Seagull Lake,Western Eyre Peninsula,South Australia:A Saline Lake to Benefit from Climate Change? Ⅰ. Geomorphology,Invertebrates,Birds and the Future

Seagull Lake is an unusual saline lake,having a marine spring connected to a large continental ecosystem.With climate change the balance between the two is likely to change.This lake originated about 6000 years ago as a

Decadal variations in the community status of economically important invertebrates in the Bohai Sea

With the decline of fish stocks,the proportions of economically important invertebrates like crustaceans and cephalopods have increased in the Bohai Sea.The community structure and trophic level of economically important invertebrates were analyzed using the bottom trawl survey data collected by the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute in the Bohai Sea in May and August of 1958–1959,1982,1992–1993,2004,2009 and 2015.A total of 37 species of economically important invertebrates,belonging to 5 orders,24 families,were captured.The biomass densities of economically important invertebrates in the Bohai Sea displayed an overall downward trend from 1982 to 2015.Oratosquilla oratoria and Loligo spp.were the most dominant species in the past 30 years,the biomass proportion of O.oratoria increased gradually in both May and August from 1982 to 2015.Moreover,biodiversity indices of economically important invertebrates in the Bohai Sea appeared to decline from 1982 to 2004 and then increased in 2015.Similarly,the mean trophic level of economically important invertebrates declined from 1982 to 2004 and increased slightly in 2015.Overall,although the proportions of invertebrates have increased,the biomass densities in the Bohai Sea have displayed an overall downward trend from 1982 to 2015.The increases in the biodiversity and trophic level of economically important invertebrates after the 2000s,possibly benefit from stock enhancement projects implemented by governments at different levels and national fishery management measures such as the“double-control”of the total number and engine power of fishing vessels and summer moratorium of fishing.

Study on the feeding habit and trophic level of main economic invertebrates in the Huanghai Sea

The stomach contents of 14 main invertebrates in the Huanghai Sea are analyzed. The results indicate that: (1) the examined predator species were all omnivore with wide md range, showing no obvious selection for specific fed items, (2) on the basis of their ecological habitat, the predators could be classified into 5 different types, i.e., benthoelagic and planktopelagic animals, nektopelagic and planktopelagic animals, benthopelagic animals, nektopelagic and benthopelagic animals, and nektopelagic animals and (3) the trophic level of the 11 predator species, including Crangon affinis, Palaemon gravieri, Penaeus orientalis, Trachypenaeus curvirostris, Metapenaeopsis dalei, Portunus trituberculatus, Charybdis bimaculata, Oratosquilta oratoria, Sepia andreana, Loligo beka and L. japonica ranged from 2. 30 to 2. 72, belonging to low carnivore (trophic level: 2. 0~ 2. 8), whereas that of the other 3 predator species, including Sepia esculenta, Sepiella maindroni and Todarodes pacificus were in the range of 2. 86~ 2. 97, belonging to mid-carnivore (trophic level: 2. 9 ~3. 4).

Bioactive substances with anti-neoplastic efficacy from marine invertebrates:Porifera and Coelenterata

An ever increasing demand for new lead compounds in the pharmaceutical industry has led scientists to search for natural bioactive products.Based on this extensive research,marine invertebrates now represent a rich source of novel substances with significant antineoplastic activities.As the current approach of synthesizing new and chemically modifying old drugs seems to have slowed down,and the identification of new anticancer drugs is not too promising,a new approach is clearly needed.The objective of this review is to present up-to-date data on these newer compounds.Based on the data summarized in this short review,it is clear that marine invertebrates represent an extremely important source of compounds with potential anti-cancer effects.Considering that we tested only a tiny number of Porifera and Coelenterata,the best is yet to come.

