Harlequinmania

A study by the scientists found that increased seawater carbon dioxide levels, resulting in more corrosive ocean water, inhibited the larval oysters from developing their shells and growing at a pace that would make commercial production cost-effective. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Watch a stingray take flight from a sandy reef. If you need a longer video for relaxation, check out last Friday's popular Relax to Clownfish video. And of course, our growing collection of Destination Reefs videos are also great digital escapes. Have a great weekend! Make sure to do something nice for your finned friends. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Watch a stingray take flight from a sandy reef. If you need a longer video for relaxation, check out last Friday's popular Relax to Clownfish video. And of course, our growing collection of Destination Reefs videos are also great digital escapes. Have a great weekend! Make sure to do something nice for your finned friends. We leave you with an interesting trivia about Orinoco Flow, the Enya song featured in this video. The song mentions an impressive number of aquatic places: Orinoco River, Venezuela-Colombia Tripoli, Libya Yellow Sea, Between Korea and China Bissau, Guinea-Bissau Palau, islands in Micronesia Avalon, British Isles Fiji, Fiji islands Tiree, British Isles Isles of , British Isles Peru Cebu, Philippines Babylon, Iraq Bali, Indonesia Cali, Colombia Coral Sea, Australia Ebudae (Inner Hebrides), British Isles; also the title of a later Enya song Khartoum, Sudan The Sea of Clouds, possibly Mount Huangshan, China Island of the Moon (Comoros); also an island on Lake Titicaca, Peru & Bolivia; or Isle Maree (British Isles) Ross Dependency, a part of Antarctica; also Ross (region of Scotland, Great Britain) [list via Wikipedia] View the full article

How was the mystery wrasse reacting to these two new fellow in the beta box now ? Maybe you want to wait a little until the two tiny fellow get a little bigger before you release into your display tank.

Click through to see the images. Changing climate can affect fish fertility Warmer water temperatures can greatly increase the reproductive capacity of the widely distributed pest fish species gambusia, or mosquito fish, a new study has found. Male gambusia exposed to high water temperatures produce about three times more sperm than those kept in much colder water, says a team of researchers led by Dr Bart Adriaenssens, of the UNSW Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, in the journal Global Change Biology. As well, the sperm of the males in the warm-water group had faster swimming speeds. The study is the first to show that exposing adult fish to different temperatures changes the quantity and quality of the sperm they produce. The finding may have significant implications for the fertility of fish populations in response to climate change, the researchers say. “Hundreds of studies have examined how whole organisms can modify their physiology and behaviour in response to environmental temperature changes,” notes Dr Adriaenssens. “Surprisingly, though, virtually nothing is known about the ability of sex cells to adjust to different temperature conditions.” Co-author Dr Robbie Wilson, of the University of Queensland, adds: “Because sex cells play such a critical role in the adaptation and persistence of species, this represents a severe oversight our understanding of thermal adaptation. Our study suggests that the implications for fish fertility alone could be large indeed in response to climate change.” Gambusia are native to south-eastern USA but have been deliberately introduced widely elsewhere, including Europe and Australia, to control mosquito larvae. They have become a notorious pest, however, because they prey on many other species, notably frogs and aquatic insects. The researchers warn that Gambusia’s environmental impact may be worsened if warming temperatures enhance its ability to reproduce. How the sperm production of other species may be affected by warming remains unknown. For the study, gambusia were caught in Southern France and their offspring reared under controlled laboratory conditions. When those fish reached adult size, half were exposed to temperatures as warm as 30 degrees Celsius and the other half to 18 degrees Celsius. After several weeks, the ejaculate characteristics of these “acclimated” males were tested across a range of different temperatures: “Increasing the heat of a sperm sample on the microscope is like watching the whole swimming process in fast-forward,” says Dr Adriaenssens. “However, males that were previously housed in warm water had faster sperm regardless of the temperature.” “The body temperature of many animals varies with their environment, and likewise does the temperature under which their sperm cells are produced and released. It is therefore important that we understand how climate change will influence the fertility of these species.” Dr Adriaenssens adds that other studies suggest that sperm production and function play a key role in reproductive success in this species, and the observed changes may thus boost the fertility of this species when water temperatures rise. The research team also included researchers from University of Sydney and the University of Antwerp. Media contacts: Dr Bart Adriaenssens - b.adriaenssens@unsw.edu.au Dr Robbie S. Wilson - r.wilson@uq.edu.au UNSW Faculty of Science media liaison - Bob Beale 0411 705 435 bbeale@unsw.edu.au Journal link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02672.x/abstract View the full article

Abandoned army bunkers along a 60 mile stretch of land in the north of Israel have new tenants, according to a Tel Aviv University researcher -- 12 indigenous bat species, including three already designated as endangered, have moved into the shelters and are flourishing. View the full article

As ocean temperatures rise, some species of corals are likely to succeed at the expense of others, according to a new report that details the first large-scale investigation of climate effects on corals. View the full article

As ocean temperatures rise, some species of corals are likely to succeed at the expense of others, according to a new report that details the first large-scale investigation of climate effects on corals. View the full article

