Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Marine chemical ecology'
To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Marine chemical ecology.
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 41 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Marine chemical ecology.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Jenkins, Kelly Matthew. "Chemical investigations of marine filamentous and zoosporic fungi and studies in marine microbial chemical ecology /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 1998. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p9907830.
Full text
2
Paul, Nicholas Andrew School of Biological Earth & Environmental Sciences UNSW. "The ecology of chemical defence in a filamentous marine red alga." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2006. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/24304.
Full textAbstract:
I investigated the ecological functions of halogenated secondary metabolites from the red alga Asparagopsis armata, their localisation in specialised cells and also their cost of production. A. armata produces large amounts of halogenated metabolites ( < 20 ??g / mg dry weight) that are sequestered in gland cells, as was demonstrated with light, epifluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. Cellular structures were identified that likely assist the release of metabolites from the gland cells to the algal surface. The halogenated metabolites of A. armata have multiple ecological roles, functioning as both inhibitors of bacterial fouling and as herbivore deterrents. Their activity against bacteria and herbivores was measured by a novel test in which the metabolites were manipulated in A. armata by omitting bromide ions from the culture media. This technique prevented the production of halogenated metabolites, but did not impact on other aspects of algal biology. Algae lacking halogenated metabolites (bromide [-] algae) had higher densities of epiphytic bacteria than those that continued to produce metabolites (bromide [+] algae). Bioassays with pure compounds against individual bacterial isolates further supported an inhibitory role for the halogenated metabolites against epiphytic bacteria, and also indicated an affect on bacterial community structure as well as abundance. Bromide (+) A. armata produced halogenated metabolites that also deterred feeding by two herbivores (an amphipod and an abalone), but not a third (an opisthobranch mollusc). A novel outcome from these feeding assays was the demonstration of a relationship between herbivore size and consumption of the chemically defended A. armata by the abalone Haliotis rubra. In addition to the fitness benefits gained from chemical defence, there were also costs for allocating resources to secondary metabolites. These costs were only detected under limiting light resources, consistent with predictions of the plant defence models. The integration of chemical analyses and cellular measures of chemical defence proved essential in elucidating resource allocation to chemical defence in the filamentous stage of A. armata. This thesis highlights that the simple relationships between growth and defence in filamentous algae can provide an excellent model for studies of the ecology and evolution of chemical defences in marine algae.
3
Gray, Christopher Anthony. "The role of a symbiotic bryozoan in the chemical ecology of a marine benthic predator-prey interaction." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005444.
Full textAbstract:
The subtidal whelk Burnupena papyracea (Brugière) co-occurs with a voracious predator, the rock lobster Jasus lalandii (Milne Edwards), in situations where other potential prey are largely eliminated. This has been ascribed to a symbiotic bryozoan, Alcyonidium nodosum (O’Donoghue and de Watteville), which characteristically encrusts the shells of B. papyracea and deters feeding by Jasus. In this study it is shown that this is not due to physical effects of either induced physical defences in the bryozoan or increased shell strength due to the presence of the bryozoan. Neither spectroscopic screening of chemical extracts of the bryozoan nor analysis for volatile constituents revealed any apparent chemical components that are likely to deter feeding. Chemical extracts also failed to show larvicidal effects in a standard toxicity assay using the brine shrimp Artemia salina (Leach). Despite this, bioassays using individual Jasus indicated a chemical basis for feeding deterrence. The assays were run separately on three sets of Jasus and some repeats of assays gave contradictory results. However, assays showing no significant effect of treatment occurred with moulting Jasus, involved very low overall feeding rates and so gave a less convincing result. In other assays Jasus always avoided Burnupena papyracea with live Alcyonidium encrusting the shell, and food pellets containing Alcyonidium or an Alcyonidium extract. Significant preferences were shown for an unencrusted whelk, B. cincta (Röding), over B. papyracea; for B. papyracea with the bryozoan scraped off over natural B. papyracea; for B. papyracea on which the bryozoans had been killed with liquid nitrogen over untreated B. papyracea; and for food pellets prepared from ground, dried mussel over pellets prepared with dried mussel mixed with A. nodosum or its crude organic extract. It is concluded that the protection which Alcyonidium confers on Burnupena papyracea does have a chemical basis, but that the chemical responsible is either present in only trace quantities, or that it is a structurally unremarkable compound which is distasteful to Jasus. This work highlights both the advantages of using ecologically relevant bioassays (positive results when standard techniques give a negative result) and also the disadvantages (logistic constraints on sample sizes when using large test animals and individual variability in a relatively sophisticated test animal).
4
李崇志 and Sung-chi Lee. "Chemical ecology of algae and the cyanobacterium kyrtuthrix maculans on Hong Kong rocky shores." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2001. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31241955.
Full text
5
Lee, Sung-chi. "Chemical ecology of algae and the cyanobacterium kyrtuthrix maculans on Hong Kong rocky shores." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2001. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B23316688.
Full text
6
Hicks, Melissa Kathryn. "Chemical cues affecting susceptibility of gorgonian corals to fungal infection." Thesis, Available online, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005, 2005. http://etd.gatech.edu/theses/available/etd-11272005-165350/.
Full text
7
Ruchonnet, Diane Astrid. "The chemical ecology and antibacterial activity of the brown alga Halidrys siliquosa and other Scottish seaweeds." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2007. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=186834.