Influence of Anthropogenic Pollution on the Abundance Dynamics of Some Freshwater Invertebrates in the Coastal Area of Cameroon

The abundance dynamic of some freshwater invertebrates in relation with the abiotic factors of the medium was studied from March 2013 to March 2014 on the main streams of the Wouri and Sanaga basins. Individuals of Copepoda, Atyidae, Chironomidae and Physidae were collected, identified and counted. Samplings were carried out monthly;meanwhile measurements of the environmental variables were taken. Results of the physico-chemical analyses revealed that water of the Sanaga basin is globally well oxygenated (77% - 92%) and faintly mineralized (14 - 107 μS/cm), excepted in the stations receiving house-hold pollutants. Inversely, in the Wouri basin, waters are hypoxic with high content of organic matters (27.79 ± 9.43 mg/L). During rainy season (June-September), there is a dilution-dispersion of the organic matter due to stormwaters. Concerning biological analyses, the families of Physidae and Chironomidae were more abundant in urban stations than in stations situated in suburban area, especially during low water level period, showing that they are well adapted to anthropogenic and organic pollutions. The hypoxic conditions of urban waterways do not favor the proliferation of sensitive taxa such as Atyidae and Copepoda. These taxa preferred well oxygenated waters with rapid flow, and are more abundant during rainy season in stations located in suburban area or which are less subjected to anthropogenic disturbances.

Marine Invertebrates as Bioindicators of Heavy Metal Pollution

Atmosphere, earth and water compose the environment. The presence of heavy metals in the environment has grown because of their large employment in some industrial and agricultural activities. Although these metals are terrestrial products, they flow into the sea through effluents and sewage or are directly discharged from industries placed on the seawater front. It should be considered that metals concentrations vary widely according to different seawater latitudes and depths and can be strongly influenced by fresh water discharges from heavily polluted rivers. In this review recent studies on heavy metal pollution in marine ecosystems and their organisms will be presented. Metal speciation, bioaccumulation in biota, as well as abiotic and biotic factors affecting their bioavailability will be reviewed. Moreover, the use of bioindicator organisms for the biomonitoring of heavy metal toxicity and their ecological effects will be defined. Many marine invertebrate species fulfill the following criteria: Sensitivity to a wide range of chemicals (especially to heavy metals), cost-effectiveness for repeatable tests, readily interpretable biological consequences of pollution. Among the most important marine invertebrates used as bioindicators, the sea urchin embryo is one of the most suitable, especially to assess metal/heavy metal pollution.

Bioactive substances with anti-neoplastic efficacy from marine invertebrates:Bryozoa,Mollusca,Echinodermata and Urochordata

The marine environment provides a rich source of natural products with potential therapeutic application.This has resulted in an increased rate of pharmaceutical agents being discovered in marine animals,particularly invertebrates.Our objective is to summarize the most promising compounds which have the best potential and may lead to use in clinical practice,show their biological activities and highlight the compounds currently being tested in clinical trials.In this paper,we focused on Bryozoa,Mollusca,Echinodermata and Urochordata.

Oxidative stress in the hydrophilic medium of algae and invertebrates

The harmful effects of the reactive species may be due to the increase in their steady state concentration either by the enhancement of their production rates and/or the decrease of their consumption rate by antioxidant activity.The ascorbyl radical(A^(·))can be considered as a final product of radical oxidative transformations of ascorbate(AH^(-)).The ratio A^(·)content/AH^(-)content(A^(·)/AH^(-))has been widely used as an interesting tool to estimate mild to moderate oxidative transformations,providing a quick and simple method of diagnosis of stress in the hydrophilic cellular medium.The aim of this work was to summarize studies on the cellular oxidative condition in algae and invertebrates by assessing the A^(·)/AH^(-)ratio under environmentally changing conditions.The use of indices of oxidative stress increasingly sensitive and,somewhat more specific,can bring a new light to the still unknown world of oxidative responses in marine organisms.

Soil Invertebrates in Different Land Use Systems： How Integrated Production Systems and Seasonality Affect Soil Mesofauna Communities

