scholarly journals Population dynamics and predatory impact of the alien jellyfish Aurelia solida (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa) in the Bizerte Lagoon (southwestern Mediterranean Sea)

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
SONIA K.M. GUEROUN ◽  
JUAN CARLOS MOLINERO ◽  
STEFANO PIRAINO ◽  
MOHAMED NEJIB DALY YAHIA

Understanding the life cycle strategies and predatory impact of alien jellyfish species is critical to mitigate the impact these organisms may have on local populations, biodiversity, and ultimately on the functioning of food webs. In the Mediterranean Sea, little is known about the dynamics of alien jellyfish, although this area is a biodiversity hotspot and one of the most threatened by an increasing number of alien jellyfish. Here, we investigated the population dynamics and predatory impact of a non-indigenous scyphomedusa, Aurelia solida Browne 1905, in the Bizerte Lagoon, Tunisia. The study was based on a bimonthly survey performed over two consecutive years, from November 2012 to August 2014. Field observations showed that the planktonic phase of A. solida occurs from winter to early summer. Prey composition was investigated by means of gut content and field zooplankton analyses. Calanoid copepods, mollusc larvae and larvaceans represented the main food items of A. solida. To determine the jellyfish feeding rate and their predatory impact on zooplankton populations, the digestion time for zooplankton prey was assessed at three different temperatures: 13, 18 and 23 °C in laboratory conditions, corresponding to the average range of temperatures encountered by A. solida in the Bizerte Lagoon. We found that A. solida consumed 0.5–22.5% and 0.02–37.3% of the daily zooplankton standing stock in 2013 and 2014, respectively. These results indicate a non-negligible but restricted seasonal grazing impact on some mesozooplankton groups, explained by the relatively short lifespan of the medusa stage (5–6 months).

2001 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 1012-1020 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Gangnery ◽  
C Bacher ◽  
D Buestel

The Thau lagoon (France) has been studied for many years because of its ecological interest related to economic activities: shellfish cultivation, tourism, and industry. The standing stock of cultivated filter feeders is around 20 000 t and consists of two main species, the Japanese oyster Crassostrea gigas and the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. To predict changes in the standing stock and the annual production, a mathematical model of the population dynamics was defined. It was based on the continuous equation of the density as a function of the mortality rate, the individual growth rate, and the interindividual variability. The daily growth rate was derived from field surveys and depended on the phytoplankton concentration and individual weight. The model also took into account the rearing strategy of the producers defined by the timetable of seeding and harvesting, obtained by an inquiry among the producers and used to simulate real cases of standing stock changes. The model was also used to assess the potential impact on the environment through the computation of the food consumption, which was compared with the residence time and the primary production.


Author(s):  
Anna Arias ◽  
Enric Saiz ◽  
Peter Tiselius ◽  
Albert Calbet

Abstract Microzooplankton play a pivotal role in the energy transfer between lower and upper trophic levels in marine planktonic food webs. While laboratory data suggest that microzooplankton exhibit higher feeding rates during the daytime, evidence from the field is scarce and contradictory. In this study, we first characterized the nano- and microplanktonic communities of the Gullmar Fjord (Sweden) and its environmental conditions during July and August 2017. Then, we explored the grazing impact of microzooplankton on the phytoplankton community of this ecosystem and assessed their diel grazing activity using the dilution technique. Finally, we evaluated the impact of mesozooplankton at natural concentrations during the experiments. Microzooplankton removed 26% of the phytoplankton standing stock and 96% of the primary production daily, while mesozooplankton did not exert a significant impact on microplankton activity. We did not detect significant diel microzooplankton grazing rhythms during the first experimental period; however, during the second part of the study, after an upwelling event, grazing rates were significantly higher during the night. Therefore, the microzooplankton grazing rhythm in natural systems may vary according to the species composition and abundances of both microzooplankton and prey communities.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 65-72
Author(s):  
V. N. Shmagol' ◽  
V. L. Yarysh ◽  
S. P. Ivanov ◽  
V. I. Maltsev

