Showing papers in "Journal of Ocean University of China in 2009"

Review of maritime transportation air emission pollution and policy analysis

Abstract: The study of air emission in maritime transportation is new, and the recognition of its importance has been rising in the recent decade. The emissions of CO2, SO2, NO2 and particulate matters from maritime transportation have contributed to climate change and environmental degradation. Scientifically, analysts still have controversies regarding how to calculate the emissions and how to choose the baseline and methodologies. Three methods are generally used, namely the ‘bottom up’ approach, the ‘top down’ approach and the STEEM, which produce very different results, leading to various papers with great uncertainties. This, in turn, results in great difficulties to policy makers who attempt to regulate the emissions. A recent technique, the STEEM, is intended to combine the former two methods to reduce their drawbacks. However, the regulations based on its results may increase the costs of shipping companies and cause the competitiveness of the port states and coastal states. Quite a few papers have focused on this area and provided another fresh perspective for the air emission to be incorporated in maritime transportation regulations; these facts deserve more attention. This paper is to review the literature on the debates over air emission calculation, with particular attention given to the STEEM and the refined estimation methods. It also reviews related literature on the economic analysis of maritime transportation emission regulations, and provides an insight into such analysis. At the end of this paper, based on a review and analysis of previous literature, we conclude with the policy indications in the future and work that should be done. As the related regulations in maritime transportation emissions are still at their beginning stage in China, this paper provides specific suggestions on how China should regulate emissions in the maritime transportation sector.

Promotive effects of alginate-derived oligosaccharides on the inducing drought resistance of tomato

Abstract: In order to determine the role of alginate-derived oligosaccharides (ADO) in drought stress resistance of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller) seedlings, the leaves were exposed to different concentrations of ADO (0.05%, 0.10%, 0.20%, 0.30% and 0.50%) after drought stress was simulated by exposing the roots to 0.6 molL−1 PEG-6000 solution for 6 h. Changes in biomass, electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA), free proline, total soluble sugars (TSS) and abscisic acid (ABA), the enzyme activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) were measured to investigate the effects of ADO treatment. The results showed that the treatment with an ADO concentration of 0.20% exhibited the highest performance of drought stress resistance in the tomato seedlings by decreasing the electrolyte leakage and the concentration of MDA, increasing the contents of free proline, TSS and ABA, and increasing the activities of CAT, SOD, POD and PAL after treatment with ADO. It is suggested that changes in electrolyte leakage, MDA, osmotic solutes, ABA, anti-oxidative enzyme and PAL activities were responsible for the increased drought stress resistance in tomato seedlings. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of the effect of ADO treatment on enhancing the drought stress resistance of tomato seedlings.

Optimization of Stocking Density for the Sea Cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus Selenka, Under Feed-Supplement and Non-Feed-Supplement Regimes in Pond Culture

Abstract: Optimal stocking densities were investigated for the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus Selenka under feed-supplement and non-feed-supplement regimes in net enclosures for 333 d. Substantial weight loss occurred during the aestivation phase (AE). Decreased growth rates were also observed during the winter phase (WT). In contrast, sea cucumbers showed rapid growth during the spring (SP) and autumn (AU) phases. Feeding regimes considerably influenced the growth performance, i.e., sea cucumbers grew faster under feed-supplement regime than under non-feed-supplement regime (P < 0.05). The average survival rates of sea cucumbers under feed-supplement regime were higher than those under non-feed-supplement regime for both the autumn phase and spring phase, but the differences were only significant for the latter phase (P < 0.05). The fitted B-N curves showed that the optimal stocking densities, in terms of net production, were 22.3 ind. m-2 for feed-supplement regime and 14.1 ind. m-2 for non-feed-supplement regime.

