosynthetic rate. This may be a mechanism for stabilising the symbiotic relationship over a wide temperature range. Autotrophic ability, estimated from photosynthesis/respiration (P/R) ratios, was greatest at higher temperatures and was only slightly less than that of reef corals. At low temperatures Plesiastrea may be dependent on heterotrophic feeding.

Journal Article↗

Roles of larval supply and behavior in determining settlement of barnacles in a temperate mangrove forest.

Recruitment is often a major influence on the spatial distribution of populations of benthic marine invertebrates, but the contributions of different components of recruitment are not well known, with the added complication that the relative importance of various life-history processes may be scale-dependent. Previously, we have shown that over a large scale across a mangrove (Avicennia marina) forest in southeastern Australia, settlement of the barnacle Elminius covertus explained its patterns of recruitment, which in turn explained the distribution of adults on mangrove pneumatophores. Post-settlement mortality had little influence on this pattern. In contrast, small-scale vertical distributions of adult barnacles along individual pneumatophores were determined by the pattern of recruitment, which differed from the pattern of settlement, so post-settlement mortality determined the vertical patterns of adults.In this study, we tested whether larval supply and/or settlement behavior influence the observed settlement patterns of E. covertus across a forest (from seaward to landward zones). We also tested whether larval supply could explain the vertical settlement patterns along the pneumatophores. A pumping system was used to collect cypris larvae from seaward, mid and landward zones of a mangrove forest and an adjacent, unvegetated shore and from three heights above the sediment surface. We also used transplantation of wooden stakes bearing microbial films and barnacle recruits between horizontal zones of the forest to determine whether settlement was influenced by these films or recruits.Both cyprid supply and cyprid behavior were important factors in determining the patterns of settlement of E. covertus across the forest. Cyprid supply was a result of three-fold differences in immersion times of different (landward, mid and seaward) zones across the forest and a decrease in density of cyprids in the water column from the seaward zone of the forest to the landward sections. In the absence of mangroves immediately adjacent to the forest, there was no temporally consistent difference in cyprid density across the shore and even the differences in immersion time did not produce consistent differences in cyprid supply across the shore. Wooden substrata that had been immersed at seaward sections of the forest attracted consistently more settlers than substrata immersed initially at other sections of the forest and settlement could be induced beyond the normal distribution of adults of E. covertus by stakes transplanted from the seaward zone.The vertical settlement pattern could not be explained by the supply of cyprids, suggesting that larval behavior must determine the vertical settlement pattern.

Journal Article↗

Spatial and temporal variation in hexachlorocyclohexane isomers in a temperate estuary.

Hexachlorocylcohexanes (HCHs) are pesticides that persist in air and water of the Northern hemisphere. To understand the spatial and temporal variability in HCH levels in estuarine surface waters we measured concentrations of two HCH isomers (alpha-HCH and gamma-HCH) at six sites in the York River estuary at bimonthly intervals for a year. Bacterial abundance and activity were also monitored using acridine orange direct counts and uptake of tritiated substrates, respectively. Alpha-HCH was consistently observed to be significantly higher in marine water compared to river water entering the estuary, suggesting that the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic Ocean is a larger source of this compound to the York River estuary compared to riverine input. Moreover, following periods of high freshwater flow into the estuary during spring and early summer, both alpha- and gamma-HCH mixing curves indicated an additional source of these pollutants to the estuary such as land-derived runoff or groundwater discharge. In contrast, during low freshwater flow (late summer and fall) the estuary was a sink for HCHs, with y-HCH more rapidly removed from the estuary than alpha-HCH. During the period of low freshwater flow, concentrations of both alpha- and gamma-HCH were negatively correlated with bacterial activity. Bacterial activity as opposed to abundance appears to control HCH degradation in estuarine surface waters.

Air Pollutants↗

The apparent and potential effects of climate change on the inferred concentration of dissolved organic matter in a temperate stream (the Malse River, South Bohemia).

Long-term and seasonal changes in concentration of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and their possible drivers were evaluated for an upland stream in central Europe during 1969-2000. Two periods have been detected within this data set-years with decreased DOM until the middle of 1980s and then years with increased DOM until 2000. Temperature, hydrological regime of runoff from the catchment (namely the amount of interflow), and changes in atmospheric deposition of acidity coincided with the variations in DOM concentrations. The analysis of single runoff events confirmed the relation between the export of increased DOM concentrations from the catchment and interflow. A multiple linear regression model based on monthly averages of temperature and interflow explained 67% of DOM variability. This model suggested a 7% increase in DOM concentration under the scenarios of possible future climate change related to doubled CO(2) concentration in the atmosphere. The scenarios were based on results of several global circulation models.

Journal Article↗

Temporal changes of 210Po in temperate coastal waters.

The temporal variation of Polonium-210 (210Po) was examined in coastal sea water, the mussel Mytilus edulis, the winkle Littorina littorea and green alga Ulva lactuca in order to investigate the entry of 210Po into the marine food chain. More than 99% of 210Po in the water column occurred in the particulate phase. Dissolved 210Po concentrations peaked during the spring phytoplankton bloom and it is suggested this is related to preferential scavenging of 210Po by the increased numbers of bacteria, viruses and small dissolved particulates. Changes in L. littorea 210Po specific activity are thought not to be related to food, but to a drop in body weight following spawning. Much of the 210Po accumulated by M. edulis was located in the digestive gland. The specific activity of 210Po in the digestive gland of M. edulis was shown to be strongly correlated with changes in sea water suspended particulate specific activity. Examination of other trace metal (Ag, Al, As, Ca, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Sb, Se, Sn and Zn) variations in the digestive gland revealed that class B and borderline metals had a strong positive correlation with 210Po. On-going work is investigating whether the accumulation and loss of 210Po is affected by the presence of metallothioneins.

Animals↗

Comparison of the fuel oil biodegradation potential of hydrocarbon-assimilating microorganisms isolated from a temperate agricultural soil.

Strains of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) were isolated from an agricultural soil in France. In a field, a portion was treated with oily cuttings resulting from the drilling of an onshore well. The cuttings which were spread at the rate of 600 g HC m-2 contained 10% of fuel oil hydrocarbons (HC). Another part of the field was left untreated. Three months after HC spreading, HC adapted bacteria and fungi were isolated at different soil depths in the two plots and identified. The biodegradation potential of the isolated strains was monitored by measuring the degradation rate of total HC, saturated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and resins of the fuel. Bacteria of the genera Pseudomonas, Brevundimonas Sphingomonas, Acinetobacter, Rhodococcus, Arthrobacter, Corynebacterium and fungi belonging to Aspergillus, Penicillium, Beauveria, Acremonium, Cladosporium, Fusarium, and Trichoderma were identified. The most active strains in the assimilation of saturates and aromatics were Arthrobacter sp., Sphingomonas spiritivorum, Acinetobacter baumanii, Beauveria alba and Penicillum simplicissimum. The biodegradation potential of the hydrocarbon utilizing microorganisms isolated from polluted or unpolluted soils were similar. In laboratory pure cultures, saturated HC were more degraded than aromatic HC, whereas resins were resistant to microbial attack. On an average, individual bacterial strains were more active than fungi in HC biodegradation.

Bacteria↗