The coral treaders, Hermatobates Carpenter (Hemiptera : Hermatobatidae), of Australia and New Caledonia with notes on biology and ecology

2000 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nils Møller Andersen ◽  
Tom A. Weir
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Coral Sea ◽  
Freshwater Habitats

Semiaquatic bugs (Heteroptera, infraorder Gerromorpha) are distributed worldwide with approximately 1,600 described species. Most species live in various types of freshwater habitats, but a little more than 10% have colonised the marine environment. The Australian fauna constitutes a significantly higher percentage of marine species (about 25%) than in any other continent. Among these are the coral treaders, Hermatobates Carpenter, belonging to the Hermatobatidae, one of very few insect families that only include marine species. In this paper the two species of Hermatobates previously known from Australia are redescribed and H. armatus, sp. nov. from the Chesterfield Islands in the Coral Sea is added. The distribution of species known from Australia and New Caledonia is mapped, and a revised key to the eight species currently recognised in the genus is presented. Finally, the available knowledge about the biology and ecology of coral treaders is reviewed and discussed.

scholarly journals Mesozooplankton structure and functioning in the western tropical South Pacific along the 20° parallel south during the OUTPACE survey (February–April 2015)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Carlotti ◽  
Marc Pagano ◽  
Loïc Guilloux ◽  
Katty Donoso ◽  
Valentina Valdés ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
Grazing Impact ◽  
Coral Sea ◽  
Carbon Demand ◽  
Excretion Rates ◽  
Density And Biomass

Abstract. This paper presents results on the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of mesozooplankton in the western tropical South Pacific along the 20 °S south visited during austral summer (February–April 2015). By contributing to the interdisciplinary OUTPACE (Oligotrophy to UlTra-oligotrophy PACific Experiment) project (Moutin et al., 2017), the specific aims of this study dedicated to mesozooplankton observations were (1) to document the responses of zooplankton in terms of species diversity, density and biomass along the transect, and (2) to characterize the trophic pathways from primary production to large mesozooplanktonic organisms. Along a West-East transect of 4000 km from New Caledonia to the French Polynesia, 15 short-duration stations (SD-1 to SD-15, 8 hours each) dedicated to a large-scale description, and three long-duration stations (LD-A to LD-C, 5days each), respectively positioned (1) in offshore northern waters of New Caledonia, (2) near Niue Island, and (3) in the subtropical Pacific gyre near the Cook Islands, were sampled with a Bongo Net with 120 μm mesh size net for quantifying mesozooplankton abundance, biomass, community taxonomy and size structure, and size fractionated content of δ15N. Subsequently, the contribution of Diazotroph Derived Nitrogen (DDN (%) to zooplankton δ15N (ZDDN) values at each station was calculated, as well as an estimation of zooplankton carbon demand and grazing impact and of zooplankton excretion rates. The mesozooplankton community showed a general decreasing trend in abundance and biomass from West to East, with a clear drop in the ultra-oligotrophic waters of the subtropical Pacific gyre (LD-C, SD-14 and SD-15). Higher abundance and biomass corresponded to higher primary production of more or less ephemeral blooms linked to complex mesoscale circulation in the Coral Sea and between the longitudes 170–180 °W. Copepods were the most abundant group (68 to 86 % of total abundance), slightly increasing in contribution from west to east while, in parallel, gelatinous plankton decreased (dominated by appendicularians) and other holoplankton. Detritus in the net tow samples represented 20–50 % of the biomass, the lowest and the highest values being obtained in the subtropical Pacific gyre and in the Coral Sea, respectively, linked to the local primary production and the biomass and growth rates of zooplanktonic populations. Taxonomic compositions showed a high degree of similarity across the whole region, however, with a moderate difference in subtropical Pacific gyre. Several copepod taxa, known to have trophic links with Trichodesmium, presented positive relationships with Trichodesmium abundance, such as the Harpacticoids Macrosetella, Microsetella and Miracia, and the Poecilostomatoids Corycaeus and Oncaea. At the LD stations, the populations initially responded to local spring blooms with a large production of larval forms, reflected in increasing abundances but with limited (station LD-A) or no (station LD-A) biomass changes. Diazotrophs contributed up to 67 and 75 % to zooplankton biomass in the western and central Melanesian Archipelago regions respectively, but strongly decreased to an average of 22 % in the subtropical Pacific gyre (GY) and down to 7 % occurring in the most eastern station (SD-15). Using allometric relationships, specific zooplankton ingestion rates were estimated between 0.55 and 0.64 d−1 with the highest mean value at the bloom station (LD-B) and the lowest in GY, whereas estimated weight specific excretion rates ranged between 0.1 and 0.15 d−1 for NH4 and between 0.09 and 9.12 d−1 for PO4. Daily grazing pressure on phytoplankton stocks and daily regeneration by zooplankton were as well estimated for the different regions showing contrasted impacts between MA and GY regions. For the 3 LD stations, it was not possible to find any relationship between the abundance and biomass in the water column and swimmers found in sediment traps. Diel vertical migration of zooplankton, which obviously occurs from observed differences in day and night samples, might strongly influence the community of swimmers in traps.