Isolation and characterization of collagen from squid (Ommastrephes bartrami) skin

Abstract: Collagen of squid (Ommastrephes bartrami) skin was examined in the present study. Histology showed that collagen fiber in the skin was partially cross-linked with muscle fiber. Acid-solubilized collagen (ASC) and pepsin-solubilized collagen (PSC) were extracted from the skin and characterized. The results of amino acid composition and electrophoretic patterns revealed that ASC and PSC were both type I collagen, containing α1 and α2 chains. FTIR (fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) investigations confirmed the existence of helical arrangements in PSC of squid skin. The denaturation temperature (Td) and shrinkage temperature (Ts) of PSC were 29.4°C and 52.8°C, respectively.

Studies on marine oil spills and their ecological damage

Abstract: The sources of marine oil spills are mainly from accidents of marine oil tankers or freighters, marine oil-drilling platforms, marine oil pipelines, marine oilfields, terrestrial pollution, oil-bearing atmosphere, and offshore oil production equipment. It is concluded upon analysis that there are two main reasons for marine oil spills: (I) The motive for huge economic benefits of oil industry owners and oil shipping agents far surpasses their sense of ecological risks. (II) Marine ecological safety has not become the main concern of national security. Oil spills are disasters because humans spare no efforts to get economic benefits from oil. The present paper draws another conclusion that marine ecological damage caused by oil spills can be roughly divided into two categories: damage to marine resource value (direct value) and damage to marine ecosystem service value (indirect value). Marine oil spills cause damage to marine biological, fishery, seawater, tourism and mineral resources to various extents, which contributes to the lower quality and value of marine resources.

Effects of hypoxia on dopamine concentration and the immune response of White Shrimp ( Litopenaeus vannamei )

Abstract: Effects of hypoxia on the dopamine concentration and the immune response of White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei were studied. The results showed that hypoxia had significant effects on the concentration of dopamine (DA) in the haemolymph, haemocyte count, phenoloxidase activity, phagocytic activity of haemocytes and bacteriolytic and antibacterial activity in the haemolymph (P<0.05). The concentration of the dopamine in haemolymph reached its maximum in the 3.0 and 1.5 mg L−1 DO groups at 12 h and 6 h, and then returned to normal after 24 h and 12 h, respectively. All immune parameters decreased with the reduction of dissolved oxygen. Total haemocyte count (THC), the hyaline cells and semi-granular cells in the 3.0 mg L−1 DO group became stable after 12 h, while granular cells did so after 24 h. The THC and different haemocyte count (DHC) in the 1.5 mg L−1 DO group became stable after 24 h. Phenoloxidase activity and bacteriolytic activity in the 3.0 and 1.5 mg L−1 DO groups reached their stable levels after 24 h and 12 h respectively, while phagocytic activity and antibacterial activity became stable after 24 and 12, and 36 and 24 h, respectively. It was also indicated that the changes of dopamine concentrations in haemolymph, haemocyte count and phenoloxidase activity were obviously related to the exposure time under hypoxic conditions.

Long term sea level change and water mass balance in the South China Sea

Abstract: Sea level anomalies observed by altimeter during the 1993–2006 period, thermosteric sea level anomalies estimated by using subsurface temperature data produced by Ishii and SODA reanalysis data, tide gauge records and HOAPS freshwater flux data were analyzed to investigate the long term sea level change and the water mass balance in the South China Sea. The altimeter-observed sea level showed a rising rate of (3.5±0.9) mm yr−1 during the period 1993–2006, but this figure was considered to have been highly distorted by the relatively short time interval and the large inter-decadal variability, which apparently exists in both the thermosteric sea level and the observed sea level. Long term thermosteric sea level from 1945 to 2004 gave a rising rate of 0.15±0.06 mm yr−1. Tide gauge data revealed this discrepancy and the regional distributions of the sea-level trends. Both the ‘real’ and the thermosteric sea level showed a good correspondence to ENSO: decreasing during El Nino years and increasing during La Nina years. Amplitude and phase differences between the ‘real’ sea level and the thermosteic sea level were substantially revealed on both seasonal and interannual time scales. As one of the possible factors, the freshwater flux might play an important role in balancing the water mass.