<p>The long-term population dynamics of the red deer (<em>Cervus elaphus</em> L.) and European roe deer (<em>Capreolus</em> <em>capreolus</em> L.) at the mountain and forest zone of Crimea during 1980-2017 is presented. Fluctuations in numbers of both species are cyclical and partly synchronous. Period of oscillations in the population of red deer is about 25 years, the average duration of the oscillation period of number of roe deer is 12.3 years. During the fluctuations in the number the increasing and fall in population number of the red deer had been as 26-47 %, and roe deer – as 22-34 %. Basing on the dada obtained we have assumed that together with large-scale cycles of fluctuations in population number of both red deer and roe deer the short cycles of fluctuations in the number of these species with period from 3.5 to 7.5 years take place. Significant differences of the parameters of cyclical fluctuations in the number of roe deer at some sites of the Mountainous Crimea: breaches of synchronicity, as well as significant differences in the duration of cycles are revealed. The greatest deviations from the average values of parameters of long-term dynamics of the number of roe deer in Crimea are noted for groups of this species at two protected areas. At the Crimean Nature Reserve the cycle time of fluctuations of the numbers of roe deer was 18 years. At the Karadag Nature Reserve since 1976 we can see an exponential growth in number of roe deer that is continued up to the present time. By 2016 the number of roe deer reached 750 individuals at a density of 437 animals per 1 thousand ha. Peculiarity of dynamics of number of roe deer at some sites proves the existence in the mountain forest of Crimea several relatively isolated groups of deer. We assumed that "island" location of the Crimean populations of red deer and European roe deer, their relatively little number and influence of permanent extreme factors of both natural and anthropogenic origination have contributed to a mechanism of survival of these populations. The elements of such a mechanism include the following features of long-term dynamics of the population: the reduction in the period of cyclic population fluctuations, while maintaining their amplitude and the appearance of additional small cycles, providing more flexible response of the population to the impact of both negative and positive environmental factors. From the totality of the weather conditions for the Crimean population of roe deer the recurring periods of increases and downs in the annual precipitation amount may have relevance. There was a trend of increase in the roe deer population during periods of increasing annual precipitation.</p>


2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 451-459
Author(s):  
Ashraf Yehia El-Naggar ◽  
Mohamed A. Ebiad

Gasoline come primarily from petroleum cuts, it is the preferred liquid fuel in our lives. Two gasoline samples of octane numbers 91 and 95 from Saudi Arabia petrol stations were studied. This study was achieved at three different temperatures 20oC, 30oC and 50oC representing the change in temperatures of the different seasons of the year. Both the evaporated gases of light aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX) of gasoline samples inside the tank were subjected to analyze qualitatively and quantitatively via capillary gas chromatography. The detailed hydrocarbon composition and the octane number of the studied gasoline samples were determined using detailed hydrocarbon analyzer. The idea of research is indicating the impact of light aromatic compounds in gasoline on the toxic effect of human and environment on the one hand, and on octane number of gasoline on the other hand. Although the value of octane number will be reduced but this will have a positive impact on the environment as a way to produce clean fuel.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aiyan Guan ◽  
Inge Van Damme ◽  
Frank Devlieghere ◽  
Sarah Gabriël

AbstractAnisakidae, marine nematodes, are underrecognized fish-borne zoonotic parasites. Studies on factors that could trigger parasites to actively migrate out of the fish are very limited. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of different environmental conditions (temperature, CO2 and O2) on larval motility (in situ movement) and mobility (migration) in vitro. Larvae were collected by candling or enzymatic digestion from infected fish, identified morphologically and confirmed molecularly. Individual larvae were transferred to a semi-solid Phosphate Buffered Saline agar, and subjected to different temperatures (6 ℃, 12 ℃, 22 ℃, 37 ℃) at air conditions. Moreover, different combinations of CO2 and O2 with N2 as filler were tested, at both 6 °C and 12 °C. Video recordings of larvae were translated into scores for larval motility and mobility. Results showed that temperature had significant influence on larval movements, with the highest motility and mobility observed at 22 ℃ for Anisakis spp. larvae and 37 ℃ for Pseudoterranova spp. larvae. During the first 10 min, the median migration of Anisakis spp. larvae was 10 cm at 22 ℃, and the median migration of Pseudoterranova spp. larvae was 3 cm at 37 ℃. Larval mobility was not significantly different under the different CO2 or O2 conditions at 6 °C and 12 ℃. It was concluded that temperature significantly facilitated larval movement with the optimum temperature being different for Anisakis spp. and Pseudoterranova spp., while CO2 and O2 did not on the short term. This should be further validated in parasite-infected/spiked fish fillets.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba de la Vara ◽  
William Cabos ◽  
Dmitry V. Sein ◽  
Claas Teichmann ◽  
Daniela Jacob