scholarly journals Fluid chemistry of the low temperature hyperalkaline hydrothermal system of Prony Bay (New Caledonia)

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5687-5706 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Monnin ◽  
V. Chavagnac ◽  
C. Boulart ◽  
B. Ménez ◽  
M. Gérard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Hydrothermal System ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Water Discharge ◽  
The Other ◽  
Chemical Compositions ◽  
Saturation State ◽  
High Ph

Abstract. The terrestrial hyperalkaline springs of Prony Bay (southern lagoon, New Caledonia) have been known since the nineteenth century, but a recent high-resolution bathymetric survey of the seafloor has revealed the existence of numerous submarine structures similar to the well-known Aiguille de Prony, which are also the location of high-pH fluid discharge into the lagoon. During the HYDROPRONY cruise (28 October to 13 November 2011), samples of waters, gases and concretions were collected by scuba divers at underwater vents. Four of these sampling sites are located in Prony Bay at depths up to 50 m. One (Bain des Japonais spring) is also in Prony Bay but uncovered at low tide and another (Rivière des Kaoris spring) is on land slightly above the seawater level at high tide. We report the chemical composition (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, SO4, dissolved inorganic carbon, SiO2(aq)) of 45 water samples collected at six sites of high-pH water discharge, as well as the composition of gases. Temperatures reach 37 °C at the Bain des Japonais and 32 °C at the spring of the Kaoris. Gas bubbling was observed only at these two springs. The emitted gases contain between 12 and 30% of hydrogen in volume of dry gas, 6 to 14% of methane, and 56 to 72% of nitrogen, with trace amounts of carbon dioxide, ethane and propane. pH values and salinities of all the 45 collected water samples range from the seawater values (8.2 and 35 g L−1) to hyperalkaline freshwaters of the Ca-OH type (pH 11 and salinities as low as 0.3 g L−1) showing that the collected samples are always a mixture of a hyperalkaline fluid of meteoric origin and ambient seawater. Cl-normalized concentrations of dissolved major elements first show that the Bain des Japonais is distinct from the other sites. Water collected at this site are three component mixtures involving the high-pH fluid, the lagoon seawater and the river water from the nearby Rivière du Carénage. The chemical compositions of the hyperalkaline endmembers (at pH 11) are not significantly different from one site to the other although the sites are several kilometres away from each other and are located on different ultramafic substrata. The very low salinity of the hyperalkaline endmembers shows that seawater does not percolate through the ultramafic formation. Mixing of the hyperalkaline hydrothermal endmember with local seawater produces large ranges and very sharp gradients of pH, salinity and dissolved element concentrations. There is a major change in the composition of the water samples at a pH around 10, which delimitates the marine environment from the hyperalkaline environment. The redox potential evolves toward negative values at high pH indicative of the reducing conditions due to bubbling of the H2-rich gas. The calculation of the mineral saturation states carried out for the Na-K-Ca-Mg-Cl-SO4-DIC-SiO2-H2O system shows that this change is due to the onset of brucite formation. While the saturation state of the Ca carbonates over the whole pH range is typical of that found in a normal marine environment, Mg- and Mg-Ca carbonates (magnesite, hydromagnesite, huntite, dolomite) exhibit very large supersaturations with maximum values at a pH of around 10, very well marked for the Bain des Japonais, emphasizing the role of water mixing in mineral formation. The discharge of high-pH waters of meteoric origin into the lagoon marine environment makes the hydrothermal system of Prony Bay unique compared to other low temperature serpentinizing environments such as Oman (fully continental) or Lost City (fully marine).