Full textAbstract:
In regard to the more and more restrictive legislations on the use of organotins in antifouling coatings the need for the development of 'environmentally friendly' antifouling formulations becomes urgent. This study was initiated by the screening of the antifouling activity of Scottish algae against marine fouling bacteria aI;ld was followed by an examination ofthe chemical ecology ofthe brown alga Halidrys siliquosa. Of eleven algal species tested, eight exhibited good antifouling activity, confirming marine algae as a potential source for the development ofnovel antifouling formulations. H. siliquosa crude extracts tested at concentrations equivalent to whole algal tissue inhibited bacterial growth, with bacteria isolated from the surface orH. siliquosa being less sensitive to the extracts compared to bacteria isolated from stones and open seawater. This suggested for the first time that bacteria associated with the surface of the seaweed had evolved some kind of resistance to the plant antimicrobial activity. Characterisation of the active components using NMR spectroscopy showed the activity to be largely associated with the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Examination of purified fractions using GCIMS allowed identification and quantification of PUFAs 18:2, 18:4, 20:4 and 20:5. A separate study, determining minimum inhibitory concentrations of 18:2 and 20:4 against marine fouling bacteria indicated that both acids were present in sufficient concentrations in the plant to inhibit bacterial growth. The presence of PUPAs on the surface of the seaweed could not be demonstrated using a surface dip technique; however, this technique was originally developed for the extraction of non-polar metabolites only. This study suggests that PUFAs produced by H. siliquosa are potentially able to regulate biofouling by means of disrupting the early stage of biofilm development, i.e. bacterial colonisation. However, to confirm this hypothesis, the presence of PUFAs on the surface of the plant' still needs to be demonstrated.
8
D'Souza, Nicole. "A marine chemical ecology study of the sea hare, Bursatella leachii in South Africa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002952.
Full textAbstract:
The large cosmopolitan sea hare Bursatella leachii is a common resident in Eastern Cape river mouths during summer and late autumn where they congregate in beds of Zostera capensis to breed. In this thesis, the previously known toxic formamide marine secondary metabolite (-)-bursatellin (2.2), which may deter predators of South African specimens of the globally distributed sea hare Bursatella leachii, was isolated and identified (Chapter 2). There have been no previous chemical ecology studies of B. leachii and the latter half of this thesis is devoted to chemical ecology studies of this organism. Interestingly, the isolation of the (-)-diastereomer of 2.2 from specimens of B. leachii collected from the Kariega River mouth (near Kenton-on-Sea) suggests that the South African specimens of this species are similar to specimens collected from Puerto Rico and from the Mediterranean Sea. Two different chromatographic techniques for isolating 2.2 were compared in order to maximize the amount of 2.2 isolated from the Kariega River mouth sea hares. The doubling of selected resonances observed in both the ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of the bursatellin isolated in this study suggest one of three possibilities; either firstly, the presence of closely related compound(s), secondly, the presence of diastereomers or thirdly the presence of rotamers. Through NMR kinetic studies, we were able to establish that the presence of rotamers was very unlikely due to no change in the relative ratio (3:1) of the ¹H NMR signals with an increase in temperature. Although the attempted synthesis of the acetate derivative (2.28), as a means of separating a diastereomeric mixture was successful, the chromatographic separation of the proposed acetylated diastereomers was not successful. Preparation of the camphanate ester derivatives (e.g. 2.30) proved to be unsuccessful. Five B. leachii specimens were dissected, their organs separated and individually extracted with methanol. The methanol extracts were individually chromatographed on HP-20 media, and the distribution of bursatellin determined by isolation and NMR. It was evident from this investigation that the distribution of 2.2 within individual B. leachii specimens was found to be highest within the B. leachii ink gland. The lower amounts of 2.2 contained in the digestive system, relative to other organs, was hypothesized to occur because 2.2 is sequestered from the diet of the sea hare and efficiently moved from the gut to various organs around the body where it is stored. The absence of 2.2 from the skin was surprising and may be a result of a smaller mass of skin relative to other organs coupled with the limitations of the chromatographic separation techniques employed. Surprisingly, no bursatellin was found within juvenile sea hares. Chapter three discusses the isolation of ilimaquinone (3.1) and pelorol (3.19) from the sponge Hippospongia metachroma and the structure elucidation of each compound using computer modeling to illustrate the conformation. It was deemed necessary to isolate these well known and abundant bioactive marine natural products from a sponge as standard compounds in the bioassays given the paucity of 2.2 available for this study. Chapter four describes the assays used to test the biological activity of the bursatellin 2.2 compared to the generally bioactive ilimaquinone and the structurally related and commercially available broad spectrum antibiotic chloramphenicol. B. leachii, a shell-less marine mollusc inhabits a variety of intertidal habitats and, therefore, is exposed to several different predators, yet does not appear to have any specific predators. Potential predators of this sea hare in the Kariega Estuary could be fish and amphipods which are found in close proximity to these sea hares. Results of the assays showed that at roughly natural concentrations, (calculated from the isolated chromatographic yield) feeding was deterred by the fish and amphipods, which implied that 2.2 may confer a defensive role within the organism. The relatively high concentration present within the ink gland of B. leachii may support this hypothesis. Surprisingly, given its structural similarity to chloramphenicol, 2.3 did not show any antimicrobial action against five of the six bacterial strains against which it was screened [chloramphenicol inhibited the growth of all the bacterial strains at very low concentrations (0.25 mg/mL)]. Bursatellin was found to be only active against Staphylococus aureus at high concentrations ca. 2 mg/mL when compared to chloramphenicol. Neither bursatellin nor chloramphenicol showed anti-fungal activity. Although this study suggests that the sea hares may use chemical defences in addition to opaline ink to defend themselves, they also live within the seagrass Z. capensis, which possibly provides the sea hare with a cryptic form of physical defence against several predators that are unable to swim freely within the weed beds in the littoral zone of the estuary.Adobe Acrobat 9.53 Paper Capture Plug-in
9
Figuerola, Balañá Blanca. "Biodiversity and Chemical ecology in Antarctic bryozoans = Biodiversitat i ecologia química de briozous antàrtics." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/129165.