Click through to see the images. An international scientific team has carried out the world’s first analysis of the impact of ocean acidification on every gene in the coral genome, throwing new light on the likely fate of corals under climate change. This prodigious research undertaking, involving more than 250 million ‘reads’ of genetic material and their detailed interpretation, was carried out by researchers from Australia, France, Netherlands and South Korea using powerful new genetic analysis tools. In recent years declines in coral calcification have been reported around the world, matching the steady rise in carbon emissions to the atmosphere from human activity. “Every time we release CO2, it turns the oceans imperceptibly more acidic – and previous research has shown this to have a harmful effect on corals, plankton and other marine organisms which form their skeletons from calcium and carbonate,” explains Professor David Miller of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) and James Cook University in Australia. “This has big implications for the entire food web in the oceans and life on Earth generally,” he said. “We knew a more acidic ocean was bad for corals – but we didn’t know exactly how it affected them. Our aim was to go back to basics and explore the effect on every gene in the genome of a young coral, and the job it does. This is an essential first step in gaining an accurate grasp of the impact of increased atmospheric CO2 on the world’s coral reefs and ocean life forms.” Project scientists Dr Aurelie Moya of CoECRS and France’s Oceanographic Laboratory and Lotte Huisman of CoECRS and Amsterdam University led the experimental work, which involved raising coral larvae to the point where they settle on the reef, placing them in tanks and then exposing them to air bubbles with levels of CO2 of 750-1000 parts per million. This is projected to be the world’s atmospheric CO2 content by the end of this century, if humanity fails to cut its carbon emissions. But the really big part of the experiment came when the team analysed the changes in signaling by every single one of the coral’s 20,000-odd genes. “This is the first time anyone has looked at the expression of every gene in the coral genome simultaneously. It would have been impossible only a couple of years ago, but there have been huge technological advances,” Professor Miller explains. “We were also very fortunate to be able to involve Dr Sylvain Foret, a brilliant young bioinformatician, in the data analysis.” The answers the scientists obtained were both surprising and disturbing. “Much to our surprise we found the rising acidity had little effect on the production of ion transport proteins that are responsible for circulating and depositing the calcium carbonate within the coral cells to form its skeleton,” Professor Miller said. “These seemed largely unaffected under high CO2. “But equally surprising were the massive changes we observed in the expression of coral genes involved in the creating the framework required for skeleton formation: some were increased and some decreased. “Overall it means that a more acidic ocean messes with the skeleton formation process in young corals in disturbing, but highly complex, ways,” he said. The team carried out their research using juvenile Acropora millepora (staghorn) corals at the stage where they have just settled on a reef, as the ability to form a strong, healthy skeleton is critical in the early stages of a coral’s life. RIGHT: Larval sibling polyps of staghorn coral (Acropora millepora) three days after settlement. Credit: Mikhail Matz, Joerg Wiedenmann “There have been a lot of conflicting reports in the scientific literature about positive and negative effects of ocean acidification on corals – and our research shows why. The production of the coral skeleton is a highly complex process, and it is important to address this problem one step at a time and to ask simple questions,” Professor Miller says “In terms of the sheer volume of data, these are massive experiments that take a great deal of time to analyse. “But if they give us a clearer understanding of the impact of a more acidic ocean on corals, that will also give us a far better understanding of how best to protect our coral reefs in a world where enormous changes are taking place at great speed,” he said. The researchers are planning similar whole-of-genome analysis of the effects on corals of the higher ocean temperatures expected under global warming by the end of the century. Their article “Whole Transcriptome Analysis of the Coral Acropora millepora Reveals Complex Responses to CO2-driven Acidification during the Initiation of Calcification” by A. Moya, L. Huisman, E.E. Ball, D.C. Hayward5, L.C. Grasso, C.M. Chua, H.N.Woo, J.-P. Gattuso, S. Foret and D.J. Miller is published in the latest online edition of the journal Molecular Ecology. More information: Professor David Miller, CoECRS and JCU, +61 (0)7 4781 4473 or +61 (0)419 671 768 Dr Aurelie Moya, CoECRS and Laboratoire d’Oceanographie de Villefranche, +33 4 9376 38 33, mob +33 6 13 50 86 37 Lotte Huisman, CoECRS and University of Amsterdam, +31 20 525 7542, mob +31 6 193 72 104 Jenny Lappin, CoECRS, +61 (0)7 4781 4222 Jim O’Brien, James Cook University Media Office, +61 (0)7 4781 4822 or 0418 892449 http://www.coralcoe.org.au/ [via James Cook University media release, April 11, 2012] View the full article

Click through to see the images. Aquafront shares their exciting news with Advanced Aquarist. Check back for updates on these dream kitchen aquarium builds. With Aquafront and Poggenpohl working together, we have no doubt the results will be nothing short of stunning. We are pleased to announce Aquafront have been commissioned to create a range of integrated designer aquariums for the multi-award winning, international kitchen design company Poggenpohl. After months of joint design and product development with Poggenpohl we can now confirm that we will be creating a range of 7 integrated kitchen aquariums for their UK showrooms starting with their head office showroom in St. Albans. Each showroom aquarium will feature a unique themed design, telling its own story about the beauty of life and nature. “We are really excited about these showroom pieces, as they will be living examples of what can be created within the heart of the home, bringing your living space to life and creating a beautiful connection to nature” – Akil Gordon-Beckford Founder and Head Designer at Aquafront. The designer aquariums will be available as an integrated accessory for new and existing Poggenpohl customers, featuring the very best that aquarium design has to offer. Each aquarium will come with state of the art equipment and technology including custom made LED lights, a built in wifi connected computer monitor system, as well as a bespoke high performance filtration system creating the perfect living eco system. All Poggenpohl aquariums will be created using our trademarked Life ConnectionTM design process, along with our comprehensive project management and aftercare service ensuring peace of mind before, during and after the creation of these priceless art pieces. The St. Albans build will begin mid April 2012 and will feature an integrated aquarium built into Poggenpohl’s award winning design +Artesio. Connect with us on our Twitter and Facebook page as well as our Youtube channel to follow the progress of this project. View the full article