scholarly journals Spatial scales of interannual recruitment variations of marine, anadromous, and freshwater fish

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1400-1407 ◽  
Author(s):  
R A Myers ◽  
G Mertz ◽  
J Bridson
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scale ◽  
Freshwater Fish ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Freshwater Species ◽  
Environmental Agents

We examine the spatial scale of variability in recruitment for 11 marine, three anadromous, and five freshwater species. Generally the spatial scale of recruitment correlations for marine species is approximately 500 km, compared with less than 50 km for freshwater; anadromous species fall between these two scales. The scale for marine species is comparable with (but less than) that of the largest-scale environmental variables (and is compatible with the idea that large-scale environmental agents influence recruitment). Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that predation is a more important factor in determining recruitment in freshwater than it is in the marine environment.

Description of Peridiniopsidaceae, fam. nov. (Peridiniales, Dinophyceae)

Phytotaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 299 (2) ◽  
pp. 293 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARC GOTTSCHLING ◽  
JULIANE KRETSCHMANN ◽  
ANŽE ŽERDONER ČALASAN
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
Related Species ◽  
Type Species ◽  
Freshwater Habitats ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
Peridinium Cinctum

The vast majority not only of dinophytes, but also of Peridiniales, live in the marine environment, and some 350 (out of ca 2.500) species are present in freshwater habitats (Mertens et al. 2012). Many freshwater Peridiniales constitute small and only distantly related species groups embedded in predominantly marine clades (e.g., Apocalathium, Chimonodinium, Naiadinium in the Thoracosphaeraceae; species assigned to “Peridiniopsis” in the Kryptoperidiniaceae; Zhang et al. 2011b, Gottschling & Söhner 2013, Annenkova et al. 2015; Fig. 1). However, the most distinguished freshwater group of the Peridiniales are the Peridiniaceae including the type species, Peridinium cinctum, and other frequently encountered species such as Peridinium bipes, Peridinium volzii and Peridinium willei.

scholarly journals Out of the blue: adaptive visual pigment evolution accompanies Amazon invasion

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 20150349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Van Nynatten ◽  
Devin Bloom ◽  
Belinda S. W. Chang ◽  
Nathan R. Lovejoy
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Evolution ◽  
Positive Selection ◽  
Visual Pigment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
South American ◽  
Sequence Analyses ◽  
Freshwater Habitats ◽  
Varying Environments ◽  
Visual Pigment Evolution

Incursions of marine water into South America during the Miocene prompted colonization of freshwater habitats by ancestrally marine species and present a unique opportunity to study the molecular evolution of adaptations to varying environments. Freshwater and marine environments are distinct in both spectra and average intensities of available light. Here, we investigate the molecular evolution of rhodopsin, the photosensitive pigment in the eye that activates in response to light, in a clade of South American freshwater anchovies derived from a marine ancestral lineage. Using likelihood-based comparative sequence analyses, we found evidence for positive selection in the rhodopsin of freshwater anchovy lineages at sites known to be important for aspects of rhodopsin function such as spectral tuning. No evidence was found for positive selection in marine lineages, nor in three other genes not involved in vision. Our results suggest that an increased rate of rhodopsin evolution was driven by diversification into freshwater habitats, thereby constituting a rare example of molecular evolution mirroring large-scale palaeogeographic events.