Full textAbstract:
The current thesis covers two important and poorly known aspects of Antarctic bryozoans: biodiversity and chemical ecology. The comparative analyses of diversity carried out here (Chapters 1 and 2) between Antarctica and the last separated fragments of Gondwana support the hypothesis of the sequential separation of Gondwana. We discuss that the high number of species from the Argentine Patagonian (AP) region shared with Antarctica found in our study question the real extent of Antarctic isolation for cheilostome bryozoans. The presence of shared common bryozoan species between these two regions may also be explained by the free migration of marine organisms in and out of the Polar Front, via the deep abyssal plains and the potential passive northwards transport of larvae (or perhaps even adults) to considerable distances, via the branch of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) flowing northward along the continental shelf of Argentina, the Falkland/Malvinas Current. The role of the Scotia Arc and other dispersal pathways, like eddies of ACC, and human dispersal mechanisms, may increase the bryozoan connection found between the Antarctica and the AP region. Also, our studies (Chapters 1 and 2) are among the first characterizations of the bryozoan communities, mainly at the slope, from the AP region, and from the Southern Ocean (SO), specially the Weddell Sea. The bathymetric distribution from the AP region and the SO found in our studies fits well with the limits of the continental shelf, the slope and the deep sea. Interestingly, our research also shows an expansion in the known distribution of diverse bryozoan species from the AP region and the SO. Our results stress the importance of taxonomical studies in these scarcely explored regions, reporting a high number of new genera and species, and new records too. Among the new species found in our study, a bryozoan of the genus of Reteporella characterized by rare giant spherical avicularia is described in Chapter 3, leading us to discuss which are the potential roles of the avicularia. Since the studied bryozoan communities, below areas affected by local disturbances (iceberg scours and anchor ice), are mainly subject to biotic factors such as competence and predation, the evolution has favoured the development of chemical mechanisms in benthic organisms, which have also been investigated here (Chapters 4 and 5). Our studies are among the first reports on chemical ecology of Antarctic bryozoans. In order to study these chemical interactions, new adapted protocols were designed using sympatric and abundant predators. Our findings demonstrate the importance of diverse chemical ecology mechanisms against competence and predation in Antarctic bryozoans. Most bryozoan species tested here display cytotoxicity and/or repellent activity against the sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri and the amphipod Cheirimedon femoratus, respectively (Chapter 4). In Chapter 5, our results demonstrate that bryozoans seem to be readily defended against at least one of the two abundant predators, Odontaster validus and C. femoratus. The intra- and interspecific variability in bioactivity suggest an adaptive response to diverse abiotic and biotic factors, presence of microorganisms and/or genetic variability. The general trend in our study indicates the presence of a combination of both chemical and physical defensive mechanisms in most bryozoan species, suggesting complementary traits. In general, these results lead to the conclusion that this phylum is very active with extended repellent activities.Aquesta tesi cobreix dos aspectes importants i poc coneguts dels briozous antàrtics: la biodiversitat i l'ecologia química. L'anàlisi comparatiu de diversitat realitzat aquí (Capítol 1 i 2) entre l'Antàrtida i altres zones geogràficament properes recolzen la hipòtesi de la separació seqüencial de Gondwana. Es discuteix que l'elevat nombre d'espècies de la regió de la Patagònia argentina (PA) compartides amb l'Antàrtida qüestiona el grau real d'aïllament de l'Antàrtida en briozous queilostòmats. Els nostres estudis (Capítols 1 i 2) són també una de les primeres caracteritzacions de les comunitats de briozous, principalment del talús, de la regió de la PA, i de l' Oceà Austral, especialment el Mar de Weddell. Els nostres resultats remarquen la importància dels estudis taxonòmics en aquestes regions escassament explorades, incloent un gran nombre de nous gèneres i espècies, i noves cites. Entre les noves espècies trobades en el nostre estudi, es descriu un briozou del gènere Reteporella caracteritzat per una rara aviculària esfèrica i gegant, portant-nos a reconsiderar quines són les possibles funcions de l'aviculària (Capítol 3). Com les comunitats estudiades de briozous, per sota de les zones afectades per pertorbacions locals (erosió per icebergs), estan subjectes principalment a factors biòtics com la competència i la depredació, l'evolució ha afavorit el desenvolupament de mecanismes químics de protecció (Capítols 4 i 5). Els nostres estudis són dels primers en ecologia química de briozous antàrtics. Els nostres resultats demostren la importància de diversos mecanismes d'ecologia química contra la competència i la depredació en briozous antàrtics. La majoria de les espècies de briozous mostraven activitat citotòxica i/o repel•lent contra l'eriçó de mar Sterechinus neumayeri i l'amfípode Cheirimedon femoratus, respectivament (Capítol 4). En el capítol 5, totes les espècies de briozous estudiats mostraven activitat de repel•lència alimentària contra almenys un dels dos depredadors abundants considerats, l'estrella de mar Odontaster validus i l'amfípode Cheirimedon femoratus. La tendència general en el nostre estudi indica la possessió d'una combinació de mecanismes físics i químics en la majoria de les espècies, fet que suggereix estratègies complementàries.