The soil mesofauna plays a role in organic matter comminution and decomposition, and can be used as bioindicators, since they are sensitive to soil management, vegetation and climate changes. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate mesofauna density and diversity in different land use systems to identify faunal relationships with soil properties, management and seasonality. The study area included five land use systems in Ponta Grossa municipality, Parana State： integrated crop-livestock （ICL）, integrated crop-livestock-forestry （ICLF）, grazed native pasture （NP）, Eucalyptus dunnii plantation （EU） and no-tillage （NT） cropping systems. In each system, eight soil samples for mesofauna were collected with Berlese funnels of 8 cm diameter along a transect in three replicate plots of 50 m × 100 m. For physical and chemical analysis, soil was sampled at five points per plot in two seasons： winter 2012 and autumn 2013. Data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan＇s test （P 〈 0.05）, nonparametric statistics （when necessary） and redundancy analysis （RDA）. Diversity was calculated based on the group richness and Simpson index. The main mesofauna groups found were： Acarina, Collembola and Hymenoptera. Diplopoda, Enchytraeidae, Isopoda, Collembola, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera and Coleoptera larvae were more abundant in autumn than winter. Soil moisture was the main factor responsible for higher mesofauna abundance in autumn. Integrated production systems, especially ICLF had similar invertebrate community abundance and composition with EU, while NT favored Oribatid mites, although the use of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides reduced total mesofauna density. Most correlations between mesofauna and physical-chemical attributes in the winter were not observed in the autumn and vice versa, revealing that there are more factors involved in regulating soil mesofauna distribution.

The Checklist of Coastal Invertebrates in Yantai City of China

122 coastal invertebrates were recorded in Yantai of China ,which belong to 9 phyla ,22 classes ,34 orders ,74 families.

Considering calcium-binding proteins in invertebrates: multi-functional proteins that shape neuronal growth

Calcium is a critical second messenger molecule in all cells and is vital in neurons for synaptic transmission.Given this importance,calcium ions are tightly controlled by a host of molecular players including ion channels,sensors,and buffering proteins.Calcium can act directly by binding to signaling molecules or calcium’s effects can be indirect,for example by altering nuclear histones.

Endemic Marine Benthic Invertebrates on the Brazilian Reef Ecosystems

Knowledge of the biodiversity of Brazilian reef ecosystems has expanded in recent years with several new species. Brazil is considered an important province because it has the only true reefs in the South Atlantic. This study identified the endemism of benthic invertebrate species of the Brazilian reefs. The reef coast is approximately 600 km long and extends from the state of Rio Grande do Norte to south coast of the Bahia state, with many coral and sandstone reefs near the shoreline and in the offshore zone, where the platform top remains exposed during low tides; and also on the Abrolhos region has isolated columns and offshore banks. Four offshore sites within the EEZ （Exclusive Economic Zone） were also included in this review. This study was based on the invertebrate benthic diversity existing on the northeastern coast, represented by Porifera with 450 spp, Cnidaria Scleractinia 16 spp and Echinodermata 51 spp. Of these, 102 species are endemic to Brazilian reefs, including Porifera with 86 spp （18,44%）, Cnidaria Scleractinia 8 spp （50%）, and Echinodermata 8 spp （2.93%）. The results reflect the recent increase in taxonomic studies, and identify a large number of endemic species among the benthic invertebrate fauna of the Brazilian reefs.

Ectoparasites and other invertebrates in the nests of the Hair-crested Drongo (Dicrurus hottentottus)

Ectoparasites and other invertebrates are known to play a role in bird behavior and in evolutionary adaptations such as preening and foraging strategies. We conducted an exploratory study by macro- and microscopically evaluating the nests of Hair-crested Drongos(Dicrurus hottentottus) at Dongzhai National Nature Reserve, Henan Province, China in 2011 to determine if there was a presence of invertebrates. We developed a modified funneling technique to collect invertebrate samples and reduce contamination from outside sources in a field setting. We found several species of ectoparasites(lice and ticks) and other invertebrates(springtails and rove beetles) within the nests. Our findings warrant further investigation as to whether or not the presence of invertebrates in the nests of Hair-crested Drongos plays a role in the adaptation of the unique nest dismantling behavior exhibited by this species.