AbstractIn this work we use a regional atmosphere–ocean coupled model (RAOCM) and its stand-alone atmospheric component to gain insight into the impact of atmosphere–ocean coupling on the climate change signal over the Iberian Peninsula (IP). The IP climate is influenced by both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean sea. Complex interactions with the orography take place there and high-resolution models are required to realistically reproduce its current and future climate. We find that under the RCP8.5 scenario, the generalized 2-m air temperature (T2M) increase by the end of the twenty-first century (2070–2099) in the atmospheric-only simulation is tempered by the coupling. The impact of coupling is specially seen in summer, when the warming is stronger. Precipitation shows regionally-dependent changes in winter, whilst a drier climate is found in summer. The coupling generally reduces the magnitude of the changes. Differences in T2M and precipitation between the coupled and uncoupled simulations are caused by changes in the Atlantic large-scale circulation and in the Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, the differences in projected changes of T2M and precipitation with the RAOCM under the RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 scenarios are tackled. Results show that in winter and summer T2M increases less and precipitation changes are of a smaller magnitude with the RCP4.5. Whilst in summer changes present a similar regional distribution in both runs, in winter there are some differences in the NW of the IP due to differences in the North Atlantic circulation. The differences in the climate change signal from the RAOCM and the driving Global Coupled Model show that regionalization has an effect in terms of higher resolution over the land and ocean.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hadi Torkamani ◽  
Shahram Raygan ◽  
Carlos Garcia Mateo ◽  
Yahya Palizdar ◽  
Jafar Rassizadehghani ◽  
...  

AbstractIn this study, dual-phase (DP, ferrite + martensite) microstructures were obtained by performing intercritical heat treatments (IHT) at 750 and 800 °C followed by quenching. Decreasing the IHT temperature from 800 to 750 °C leads to: (i) a decrease in the volume fraction of austenite (martensite after quenching) from 0.68 to 0.36; (ii) ~ 100 °C decrease in martensite start temperature (Ms), mainly due to the higher carbon content of austenite and its smaller grains at 750 °C; (iii) a reduction in the block size of martensite from 1.9 to 1.2 μm as measured by EBSD. Having a higher carbon content and a finer block size, the localized microhardness of martensite islands increases from 380 HV (800 °C) to 504 HV (750 °C). Moreover, despite the different volume fractions of martensite obtained in DP microstructures, the hardness of the steels remained unchanged by changing the IHT temperature (~ 234 to 238 HV). Applying lower IHT temperature (lower fraction of martensite), the impact energy even decreased from 12 to 9 J due to the brittleness of the martensite phase. The results of the tensile tests indicate that by increasing the IHT temperature, the yield and ultimate tensile strengths of the DP steel increase from 493 to 770 MPa, and from 908 to 1080 MPa, respectively, while the total elongation decreases from 9.8 to 4.5%. In contrast to the normalized sample, formation of martensite in the DP steels could eliminate the yield point phenomenon in the tensile curves, as it generates free dislocations in adjacent ferrite.


2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 505-522
Author(s):  
Zhenzhong Zhang ◽  
Jinying Tong ◽  
Qingting Meng ◽  
You Liang

AbstractWe focus on the population dynamics driven by two classes of truncated $\alpha$-stable processes with Markovian switching. Almost necessary and sufficient conditions for the ergodicity of the proposed models are provided. Also, these results illustrate the impact on ergodicity and extinct conditions as the parameter $\alpha$ tends to 2.


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