Will climate warming amplify the effects of a range-expanding marine predator?

The effects of climate warming on the distribution of range-expanding species are well documented, but the interactive effects of climate warming and range-expanding species on recipient communities remain understudied. With climate warming, range-expanding species may threaten local biodiversity due to their relatively stronger competitive or predatory effects on potentially weakened, or less well-adapted recipient communities. Acanthinucella spirata is a predatory marine gastropod that has expanded its distribution north along the California coast since the Pleistocene via a poleward range shift, tracking climatic warming.

Improvement of plant growth and fruit quality by introducing a phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase mutation into Methylorubrum populi.

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the introduction of a phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase (PRS) mutation into a plant growth-promoting strain of Methylorubrum on the enhancement of phyllosphere colonization, with the ultimate goal of improving plant growth and quality.

Methods And Results: A strain of Methylorubrum populi (named HS04) was isolated from the groundnut leaves and found to process the plant-promoting traits, including the ability to produce indole acetic acid, siderophore, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase, and to fix nitrogen. The application via foliar spray significantly increased the fresh weight of cucumber seedlings cultivated in a standard growth chamber, with 43.

Co-infection of nervous necrosis virus and Vibrio harveyi increased mortality and worsened the disease severity in the orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides).

Co-infections of different pathogenic microorganisms usually cause complex effects, and receive more attention. Red-grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV) and Vibrio are the common viral and bacterial pathogens of fish, and are often detected simultaneously in diseased fish. However, the understanding of co-infection of RGNNV and Vibrio is still unclear.

Microplastic pollution in the marine environment: Distribution factors and mitigation strategies in different oceans.

As the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, plastic usage spiked, and microplastic (MP) generation has increased dramatically. It is documented that MP can transfer from the source to the ocean environment where they accumulate as the destination. Therefore, it is essential to understand their transferring pathways and effective environmental factors to determine the distribution of MPs in the marine environment.

Influence of temperature on growth and reproduction of keystone species, Crangon hakodatei (Caridea, Crangonidae) in the East Sea of Korea.

The rapid rise in temperature due to climate change has raised concerns about its impact on the keystone species Crangon hakodatei in the East Sea of Korea. However, no studies have examined the population characteristics of C. hakodatei or its response to temperature change along the coast.

Determining chlorophyll-a thresholds for characterizing algal bloom conditions: An ocean colour remote sensing approach.

The Indian coast has been experiencing an increase in algal bloom events over the decades. Owing to the regional and seasonal dynamics of algal biomass (proxy: chlorophyll-a, hereafter chl-a), a multitude of thresholds of chl-a has been defined for different parts of the global seas to determine algal bloom conditions. However, no such clear definition is given for the Indian coastal waters.

Tetrameric PilZ protein stabilizes stator ring in complex flagellar motor and is required for motility in .

Rotation of the bacterial flagellum, the first identified biological rotary machine, is driven by its stator units. Knowledge gained about the function of stator units has increasingly led to studies of rotary complexes in different cellular pathways. Here, we report that a tetrameric PilZ family protein, FlgX, is a structural component underneath the stator units in the flagellar motor of .

Groundwater releases CO to diverse global coastal ecosystems.

Coastal ecosystems play a major role in marine carbon budgets, but substantial uncertainties remain in the sources and fluxes of coastal carbon dioxide (CO). Here, we assess when, where, and how submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) releases CO to shallow coastal ecosystems. Time-series observations of dissolved CO and radon (Rn, a natural groundwater tracer) across 40 coastal systems from 14 countries revealed large SGD-derived CO fluxes.

Identification of a candidate sex determination region and sex-specific molecular markers based on whole-genome re‑sequencing in the sea star Asterias amurensis.

Sex determination systems are diverse in echinoderms, however, our understanding is still very limited in this research field, especially for Asteroidea species. The northern Pacific seastar, Asterias amurensis, has attracted widespread concern due to its population outbreaks and high-risk invasions. Using whole-genome re-sequencing data from 40 females and 40 males, we identified a candidate sex determination region in A.