Antitumor and immune regulation activities of the extracts of some Chinese marine invertebrates

Extracts of 21 marine invertebrates belonging to Coelenterata, Mollusca, Annelida, Bryozoa, Echiura, Arthropoda, Echinodermata and Urochordata were screened for the studies on their antitumor and immune regulation activities. Antitumor activity was determined by MTT method and immune regulation activity was studied using T- and B-lymphocytes in mice spleen in vitro. It was found that the n-butanol part of Asterina pectinifera, the acetic ether part of Tubuaria marina,95% ethanol extract of Acanthochiton rubrolineatus have a high inhibition rate of 96.7%,63.9% and 50.5% respectively on tumor cell line HL-60 at the concentration of 0.063 mg/ml. The inhibition rate of the acetic ether part of Tubuaria marina on the tumor cell line A-549 is 65.4 % at concentration of 0.063 mg/mL. The 95% ethanol extract of Meretrix meretrix has so outstanding promoting effect on T-lymphocytes that their multiplication increases 25% when the sample concentration is only 1 μg/ml. On B-lymphocytes, the 95% extract of Rapana venosa, at concentration of 100 μg/ml, has a promotion percent- age of 60%. On the other hand, under the condition of no cytotoxic effect, the 95% ethanol extracts of Acantho- chiton rubrolineatus and Cellana toreum can reach 92% inhibition rate on T lymphocyte at concentration of 100 μg/ml, while the inhibition rate on B lymphocyte of the 95% extract of Acanthochiton rubrolineatus reaches 92% at the same concentration.

Behavioral responses to ocean acidifi cation in marine invertebrates:new insights and future directions

Ocean acidification(OA)affects marine biodiversity and alters the structure and function of marine populations,communities,and ecosystems.Recently,effects of OA on the behavioral responses of marine animals have been given with much attention.While many of previous studies focuses on marine fish.Evidence suggests that marine invertebrate behaviors were also be affected.In this review,we discussed the effects of CO2-driven OA on the most common behaviors studied in marine invertebrates,including settlement and habitat selection,feeding,anti-predatory,and swimming behaviors,and explored the related mechanisms behind behaviors.This review summarizes how OA affects marine invertebrate behavior,and provides new insights and highlights novel areas for future research.

Validated Method for the Detection of Three Phthalates Derived from Marine Invertebrates

This study represents, detailly, the validated method for the extraction and quantification of widespread phthalic acid esters (PAEs) bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) from solitary ascidians collected from a marine environment. The extraction was based on a pressurized liquid extraction method, using n-hexane as the solvent to extract the target PAEs from dry biological tissues, and was performed in an accelerated solvent extraction instrument. The average recovery of 89.2% was obtained from samples subjected to a pressure of ~1500 psi and 120°C in two 10-min cycles. GC-MS was used for quantification, conducted in single-ion monitoring mode. Following careful and rigorous cleanup procedures to prevent cross-contamination from laboratory glassware, PAE standards showed signals with good specificity. The obtained limits of detection were 130, 122 and 89 ng/g for DEHP, DBP and DnOP, respectively. Accordingly, the calculated limits of quantification were 394, 370 and 270 ng/g for DEHP, DBP and DnOP, respectively. The obtained linearity ranged from 5.4 to 269 ng/ml (equivalent to 135 - 6725 ng/g dry weight), with R2 ≥ 0.998. Concentrations in the range of 200 to 9000 and 400 to 5000 ng/g sample dry weight, for DEHP and DBP, respectively, were obtained from the ascidians. No DnOP was detected in any of the samples. These results indicate that the method presented in this study is applicable for detection of low and trace concentrations of the target PAEs in samples collected from a marine organism, which can serve as a bioindicator of plastic contamination.

Environmental determinants of social wasp diversity and assemblage structure in an Amazonian archipelagic landscape

Hydropower development has become an important driver of habitat loss and fragmentation across lowland tropical forests.Despite ample evidence on the detrimental effects of insular habitat fragmentation on biodiversity,invertebrate taxa,that may be critical to ecosystem functioning,have been overlooked.We assessed the assemblage-level responses of social wasps to forest insularization induced by the Balbina Hydroelectric Dam in Central Brazilian Amazonia.Employing Malaise trapping,we captured wasps on 27 forest islands and three continuous forests.We constructed Generalized Linear Models and employed a model selection approach to examine the impact of local variables(fire severity(FIRE)and basal area of pioneer tree species(PIONEER))and landscape-scale variables(amount of habitat(COVER))on patterns of species richness,composition,and body size of wasps.A total of 374 individuals(29 species)were collected across all sampling sites.COVER was the main predictor of species richness,while PIONEER was the only variable that explained variation in community composition,with a negative effect on body size.Our results add evidence to the pervasive impacts of large hydroelectric dams on tropical forest biodiversity,and suggest that social wasps,among other invertebrates,can be used as bioindicators in infrastructure development projects.

