Coral Settlement on Oil/Gas Platforms in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Preliminary Evidence of Rarity

In recent decades, there have been two areas of shallow hard substrate available for zooxanthellate coral colonization in the North Gulf of Mexico: the Flower Garden Banks (FGB) and oil and gas platforms. We assessed coral recruitment on platforms possessing adult corals around the FGB. In this preliminary experiment, we used terra cotta plates mounted on racks, deployed on six platforms at depths of 15–27 m for a duration of ≤1 yr in two consecutive years. Data on coral spat taxonomic identification, distribution, and densities were collected. Platform spat densities on plates averaged \u3c1/450 cm2, a low value when compared with the East-FGB (E-FGB; data from earlier similar experiment), other Caribbean sites, or the Great Barrier Reef. Spat density was not significantly different between platforms, suggesting that distance between the platforms and the E-FGB, a potential larval source, was large enough (\u3e0.6–1.2 km) to permit extensive larval diffusion. Total spat density also did not vary significantly between settlement racks, indicating that settlement at the spatial scale of meters was relatively homogeneous. Only three species of spat were found—Tubastraea coccinea, Madracis decactis, and Montastraea sp.; the taxonomic composition of coral spat varied from those observed earlier on the E-FGB—Agaricia and Porites. The dominant recruits matched the dominant adults on the platforms— an unusual situation. Tubastraea and Madracis spat densities, respectively, did not vary significantly between platforms or between racks. Because of low recruitment levels, these artificial reef communities may be considered fragile in comparison to many natural ones because of the time required for recovery in the event of a mass coral mortality. These low recruitment levels, however, when integrated over ~30 yr, can result in the successful establishment of adult coral communities on the platforms

New Fission Processes In The Zoanthid Palythoa Caribaeorum: Description And Quantitative Aspects

Populations of the zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum (Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1861) were monitored in a 2-yr study at several sites on the São Paulo coast, Brazil, to describe, quantify, and compare fission processes occurring in moderately vs. highly stressed environments. The effects of depth and season were also considered. Palythoa caribaeorum was found to reproduce by two new general processes of fission. The first process requires: A) the formation of crevices throughout the colony and the maintenance of basal coenenchyme throughout; B) the production of polyp-clusters which are connected to each other by thin basal coenenchyme, not readily visible; and C) the subsequent severance of the basal coenenchyme between polyp-clusters, creating true ramets. The first process included two variants: edge fission and polyp-cluster release. The second fission process was characterized by directional growth of tissue and a subsequent breaking away and dispersing of the ramets. It also included two variants: tissue outgrowth and polyp-ball production. Of the monitored colonies, 55% (nt = 579) exhibited at least one variant of fission, yielding 1304 ramets over 1 yr. Edge fission was the dominant form of asexual reproduction in this species. We found no evidence to support the hypothesis that higher environmental stress results in increased ramet production among sites, depths, or seasons. Fission occurred year-round and in colonies of all sizes. The minimum size of a colony reproducing by fission was 5 cm2. A significant positive linear relationship was found between colony area and number of ramets produced per colony. Ramet release also occurred year-round, although the frequency of release was significantly lower during the winter, when environmental conditions were harsher. This is the first report of tissue outgrowth, polyp-ball production, and polyp-cluster release for the genus Palythoa, and the first report of polyp-ball production within the Zoanthidea. There appear to be no analogues of polyp-cluster release within the Cnidaria. Fission in P. caribaeorum appears to be a conservative trait over a wide geographical range. It also seems to be endogenously controlled (genetically programmed) responding to colony growth constraints. Exogenous factors, however, may help to define the variant of fission used and the quantity of ramets produced at a given time. The adaptive value of fission for P. caribaeorum lies in its contribution to the number of clone-mates (increasing population size). 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Cardiac end vascular responses of isolated rat tissues treated with diterpenes from Sinularia flexibilis (Coelenterata: Octocorallia)

The marine environment is a rich source of compounds with cardiovascular activity. This study characterizes the cardiac and vascular responses in isolated rat tissues of flexibilide, dihydroflexibilide and sinulariolide, three diterpenes isolated from the soft coral Sinularia flexibilis. On rat left ventricular papillary muscles, dihydroflexibilide and flexibilide showed similar potencies (- log EC = 4.69 ± 0.05 and 4.66 ± 0.06, respectively); the maximal response to dihydroflexibilide of 1.4 ± 0.2 mN was 35 ± 7% that of calcium chloride in the same muscles. All diterpenes relaxed rat thoracic aortic rings precontracted with KCl (100 mM) with similar potencies (flexibilide, - log EC = 4.17 ± 0.06). Flexibilide was further characterized and shown to increase force in isolated rat left atria by 0.8 ± 0.5 mN at 1 x 10 M, to increase rate of contraction in isolated rat right atria by 18 ± 5 beats/min at 3 x 10 M and to completely relax endothelium-denuded rat thoracic aortic rings ( - log EC) = 4.14 ± 0.05). Toxicity as indicated by the occurrence of ectopic beats was not observed with the diterpenes at concentrations which produced complete relaxation of blood vessels, maximal positive inotropic activity and minor positive chronotropic responses. Thus, these compounds may be useful lead compounds in the search for improved treatment of cardiovascular disease, especially heart failure

Potencial atrator de peixes ósseos em recife artificial no litoral norte do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Attractor potential of osteichthyes in artificial reef on the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

<abstract language="eng">Artificial reefs have become an important and popular resource enhancement technique by concentrating fishes and by increasing natural production of biological resources. In order to increase the necto-benthic colonization potencial, an artificial reef was installed on the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro (21º27'S, 41ºOO'W), an area with typically low relief bottom. Measuring nearly 1500 m², the reef consisted of four sets of different materials randomly disposed: concrete pipes (N = 12); tires structures (N = 20); and cement tanks (N = 7) and pre-made blocks (N = 4). ln order to determine the artificial reef effects on the teleost community, trammel nets were used for monthly sampling the reef site (RA) and on a control area (AC) with sandy bottom. During the 23-month survey from April/96 to March/98, were recorded: a) Chaetodipterus faber (Broussonet, 1782) and Haemulon aurolieatum (Cuvier, 1829) as exclusive species of the RA; b) higher values of species richness and abundance on the RA, at least in 5 of 8 periods; c) increase on the fish abundance on summer months. Correlation analysis indicated that salinity and precipitation were the most significant environmental factors correlated with the temporal fish community variation. This results highlight the importance of rainfall periodicity and the influence of Paraíba do Sul River on the nekton assemblage distribution. It is suggested that the functional role of the artificial reef might be related to higher availability of local shelter and food resources