Click through to see the images. The new species of snake eel is now know as Peri's Snake Eel (Myrichthys paleracio) and is unique from other snake eel species because of its white and brown coloration, vertebrae number, and it's elongated body. The full results for this species description were published in the January 2012 International Journal of Ichthyology. The two specimens that were submitted for examination were collected in shallow-water coral reefs from the Verde Passage, southern Luzon Island, Philippines. Dr. Gerald R. Allen of Perth, Australia, and Dr. John E. McCosker of the California Academy of Sciences were the two researchers that verified the new species identification bringing the snake eel species count up to eleven. It was Dr. Gerald Allen, Roger Steene (another underwater explorer), and Paleracio that made the discovery. Paleracio recalls: "I tried catching it with the net that we are using to other fish but this one is not that easy. It is very slippery, and can escape from your grip easily. ... It was a struggle for me to get it alive. When I caught it, I barely had enough air in my tank to reach the surface." After examining the submitted snake eels, Allen and McCosker decided to name the new species after the person that caught them. "Having a snake eel named after me is something. I feel really lucky than honored actually," said Paleracio. (via GMA News) View the full article

Click through to see the images. An international scientific team has carried out the world’s first analysis of the impact of ocean acidification on every gene in the coral genome, throwing new light on the likely fate of corals under climate change. This prodigious research undertaking, involving more than 250 million ‘reads’ of genetic material and their detailed interpretation, was carried out by researchers from Australia, France, Netherlands and South Korea using powerful new genetic analysis tools. In recent years declines in coral calcification have been reported around the world, matching the steady rise in carbon emissions to the atmosphere from human activity. “Every time we release CO2, it turns the oceans imperceptibly more acidic – and previous research has shown this to have a harmful effect on corals, plankton and other marine organisms which form their skeletons from calcium and carbonate,” explains Professor David Miller of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) and James Cook University in Australia. “This has big implications for the entire food web in the oceans and life on Earth generally,” he said. “We knew a more acidic ocean was bad for corals – but we didn’t know exactly how it affected them. Our aim was to go back to basics and explore the effect on every gene in the genome of a young coral, and the job it does. This is an essential first step in gaining an accurate grasp of the impact of increased atmospheric CO2 on the world’s coral reefs and ocean life forms.” Project scientists Dr Aurelie Moya of CoECRS and France’s Oceanographic Laboratory and Lotte Huisman of CoECRS and Amsterdam University led the experimental work, which involved raising coral larvae to the point where they settle on the reef, placing them in tanks and then exposing them to air bubbles with levels of CO2 of 750-1000 parts per million. This is projected to be the world’s atmospheric CO2 content by the end of this century, if humanity fails to cut its carbon emissions. But the really big part of the experiment came when the team analysed the changes in signaling by every single one of the coral’s 20,000-odd genes. “This is the first time anyone has looked at the expression of every gene in the coral genome simultaneously. It would have been impossible only a couple of years ago, but there have been huge technological advances,” Professor Miller explains. “We were also very fortunate to be able to involve Dr Sylvain Foret, a brilliant young bioinformatician, in the data analysis.” The answers the scientists obtained were both surprising and disturbing. “Much to our surprise we found the rising acidity had little effect on the production of ion transport proteins that are responsible for circulating and depositing the calcium carbonate within the coral cells to form its skeleton,” Professor Miller said. “These seemed largely unaffected under high CO2. “But equally surprising were the massive changes we observed in the expression of coral genes involved in the creating the framework required for skeleton formation: some were increased and some decreased. “Overall it means that a more acidic ocean messes with the skeleton formation process in young corals in disturbing, but highly complex, ways,” he said. The team carried out their research using juvenile Acropora millepora (staghorn) corals at the stage where they have just settled on a reef, as the ability to form a strong, healthy skeleton is critical in the early stages of a coral’s life. RIGHT: Larval sibling polyps of staghorn coral (Acropora millepora) three days after settlement. Credit: Mikhail Matz, Joerg Wiedenmann “There have been a lot of conflicting reports in the scientific literature about positive and negative effects of ocean acidification on corals – and our research shows why. The production of the coral skeleton is a highly complex process, and it is important to address this problem one step at a time and to ask simple questions,” Professor Miller says “In terms of the sheer volume of data, these are massive experiments that take a great deal of time to analyse. “But if they give us a clearer understanding of the impact of a more acidic ocean on corals, that will also give us a far better understanding of how best to protect our coral reefs in a world where enormous changes are taking place at great speed,” he said. The researchers are planning similar whole-of-genome analysis of the effects on corals of the higher ocean temperatures expected under global warming by the end of the century. Their article “Whole Transcriptome Analysis of the Coral Acropora millepora Reveals Complex Responses to CO2-driven Acidification during the Initiation of Calcification” by A. Moya, L. Huisman, E.E. Ball, D.C. Hayward5, L.C. Grasso, C.M. Chua, H.N.Woo, J.-P. Gattuso, S. Foret and D.J. Miller is published in the latest online edition of the journal Molecular Ecology. More information: Professor David Miller, CoECRS and JCU, +61 (0)7 4781 4473 or +61 (0)419 671 768 Dr Aurelie Moya, CoECRS and Laboratoire d’Oceanographie de Villefranche, +33 4 9376 38 33, mob +33 6 13 50 86 37 Lotte Huisman, CoECRS and University of Amsterdam, +31 20 525 7542, mob +31 6 193 72 104 Jenny Lappin, CoECRS, +61 (0)7 4781 4222 Jim O’Brien, James Cook University Media Office, +61 (0)7 4781 4822 or 0418 892449 http://www.coralcoe.org.au/ [via James Cook University media release, April 11, 2012] View the full article