Effects of calanoid copepod Schmackeria poplesia as a live food on the growth, survival and fatty acid composition of larvae and juveniles of Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus

Abstract: Zooplankton constitutes a major part of the diet for fish larvae in the marine food web, and it is generally believed that copepods can meet the nutritional requirements of fish larvae. In this study, calanoid copepod Schmackeria poplesia, rotifer Brachionus plicatilis and anostraca crustacean Artemia sp. were analyzed for fatty acid contents, and were used as live food for culturing larval Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. The total content of three types of HUFAs (DHA, EPA and ARA) in S. poplesia was significantly higher than that in the other two live foods (P<0.01). Three live organisms were used for raising larvae and juveniles of Paralichthys olivaceus respectively for 15 and 10 d. Then the growth, survival and fatty acid composition of the larvae and juveniles were investigated. The results showed that the larvae and juveniles fed with copepods (S. poplesia) had significantly higher growth rate than those fed with the other two organisms (P<0.01). The survival of the flounder larvae fed with copepods was significantly higher than that of the others (P<0.01), and the survival of the juvenile fish fed with copepods was higher than that fed with Artemia (P<0.05). The contents of three types of HUFAs (DHA, EPA and ARA) and the ratio of DHA/EPA in larval and juvenile flounder P. olivaceus were analyzed. The results showed that the contents of DHA, EPA and ARA in the larvae and juveniles fed with S. poplesia were higher than those fed with a mixed diet or Artemia only, and the ratio of EPA/ARA in larvae and juveniles of P. olivaceus fed with S. poplesia was lower than that in the case of feeding with a mixed diet or Artemia only. The present data showed that copepod is the best choice for feeding the larvae and juveniles of fish considering its effects on the survival, growth and nutrition composition of the fish.

Immunotoxicity effect of benzo[α]pyrene on scallop Chlamys farreri

Abstract: The toxic effects of benzo[α]pyrene (B[α]P) at different concentrations (0.1, 0.5, 1, 2.5 and 7.5 μgL−1) on scallop (Chlamy farreri) immune system were studied. The results showed that B[α]P had significant toxic effects on the haemocyte counts, neutral red uptake, phagocytosis, bacteriolytic and antibacterial activity (P 0.05). Thus, B[α] has evident toxic effects on scallop immune system, which supports the view that a relationship exists between pollution and immunomodulation in aquatic organisms.

Drying of micro-encapsulated lactic acid bacteria - Effects of trehalose and immobilization on cell survival and release properties

Abstract: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were encapsulated with alginate, gelatin and trehalose additives by the extrusion method and dried at 4 °C. The microcapsules were generally spherical and had a wrinkled surface with a size of 1.7 mm ± 0.2 mm. Trehalose as a carbohydrate source in the culture medium could reduce acid production and performed no function in the positive proliferation of LAB. Using trehalose as a carbohydrate source and protective medium simultaneously had a benefit in the protection of LAB cells during the storage at 4 °C. The density of live LAB cells could be 107 CFU g−1 after 8 weeks of storage. Cells of LAB could be continuously released from the capsules from the acidic (pH 1.2) to neutral conditions (pH 6.8). The release amounts and proliferation speeds of LAB cells in neutral medium were much larger and faster than those in acidic conditions. Additionally, immobilization of LAB could improve the survival of cells when they were exposed to acidic medium (pH 1.2) with a survival rate of 76 %.

The effects of estuarine processes on the fluxes of inorganic and organic carbon in the Yellow River estuary