10
Wai, Ho Yin. "Effects of deployment of artificial reefs on the marine benthic environment, with special reference to sediment physico-chemical characteristics /." access full-text access abstract and table of contents, 2009. http://libweb.cityu.edu.hk/cgi-bin/ezdb/thesis.pl?mphil-bch-b23750856f.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.Phil.)--City University of Hong Kong, 2009."Submitted to Department of Biology and Chemistry in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-191)
11
Wojnar, Joanna M. "Isolation of new secondary metabolites from New Zealand marine invertebrates : a thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry /." ResearchArchive@Victoria e-Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10063/630.
Full text
12
Taboada, Moreno Sergio. "Antarctic marine benthic invertebrates: chemical ecology, bioactivity and biodiversity / Invertebrados bentónicos marinos de la Antártida: ecología química, bioactividad y biodiversidad." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/83921.
Full textAbstract:
Esta tesis cubre diferentes aspectos de los invertebrados marinos bentónicos de la Antártida. Se trata de una tesis multidisciplinar presentada en formato artículos en la que se hacen las siguientes aportaciones: (i) por un lado se hace una revisión de los productos naturales de origen animal y vegetal descritos hasta Mayo de 2007 en las aguas de la Antártida. En dicha revisión se hace especial énfasis en el papel que juegan los productos naturales en el contexto de su ecosistema; (ii) se aportan también datos sobre experimentos de repelencia alimentaria en los que se utilizaron extractos lipofílicos de invertebrados bentónicos de 2 zonas muy poco estudiadas (este del Mar de Weddell e Isla de Bouvet). En dichos experimentos, que se llevaron a cabo utilizando depredadores simpátricos, se ha demostrado que algo más de la mitad de los invertebrados testados poseen defensas químicas que los defienden frente a posibles depredadores. En algunos de estos casos las defensas químicas parecen localizarse en las partes más expuestas/vulnerables de los organismos testados; (iii) uno de los artículos de esta tesis confirma el potencial antitumoral que tienen los invertebrados marinos bentónicos antárticos y sub-antárticos. Se trata del estudio antitumoral más grande que jamás se haya hecho en este área con resultados muy prometedores para phyla como Chordata, Porifera y Cnidaria, entre otros; (iv) por último se describen un total de 4 nuevas especies de anélidos poliquetos de las aguas someras de la Antártida. Dichos organismos pertenecientes a las familias Cirratulidae (1 especie del género Cirratulus), Dorvilleidae (2 especies del género Ophryotrocha) y Siboglinidae (1 especie del género Osedax), fueron descritos a partir de huesos de ballena colocados experimentalmente en las aguas de Isla Decepción (Islas Shetland del Sur). Estos hallazgos confirman la importancia que los huesos de ballena pueden tener en el contexto de las aguas de poca profundidad de la Antártida.The Thesis entitled “Antarctic marine benthic invertebrates: chemical ecology, bioactivity and biodiversity" covers different aspects related to Antarctic marine benthic invertebrates. This is a multidisciplinar thesis comprising several scientific papers making the following contributions: (i) on the one hand it revises the described Antarctic marine natural products derived from animals and algae up to May 2007. In this revision, special emphasis is given to the role that these natural products play in their ecosystem; (ii) this thesis also provides data from feeding repellent experiments using lipophilic extracts from benthic invertebrates from two poorly known areas (eastern Weddell Sea and Bouvet Island). These experiments, carried out using sympatric predators, showed that more than half of the invertebrates tested possess chemical defenses against possible predators. In some of the cases, these defenses seem to be located in the most exposed/vulnerable parts of the organisms; (iii) one of the papers included in this thesis confirms that marine benthic invertebrates from Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters have an interesting antitumoral potential. This work is the largest carried out in the area with very promising results for phyla such as Chordata, Porifera, and Cnidaria, among others; (iv) finally, this thesis comprises the description of 4 new species of annelid polychaetes from the Antarctic waters. These organisms belong to the families Cirratulidae (1 species from the genus Cirratulus), Dorvilleidae (2 species from the genus Ophryotrocha) and Siboglinidae (1 species from the genus Osedax), which were described from whale bones experimentally deployed in Deception Island (South Shetland Islands). These findings confirm the importance that whale bones may have in the Antarctic shallow-waters context.
13
Case, Rebecca Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences Faculty of Science UNSW. "Molecular- and culturebased approaches to unraveling the chemical cross-talk between Delisea pulchra and Ruegeria strain R11." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, 2006. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/30394.