Maybe you can do some research around to check which is the skimmer which fit into your sump? Most of the specification of the skimmer including the height can be found on their website, it is hard for us to tell you which skimmer will fit the height of your sump.

Researchers have definitively linked an increase in ocean acidification to the collapse of oyster seed production at a commercial oyster hatchery in Oregon, where larval growth had declined to a level considered by the owners to be "non-economically viable." View the full article

Click through to see the images. The genus Aiptasia contains several species of tropical anemones, which are found throughout the world. These anemones, similar to many other cnidarians such as reef-building corals, have formed a mutualistic symbiosis with dinoflagellate algae known as zooxanthellae (Venn et al. 2008), which translocate photoautotrophically produced organic compounds to their host. Next to making use of light, Aiptasia feed on a wide range of particulate organic matter, ranging from copepods and Artemia nauplii to dried fish feed. Aiptasia, armed with powerful nematocytes, are the Nemesis of many aquarists. As Aiptasia have both autotrophic and heterotrophic feeding modes, these coelenterates thrive in well- and poorly-lit habitats as well as under complete darkness, provided that sufficient food particles are available. For example, completely bleached anemones have been reported growing in PVC pipes, solely relying on heterotrophy. Moreover, Aiptasia can tolerate large swings in temperature, pH and salinity, and survive in live rock exposed to air for some time. Based on their diet, Aiptasia are true generalists. Here, a specimen is feeding on commercial fish feed. In addition to their resilient nature, Aiptasia can reproduce very effectively in aquaria.Aiptasia spp. mainly reproduce asexually through a process called pedal laceration (Hunter 1984), during which parts of the pedal or basal disc break off which subsequently regenerate into new, smaller anemones. These new clones increase in size until they are perfect copies of their parent anemone. Their sexual reproduction entails the release of gametes (ova and sperm), after which fertilized ova develop externally into planula larvae (Chen 2008). These planula or propagules may settle on any substrate. Growth of Aiptasia usually is prolific, and they may outcompete other invertebrates if their populations are not controlled. Their potent nematocytes often damage and kill neighboring invertebrates, including corals, in a quest for space. These abilities make Aiptasia the Nemesis of many aquarists, which is why both chemical and biological methods are used to eliminate them. Aiptasia quickly reproduce asexually in aquaria, by means of pedal laceration. A three-way symbiosis? Recently, I observed the settlement behavior of an Aiptasia sp. (possibly Indo-Pacific A. pulchella) in the laboratory, where this species grows in oligotrophic coral aquaculture systems. Individuals settled on cyanobacterial mats, which in turn grew on the aquarium glass, PVC, pumps, corals and gastropod shells. With two exceptions, no Aiptasia settlement was observed on surfaces without cyanobacteria. This preferential settlement of an Aiptasia sp. on cyanobacterial mats suggests a symbiotic relationship between the anemone and bacteria. This symbiosis may be based on translocation of nitrogen, in the form of ammonia or ammonium, from cyanobacteria to Aiptasia. To further clarify this, I will briefly address the symbiosis between different types of cells found in cyanobacterial mats, also called a bacterial consortium. Aiptasia sp. settled on cyanobacterial mats, which in turn grew on PVC plates, the coral Seriatopora hystrix and the gastropod Astraea sp. Scale bars: 10 mm. Cyanobacteria are capable of diazotrophic growth, which means they are able to convert or fix dinitrogen gas (N2) into ammonia (NH3) using the enzyme nitrogenase (Postgate 1998). Ammonia, in turn, is further assimilated as the amino acid glutamate (glutamic acid), an example of biosynthesis. Glutamate can be converted to other amino acids and proteins, a so-called metabolic pathway which is important for organismal growth. Nitrogen fixation is hampered, however, by the presence of oxygen. Cyanobacteria have solved this problem by making use of heterocysts, specialized bacterial cells that are protected from the photosynthetic oxygen produced by the bulk of the cyanobacteria in the mat by multiple cell walls (Fay 1992). Heterocysts fix and translocate nitrogen as ammonia to the photosynthesizing cells of the mat, whereas these latter cells provide the heterocysts with organic carbon. In this way, the consortium of cyanobacterial cells is able to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and dinitrogen gas (N2) into organic compounds for growth. This strategy allows cyanobacteria to overcome nitrogen-limitation, enabling them to grow in an oligotrophic environment with low levels of nitrogen. Examples are Anabaena sphaerica and Nostoc punctiforme. In a very similar way, Aiptasia may also become nitrogen-limited. These anemones have overcome carbon limitation by forming a mutualistic symbiosis with dinoflagellate algae, which supply them with organic compounds (or photosynthates) such as glycerol produced from photosynthesis. These photosynthates may, however, be deficient in nitrogen, requiring supplementary nutrient uptake for growth (Houlbrèque and Ferrier-Pagès 2009). Corals have gone a step further by associating with cyanobacteria, in this context referred to as zoocyanellae, next to zooxanthellae. Intracellular nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria provide scleractinian corals with significant amounts of nitrogen (Lesser et al. 2004), from which the zooxanthellae directly benefit. The same strategy, the formation of a three-way symbiosis between an animal, dinoflagellate algae and bacteria, may have been adopted by anemones from the genus Aiptasia. Instead of, or next to harboring intracellular zoocyanellae, Aiptasia spp. may use free-living cyanobacteria as symbionts. More specifically, the ectoderm (or skin) of the anemones may physically interact with heterocysts living in cyanobacterial mats. The ammonia (NH3) produced by heterocysts may be absorbed through the ectoderm of the animal. It is known that Aiptasia take up ammonia from the external environment, after