2003(3): 467-482.
From 1980 to 1998, biofouling communities in Hong Kong waters, the Zhujiang RiverEstuary and the Mirs Bay were studied and a total of 610 samples. The samples were collected from vessels, buoys, piers and cages. Totally, 340 species (see Appendix I) have been recorded and identified, six of which are new. At the same time, research on the biology of the cirripede, bryozoan, polychaete and mollusc communities were also conducted. Twenty-three related papers have been published. This review summarizes works in Hong Kong over past twenty years, and some unpublished data are also reported.
2004(4): 733-739.
On the hasis of the reason that the offshore oil development areas in the northern South China Sea are at greater depth,more hazardous conditions and distance from shore,the methods and technologies used in coastal waters are not feasible because of the higher risk of losing investigation equipment or facilities.A series of methods and technologies for offshore fouling investigation that have been successfully applied is given in detail and it is hoped that the experience can be helpful for further studies.
2010(1): 69-78.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-010-0009-z
The effect of the bacterial strain CI4 on the germination of spores from the green alga Ulva pertusa was assayed and it was found that the bacterial biofilm and cell-free supernatant strongly inhibited spore germination. In attempts to define the chemical nature of the antifouling substance in the supernatant of CI4, the culture supernatants were tested for activity after heat treatment, enzymatic treatments, size fractionation, and separation into aqueous and organic fractions. Results suggest that this bacterium produces an extracellular component with specific activity toward algal spores that was heat-sensitive and between 3 and 10 kDa in molecular size. The exposure of the organic phase fraction to spores showed inhibitive effect on spore germination. Pronase and carboxypeptidase y did not significantly affect the activity of inhibitory component, suggesting that the component was not a protein or a peptide. The bacterium CI4 was identified as Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis based on the phenotypic characters and 16S rRNA gene analysis.
2017, 36(10): 70-78.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-017-1007-1
A fouling study was conducted in coastal waters southwest of the East China Sea between December 2013 and November 2014. A total of 84 species of fouling organisms belonging to 69 genera, 49 families, and 10 phyla were recorded over the entire year. The community composition was dominated by coastal warm-water species belonging to typical subtropical inner bay communities. The prosperous stage of settlement lasted from April to September, and the adhesion strength of the fouling organisms was the highest in summer. Sessile suspension feeders constituted the main core of settlement for the fouling community. Amphibalanus reticulatus was the most dominant and representative species of fouling organism, and other dominant species included Caprella equilibra, Ectopleura crocea, Anthopleura nigrescens, Stylochus ijimai, Spirobranchus kraussii, Crassostrea angulata, Perna viridis, Jassa falcata, Stenothoe valida, Sphaerozius nitidus, and Biflustra grandicella. The individuals in the fouling community showed a mutual dependence or constraint relationship due to competition for settlement space and food, and they exhibited a particular spatiotemporal distribution in accordance with adaptation to environmental factors. Temperature was the most important environmental factor determining the geographic distribution of fouling organisms. The temperature characteristics of species essentially reflect the differences in the fouling community composition in various climate zones. The species number, settlement stage, and settlement rate of fouling organisms are closely related to water temperature. Local natural environmental conditions (salinity, water currents, light, etc.) as well as human activity (such as aquaculture production) are all important factors affecting the settlement of fouling organisms.
2021, 40(4): 107-115.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-020-1694-x
Published:2021-06-03
Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are present externally to the microorganisms and play an important role in attachment and biofilm formation. These polymers possess antibacterial and antifouling activities. In this study, the antifouling activity of EPS produced by an epibiotic bacterium associated with macroalga Ulva lactuca was assessed against fouling bacteria and barnacle larvae. Results indicate that the EPS isolated from the epibiotic bacterium inhibits the biofilm formation of the bacteria without much antibacterial activity. Also, the EPS reduced the settlement of barnacle larvae on the hard substrate under laboratory conditions. The epibiotic bacterium was identified as Kocuria flava based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The EPS was further analysed using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to understand the biochemical composition. NMR analysis revealed the presence of polysaccharides, proteins, acetyl amine and succinyl groups. Scanning electron microscope analysis indicated that the EPS consisted of aggregated and irregular sphere-shaped particles.
2003(2): 201-211.
In order to understand the type and extent of marine fouling in offshore areas southeast of the Zhujiang (Pearl) River delta, within the period form May 1986 to June 1987, two biological buoys were deployed at water depths of 95 m and 113 m located in 114 km and 160 km off the coast of Hong Kong, respectively. Moreover, the fouling community of a Marex hydrological buoy located in 115 m depth water 172 km off Hong Kong was also surveyed. The results show that a total of 78 species were collected and identified. The panels exposed for 3 months were mainly dominated by stalked barnacles Conchoderma hunteri and Lepas anatifera and hydroids Orthopyxis sp. As for the buoys, including the subsurface buoy, and their mooring systems exposed for 6 and 12 months, respec-tively, some hard foulers such as common oysters, pearl oysters, acorn barnacles and bryozoans were also found. The compositions of fouling communities also varied greatly with depth.
2020, 39(3): 130-140.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-020-1564-6
Published:2020-03-25
Keywords:
Sea-Wing underwater glider ,
Glider Payload CTD sensor ,
thermal lag correction ,
quality-control tests
Profiles observed by Sea-Wing underwater gliders are widely applied in scientific research. However, the quality control (QC) of these data has received little attention. The mismatch between the temperature probe and conductivity cell response times generates erroneous salinities, especially across a strong thermocline. A sensor drift may occur owing to biofouling and biocide leakage into the conductivity cell when a glider has operated for several months. It is therefore critical to design a mature real-time QC procedure and develop a toolbox for the QC of Sea-Wing glider data. On the basis of temperature and salinity profiles observed by several Sea-Wing gliders each installed with a Sea-Bird Glider Payload CTD sensor, a real-time QC method including a thermal lag correction, Argo-equivalent real-time QC tests, and a simple post-processing procedure is proposed. The method can also be adopted for Petrel gliders.
2020, 39(10): 35-41.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-020-1658-1
Published:2020-10-25
Ulvophytes are attractive model systems for understanding the evolution of growth, development, and environmental stress responses. They are untapped resources for food, fuel, and high-value compounds. The rapid and abundant growth of Ulva species makes them key contributors to coastal biogeochemical cycles, which can cause significant environmental problems in the form of green tides and biofouling. Until now, the Ulva mutabilis genome is the only Ulva genome to have been sequenced. To obtain further insights into the evolutionary forces driving divergence in Ulva species, we analyzed 3 905 single copy ortholog family from U. mutabilis, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Volvox carteri to identify genes under positive selection (GUPS) in U. mutabilis. We detected 63 orthologs in U. mutabilis that were considered to be under positive selection. Functional analyses revealed that several adaptive modifications in photosynthesis, amino acid and protein synthesis, signal transduction and stress-related processes might explain why this alga has evolved the ability to grow very rapidly and cope with the variable coastal ecosystem environments.