Full textAbstract:
Delisea pulchra is a red macroalga that produces furanones, a class of secondary metabolites that inhibit the growth and colonization of a range of micro- and macroorganisms. In bacteria, furanones specifically inhibit acyl homoserine lactone (AHL)- driven quorum sensing, which is known to regulate a variety of colonization and virulence traits. This thesis aims to unveil multiple aspects of the chemically mediated interactions between an alga and its bacterial flora. It was demonstrated that the quorum sensing genetic machinery of bacteria is laterally transferred, making traditional 16S rRNA gene based-diversity techniques poorly suited to identify quorum sensing species. Previous studies had shown that AHL-producing bacteria belonging to the roseobacter clade can be readily isolated from D. pulchra. Because of this, it was decided to use a roseobacter epiphytic isolate from this alga, Ruegeria strain R11, to conduct a series of colonization experiments on furanone free and furanone producing D. pulchra. Furanones were shown to inhibit Ruegeria strain R11's colonization and infection of D. pulchra. In addition, it was demonstrated that Ruegeria strain R11 has temperature-regulated virulence, similar to what is seen for the coral pathogen Vibrio shiloi. Rising ocean temperatures may explain bleached D. pulchra specimens recently observed at Bare Island, Australia. To assess whether quorum sensing is common within the roseobacter clade, cultured isolates from the Roseobacter, Ruegeria and Roseovarius genera were screened for AHL production. Half of the bacteria screened produced the quorum sensing signal molecules, AHLs. These AHLs were identified using an overlay of an AHL reporter strain in conjunction with thin layer chromatography (TLC). The prevalence of quorum sensing within the roseobacter clade, suggests that these species may occupy marine niches where cellular density is high (such as surface associated communities on substratum and marine eukaryotes). Diversity studies in marine microbial communities require appropriate molecular markers. The 16S rRNA gene is the most commonly used marker for molecular microbial ecology studies. However, it has several limitations and shortcomings, to which attention has been drawn here. The rpoB gene is an alternate ???housekeeping??? gene used in molecular microbial ecology. Therefore, the phylogenetic properties of these two genes were compared. At most taxonomic levels the 16S rRNA and rpoB genes offer similar phylogenetic resolution. However, the 16S rRNA gene is unable to resolve relationships between strains at the subspecies level. This lack of resolving power is shown here to be a consequence of intragenomic heterogeneity.
14
Sieg, Robert Drew. "Chemically-mediated interactions in salt marshes: mechanisms that plant communities use to deter closely associated herbivores and pathogens." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/47590.
Full textAbstract:
Herbivores and pathogens pose a consistent threat to plant productivity. In response, plants invest in structural and/or chemical defenses that minimize damage caused by these biotic stressors. In salt marshes along the Atlantic coast of the United States, a facultative mutualism between snails (Littoraria irrorata) and multiple species of fungi exert intense top-down control of the foundation grass species Spartina alterniflora. Since exposure to herbivores and pathogens are tightly coupled in this system, I investigated whether S. alterniflora utilizes chemical and/or structural defenses to deter both snails and fungi, and examined how plant defenses varied among S. alterniflora individuals and populations. I also assessed how other marsh plants prevent snails from establishing farms, and considered whether interspecific variation in plant chemical defenses influences marsh community structure. Initial experiments revealed that S. alterniflora chemical defenses inhibited L. irrorata and two fungi that snails commonly farm. A caging experiment determined that production of chemical defenses could not be induced in the presence of snails and fungi, nor relaxed in their absence. Through separations chemistry guided by ecological assays, I isolated two distinct classes of chemical defenses from short form S. alterniflora, one of which inhibited fungal growth and the other decreased plant palatability. In a community context, the chemical defenses produced by S. alterniflora were relatively weak compared to those of four other salt marsh plant species, which produced compounds that completely inhibited L. irrorata grazing and strongly hindered fungal growth in lab assays. Nutritional and structural differences among marsh plants did not influence feeding preferences, suggesting that plant secondary chemistry was the primary driver for food selection by snails. It appears that S. alterniflora produces weak chemical defenses that slow down or limit fungal growth and snail herbivory, and may compensate for tissue losses by producing new growth. In contrast, less abundant marsh plants express chemical defenses that completely inhibit fungal farming and deter snail grazing, but doing so may come at a cost to growth or competitive ability. As marsh dieback continues with rising herbivore densities and compounding abiotic stressors, the ecosystem services that salt marshes provide may be lost. Therefore, understanding how and under what conditions salt marsh plants resist losses to herbivores and pathogens will help predict which marsh communities are most likely to be threatened in the future. Initial experiments revealed that S. alterniflora chemical defenses inhibited L. irrorata and two fungi that snails commonly farm. A caging experiment determined that production of chemical defenses could not be induced in the presence of snails and fungi, nor relaxed in their absence. Through separations chemistry guided by ecological assays, I isolated two distinct classes of chemical defenses from short form S. alterniflora, one of which inhibited fungal growth and the other decreased plant palatability. In a community context, the chemical defenses produced by S. alterniflora were relatively weak compared to those of four other salt marsh plant species, which produced compounds that completely inhibited L. irrorata grazing and strongly hindered fungal growth in lab assays. Nutritional and structural differences among marsh plants did not influence feeding preferences, suggesting that differences in plant chemistry were the primary driver for food selection by snails. It appears that S. alterniflora produces weak chemical defenses that slow down or limit fungal growth and snail herbivory, and may compensate for tissue losses by producing new growth. In contrast, less abundant marsh plants express chemical defenses that completely inhibit fungal farming and deter snail grazing, but doing so may come at a cost to growth or competitive ability against S. alterniflora. As marsh dieback continues with rising herbivore densities and compounding abiotic stressors, the ecosystem services that salt marshes provide may be lost. Therefore, understanding how and under what conditions salt marsh plants resist losses to herbivores and pathogens will help predict which marsh communities are most likely to be threatened in the future.
15
Johansson, Björn G. "Chemical Communication and Mate Choice : Investigations into the Meaning of a Fruit Fly Pheromone." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala University, Department of Ecology and Evolution, 2005. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-4840.
Full textAbstract:
Chemical signals are the most widely used form of sexual communication throughout the living world. However, there is in general little knowledge about what these signals actually communicate. The role of chemical signals, i.e. pheromones, in sexual behaviour has traditionally been seen as restricted to mate attraction and species recognition. This thesis reviews the evidence for pheromones as indicators of mate quality, and then investigates three important factors for mate quality signals – individual variation, heritability and cost – by using the male pheromone of the lekking fruit fly Drosophila grimshawi as a model.