which it is assimilated into glutamate by the anemone's cells and its symbiotic zooxanthellae (Stambler 2011 and references therein), in the same way as in cyanobacteria. Although glutamate can be converted to proteins for growth, the anemones require ammonia as a precursor, which is usually present in low concentrations only. In this perspective, settling on cyanobacterial mats may be beneficial to Aiptasia: ammonia produced by cyanobacteria may be taken up by the anemone through the aboral ectoderm of the basal disc or column. This would provide these anemones and their symbiotic zooxanthellae access to both autotrophically fixed carbon and nitrogen, allowing Aiptasia spp. to grow rapidly in a nitrogen-limited environment, just like their symbiotic cyanobacteria. The hypothesized model below provides an overview of this symbiosis: Hypothesized model of the symbiosis between cyanobacteria and Aiptasia spp. Heterocysts in cyanobacterial mats take up dissolved dinitrogen gas (N2) from seawater, and convert it to ammonia (NH3) with the enzyme nitrogenase (NG). Ammonia is subsequently taken up by the aboral ectoderm and gastroderm of Aiptasia, and its symbiotic zooxanthellae (depicted here as a brown sphere). Finally, ammonia is assimilated into the amino acid glutamate (GA) by the enzyme glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) and used for growth of the anemone and its symbiotic algae. Model based on Stambler (2011) and references therein. This possible symbiosis between Aiptasia, zooxanthellae and cyanobacteria may explain the abundance of these anemones in oligotrophic environments, including heavily skimmed aquaria, and their preference for cyanobacterial mats as a settlement substrate. The discovery of potential symbiotic bacteria in the ectoderm of Aiptasia pallida (McKinstry et al. 1989, Palincsar et al. 1989) lends credence to the hypothesized model above, which encompasses an intimate link between heterocystic cyanobacteria and the aboral ectoderm of Aiptasia. More research will be required to confirm whether translocation of ammonia from heterocysts to Aiptasia occurs, for example by using isotope-labeled ammonia. In addition, it would be interesting to determine at what ammonia concentration this settlement behavior no longer occurs, and whether feeding (nitrogen-rich) zooplankton influences settlement choices of offspring. If Aiptasia can benefit from the nitrogenous secretion of heterocystic cyanobacteria, the anemones will have to locate them. Aiptasia may be drawn towards cyanobacterial mats by chemotaxis, i.e. chemicals released by the bacteria, including ammonia, may attract the anemones. For example, when fragments of the pedal disc released by a parent anemone encounter a cyanobacterial mat, high local ammonia levels may trigger a settlement response. Subsequently, the fragment regenerates after which it may benefit from excreted ammonia by heterocysts. Whether the cyanobacteria also benefit (mutualism) or even suffer (parasitism) from this symbiosis remains to be determined. This symbiosis may be an example of commensalism, where the Aiptasia benefit whilst having a neutral effect on the bacteria. When cyanobacteria are available, and ammonia concentrations are low, Aiptasia seem to have a strong preference for settling on cyanobacterial mats. In the home aquarium Even though Aiptasia will settle on substrates without cyanobacterial cover, it may be helpful to minimize the growth of cyanobacteria in the aquarium, as this may promote settlement and thus survival of Aiptasia propagules. This may be especially true when ammonia, and possibly nitrate concentrations in the aquarium are low, i.e. nitrogen-limiting to Aiptasia growth. It is not yet clear at what ammonia concentration the uptake of this nutrient is no longer limiting the anemones in their growth, however this is likely to lie above average ammonia concentrations of marine aquaria. Using GFO to maintain a low phosphate concentration of the aquarium water may aid in the prevention of cyanobacterial mats, and in turn, may somewhat retard asexual reproduction of Aiptasia. Either way, Aiptasia will probably always be considered an aquarium pest. In my opinion, these creatures are fascinating, having formed an intricate relationship with dinoflagellate algae, and possibly cyanobacteria, allowing them to make use of the sun's energy and dissolved nitrogen gas next to plankton. When predators such as certain Butterflyfishes (Chelmon rostratus) or Peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni) are introduced in the aquarium, Aiptasia populations may be kept under control. In such cases, these anemones can be an interesting addition to the aquarium rather than a nuisance. References Chen C, Soong K, Chen CA (2008) The smallest oocytes among broadcast-spawning actiniarians and a unique lunar reproductive cycle in a unisexual population of the sea anemone, Aiptasia pulchella (Anthozoa: Actinaria). Zool Stud 47:37-45 Fay P (1992) Oxygen relations of nitrogen fixation in cyanobacteria. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 56:340-373 Houlbrèque F, Ferrier-Pagès C (2009) Heterotrophy in tropical scleractinian corals. Biol Rev Camb Philos 84:1-17 Hunter T (1984) The energetics of asexual reproduction: Pedal laceration in the symbiotic sea anemone Aiptasia pulchella (Carlgren, 1943). J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 83:127-147 Lesser MP, Mazel CH, Gorbunov MY, Falkowski PG (2004) Discovery of symbiotic nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in corals. Science 305:997-1000 McKinstry MJ, Chapman GB, Spoon DM, Peters EC (1989) The occurrence of bacterial colonies in the epidermis of the tentacles of the sea anemone Aiptasia pallida (Anthozoa: Actinaria). Trans Am Micr Soc 108:239-244 Palincsar EE, Jones WR, Palincsar JS, Glogowski MA, Mastro JL (1989) Bacterial aggregates within the epidermis of the sea anemone Aiptasia pallida. Biol Bull 177:130-140 Postgate J (1998) Nitrogen Fixation, 3rd Edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK Stambler N (2011) Marine microalgae/cyanobacteria-invertebrate symbiosis: Trading energy for strategic material. 385-414. In: Seckbach J, Dubinsky Z (Eds.) All flesh is grass - Plant-animal interrelationships, Springer, Dordrecht, 531 p Venn AA, Loram JE, Douglas AE (2008) Photosynthetic symbioses in animals. J Exp Bot 59:1069-1080 View the full article