The impact of air pollution control measures and the COVID-19 pandemic on photosynthesis in urban trees.

Phytotoxic air pollutants such as atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO) are among the major stresses affecting tree photosynthesis in urban areas. We clarified the relationship between NO concentrations and photosynthetic function for three major urban trees, Prunus × yedoensis, Rhododendron pulchrum, and Ginkgo biloba, planted in Kyoto and surrounding cities, combining our published data and new data collected from 2020 to 2023. High NO increased long-term water use efficiency for all species.

Comparative study of the variability of the phytoplankton biomass in two upwelling zones of the western Arabian Sea from 2003 to 2020.

This study investigates the monthly and interannual variations in chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations in the Oman and Somalia upwelling zones using satellite data from 2003 to 2020. Bivariate Wavelet Coherence (BWC) and Multiple Wavelet Coherence (MWC) analyses were applied to identify the key factors influencing Chl-a concentration changes. The results show that Ekman pumping and Ekman transport induced by the southwest monsoon are crucial for phytoplankton blooms along the coast and offshore in both upwelling zones.

The Dynamics of Symbiodiniaceae and Photosynthetic Bacteria Under High-Temperature Conditions.

Coral thermal tolerance is intimately linked to their symbiotic relationships with photosynthetic microorganisms. However, the potential compensatory role of symbiotic photosynthetic bacteria in supporting Symbiodiniaceae photosynthesis under extreme summer temperatures remains largely unexplored. Here, we examined the seasonal variations in Symbiodiniaceae and photosynthetic bacterial community structures in Pavona decussata corals from Weizhou Island, Beibu Gulf, China, with particular emphasis on the role of photosynthetic bacteria under elevated temperature conditions.

Predictive Methods and Probabilistic Mapping of Subcortical Brain Components in Fossil Carnivora.

Paleoneurology reconstructs the evolutionary history of nervous systems through direct observations from the fossil record and comparative data from extant species. Although this approach can provide direct evidence of phylogenetic links among species, it is constrained by the availability and quality of data that can be gleaned from the fossil record. Here, we sought to translate brain component relationships in a sample of extant Carnivora to make inferences about brain structure in fossil species.

Conservation benefits of a large marine protected area network that spans multiple ecosystems.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are widely implemented tools for long-term ocean conservation and resource management. Assessments of MPA performance have largely focused on specific ecosystems individually and have rarely evaluated performance across multiple ecosystems either in an individual MPA or across an MPA network. We evaluated the conservation performance of 59 MPAs in California's large MPA network, which encompasses 4 primary ecosystems (surf zone, kelp forest, shallow reef, deep reef) and 4 bioregions, and identified MPA attributes that best explain performance.

Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) as a tool to uncover neglected marine biodiversity: two new Solenogastres (Mollusca, Aplacophora) from the Gulf of Mexico.

Solenogastres is a group of mollusks with evolutionary and ecological importance. Nevertheless, their diversity is underestimated and knowledge about the distribution of the approximately 300 formally described species is limited. Factors that contribute to this include their small size and frequent misidentification by non-specialists.

Migration of primordial germ cells and their relationship of PGCs with sex development in transgenic germline-specific fluorescent freshwater angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare).

Primordial germ cells (PGCs), the progenitors of gametes, are essential for teleost reproduction. While their formation is conserved across teleosts, the activation, migration routes, and localization periods vary among species. In this study, we developed a novel transgenic line, Tg(ddx4:TcCFP13-nanos3), based on the Nile tilapia genome, to label PGCs with clear fluorescent signals in the freshwater angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare).

Effects of hook size on the catch variation, size selectivity, and bycatch of the bottom set longline fisheries targeting nemipterid fishes in the Philippines.

In the Philippines, nemipterid fishes hold substantial economic importance due to their high market value. However, the local longline fisheries lack specific regulations for managing the capture of these fishes. This study aimed to determine the optimum hook size for increasing catchability in nemipterid fishing while minimizing bycatch, thus promoting sustainable fisheries.