The experiments presented indicate that the pheromone of D. grimshawi has multiple functions, and that these functions vary with social context. Thus, with regard to females, the pheromone seems to act mainly as a species/mate recognition signal, since females show little preference for the amount of pheromone deposited by a male. Moreover, males invest less in pheromone production when subjected to females as compared to when subjected to rival males. However, the pheromone seems to be costly in production since males that invest much in pheromone deposition has a shorter lifespan. This suggests a function for the pheromone in male-male interactions. Males can distinguish their own pheromone depositions from those of a strange male, and also discriminate between pheromone depositions from one and two strange males. This might give them the ability to assess the size of a lek and the competitive capacities of rivals, information that should be useful when optimizing sexual behaviour.
In conclusion, the pheromone seems to act as an honest mate/competitor quality signal in some social contexts, and as a non-costly species/mate recognition signal in other. In addition, I show for the first time that a chemical signal has differential fitness costs, and that an insect is able to distinguish between individual odour signatures.
16
Lam, Ka Sin. "The chemical nature of diatom-derived settlement cue(s) of the marine polychaete hydroides elegans (Haswell) /." View Abstract or Full-Text, 2003. http://library.ust.hk/cgi/db/thesis.pl?AMCE%202003%20LAM.
Full text
17
Fries, Jacqueline Lee. "Chemical Investigation of Antarctic Marine Organisms & Their Role in Modern Drug Discovery." Scholar Commons, 2016. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6084.
Full textAbstract:
The chemicals produced by biological systems, whether proteins, peptides, or terpenes, will always provide an intriguing topic for researchers. Invisibly controlling every aspect of nature, these molecules are responsible for life, evolution, and death. Specifically, here is described the secondary metabolites produced by Antarctic marine organisms as well as others, and how they are used to defend or attract other animals while potentially providing health benefits to mankind. This is done through collection, extraction, and separation of individual specimens. The respective mixtures of compounds after isolation are then analyzed via spectroscopic methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography. Once identified, these compounds are tested in biological assays to provide a hypothesis for their use in nature or evidence that there may be a use for them in medicine.
For this thesis, the Antarctic organisms described are an alga, Pocamium cartilagineum, an amphipod, Paradexamine fissicauda, a sponge, Dendrilla membranosa, and one undescribed and two known deep sea coral species, Briareopsis aegeon and Plumarella delicatissima. Beyond these specific specimens, their chemistry as well as natural products from other origins were combined to create a diverse compound library for biological screening against human pathogens. This was done using computational modeling and statistical analysis of the compound library and its comparison to other known chemical libraries. The diversity and impact of these molecules are assessed.
18
Krug, Patrick Joseph. "Chemical and larval ecology of opisthobranch molluscs : variable development modes and settlement cues for larvae of Alderia modesta /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 1998. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p9907826.
Full text
19
Lane, Amy L. "Marine natural products as antimicrobial chemical defenses and sources of potential drugs." Diss., Atlanta, Ga. : Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/26556.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009.Committee Chair: Kubanek, Julia; Committee Member: Fernandez, Facundo M.; Committee Member: Harvey, Stephen C.; Committee Member: Hay, Mark E.; Committee Member: Hud, Nicholas V. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.
20
True, Aaron Conway. "Ecological engines: Finescale hydrodynamic and chemical cues, zooplankton behavior, and implications for nearshore marine ecosystems." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/54019.
Full textAbstract:
Ephemeral patches of hydrodynamic and chemical sensory cues at fine scales are fundamentally important to the life success of plankton populations and thus the overall health and vitality of nearshore marine ecosystems. We employed various tools from experimental fluid mechanics to create ecologically-relevant hydrodynamic and chemical conditions in a recirculating flume system for zooplankton behavioral assays. The goal was to quantify and correlate changes in zooplankton behavior with coincident sensory cues. A laminar, planar free jet (the Bickley jet) was used to create finescale, free shear layers with targeted hydrodynamic characteristics as well as finescale, sharp-edged layers of both beneficial and toxic ("red tide") phytoplankton species. Planar particle image velocimetry (PIV) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) were used to quantify the flow and concentration fields, respectively.
Behavioral assays with a variety of crustacean zooplankton species including Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), estuarine crab larvae (Panopeus herbstii), and calanoid copepods (Temora longicornis and Acartia tonsa), each unique in its ecology, morphology, and life history, show clear and statistically-significant behavioral responses to relevant hydrodynamic and chemical cues. Estuarine crab larvae optimize short term and long term behavioral needs (foraging and habitat selection) by sensing and exploiting the information contained in multi-directional free shear flows. In the presence of thin layers of toxic algal exudates (Karenia brevis), T. longicornis and A. tonsa exhibit explicit avoidance behaviors through significant increases in swimming speed and overall behavioral variability resulting in a conspicuous hydrodynamic signature in a risk/benefit behavioral response. Finally, Antarctic krill exploit the hydrodynamic cues contained in a free shear layer to modify swimming behaviors and ultimately graze in a thin phytoplankton layer (Tetraselmis spp.). Each species is able to sense and exploit the information contained in coherent hydrodynamic and chemical sensory cues to change swimming kinematics and alter macroscale trajectory characteristics.
Quantifying changes in zooplankton behavior in response to ecologically-relevant sensory cues is a crucial step towards modeling (e.g. via biophysically-coupled individual-based ecosystem models) and managing sustainable marine fisheries.
21
Jin, Tao. "Complex interactions among amino acids, biofilms and settling larvae of the polychaete hydroides elegans /." View abstract or full-text, 2005. http://library.ust.hk/cgi/db/thesis.pl?BIOL%202005%20JIN.
