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Comparative study of the hydrodynamics of a heaving wave energy converter using linear and non-linear wave theory
Get PDFCounteracting anthropogenic CO<sub>2</sub> emissions by microbial stimulation of silicate weathering
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Investigate monthly morphological parameters and meteo-marine forcing factors on a multibarred beach
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Mangroves, charcoal production and mercury pollution in Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve, Malaysia
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LifeWatch observatory date: zooplankton observations in the Belgian part of the North Sea
Get PDFThrough regular sampling surveys, the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) is generating a long‐term data series for the Belgian coastal water and sandbank system, a designated site in the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) network. The data series is built from sampling activities initiated in 2012 in the framework of the LifeWatch marine observatory. Nine nearshore stations are sampled monthly, with an additional eight offshore stations sampled seasonally. This paper presents the gen-erated data series for zooplankton densities and size measurements, analysed using a ZooScan plankton imaging device together with the ZooProcess and Plankton Identifier software packages. To date 673.017 biological particles have been collected and identified. The collection and processing of the 2012–2018 dataset is described, along with its data curation and quality control. Yearly versions of the data are published in a standardized format together with environmental parameters, accompanied by an extensive metadata description and labelled with digital identifiers for traceability. The data are published under a CC‐BY 4.0 license, allowing use of the data under the condition of providing the reference to the original sourc
Larval cloning in the crown-of-thorns sea star, a keystone coral predator
Get PDFThe crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), Acanthaster cf. solaris, is an iconic keystone predator whose population outbreaks have devastating consequences for Indo-Pacific coral reefs. We tested the effects of algal food supply and larval density on the frequency of larval cloning by culturing the early bipinnaria larvae of COTS under variable conditions. Here we show that larval COTS are able to clone themselves in both low and high food conditions, and that the frequency of larval cloning increases with levels of food, but is unaffected by larval density. Across all density treatments (0.3, 1.0 and 3.0 larvae ml-1), the per-capita rate of cloning increased from 4.3% in low, oligotrophic conditions (0.17 µg chl a l-1) to 7.9% in high food conditions (1.7 µg chl a l-1). Larval cloning has the potential to increase both COTS larval supply and the dispersal distance of planktonic larval stages, both of which are critical factors in predicting the timing and location of outbreaks of this species. In addition, the relationship between algal food supply and larval cloning frequency lends support to bottom-up hypotheses (e.g. nutrient enrichment) as predictors of COTS outbreaks. However, cloning was observed even under the oligotrophic conditions characteristic of coral reefs
<i>In silico</i> identification and expression of protocadherin gene family in <i>Octopus vulgaris</i>
Get PDFConnecting millions of neurons to create a functional neural circuit is a daunting challenge. Vertebrates developed a molecular system at the cell membrane to allow neurons to recognize each other by distinguishing self from non-self through homophilic protocadherin interactions. In mammals, the protocadherin gene family counts about 50 different genes. By hetero-multimerization, protocadherins are capable of generating an impressive number of molecular interfaces. Surprisingly, in the California two-spot octopus, Octopus bimaculoides, an invertebrate belonging to the Phylum Mollusca, over 160 protocadherins (PCDHs) have been identified. Here we briefly discuss the role of PCDHs in neural wiring and conduct a comparative study of the protocadherin gene family in two closely related octopus species, Octopus vulgaris and O. bimaculoides. A first glance at the expression patterns of protocadherins in O. vulgaris is also provided. Finally, we comment on PCDH evolution in the light of invertebrate nervous system plasticity