Six novel species of the genus isolated from various environments in Taiwan.

Taiwan is situated in the subtropical region and its geographical location and topographical features contribute to a rich ecological diversity and scenic landscapes. We investigated the diversity of methanogens in different environments of Taiwan using a culture-dependent method. This report presents the characterization and taxonomy of six hydrogenotrophic methanogens obtained from cold seep sediments (strain FWC-SCC1 and FWC-SCC3), marine sediments (strain CWC-02 and YWC-01), estuarine sediments (strain Afa-1), and a hot spring well (strain Wushi-C6) in Taiwan.

gen. nov., sp. nov., the first oceanic methanogen, isolated from potential methane hydrate bearing area offshore southwestern Taiwan.

A novel mesophilic, hydrogenotrophic methanogen, strain CWC-04, was obtained from a sediment sample extracted from a gravity core retrieved at station 22 within the KP-9 area off the southwestern coast of Taiwan during the ORIII-1368 cruise in 2009. Cells of strain CWC-04 were rod-shaped, 1.4-2.

Discharge of deeply rooted fluids from submarine mud volcanism in the Taiwan accretionary prism.

Qualitative and quantitative assessments of fluid cycling are essential to address the role and transport of deeply sourced fluids in subduction systems. In this study, sediment cores distributed across a submarine mud volcano (SMV) offshore southwestern Taiwan were investigated to determine the characteristics of fluids generated through the convergence between the Eurasian and Phillippine Sea Plates. The low dissolved chloride concentration combined with the enrichment of O, and depletion of H of pore fluids suggest the discharge of deep freshwater formed by smectite dehydration at an equilibrium temperature of 100 to 150 °C.

Spatial and temporal variations of sediment metals in the Tuul River, Mongolia.

Mongolia has been a pristine environment without much pollution. Our objective is to study a section of the Tuul River to evaluate the present condition of this pristine environment. Sediment metal (Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cd, Hg, and Cr) concentrations and Pb-210 were sampled and analyzed.

Quantitative reconstruction of salinity history by otolith oxygen stable isotopes: An example of a euryhaline fish Lateolabrax japonicus.

Rationale: Otolith strontium:calcium (Sr:Ca) ratios have been extensively used to study fish migration across a river, estuary and ocean at each life stage. However, otolith Sr:Ca ratios only explain partial variations in salinity and quantitative reconstruction of salinity history of fishes remains a challenge. Using a euryhaline fish Lateolabrax japonicus as an example, this study demonstrated an isotopic method of quantitatively reconstructing the salinity histories and habitat uses of the fish.

gen. nov., sp. nov., a facultatively anaerobic marine bacterium that ferments glucose with gas production.

Two isolates of heterotrophic, facultatively anaerobic, marine bacteria, designated DM1 and DM2, were recovered from a lagoon sediment sample of Dongsha Island, Taiwan. Cells were Gram-reaction-negative rods. Nearly all of the cells were non-motile and non-flagellated during the late exponential to early stationary phase of growth, while a few of the cells exhibited motility with monotrichous flagellation.

Methanoculleus sediminis sp. nov., a methanogen from sediments near a submarine mud volcano.

A mesophilic, hydrogenotrophic methanogen, strain S3Fa(T), was isolated from sediments collected by Ocean Researcher I cruise ORI-934 in 2010 near the submarine mud volcano MV4 located at the upper slope of south-west Taiwan. The methanogenic substrates utilized by strain S3Fa(T) were formate and H2/CO2 but not acetate, secondary alcohols, methylamines, methanol or ethanol. Cells of strain S3Fa(T) were non-motile, irregular cocci, 0.

Methanoculleus taiwanensis sp. nov., a methanogen isolated from deep marine sediment at the deformation front area near Taiwan.

A mesophilic, hydrogenotrophic methanogen, strain CYW4(T), was isolated from deep-sea sediment obtained by the Ocean Researcher I cruiser, ORI-961, in 2011. The sediment was from the deformation front area offshore of south-western Taiwan. Here, seismic reflections indicated that methane hydrates were abundant.

Reclassification of [Glaciecola] lipolytica and [Aestuariibacter] litoralis in Aliiglaciecola gen. nov., as Aliiglaciecola lipolytica comb. nov. and Aliiglaciecola litoralis comb. nov., respectively.

Following phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, together with DNA G+C contents and differential chemotaxonomic and physiological characteristics, a new genus with the name Aliiglaciecola gen. nov. is proposed to more appropriately accommodate two recognized species of the genera Glaciecola and Aestuariibacter.

Munidopsis lauensis Baba & de Saint Laurent, 1992 (Decapoda, Anomura, Munidopsidae), a newly recorded squat lobster from a cold seep in Taiwan.

The squat lobster, Munidopsis lauensis Baba & de Saint Laurent, 1992, is recorded from Taiwan for the first time. This species was previously known only from deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the South-West Pacific but it was now found at a deep-sea cold seep site off southwestern Taiwan. The identity of the Taiwanese material is confirmed by comparison of sequences from the barcoding gene COI.

Geochemical speciation and risk assessment of heavy metals in the river estuarine sediments--a case study: Mahanadi basin, India.

Sequential extraction technique was used to study the mobility and dynamics of operationally determined chemical forms of heavy metals in the sediments and their ecological risk on the biotic species. The results reveal that high environmental risk of Cd, Ni, Co and Pb, are due to their higher availability in the exchangeable fraction. Substantial amount of Cd, Co, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni and Pb, is observed as carbonate bound, which may result due to their special affinity towards carbonate and their co-precipitation with its minerals.

Consequences and implication of heavy metal spatial variations in sediments of the Keelung River drainage basin, Taiwan.

A great deal of effort was enforced to reduce the pollution of the Keelung River in the past 20 years. A set of sediments covering most of the Keelung River drainage basin was analyzed for bulk sediment heavy metal concentrations, grain size content and Pb-210 dating in order to understand the spatial variations of sediment heavy metal contents as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of pollution control. The results showed that anthropogenic pollution and grain size are two of the most important factors in controlling spatial variations of metals in the Keelung River sediments.