Click through to see the images. A new study by scientists at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science suggests that many species of reef-building corals may be able to adapt to warming waters by relying on their closest aquatic partners — algae. The corals’ ability to host a variety of algal types, each with different sensitivities to environmental stress, could offer a much-needed lifeline in the face of global climate change. Using a highly sensitive genetic technique, Ph.D. student Rachel Silverstein analyzed 39 coral species from DNA collected in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean collected over the last 15 years. Most of these species had not previously been thought capable of hosting more than one type of the single-celled symbiotic algae, called zooxanthellae, which live inside the coral and help to supply them with energy. Silverstein’s results revealed that at least one colony of all 39 species tested had at least two varieties of algae, including one thought to be heat tolerant. Over half of the species were found to associate with all four of the major types of algae found in corals. “This study shows that more coral species are able to host multiple algal symbionts than we previously thought,” said Andrew Baker, associate professor at UM’s Rosenstiel School and co-author of the study. “The fact that they all seem to be capable of hosting symbionts that might help them survive warmer temperatures suggests they have hidden potential that was once thought to be confined to just a few special species.” More than 10 years ago, Baker was one of the first scientists to suggest that the ability of corals to associate with diverse algal symbionts may be one mechanism by which they are able to rapidly respond to environmental changes, such as increased ocean temperatures due to climate change. “Although our study shows that different coral species do tend to have preferences in their algal partners, the fact that these preferences are not absolutely rigid means that we cannot ignore the possibility that most corals might change partners in response to environmental changes in the future,” said Silverstein. Globally, reefs have lost more than 70 percent of their corals as a result of pollution, disease, overfishing, and climate change. Increased temperatures cause coral “bleaching,” in which corals expel their algal partners, turn pale, and often die. However, some symbionts can resist bleaching in warmer waters and may help the corals survive during stress. The ability to host multiple symbionts may help save coral reefs from future losses during expected ocean temperatures increases of 2-4 degrees Celsius (3-7 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100. “These new findings should encourage us to find better ways to protect coral reef ecosystems from overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction, and buy us some time to avoid the worst climate change scenarios,” said Baker, who is also a research associate of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York. The study, titled “Specificity is rarely absolute in coral-algal symbiosis: implications for coral response to climate change,” was published in the online edition of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Adrienne Correa, a former UM Rosenstiel School student of Baker’s and a current postdoc at Oregon State University, is a co-author on the study, as well. The U.S. National Science Foundation, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Lenfest Ocean Program and Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation funded the study. (press release University of Miami) View the full article