Abstract: Riverine carbon flux is an important component of the global carbon cycle The spatial and temporal variations of organic and inorganic carbon were examined during both dry and wet seasons in the Yellow River estuary Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the Yellow River during dry seasons were higher than those during wet seasons The effective concentrations of DOC (CDOC*) were higher than the observed DOC at zero salinity This input of DOC in the Yellow River estuary was due to sediment desorption processes in low salinity regions In contrast to DOC, the effective concentrations of DIC were 10% lower than the DIC measured at freshwater end, and the loss of DIC was caused by CaCO3 precipitation in low salinity region Particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) contents of the particles stabilized to constant values (05%±005% and 18%±02%, respectively) within the turbidity maximum zone (TMZ) and showed no noticeable seasonal variations A rapid drop of PIC and rise of POC occurred simultaneously outside the TMZ due to an intense dilution of riverine inorganic-rich particles being transported into a pool of aquatic organic-poor particles outside the TMZ Annually, the Yellow River transported 695×105 t of DIC, 064×105 t of DOC, 7858×105 t of PIC and 229×105 t of POC to the sea

Growth and feed efficiency of juvenile shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei fed formulated diets containing different levels of poultry by-product meal

Abstract: This feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the potential of poultry by-product meal (PBM) as a protein source in the culture of Litopenaeus vannamei. Seven isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were formulated to near to commercial diet with about 40% protein and 7.5% lipid. Fish meal was replaced by 0, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70% and 100% of PBM (diets 1–7). The diet with 100% fish meal was used as a control (diet 1). Post-larvae were reared in an indoor semi-closed re-circulating system. Each dietary treatment was tested in 4 replicate tanks (260 L) of 40 shrimp, arranged in a completely randomized design. The shrimps were hand-fed for three times a day to near-satiation (0700, 1200 and 1800) for 60 d. Percentage weight gain, survival, feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and body composition of shrimps were measured. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) in growth performance among shrimps fed diets 1–5 (0–60% fish meal replacement). However, shrimps fed diet 7 (100% fish meal replacement) had significantly lower (P 0.05) among different experimental diets. No differences in body composition were found among shrimps fed different diets. These results showed that up to 70% of fish meal protein can be replaced by PBM without adversely affecting the growth, survival, FCR, PER and body composition of Litopenaeus vannamei.

The scavenging of free radical and oxygen species activities and hydration capacity of collagen hydrolysates from walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) skin

Abstract: Fish skin collagen hydrolysates (FSCH) were prepared from walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) using a mixture of enzymes, namely trypsin and flavourzyme. The degree of hydrolysis of the skin collagen was 27.3%. FSCH was mainly composed of low-molecular-weight peptides and the relative proportion of <1000Da fraction was 70.6%. Free radical and oxygen species scavenging activities of FSCH were investigated in four model systems, including diphenylpicrylhy-drazyl radical (DPPH), superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide model, and compared with that of a native antioxidant, reduced glutathione (GSH). FSCH was also evaluated by water-absorbing and water-holding capacity. The results showed that FSCH was able to scavenge free radical and oxygen species significantly and to enhance water-absorbing and water-holding capacity remarkably. Therefore, FSCH may have potential applications in the medicine and food industries.

Modelling nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics in a mesocosm pelagic ecosystem in Laizhou Bay in China

Abstract: A model of nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics in mesocosm experiments was established on the basis of a summary and synthesis of the existing models. The established model comprised seven state variables (DIN, PO4-P, DON, DOP, phytoplankton, zooplankton and detritus) and five modules-phytoplankton, zooplankton, dissolved inorganic nutrients, dissolved organic nutrients and detritus. Comparison with the in situ experimental data in Laizhou Bay at the end of August 2002 showed that this model could properly simulate the variations of DIN, PO4-P, and phytoplankton biomass in a mesocosm pelagic ecosystem. It was found that not only the model structure but also the parameters adopted were fit for simulation. The sensitivity of the main state variables to the parameter change was assessed by sensitivity analysis. All these results are useful for studying the control mechanism of biogeochemical cycling of nutrients in Laizhou Bay and other Chinese coastal waters.

