δ13C Values in Marine Organisms from the Great Barrier Reef

1976 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
CC Black ◽  
MM Bender
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Carbon Assimilation ◽  
Marine Organisms ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
Δ13c Values ◽  
Photosynthetic Organisms

The carbon isotope composition of marine organisms collected on the Great Barrier Reef near Lizard Island, Australia, was determined. Emphasis was placed on photosynthetic organisms including algae, zooxanthellae, angiosperms and symbiotic systems. The photosynthetic organisms had δ13C values ranging from -5.1 to -32.40,. Symbiotic systems and non-photosynthetic organisms had δ13C values within this range. CO2 released by acid treatment from coral, shell and cone carbonates had δ13C values between + 3.9 and - 2.70,. The results with photosynthetic tissue generally are interpreted in comparison to terrestrial plants as showing a major assimilation of CO2 into organic compounds via ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase in the marine ecosystem. However, a few photosynthetic organisms exhibited δ13C values between - 5.10, and - 110, and could be assimilating CO2 via phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. A unified scheme is presented for the pathway of carbon assimilation in the reef from the sea water through both autotrophic and heterotrophic metabolism, and finally to calcification.

Leaf Ultrastructure and δ13C Values of Three Seagrasses from the Great Barrier Reef

1976 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
ME Doohan ◽  
EH Newcomb
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Leaf Anatomy ◽  
Co2 Assimilation ◽  
Land Plants ◽  
Vascular Bundles ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Thalassia Hemprichii ◽  
Mesophyll Cells ◽  
Δ13c Values ◽  
Abundant Cytoplasm

Leaf anatomy, ultrastructure and 13C/12C ratios were studied in three species of seagrasses collected on the Great Barrier Reef: Cymodocea rotundata Ehrenb. & Hempr., C. serrulata (R. Br.) Aschers. & Magnus, and Thalassia hemprichii (Ehrenb.) Aschers. Although they belong to two different mono- cotyledonous families, the three species are quite similar in the characteristics studied. Cells of the epidermal layer of the leaves are extremely thick-walled and have abundant cytoplasm with large chloroplasts and numerous mitochondria. The chloroplast-microbody profile ratio is c. 4-5 : 1 and the mitochondrion-microbody ratio 10-15 : 1. The epidermal cells resemble transfer cells in having a pronounced development of ingrowths on the radial walls. The mesophyll cells have thin walls, a large central vacuole and a thin layer of cytoplasm with relatively few organelles. There is no specialization of mesophyll cells around the vascular bundles. The δ13C values for the three sea- grasses range from -6.90, to - 12.40, and thus are characteristic of C4 land plants, although the seagrasses do not conform to the C4 syndrome in leaf anatomy or ultrastructure. It is not possible to place the seagrasses in either the C3, C4 or crassulacean acid metabolism category of land plants, but whether they constitute yet a fourth group with respect to characteristics related to CO2 assimilation is not clear.

scholarly journals Atmospheric Trace Metal Deposition near the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Strzelec ◽  
Bernadette C. Proemse ◽  
Melanie Gault-Ringold ◽  
Philip W. Boyd ◽  
Morgane M. G. Perron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trace Metals ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Precipitation Event ◽  
Deposition Flux ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Combustion Emissions ◽  
Leaching Experiments ◽  
Aerosol Sources ◽  
Delivery Mechanism

Aerosols deposited into the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) contain iron (Fe) and other trace metals, which may act as micronutrients or as toxins to this sensitive marine ecosystem. In this paper, we quantified the atmospheric deposition of Fe and investigated aerosol sources in Mission Beach (Queensland) next to the GBR. Leaching experiments were applied to distinguish pools of Fe with regard to its solubility. The labile Fe concentration in aerosols was 2.3–10.6 ng m−3, which is equivalent to 4.9%–11.4% of total Fe and was linked to combustion and biomass burning processes, while total Fe was dominated by crustal sources. A one-day precipitation event provided more soluble iron than the average dry deposition flux, 0.165 and 0.143 μmol m−2 day−1, respectively. Scanning Electron Microscopy indicated that alumina-silicates were the main carriers of total Fe and samples affected by combustion emissions were accompanied by regular round-shaped carbonaceous particulates. Collected aerosols contained significant amounts of Cd, Co, Cu, Mo, Mn, Pb, V, and Zn, which were mostly (47.5%–96.7%) in the labile form. In this study, we provide the first field data on the atmospheric delivery of Fe and other trace metals to the GBR and propose that this is an important delivery mechanism to this region.