Full text
22
Clark, Kathryn. "Marine chemical ecology: the search for sequestered and bioactive compounds in the sea hares «dolabrifera dolabrifera» and «stylocheilus striatus» and in their preferred food, the cyanobacterium, «lyngbya majuscula»." Thesis, McGill University, 2008. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=19264.
Full textAbstract:
Dolabrifera dolabrifera, an anaspidean mollusc (sea hare) collected from Panama's Coiba National Park, was subjected to its first marine chemical ecology study. Its digestive gland contained 5a,8a-epidioxycholest-6-en-3ß-ol. This compound, documented for the first time in D. dolabrifera, demonstrated activity against the parasite responsible for leishmania (Leishmania donovani). An evaluation of its dietary repertoire revealed that D. dolabrifera significantly preferred the cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula over cyanobacterium Symploca sp., green alga Chaetomorpha sp., and red alga Spyridia sp.. A no-choice feeding assay using L. majuscula or green alga Cladophora sp. confirmed this preference. Through bioassay-guided fractionation, two novel cyanobacterial peptides were isolated. These compounds were determined active against Plasmodium falciparum, with one compound also active against L. donovani. These peptides were sequestered by sea hare Stylocheilus striatus, but not by D. dolabrifera. This work suggests that chemical ecological studies involving sea hares and cyanobacteria can guide researchers to compounds active against tropical parasites.Des opisthobranches (anaspidea) dont une espèce nommé Dolabrifera dolabrifera a été étudié au Parc National Coiba, une île au Panama. Cette étude de chimie écologique marine est la première pour cette espèce. Dans sa glande digestive, on a retrouvé 5a,8a-épidioxycholest-6-en-3ß-ol. Ce composé possède des nouvelles activités contre le parasite de leishmanioses (Leishmania donovani). Lors d'une expérience d'alimentation D. dolabrifera a préféré la cyanobactérie Lyngbya majuscula, plutôt qu'une algue verte Chaetomorpha, une algue rouge Spyridia et une cyanobactérie Symploca. L'expérience suivante d'alimentation D. dolabrifera a mangé L. majuscula plutôt qu'une algue verte Cladophora. Deux peptides nouveaux étaient isolés de la L. majuscula, les deux actives en malaria (Plasmodium falciparum). Aussi un peptide actif en leishmanioses (L. donovani) et l'autre en malaria (P. falciparum). Ces composés étaient séquestrés dans un opisthobranche appelé Stylocheilus striatus. Ce travail suggère des études en chimie écologie chez les opisthobranches et les cyanobactéries qui peuvent amener à des composés ayant des activités contre les parasités tropicales.
23
Long, Jeremy Dillon. "Plasticity of Consumer-prey Interactions in the Sea: Chemical Signaling, Consumer Learning, and Ecological Consequences." Diss., Available online, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004:, 2004. http://etd.gatech.edu/theses/available/etd-11182004-164652/unrestricted/long%5Fjeremy%5Fd%5F200412%5Fphd.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005.Hay, Mark, Committee Chair ; Dusenbery, David, Committee Member ; Kubanek, Julia, Committee Member ; Paffenhofer, Gustav-Adolf, Committee Member ; Yen, Jeannette, Committee Member. Includes bibliographical references.
24
Martín, Martín Rafael Pablo. "Benthic marine algae from South Shetland Islands (Antarctica): biodiversity and evolutionary patterns." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/673828.
Full textAbstract:
The present work focuses on different aspects related to the Antarctic seaweed. As the main primary producers of the coastal areas of Antarctica, this group of organisms play a key role in shaping the biological communities and the ecological dynamics of Antarctic shores. However, compared to other groups of Antarctic organisms or the seaweed communities of other regions of the world, Antarctic macroalgae remain less studied. This is especially true in several areas of knowledge as their actual biodiversity, their evolutionary history and patterns, some aspects of their ecology or the total extent of their relations with other Antarctic organisms and their environment. Aiming to address the lack of knowledge of these areas, we aimed to extend it by focusing our work in several key aspects of Antarctic seaweed biology. As so, we tried to respond several specific questions regarding the topics above mentioned. In this context, we studied biodiversity of seaweed communities that are present in the South Shetland Islands. For that, we tried to identify the composition and influencing factors of the seaweed assemblages present in Deception Island. We also studied how seaweed biodiversity affects Antarctic epiphytic diatoms richness, studying the composition of them, both from Deception and Livingston islands. Moreover, we tried to expand the data with evolutionary relevance by analysing the nuclear DNA content and ploidy levels (C values), as well as the nuclear developmental patterning of some common Antarctic seaweed species with no previous data for those characters. This was achieved by using a fluorimetry technique that sets a reference for comparison for future studies on those parameters. Additionally, we condensed the latest knowledge on the chemical ecology of seaweeds and other organisms from Antarctica, and tried to expand it by investigating the potential antimicrobial activity of these seaweeds. For this, we tested their natural extracts against several Antarctic microorganisms and identified several species that were active chemically. Also, we tested the same extracts for antimicrobial action against several microorganisms that are common human pathogenic surrogates and identified potential human interest in these seaweeds on the search for new sources of antibiotics. Finally, we reported our findings on the role seaweed have in the context of climate change in the Antarctic region. Those findings include the identification of non-native kelp rafts that arrived to the maritime Antarctica, and presented several passenger species that have potential invasiveness in the Antarctic. Regarding that, we classified and explored the possible roles that the rafts themselves and the species travelling with them may play in futures scenarios of climate change in Antarctica.