Global sea level change and thermal contribution

Abstract: The global long-term sea level trend is obtained from the analysis of tide gauge data and TOPEX/Poseidon data The linear trend of global mean sea level is highly non-uniform spatially, with an average rate of 22 mm year−1 in T/P sea-level rise from October 1992 to September 2002 Sea level change due to temperature variation (the thermosteric sea level) is discussed The results are compared with TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter data in the same temporal span at different spatial scales It is indicated that the thermal effect accounts for 86% and 73% of the observed seasonal variability in the northern and southern hemispheres, respectively The TOPEX/Poseidon observed sea level lags behind the TSL by 2 months in the zonal band of 40°–60° in both the northern and southern hemispheres Systematic differences of about 1–2 cm between TOPEX/Poseidon observations and thermosteric sea level data are obtained The potential causes for these differences include water exchange among the atmosphere, land, and oceans, and some possible deviations in thermosteric contribution estimates and geophysical corrections to the TOPEX/Poseidon data

Sex Determination Mechanisms in Fish

Abstract: In fish, sex determination (SD) system shows high variation. The SD mechanisms include environmental and genetic regulation. The research on SD system and related genes in intensively studied fish species was reviewed. Although some genes have been described as sex-related, only DMRT1bY can be considered as a master sex determination gene and none of them has been utilized in aquaculture. The variation of fish SD system, the importance of sex-related genes in evolution research and the relations between environmental factors and sex-related genes were also discussed. The fish sex determination mechanism remains largely unknown. Further research needs to be done considering the significance of fish SD studies in basic and applied aspects.

Characteristics and causes of the preconsolidation stress of soils in the Yellow River Delta

Abstract: Preconsolidation stress (σ′ P ) is the maximum effective stress that a soil has suffered throughout its life. From a geotechnical point of view, pre-consolidation stress has great importance because it separates elastic and reversible deformations from inelastic and only partially irreversible deformations and marks the starting point of high compressibility. In this study we calculated the preconsolidation stress for 72 undisturbed soil samples from the Yellow River Delta, using the oedometer test and applying the method proposed by Casagrande. The results showed that the over-consolidation ratio (OCR—the ratio of pre-consolidation stress to current natural overburden stress) values of the soil from soil surface to 6m depth varied from 1.72 to 15.34 and the maximum pre-consolidation stress was above 200 kPa. In consequence, the soils of the Yellow River Delta are highly over-consolidated within the upper 6 m, the OCR decreasing gradually with depth from 6 to 12 m. For samples from deeper than 12 m the soils were found to be under-consolidated, which was proved by standard penetration tests (SPTs). The main causes of this type of consolidation are the mineral composition and the designability of the soil body.

Methods comparison for microsatellite marker development: Different isolation methods, different yield efficiency

Abstract: Microsatellite markers have become one kind of the most important molecular tools used in various researches. A large number of microsatellite markers are required for the whole genome survey in the fields of molecular ecology, quantitative genetics and genomics. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to select several versatile, low-cost, efficient and time- and labor-saving methods to develop a large panel of microsatellite markers. In this study, we used Zhikong scallop (Chlamys farreri) as the target species to compare the efficiency of the five methods derived from three strategies for microsatellite marker development. The results showed that the strategy of constructing small insert genomic DNA library resulted in poor efficiency, while the microsatellite-enriched strategy highly improved the isolation efficiency. Although the mining public database strategy is time- and cost-saving, it is difficult to obtain a large number of microsatellite markers, mainly due to the limited sequence data of non-model species deposited in public databases. Based on the results in this study, we recommend two methods, microsatellite-enriched library construction method and FIASCO-colony hybridization method, for large-scale microsatellite marker development. Both methods were derived from the microsatellite-enriched strategy. The experimental results obtained from Zhikong scallop also provide the reference for microsatellite marker development in other species with large genomes.