Influence of Oxygen Concentration on Photosynthesis in Marine Plants

1976 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
CC Black ◽  
JE Burris ◽  
RG Everson
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Oxygen Concentration ◽  
Pentose Phosphate ◽  
Oxygen Atmosphere ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
Helium Atmosphere ◽  
Marine Plants ◽  
Pentose Phosphate Cycle ◽  
Lizard Island

Photosynthesis was studied in various atmospheres of oxygen with marine plants grown on the Great Barrier Reef near Lizard Island, Australia. Inhibition of photosynthesis in a 100 % oxygen atmosphere ranged from 12 to 83 % in specific marine plants when compared to a nitrogen or helium atmosphere. The rates of photosynthesis in these marine plants were in general similar to those of terrestrial plants which fix CO2 via the reductive pentose phosphate cycle. We conclude that photo-respiration is present in specific marine plants at levels similar to those found in terrestrial plants with the reductive pentose phosphate cycle.

Carbonate Dehydratase in Marine Organisms of the Great Barrier Reef

1976 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Graham ◽  
RM Smillie
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Carbonate ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Carbonic Anhydrase Activity ◽  
Enzymic Activity ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Pocillopora Damicornis ◽  
Blue Green Algae ◽  
Calcium Carbonate Deposition ◽  
Dehydratase Activity

Carbonate dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.1, other name 'carbonic anhydrase') activity was found in 28 of 29 species of marine algae and angiosperms and in a mixed culture of phytoplankton collected in the vicinity of Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. The species included 13 member- of the Chlorophyta, 4 of the Phaeophyta, 7 of the Rhodophyta, 2 of the Cyanophyta and 3 subs merged marine angiosperms. One of the two blue-green algae showed no detectable enzymic activity. The levels of activity ranged from 100 to 4800 units per milligram chlorophyll and were generally comparable with those of terrestrial angiosperms based on chlorophyll content, but were only a small fraction when compared on the basis of fresh weight. Culture of the green alga Chlorodesmis fastigiata in 'CO2-free' sea water (1.4 mg CO2 per litre) for 4 h did not lead to an induction of carbonate dehydratase activity. Some of the species of algae producing calcium carbonate contained the highest activities recorded but others had low activities. A correlation between high carbonate dehydratase activity and calcium carbonate deposition could not be adduced. Symbiotic zooxanthellae (Gymnodinium microadriaticum) of the hard coral Pocillopora damicornis and the clam Tridacna maxima also contained carbonate dehydratase (940 and 340 units per milligram chlorophyll, respectively). The host tissues contained about five times the activity of their respective zooxanthellae.

scholarly journals Air mass source determines airborne microbial diversity at the ocean-atmosphere interface of the Great Barrier Reef marine ecosystem

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen D.J. Archer ◽  
Kevin C Lee ◽  
Tancredi Caruso ◽  
Katie King-Miaow ◽  
Mike Harvey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Mass Source ◽  
Air Mass ◽  
Transient Nature ◽  
Coral Microbiome ◽  
Ocean Atmosphere ◽  
Atmospheric Inputs

AbstractThe atmosphere is the least understood biome on Earth despite its critical role as a microbial transport medium. The influence of surface cover on composition of airborne microbial communities above marine systems is unclear. Here we report evidence for a dynamic microbial presence at the ocean-atmosphere interface of a major marine ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef, and identify that recent air mass trajectory over an oceanic or continental surface associated with observed shifts in airborne bacterial and fungal diversity. Relative abundance of shared taxa between air and coral microbiomes varied between 2.2-8.8% and included those identified as part of the core coral microbiome. We propose that this variable source of atmospheric inputs may in part contribute to the diverse and transient nature of the coral microbiome.