Ficus subgen. pharmacosycea with reference to the species of New Caledonia

1970 ◽  
Vol 259 (831) ◽  
pp. 383-433 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Morphological Evolution ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Coral Sea ◽  
Evolutionary Line ◽  
Two New Species ◽  
New Hebrides

The biogeography of the subgenus is correlated with the morphological evolution of the species. From a source round the Coral Sea the subgenus has diversified into four evolutionary lines, namely sect. Pharmacosycea (America), ser. Nervosae (Indo-Pacific), ser. Vasculosae (Afro-Indo-Pacific) and ser. Austrocaledonicae (New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands, New Hebrides). The last in its isolation shows the pachycaul-leptocaul evolution. F. pseudojaca (New Guinea) is critical in this interpretation. F. smithii is removed to ser. Nervosae. F. pritchardii (Fiji) is removed to sect. Sycocarpus subsect. Papuasyce in alliance with F. microdictya , but this group may relate with ancestral Pharmacosycea . The species of ser. Austrocaledonicae are described and illustrated to show this unique evolutionary line: F. lifouensis (Loyalty Isl.) is described as new. In ser. Nervosae , in the alliance of F. pachysycia , two new species are described, F. homodroma and F. mesotes .

scholarly journals Integrated modelling to support decision-making for marine social–ecological systems in Australia

2017 ◽  
Vol 74 (9) ◽  
pp. 2298-2308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Melbourne-Thomas ◽  
Andrew J Constable ◽  
Elizabeth A Fulton ◽  
Stuart P Corney ◽  
Rowan Trebilco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
System Level ◽  
Integrated Modelling ◽  
Marine Systems ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
The Face

Abstract Policy- and decision-makers require assessments of status and trends for marine species, habitats, and ecosystems to understand if human activities in the marine environment are sustainable, particularly in the face of global change. Central to many assessments are statistical and dynamical models of populations, communities, ecosystems, and their socioeconomic systems and management frameworks. The establishment of a national system that could facilitate the development of such model-based assessments has been identified as a priority for addressing management challenges for Australia’s marine environment. Given that most assessments require cross-scale information, individual models cannot capture all of the spatial, temporal, biological, and socioeconomic scales that are typically needed. Coupling or integrating models across scales and domains can expand the scope for developing comprehensive and internally consistent, system-level assessments, including higher-level feedbacks in social–ecological systems. In this article, we summarize: (i) integrated modelling for marine systems currently being undertaken in Australia, (ii) methods used for integration and comparison of models, and (iii) improvements to facilitate further integration, particularly with respect to standards and specifications. We consider future needs for integrated modelling of marine social–ecological systems in Australia and provide a set of recommendations for priority focus areas in the development of a national approach to integrated modelling. These recommendations draw on—and have broader relevance for—international efforts around integrated modelling to inform decision-making for marine systems.

Endocrine disruption in marine fish

2003 ◽  
Vol 75 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 2249-2261 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Matthiessen
Keyword(s):  
Freshwater Fish ◽  
Endocrine Disruption ◽  
Marine Fish ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Freshwater Species ◽  
Top Predators

This topic reviews the whole field of endocrine disruption (ED) in marine fish and compares this with our knowledge of the situation in freshwater species. In broad terms, similar types of ED have been observed in the two groups, although effects in the marine environment tend to be less marked, presumably due to dispersion and dilution. There are, however, some data which suggest that marine fish that are top-predators can experience ED due to biomagnification of organochlorines. Processes such as smoltification, metamorphosis, and hermaphroditism, which are common in some marine species, may be particularly susceptible to ED, but have as yet been scarcely studied. As with freshwater fish, firm links to population-level effects have not yet been demonstrated, although it is not unreasonable to suppose that they are occurring in some locations. The topic concludes with some recommendations for future research.