Intraspecific Diversity of Aureobasidium pullulans Strains from Different Marine Environments

Abstract: Totally more than 500 yeast strains were isolated from seawater, sea sediments, mud of sea salterns, marine fish guts and marine algae. The results of routine and molecular biology identification methods show that nine strains among these marine yeasts belong to Aureobasidium pullulans, although the morphologies of their colonies are very different. The marine yeasts isolated from different marine environments indicate that A. pullulans is widely distributed in different environmental conditions. These Aureobasidium pullulans strains include A. pullulans 4#2, A. pullulans N13d, A. pullulans HN3-11, A. pullulans HN2-3, A. pullulans JHSc, A. pullulans HN4.7, A. pullulans HN5.3, A. pullulans HN6.2 and A. pullulans W13a. A. pullulans 4#2 could produce cellulase and single cell protein. A. pullulans N13d could produce protease, lipase, amylase and cellulase. Both A. pullulans HN3-11 and A. pullulans HN2-3 were able to produce protease, lipase and cellulase. A. pullulans JHSc could secrete cellulase and killer toxin. Both A. pullulans HN4.7 and A. pullulans HN5.3 could yield lipase and cellulase. A. pullulans W13a was able to secrete extracellular amylase and cellulase while A. pullulans HN4.7 and A. pullulans N13d could produce siderophores. This means that different A. pullulans strains from different marine environments have different physiological characteristics, which may be applied in many different biotechnological industries.

Taxonomic studies on a new marine ciliate, Apocoleps magnus gen. nov., spec. nov. (Ciliophora, Colepidae), isolated from Qingdao, China

Abstract: The morphology and infraciliature of a new marine colepid ciliate, Apocoleps magnus gen. nov., spec. nov., are described based on living observations and silver impregnations. The new genus Apocoleps is characterized by having 8 (vs. 6 in most other related genera) armour tiers, spines at both ends of the cell, 3 adoral organelles and plates with 4 reniform uni-windows. Apocoleps magnus spec. nov. is defined by the following features: body elongated and slightly curved, about 100–120µm× 35–45 µm in vivo; anterior tertiary tier plate with four uni-windows, most secondary and main tier plates with four uni-windows, posterior tertiary tier plate with two uni-windows; left plate margin slightly serrated; on average 23 transverse and 22 longitudinal ciliary rows; one terminal contractile vacuole; marine habitat.

Effect of dietary phosphorus on the growth and body components of juvenile Synechogobius hasta

Abstract: The effect of dietary phosphorus on the growth and body components of juvenile Synechogobius hasta was determined. Different percentages of dietary phosphorus (0.63, 0.77, 0.93, 1.06, 1.22 and 1.36) were tested by feeding the fish (body weight, 15.81 g ± 0.32 g; 20 individuals each group; 3 groups each percentage) at a surplus of 5%–10% above satiation for 35 d. Dietary phosphorus did not significantly affect the specific growth rate, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency rate. Nitrogen retention was found to be the highest in fish fed the diet containing 1.06% of phosphorus; however, this was not significantly different from other diets. Fish fed the diet containing 0.93% of phosphorus showed the highest phosphorus retention; similar phosphorus retention rates were found in fish fed the diets containing 0.77% and 1.06% of phosphorus. Fish fed the diet containing the highest percentage of dietary phosphorus were found to contain the least whole body lipid, lower than fish fed other diets (P 0.05). The contents of the whole body ash, whole body phosphorus and vertebrae phosphorus increased with dietary phosphorus percentage up to 1.06 (P<0.05), reaching a plateau after that. Dietary phosphorus did not significantly influence the muscle components (protein, lipid and moisture). Condition factor and hepatosomatic index were the highest in fish fed the diet containing 0.63% of dietary phosphorus; however, this was not significantly different from those of other diets. The second-order polynomial regression of phosphorus retention against dietary phosphorus identified a breakpoint at 0.88% of dietary phosphorus. However, the dietary requirement of phosphorus for maintaining maximum phosphorus storage determined by broken-line analysis of the contents of whole body phosphorus, and ash and vertebrae phosphorus was 1.06% of the diet.

Suspended sediment transport and deposition in the Zhoushan Archipelago sea area

Abstract: The transport mechanism and settlement characteristics of suspended sediments are analyzed in this article on the basis of measured data. Results indicate that the concentration and flux of suspended sediments decrease sharply from Hangzhou Bay to the offshore area. Suspended sediment transport is mainly controlled by advection transport and gravitational circulation transport. The settling velocity of suspended sediments gradually decreases from Hangzhou Bay to the offshore area. The settlement of suspended sediments mainly takes place during the turning phase of the tidal currents.