Gnathia grutterae sp. nov. (Crustacea, Isopoda, Gnathiidae) parasitising representatives of the Balistidae, Labridae and Tetraodontidae from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2718 (1) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARYKE L. FERREIRA ◽  
NICO J. SMIT ◽  
ANGELA J. DAVIES
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Anterior Part ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Distinctive Features ◽  
Post Feeding ◽  
Lizard Island ◽  
Third Stage ◽  
Dorsal Area ◽  
A New Species

A new species of gnathiid was collected in March 2002 and November 2005 at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Third stage pranizae taken from balistid, labrid and tetraodontid fishes were maintained in fresh sea water until their moult into males (4 days post feeding) or females (11 days post feeding). Distinctive features of the adult male cephalosome include conical superior fronto-lateral processes directed anteriorly, with 4 simple setae in a row on each process, while the mediofrontal process is inferior with a shallow conical notch dividing the anterior part of mediofrontal process in two. The male mandible has a prominent internal lobe with small tubercles forming two rows from the internal lobe up to half the length of the mandible. The adult female has a broadly rounded cephalosome, with two pairs of long simple setae laterally on the mid-dorsal area, whereas the third stage praniza has a mandible with 9 teeth, comprising two small teeth at the tip and seven large, triangular, backwardly directed teeth on the mesial margin.

scholarly journals Target setting for pollutant discharge management of rivers in the Great Barrier Reef catchment area

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Brodie ◽  
Stephen Lewis ◽  
Zoe Bainbridge ◽  
Alan Mitchell ◽  
Jane Waterhouse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Suspended Sediments ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Discharge Management ◽  
Fertiliser Application ◽  
Pollutant Discharge ◽  
High Degree

Water Quality Improvement Plans (WQIPs) are being developed for individual river basins on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchment associated with the GBR Water Quality Protection Plan. Within each WQIP, marine ecosystem targets are linked to end-of-river pollutant (suspended sediments, nutrients and pesticides) load targets and to farm level management practice targets. The targets are linked through quantitative models; e.g. one model connects GBR chlorophyll concentrations (marine target) to end-of-river nitrate loads, a second connects the end-of-river nitrate loads to fertiliser management targets in the catchment, whereas a third model links fertiliser application to nitrate loss at the farm scale. The difficulties of applying these linked models to derive credible and practical management targets are great, given the high degree of uncertainty in each model. Our understanding of the generation of suspended sediments, nutrients and pesticides in catchments and the relationship to on-farm management, the transport of these materials to the ocean, their transport in coastal waters and their effects on marine ecosystems is incomplete. The challenge is to produce estimates from the models, with known levels of uncertainty, but robust enough for management purposes. Case studies from the Tully–Murray basin and the Burdekin basin in north Queensland are discussed.

scholarly journals Air mass source determines airborne microbial diversity at the ocean–atmosphere interface of the Great Barrier Reef marine ecosystem

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 871-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen D. J. Archer ◽  
Kevin C. Lee ◽  
Tancredi Caruso ◽  
Katie King-Miaow ◽  
Mike Harvey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Mass Source ◽  
Air Mass ◽  
Transient Nature ◽  
Coral Microbiome ◽  
Ocean Atmosphere ◽  
Atmospheric Inputs

AbstractThe atmosphere is the least understood biome on Earth despite its critical role as a microbial transport medium. The influence of surface cover on composition of airborne microbial communities above marine systems is unclear. Here we report evidence for a dynamic microbial presence at the ocean–atmosphere interface of a major marine ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef, and identify that recent air mass trajectory over an oceanic or continental surface associated with observed shifts in airborne bacterial and fungal diversity. Relative abundance of shared taxa between air and coral microbiomes varied between 2.2 and 8.8% and included those identified as part of the core coral microbiome. We propose that this variable source of atmospheric inputs may in part contribute to the diverse and transient nature of the coral microbiome.

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