Large-scale global survey of corals using high sensitivity genetic analysis shows many coral species can host multiple algal symbionts -- including some thought to help survive warming oceans. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Shark Reef Aquarium is located at one of the most unlikely places for an aquarium: in the dry desert of Las Vegas, Nevada. The facility boost a massive 1,300,000 US gallons (4,900,000 liter) main display and its famous walk-through shark tunnel. Shark Reef Aquarium was developed in consultation with the Vancouver Aquarium. The exhibit opened in 2000 and officially changed its name to Shark Reef Aquarium in 2007. What is AZA accreditation? A commissioned panel of experts by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) examines each zoo or aquarium that applies for AZA membership in order to determine if their level of care meets AZA standards. All accredited institutions are also subject to review every five years to maintain membership status. AZA has only accredited 225 zoological institutions (including Shark Reef Aquarium). Other notable aquariums accredited by AZA include: Audubon Aquarium of the Americas (LA) Georgia Aquarium (GA) Monterey Bay Aquarium (CA) National Aquarium in Baltimore (MD) New England Aquarium (MA) Oregon Coast Aquarium (OR) Steinhart Aquarium (CA) Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre (BC) View the full article

New research suggests that allowing more Pacific salmon to spawn in coastal streams will not only benefit the natural environment, including grizzly bears, but could also lead to more salmon in the ocean and thus larger salmon harvests in the long term -- a win-win for ecosystems and humans. In a new article, researchers investigate how increasing "escapement" -- the number of salmon that escape fishing nets to enter streams and spawn -- can improve the natural environment. View the full article

New research suggests that allowing more Pacific salmon to spawn in coastal streams will not only benefit the natural environment, including grizzly bears, but could also lead to more salmon in the ocean and thus larger salmon harvests in the long term -- a win-win for ecosystems and humans. In a new article, researchers investigate how increasing "escapement" -- the number of salmon that escape fishing nets to enter streams and spawn -- can improve the natural environment. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Take professional underwater video of clownfish and anemones filmed in the tropical waters of Australia, Fiji, Indonesia and the Solomon Islands, add relaxing music, and what you get is the perfect way to unwind after a long day. Here is a 7 1/2 minute preview of Undersea Production's video, "Anemonefish: Nature's Aquarium." You can purchase the full 60 minute DVD by Undersea Productions. Advanced Aquarist is not affiliated with Undersea Productions in any way; We're simply fans of their work. View the full article

New England is expected to experience a "moderate" regional "red tide" this spring and summer, report scientists working in the Gulf of Maine to study the toxic algae that causes the bloom. The algae in the water pose no direct threat to human beings, however the toxins they produce can accumulate in filter-feeding organisms such as mussels and clams -- which can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning in humans who consume them. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Last month we reported on a scientific survey that showed evidence that corals that had been previously stressed by past bleaching events were more likely to survive future bleaching events. This month another paper has been published lending additional evidence that this might be the case. Published on March 30, the paper "Historical Temperature Variability Affects Coral Response to Heat Stress" by Jessica Carilli, Simon Donner, and Aaron Hartmann report their findings on this subject. What they found was that corals that survived past heat stress events in the past were more likely to survive future heat stress events. For their study, they investigated Porties spp. coral in the Gilbert Islands, Republic of Kiribati as they had been subjected to past heat stress events in 2004 and 2009. According to their paper: The spatial pattern in skeletal growth rates and partial mortality scars found in massive Porites sp. across the central and northern islands suggests that corals subject to larger year-to-year fluctuations in maximum ocean temperature were more resistant to a 2004 warm-water event. In addition, a subsequent 2009 warm event had a disproportionately larger impact on those corals from the island with lower historical heat stress, as indicated by lower concentrations of triacylglycerol, a lipid utilized for energy, as well as thinner tissue in those corals. As reported by The University of British Columbia: "Even through the warming of our oceans is already occurring, these findings give hope that coral that has previously withstood anomalously warm water events may do so again,” says Carilli. “While more research is needed, this appears to be good news for the future of coral reefs in a warming climate." (via The University of British Columbia) View the full article

