A modified allomone collecting apparatus.

A modified allomone collecting apparatus was designed that could be used under water with a scuba tank. This apparatus provides a simple method of obtaining naturally secreted chemicals from benthic marine organisms at scuba depths, for the first time without the necessity of using a bilge pump. Organic material from Sep-paks in the allomone collector confirmed the release of secondary metabolites from a soft coral into the surrounding water.

Computer image processing and automatic counting and measuring of fouling organisms.

The purpose of this study was to optimize the counting and measuring of marine fouling organisms on experimental panels using automated computer techniques. A script was developed that reduced the time required for the counting and measuring of marine fouling tubeworms by at least one order of magnitude over manual counts, with an error of five percent or less. Small, distinct tubeworms can be successfully counted by computer using a correction factor.

Chemical ecology of marine organisms: An overview.

An overview of marine chemical ecology is presented. Emphasis is placed on antipredation, invertebrate-toxic host relationships, antifouling, competition for space, species dominance, and the chemistry of ecological interactions.

A non-peroxide norsesterterpene from a marine sponge Hyrtios erecta.

A new norsesterterpene, hyrtial 4, and known sesterterpenes, 1-3, have been isolated from an anti-inflammatory active crude extract of the sponge Hyrtios erecta.

Chemical defense mechanisms on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Seventy-three percent of all exposed common coral reef invertebrates, from four phyla (42 species) tested, are toxic to fish. This represents the first evidence of the high incidence to toxicity in the marine tropics among several phyletic groups comprising dominant species. Most of the remaining exposed species have structural defense mechanisms against predation by fish.

Toxicity in sponges and holothurians: a geographic pattern.

Toxicity in sponges and holothurians is inversely related to latitude and may reach 100 percent for holothurians in high-diversity coral reefs. Evidence from approximately 700 experiments and from underwater observations suggests that predation by fish has resulted in natural selection for noxious and toxic chemical compounds in species within these taxa.