scholarly journals Population genetics and connectivity in Paphies subtriangulata and Paphies australis (Bivalvia: Mesodesmatidae)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Danielle Amelia Hannan
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Genetic Population Structure ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Genetic Population ◽  
Geographic Patterns ◽  
Coastal Marine

<p>Understanding the different types of genetic population structure that characterise marine species, and the processes driving such patterns, is crucial for establishing links between the ecology and evolution of a species. This knowledge is vital for management and conservation of marine species. Genetic approaches are a powerful tool for revealing ecologically relevant insights to marine population dynamics. Geographic patterns of genetic population structure are largely determined by the rate at which individuals are exchanged among populations (termed ‘population connectivity’), which in turn is influenced by conditions in the physical environment. The complexity of the New Zealand marine environment makes it difficult to predict how physical oceanographic and environmental processes will influence connectivity in coastal marine organisms and hence the type of genetic structure that will form. This complexity presents a challenge for management of marine resources but also makes the New Zealand region an interesting model system to investigate how and why population structure develops and evolves over time. Paphies subtriangulata (tuatua) and P. australis (pipi) are endemic bivalve ‘surf clams’ commonly found on New Zealand surf beaches and harbour/estuary environments, respectively. They form important recreational, customary and commercial fisheries, yet little is known about the stock structure of these species. This study aimed to use genetic techniques to determine population structure, levels of connectivity and ‘seascape’ genetic patterns in P. subtriangulata and P. australis, and to gain further knowledge of common population genetic processes operating in the New Zealand coastal marine environment. Eleven and 14 novel microsatellite markers were developed for P. subtriangulata and P. australis, respectively. Samples were collected from 10 locations for P. subtriangulata and 13 locations for P. australis (35-57 samples per location; total sample size of 517 for P. subtriangulata and 674 for P. australis). Geographic patterns of genetic variation were measured and rates of migration among locations were estimated on recent and historic time scales. Both species were characterised by genetic population structure that was consistent with their habitat. For P. subtriangulata, the Chatham Island population was strongly differentiated from the rest of the sampled locations. The majority of mainland locations were undifferentiated and estimated rates of migration among locations were high on both time scales investigated, although differentiation among some populations was observed. For P. australis, an overall isolation by distance (IBD) pattern was likely to be driven by distance between discrete estuary habitats. However, it was difficult to distinguish IBD from hierarchical structure as populations could be further subdivided into three significantly differentiated groups (Northern, South Eastern and South Western), providing evidence for barriers to dispersal. Further small scale patterns of genetic differentiation were observed in some locations, suggesting that complex current patterns and high self-recruitment drive small scale genetic population structure in both P. subtriangulata and P. australis. These patterns of genetic variation were used in seascape genetic analyses to test for associations with environmental variables, with the purpose of understanding the processes that might shape genetic population structure in these two species. Although genetic population structure varied between the two species, common physical and environmental variables (geographic distance, sea surface temperature, bed slope, tidal currents) are likely to be involved in the structuring of populations. Results suggest that local adaptation, in combination with restricted dispersal, could play a role in driving the small scale patterns of genetic differentiation seen among some localities. Overall, the outcomes of this research fill a gap in our knowledge about the rates and routes by which populations are connected and the environmental factors influencing such patterns in the New Zealand marine environment. Other studies have highlighted the importance of using multi-faceted approaches to understand complex processes operating in the marine environment. The present study is an important first step in this direction as these methods are yet to be widely applied to New Zealand marine species. Importantly, this study used a comparative approach, applying standardised methodology to compare genetic population structure and migration across species. Such an approach is necessary if we wish to build a robust understanding of the spatial and temporal complexities of population dynamics in the New Zealand coastal marine environment, and to develop effective management strategies for our unique marine species.</p>

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