Cloning and analysis of calmodulin gene from Porphyra yezoensis Ueda (Bangiales, Rhodophyta)

Abstract: In order to understand the mechanisms of signal transduction and anti-desiccation mechanisms of Porphyra yezoensis, cDNA and its genomic sequence of Calmodulin gene (CaM) was cloned by the technique of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on the analysis of P. yezoensis ESTs from dbEST database. The result shows that the full-length cDNA of CaM consists of 603 bps including an ORF encoding for 151 amino acids and a terminate codon UGA, while the length of genomic sequence is 1231 bps including 2 exons and 1 intron. The average GC content of the coding region is 58.77%, while the GC content of the third position of this gene is as high as 82.23%. Four Ca2+ binding sites (EF-hand) are found in this gene. The predicted molecular mass of the deduced peptide is 16688.72 Da and the pI is 4.222. By aligning with known CaM genes, the similarity of CaM gene sequence with homologous genes in Chlamydomonas incerta and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is 72.7% and 72.2% respectively, and the similarity of the deduced amino acid sequence of CaM gene with homologous genes in C. incerta and C. reinhardtii are both 71.5%. This is the first report on CaM from a species of Rhodophyta.

Detection of the end point temperature of thermal denatured protein in fish and chicken meat through SDS-PAGE electrophoresis

Abstract: Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was applied in the detection of the end point temperature (EPT) of thermal denatured protein in fish and meat in this study. It was also used in studying the thermal denatured temperature range of proteins in salmon and chicken meat. The results show that the temperature ranges of denatured proteins were from 65°C to 75°C, and these temperature ranges were influenced by the processing methods. Through SDS-PAGE, the features of repeated heating thermal denatured proteins under the same temperature and processing time were studied. The electrophoresis patterns of thermal denatured proteins determined through repeated heating at the same temperature did not exhibit any change. For the detection of cooked fish and meat samples, they were subjected to applying the SDS-PAGE method, which revealed an EPT ranging from 60°C to 80°C.

Fishery Resources in Arid Zone Mangroves in Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat, Northwest Coast of India

Abstract: The finfish and shellfish resources were assessed quantitatively and qualitatively in regard to their abundance in creek waters at three sites within a period of two years, from January 1999 to December 2000, in the western mangrove areas of Kachchh. The catch rate varied from 0.69 to 6.99 kg•h^(-1). It was low during monsoon (July to October), which could be due to the freshwater-flow-induced salinity reduction in all the sites. Among 38 species recorded, 5 were shellfish and 33 were finfish. The spawning period of fishes was found to be during summer and early monsoon period (May to August). Surface water temperatures varied from 17℃ to 37℃. Sa-linity values varied from 34 to 44 and the pH ranged between 7 and 8.9. Variation in dissolved oxygen content was from 3.42 to 5.85 Ml•L^(-1). The high fishery densities in these semi arid mangrove creek areas were recorded during monsoon and early winter season.

Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of regional marine ecosystem services value

Abstract: Marine ecosystem services are the benefits which people obtain from the marine ecosystem, including provisioning services, regulating services, cultural services and supporting services. The human species, while buffered against environmental changes by culture and technology, is fundamentally dependent on the flow of ecosystem services. Marine ecosystem services become increasingly valuable as the terrestrial resources become scarce. The value of marine ecosystem services is the monetary flow of ecosystem services on specific temporal and spatial scales, which often changes due to the variation of the goods prices, yields and the status of marine exploitation. Sensitivity analysis is to study the relationship between the value of marine ecosystem services and the main factors which affect it. Uncertainty analysis based on varying prices, yields and status of marine exploitation was carried out. Through uncertainty analysis, a more credible value range instead of a fixed value of marine ecosystem services was obtained in this study. Moreover, sensitivity analysis of the marine ecosystem services value revealed the relative importance of different factors.