Click through to see the images. Corals may be better placed to cope with the gradual acidification of the world's oceans than previously thought - giving rise to hopes that coral reefs might escape climatic devastation. In new research published in the journal Nature Climate Change, an international scientific team has identified a powerful internal mechanism that could enable some corals and their symbiotic algae to counter the adverse impact of a more acidic ocean. As humans release ever-larger amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, besides warming the planet, the gas is also turning the world's oceans more acidic - at rates thought to far exceed those seen during past major extinctions of life. This has prompted strong scientific interest in finding out which species are most vulnerable, and which can handle the changed conditions. In ground-breaking research, a team of scientists from Australia's ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, at the University of Western Australia and France's Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, has shown that some marine organisms that form calcium carbonate skeletons have an in-built mechanism to cope with ocean acidification - which others appear to lack. "The good news is that most corals appear to have this internal ability to buffer rising acidity of seawater and still form good, solid skeletons," says Professor Malcolm McCulloch of CoECRS and UWA. "Marine organisms that form calcium carbonate skeletons generally produce it in one of two forms, known as aragonite and calcite. "Our research broadly suggests that those with skeletons made of aragonite have the coping mechanism - while those that follow the calcite pathway generally do less well under more acidic conditions." The aragonite calcifiers - such as the well-known corals Porites and Acropora - have molecular ‘pumps' that enable them to regulate their internal acid balance, which buffers them from the external changes in seawater pH. "But the picture for coral reefs as a whole isn't quite so straightforward, as the ‘glue' that holds coral reefs together - coralline algae - appear to be vulnerable to rising acidity," Professor McCulloch explains. Also of concern is that a large class of plankton, floating in the open oceans and forming a vital component of marine food webs, appears equally vulnerable to acidification. If so, this could be serious not only for marine life that feeds on them - but also for humans, as it could impair the oceans' ability to soak up increased volumes of CO2 from the atmosphere. This would cause global warming to accelerate. Ironically, an added plus is that warming oceans may increase the rates of coral growth, especially in corals now living in cooler waters, he says. However, the big unknown remaining is whether corals can adapt to global warming, which is now occurring at an unprecedented rate - at about two orders of magnitude faster than occurred with the ending of the last Ice Age. "This is crucial since, if corals are bleached by the sudden arrival of hot ocean water and lose the symbiotic algae which are their main source of energy, they will still die," he cautions. "It's a more complicated picture, but broadly it means that there are going to be winners and losers in the oceans as its chemistry is modified by human activities - this could have the effect of altering major ocean ecosystems on which both we and a large part of marine life depend." The researchers conclude "Although our results indicate that up-regulation of pH at the site of calcification provides corals with enhanced resilience to the effects of ocean acidification, the overall health of coral reef systems is still largely dependent on the compounding effects of increasing thermal stress from global warming and local environmental impacts, such as terrestrial runoff, pollution and overfishing." Their paper "Coral resilience to ocean acidification and global warming through pH up-regulation" by Malcolm McCulloch, Jim Falter, Julie Trotter, and Paolo Montagna, appears in the latest issue of the journal Nature Climate Change. Media references Professor Malcolm McCulloch (UWA Oceans Institute and CoECRS) (+61 8) 6488 1921 / (+61 4) 57 939 937 Jenny Lappin (CoECRS) (+61 7) 4781 4222 Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs) (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 00 700 783 Source: University of Western Australia View the full article

Click through to see the images. Corals may be better placed to cope with the gradual acidification of the world's oceans than previously thought - giving rise to hopes that coral reefs might escape climatic devastation. In new research published in the journal Nature Climate Change, an international scientific team has identified a powerful internal mechanism that could enable some corals and their symbiotic algae to counter the adverse impact of a more acidic ocean. As humans release ever-larger amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, besides warming the planet, the gas is also turning the world's oceans more acidic - at rates thought to far exceed those seen during past major extinctions of life. This has prompted strong scientific interest in finding out which species are most vulnerable, and which can handle the changed conditions. In ground-breaking research, a team of scientists from Australia's ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, at the University of Western Australia and France's Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, has shown that some marine organisms that form calcium carbonate skeletons have an in-built mechanism to cope with ocean acidification - which others appear to lack. "The good news is that most corals appear to have this internal ability to buffer rising acidity of seawater and still form good, solid skeletons," says Professor Malcolm McCulloch of CoECRS and UWA. "Marine organisms that form calcium carbonate skeletons generally produce it in one of two forms, known as aragonite and calcite. "Our research broadly suggests that those with skeletons made of aragonite have the coping mechanism - while those that follow the calcite pathway generally do less well under more acidic conditions." The aragonite calcifiers - such as the well-known corals Porites and Acropora - have molecular ‘pumps' that enable them to regulate their internal acid balance, which buffers them from the external changes in seawater pH. "But the picture for coral reefs as a whole isn't quite so straightforward, as the ‘glue' that holds coral reefs together - coralline algae - appear to be vulnerable to rising acidity," Professor McCulloch explains. Also of concern is that a large class of plankton, floating in the open oceans and forming a vital component of marine food webs, appears equally vulnerable to acidification. If so, this could be serious not only for marine life that feeds on them - but also for humans, as it could impair the oceans' ability to soak up increased volumes of CO2 from the atmosphere. This would cause global warming to accelerate. Ironically, an added plus is that warming oceans may increase the rates of coral growth, especially in corals now living in cooler waters, he says. However, the big unknown remaining is whether corals can adapt to global warming, which is now occurring at an unprecedented rate - at about two orders of magnitude faster than occurred with the ending of the last Ice Age. "This is crucial since, if corals are bleached by the sudden arrival of hot ocean water and lose the symbiotic algae which are their main source of energy, they will still die," he cautions. "It's a more complicated picture, but broadly it means that there are going to be winners and losers in the oceans as its chemistry is modified by human activities - this could have the effect of altering major ocean ecosystems on which both we and a large part of marine life depend." The researchers conclude "Although our results indicate that up-regulation of pH at the site of calcification provides corals with enhanced resilience to the effects of ocean acidification, the overall health of coral reef systems is still largely dependent on the compounding effects of increasing thermal stress from global warming and local environmental impacts, such as terrestrial runoff, pollution and overfishing." Their paper "Coral resilience to ocean acidification and global warming through pH up-regulation" by Malcolm McCulloch, Jim Falter, Julie Trotter, and Paolo Montagna, appears in the latest issue of the journal Nature Climate Change. Media references Professor Malcolm McCulloch (UWA Oceans Institute and CoECRS) (+61 8) 6488 1921 / (+61 4) 57 939 937 Jenny Lappin (CoECRS) (+61 7) 4781 4222 Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs) (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 00 700 783 Source: University of Western Australia View the full article