Algal Toxins Alter Copepod Feeding Behavior

Using digital holographic cinematography, we quantify and compare the feeding behavior of free-swimming copepods, Acartia tonsa, on nutritional prey (Storeatula major) to that occurring during exposure to toxic and non-toxic strains of Karenia brevis and Karlodinium veneficum. These two harmful algal species produce polyketide toxins with different modes of action and potency. We distinguish between two different beating modes of the copepod’s feeding appendages–a “sampling beating” that has short durations (<100 ms) and involves little fluid entrainment and a longer duration “grazing beating” that persists up to 1200 ms and generates feeding currents. The durations of both beating modes have log-normal distributions. Without prey, A. tonsa only samples the environment at low frequency. Upon introduction of non-toxic food, it increases its sampling time moderately and the grazing period substantially. On mono algal diets for either of the toxic dinoflagellates, sampling time fraction is high but the grazing is very limited. A. tonsa demonstrates aversion to both toxic algal species. In mixtures of S. major and the neurotoxin producing K. brevis, sampling and grazing diminish rapidly, presumably due to neurological effects of consuming brevetoxins while trying to feed on S. major. In contrast, on mixtures of cytotoxin producing K. veneficum, both behavioral modes persist, indicating that intake of karlotoxins does not immediately inhibit the copepod’s grazing behavior. These findings add critical insight into how these algal toxins may influence the copepod’s feeding behavior, and suggest how some harmful algal species may alter top-down control exerted by grazers like copepods

AN EFFICIENT CODE TO COMPUTE NONPARALLEL STEADY FLOWS AND THEIR LINEAR-STABILITY

A simple, fast and efficient algorithm to compute steady non-parallel flows and their linear stability in parameter space is described. The pseudo-arclength continuation method is used to trace branches of steady states as one of the parameters is varied. To determine the linear stability of each state computed, a generalized eigenvalue problem of large order is solved. Only a prescribed number of eigenvalues, those closest to the imaginary axis, are calculated by a combination of a complex mapping and the Simultaneous Iteration Technique. The underlying linear systems are solved with preconditioned Bi-CGSTAB. It is shown that it is possible to deal efficiently with (discretized) problems with O(10(5)) degrees of freedom. As an application, the bifurcation structure of steady two-dimensional Rayleigh-Benard Rows in large rectangular containers (up to aspect ratio 20) is computed. We show how the results connect up with those obtained with weakly nonlinear theory and extend these into the nonlinear regime. Main aim is to investigate whether pattern selection occurs through the occurrence of saddle node bifurcations creating intervals of unique steady states. It turns out that these intervals do not exist; multiple stable states continue to exist at large aspect ratio over a large range of Rayleigh numbers. In addition, the bifurcation structure provides no answer why the 'preferred' wavelength increases with increasing Rayleigh number, as observed in experiments

Accumulation and tissue distribution of radioiodine (131I) from algal phytoplankton by the freshwater clam Corbicula manilensis

Radioactive wastes discharged from establishments involved in the use of radioisotopes such as nuclear powered industries, tracer research and nuclear medicine are a potential public health hazard. Such wastes contain radionuclides, particularly Iodine-131 (131I), produced in fission with a yield of about 3%. It is a beta emitter (Bmax = 0.61MeV); it also emits gamma photons. It has a short half-life (8.04 d) (Dutton 1975), hence it is difficult to detect unless accumulated by indicator organisms. Radionuclides in waste waters are known to be taken up by molluscs such as mussels (Van der Borght and Van Puymbroeck 1970; Fowler et al. 1975; Hetherington et al. 1976; Helt et al. 1980; and Sombrito et al. 1982), oyster (Romeril 1971; Cranmore and Harrison 1975) and clams (Cuvin and Umaly 1988). This study aims to determine the uptake of 131I from algal phytoplankton (Choroococcus dispersus) fed to the freshwater clam Corbicula manillensis as well as the organ/tissue distribution. The results will be compared with our previous study on 131I uptake from water by the same clams (Cuvin and Umaly 1988)

Grazing impacts of the invasive bivalve Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857) on single-celled, colonial and filamentous cyanobacteria

Feeding behavior of the invasive bivalve Limnoperna fortunei in the presence of single-celled, colonial, and filamentous cyanobacteria was tested in laboratory experiments to evaluate the effects of size and shape on mussel feeding. The first hypothesis holds that golden mussel filters more efficiently smaller particles, such as single cells of Microcystis, which could be more easily assimilated by its filtering apparatus. The second hypothesis sustains that L. fortunei filters more efficiently rounded colonies, such as Microcystis, which would be more easily ingested than lengthy filamentous, such as Planktothrix. Filtration rates of golden mussel in the presence of single-celled, colonial and filamentous cyanobacteria were similar. Nevertheless, there was a great difference in the ingestion and pseudofeces production rates. Single cells were widely accepted as food, while filamentous and colonial cyanobacteria were massively expelled as pseudofeces. The results confirmed the first hypothesis that golden mussel prefers to ingest smaller particles. The second hypothesis was rejected since filamentous were preferentially ingested than colonial cyanobacteria. Golden mussel has the potential to remove toxic cells (Microcystis), however this potential would be reduced in cyanobacteria blooms, where colonial forms which are preferentially rejected by L. fortunei, are predominant. In this case, the presence of this invasive bivalve could also enhance the occurrence of blooms by rejecting colonial and filamentous cyanobacteria in pseudofeces