Size distribution of submarine landslides along the middle continental slope of the East China Sea

Abstract: This paper investigates the size distribution of submarine landslides on the middle continental slope of the East China Sea (ECS) using the size of the landslide source regions. Geomorphometric mapping is used to identify 102 mass movements from multibeam bathymetric data and to extract morphological information about the head scarps and side walls. These mass movements have areas ranging between 0.06 km2 and 15.51 km2 and volumes between 0.002 km3 and 2 km3. The area vs volume relationship of these failure scarps is approximately linear, suggesting a fairly uniform failure thickness in each event with scarce deep excavating landslides. The cumulative area distribution of the slope failures can be described by an inverse power law. The submarine landslides on the mid-ECS continental slope could be considered as a large-scale self-organizing system because they have the characteristics of a dissipative system in a critical state.

Distribution of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and its related parameters in seawater of the North Yellow Sea and off the Qingdao Coast in October, 2007

Abstract: Data on the distribution of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) were obtained from two cruises in the North Yellow Sea (NYS) and off the Qingdao Coast (QC) in October, 2007. Carbonate parameters were calculated. The concentrations of DIC are from 1.896–2.229 mmolL−1 in the NYS and from 1.939–2.032 mmolL−1 off the QC. In the southwest of the NYS, DIC in the upper layers decreases from the north of the SP (Shandong Peninsula) shelf to the center of the NYS; whereas in the lower layers DIC increases from the north of the SP shelf to the center of the NYS and South Yellow Sea. In the northeast of the NYS, DIC in all layers increases from the YR (Yalu River) estuary to the centre of the NYS. The distribution of DIC in NYS can be used as an indicator of Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM). Air-sea CO2 fluxes were calculated using three models and the results suggest that both the NYS and the QC waters are potential sources of atmospheric CO2 in October.

Study of Panjin wetlands along Bohai coast (II): Ecological water requirement of Shuangtaizi estuarine wetland

Abstract: Shuangtaizi estuarine wetland along the Bohai Sea coast, the biggest bulrush wetland in the world, has been listed in ‘The Record of Important International Wetland Conservation District’. Taking the year of 2 000 as an example, the minimum, the most suitable and the maximum ecological water requirement of Shuangtaizi estuarine wetland are calculated in this paper based on both ecological theory and Geological Information System technology. In addition, the remote sensing technique is adopted in the data acquisition process. Moreover, the total water requirement and the unit area water requirement for different wetland types are obtained. The result is very important for water resources planning, ecological conservation and regional agriculture structure adjustment in Shuangtaizi. Meanwhile, this study can serve as a useful example for calculating the ecological water requirement in other similar estuarine wetlands.

The effect of temperature on growth and energy budget of the polychaete, Neanthes japonica Izuka

Abstract: Growth and energy budget of the polychaete, Neanthes japonica, at various temperatures (17, 20, 23, 26 and 29°) were investigated in this study. The growth, as indicated by final dry weight and specific growth rate (SGR), increased with increasing temperature, with the maximum level at 26°C, and then decreased significantly at 29°C. A similar trend was observed in feeding rate, food conversion efficiency (FCE) and apparent digestive rate (ADR). However, no significant differences were detected in ADR among all the temperature treatments. In the pattern of energy allocation, faeces energy was only a small component of energy budget and had little influence on the proportion of food energy allocated to growth. The metabolic energy accounted for a large portion of energy intake for each temperature treatment. The nitrogen excretion was appreciable with changing temperature. The two expenditure terms (respiration energy and excretion energy) in energy budget were the major factors influencing the proportion of food energy allocated to growth. These results revealed that temperature affected the growth of N. japonica mainly by influencing feeding rate and FCE. In addition, regression equations describing the relationship between feeding rate, faecal production, SGR, FCE and temperature were obtained. The optimum temperatures for feeding rate, FCE and SGR were estimated at 25.01°C, 24.24°C and 24.73°C, respectively, from the regression equations.