One-quarter of freshwater fauna threatened with extinction.

Freshwater ecosystems are highly biodiverse and important for livelihoods and economic development, but are under substantial stress. To date, comprehensive global assessments of extinction risk have not included any speciose groups primarily living in freshwaters. Consequently, data from predominantly terrestrial tetrapods are used to guide environmental policy and conservation prioritization, whereas recent proposals for target setting in freshwaters use abiotic factors.

Investigation of the anti-aging effects of active components of Artemia franciscana loaded in hyalurosome.

With the advancement of biotechnology in the marine industry, an increasing utilization of marine ingredients in skincare products has been observed in recent years. Encapsulating Artemia franciscana extract and its derivatives in a novel phospholipid vesicle called hyalurosome presents innovative strategies for drug delivery systems and anti-aging products. In this study, we developed nano hyalurosomes containing Artemia franciscana active components.

Rapid High-Sensitivity Analysis of Methane Clumped Isotopes (ΔCHD and ΔCHD) Using Mid-Infrared Laser Spectroscopy.

Mid-infrared laser absorption spectroscopy enables rapid and nondestructive analysis of methane clumped isotopes. However, current analytical methods require a sample size of 20 mL STP (0.82 mmol) of pure CH gas, which significantly limits its application to natural samples.

Leveraging Multivalent Assembly towards High-Temperature Liquid-Phase Phosphorescence.

High-temperature phosphorescence (HTP) materials have attracted considerable attention owing to their expanded application prospects, whereas they still suffer from severe deactivation in polar media, limiting their reliability and utility. Here, we present an efficient multivalent assembly strategy to achieve high-temperature liquid-phase phosphorescence (HTLP). The supramolecular assembly of multivalent modules leads to extremely robust hydrogen-bonding networks, which firmly immobilize the organic phosphors and protect triplet excitons from annihilation in high-temperature polar media, resulting in excellent HTLP emission.

Relationship between physicochemical properties, non-volatile substances, and microbial diversity during the processing of dry-cured Spanish mackerel.

To meet the demand of consumers for high-quality dry-cured fish. This study investigates the relationship between microbial diversity and the changes in physicochemical properties and non-volatile flavor compounds of dry-cured Spanish mackerel (DCSM) throughout the curing process. Our findings demonstrate that moisture content significantly decreased during curing, while NaCl generally increased.

Highly hydrophobic calixarene polymers for efficient enrichment of polar nitrobenzene compounds.

Macrocyclic polymer materials exhibit excellent selectivity and adsorption performance in pollutant adsorption due to unique host-guest recognition. Herein, three kinds of calixarene polymers (C4P, C6P and C8P) were synthesized through Sonogashira reaction, and were characterized through H NMR, FT-IR, SEM, and TEM. The water contact angle experiments revealed that three kinds of calixarene polymers were highly hydrophobic, and they all exhibited high enrichment efficiency for weak polar chloro-substituted benzene compounds (chlorobenzene, o-chlorotoluene, p-dichlorobenzene and o-dichlorobenzene) and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes).

The impacts of alien species on river bioassessment.

The extent of alien taxa impacts on river ecosystem health is unclear, but their frequency continues to rise. We investigated 1) the prevalence of including alien taxa in common bioindicators used in river bioassessment, 2) the effect of alien taxa on the richness and abundance of natives, and 3) whether including alien taxa in bioassessment tools increased their sensitivity to river degradation. In the 17 countries analyzed fish represented the greatest number of alien species (1726), followed by macrophytes (925), macroinvertebrates (556), and diatoms (7).

Niche Partitioning and Intraspecific Variation of Thaumarchaeota in Deep Ocean Sediments.

Deep-sea sediments contain a large number of Thaumarchaeota that are phylogenetically distinct from their pelagic counterparts. However, their ecology and evolutionary adaptations are not well understood. Metagenomic analyses were conducted on samples from various depths of a 750-cm sediment core collected from the Mariana Trench Challenger Deep.