Vibrioharveyi: a serious pathogen offish and invertebrates in mariculture

Vibrio harveyi,which belongs to family Vibrionaceae of class G cunmap rote obacte ria,includes the species V.car char iae and V.trachuri as its junior synonyms.The organism is a well-recognized and serious bacterial pathogen of marine fish and invertebrates,including penaeid shrimp,in aquaculture.Diseased fish may exhibit a range of lesions,including eye lesions/blindness,gastro-enteritis,muscle necrosis,skin ulcers,and tail rot disease.In shrimp,V.harveyi is regarded as the etiological agent of luminous vibriosis in which affected animals glow in the dark.There is a second condition of shrimp known as Bolitas negricans where the digestive tract is filled with spheres of sloughed-off tissue.It is recognized that the pathogenicity mechanisms of V.harveyi may be different in fish and penaeid shrimp.In shrimp,the pathogenicity mechanisms involved the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide,and extracellular proteases,and interaction with bacteriophages.In fish,the pathogenicity mechanisms involved extracellular hemolysin(encoded by duplicate hemolysin genes),which was identified as a phospholipase B and could inactivate fish cells by apoptosis,via the caspase activation pathway.V.harveyi may enter the so-called viable but nonculturable(VBNC)state,and resuscitation of the VBNC cells may be an important reason for vibriosis outbreaks in aquaculture.Disease control measures center on dietary supplements(including probiotics),nonspecific immunostimulants,and vaccines and to a lesser extent antibiotics and other antimicrobial compounds.

Metabolites from marine invertebrates and their symbiotic microorganisms: molecular diversity discovery, mining, and application

Metabolites from marine organisms have proven to be a rich source for the discovery of multiple potent bioactive moleculeswith diverse structures. In recent years, we initiated a program to investigate the diversity of the secondary metabolites frommarine invertebrates and their symbiotic microorganisms collected from the South China Sea. In this review, representativecases are summarized focusing on molecular diversity, mining, and application of natural products from these marineorganisms. To provide a comprehensive introduction to the field of marine natural products, we highlight typical moleculesincluding their structures, chemical synthesis, bioactivities and mechanisms, structure-activity relationships as well as biogenesis. The mining of marine-derived microorganisms to produce novel secondary metabolites is also discussed through theOSMAC strategy and via partial chemical epigenetic modification. A broad prospectus has revealed a plethora of bioactivenatural products with novel structures from marine organisms, especially from soft corals, gorgonians, sponges, and theirsymbiotic fungi and bacteria.

Spatial avoidance of patches of polluted chernozem soils by soil invertebrates

Soil invertebrates and heavy metal concentrations are heterogeneously distributed in the soil of steppe plots surrounding an iron mining enterprise in southern Russia. This study assesses whether patches of high soil invertebrate abundance coincide with patches of low concentrations of pollutants. For this aim, spatial analysis by distance indices （SADIE） was applied. Three valleys in Belogorye Nature Reserve were chosen. One valley faced the tailing pond to the north and the other two faced south-east or south-west. Two sampling plots were chosen in each valley, 60 m apart from each other. On every plot 16 soil cores were collected from a grid of 4 × 4 units with a 5-m distance between each sample unit. Each soil core had an area of 76 cm2 and was 12-15 cm deep. All macroinvertebrates were hand-sorted and identified to family. Abundance of soil invertebrates was not controlled by patches of metal concentration in the soil. Epigaeic groups, like insects and other invertebrates inhabiting the litter layer, were not directly associated with local parameters of the soil. On the contrary, belowground invertebrate abundance （elaterid larvae and earthworms） showed significant dissociation with some heavy metal （Fe, Pb, Zn） concentrations in the soil. The patchiness of soil pollution may act as a leading factor ofbelowground soil invertebrate distribution. The spatial structure of animal populations in industrially transformed soils needs further research.