25
Lounder, Cecelia. "Recruitment dynamics and otolith chemical signatures of juvenile gray snapper, Lutjanus griseus, among West Florida estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems." [Pensacola, Fla.] : University of West Florida, 2009. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/WFE0000156.
Full text
26
Desbois, Andrew P. "Antibacterial free fatty acids from the marine diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum." Thesis, St Andrews, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/568.
Full text
27
Parker, John D. "Plant-herbivore interactions : consequences for the structure of freshwater communities and exotic plant invasions." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/9460.
Full textAbstract:
Invasive exotic species threaten native biodiversity, alter ecosystem structure and function, and annually cost over $100 billion in the US alone. Determining the ecological traits and interactions that affect invasion success are thus critical for predicting, preventing, and mitigating the negative effects of biological invasions. Native herbivores are widely assumed to facilitate exotic plant invasions by preferentially consuming native plants and avoiding exotic plants. Here, I use freshwater plant communities scattered broadly across the Southeastern U.S. to show that herbivory is an important force driving the ecology and evolution of freshwater systems. However, native consumers often preferentially consume rather than avoid exotic over native plants. Analyses of 3 terrestrial datasets showed similar patterns, with native herbivores generally preferring exotic plants. Thus, exotic plants appear defensively nave against these evolutionarily novel consumers, and exotic plants may escape their coevolved, specialist herbivores only to be preferentially consumed by the native generalist herbivores in their new ranges. In further support of this hypothesis, a meta-analysis of 71 manipulative field studies including over 100 exotic plant species and 400 native plant species from terrestrial, aquatic, and marine systems revealed that native herbivores strongly suppressed exotic plants, while exotic herbivores enhanced the abundance and species richness of exotic plants by suppressing native plants. Both outcomes are consistent with the hypothesis that prey are susceptible to evolutionarily novel consumers. Thus, native herbivores provide biotic resistance to plant invasions, but the widespread replacement of native with exotic herbivores eliminates this ecosystem service, facilitates plant invasions, and triggers an invasional meltdown. Consequently, rather than thriving because they escape their co-evolved specialist herbivores, exotic plants may thrive because their co-evolved generalist herbivores have stronger negative effects on evolutionarily nave, native plants.
28
Núñez, Pons Laura. "Ecología química en el bentos marino de la Antártida: productos naturales y defensa química en esponjas hexactinélidas, corales blandos y ascidias coloniales." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/104105.
Full textAbstract:
The inhabitants of marine benthos must combat the ecological pressure caused by predation, competition and fouling through a series of mechanisms, one of which is chemical defense. This type of protection is particularly extended among sessile and/or sluggish organisms, such as sponges, soft corals or ascidians. The strategies to prevent predation are related to bad taste rather than to toxicity. Moreover, they must be considered along with nutritional quality, since the more nutritious the prey, higher quantities or more potent repellents are needed to gain protection. The production of defensive secondary metabolites is energetically expensive. For this reason, the Optimal Defense Theory (ODT) predicts that defenses must be allocated in the most valuable or more exposed structures or body-regions. In Antarctic communities, the main predators are asteroids, and defensive agents are hence expected to accumulate in superficial layers of potential prey. But dense populations of amphipods, which associate opportunistically with biosubtrata, obtaining both refuge and direct or indirect sources of nutrition, are also very influencing on these bottoms. It has been reported that chemical defenses are very common in Antarctic organisms, in accordance with our results. However, the research effort has not been the same for all the groups, and there are still many aspects to learn on the chemical ecology, like the identification of the implicated products, their mode of functioning or their localization and origin. This PhD has focused on three relevant groups of the Antarctic benthos, quite understudied: hexactinellid sponges, soft corals and colonial ascidians. Two influencing sympatric predators were selected, the sea star Odontaster validus, which is a known model predator, and for the first time, the amphipod Cheirimedon femoratus, used to perform feeding experiments for the detection of repellent chemical defenses. We designed a new protocol which provided numerous methodological profits, as well as a remarkable discriminatory potential for unpalatable activities. In a survey with 31 species of Antarctic organisms, a larger incidence of unpalatable activities was recorded towards C. femoratus than against the asteroid, especially in algae and sponges, in which amphipods may particularly influence defenses distribution for representing potential host-preys. Some organisms instead, seemed to exploit alternative defensive strategies. The ecological success of the three studied groups is probably related to the presence of chemical defenses. In hexactinellid sponges these are weak, yet compensated with a low energetic content, and derive from primary metabolites, such as steroid derivates. Some glucosphingolipids instead, could have a chemotaxonomical value as chemical markers in rossellid sponges. In soft corals, chemical protection is obtained from products originating from both, primary (wax esters) and secondary metabolism (sesquiterpenoids), which seem to cooperate in an additive way, and are likely exuded within the coral mucus in living specimens. The use of primary metabolites for defense represents an effective energy saving strategy. In colonial ascidians, defensive secondary metabolites of terpenoid and alkaloid nature with potent bioactivities predominate, and in some species these are accumulated in internal tissues. Presumably, this distribution is related to the production of chemically defended lavae. Some bioactive secondary metabolites isolated from various sources, like the meridianins, may suggest a broad evolutionary retention, or a symbiotic origin. Regarding bacterial antifouling, ascidians exhibited poor activity, while some soft corals did display inhibition. With this work we provide the identification, localization, and possible origin of several defensive agents in three relevant groups of Antarctic benthic invertebrates.Los habitantes del bentos antártico combaten la depredación, la competencia y el recubrimiento desarrollando mecanismos como la defensa química. Ésta estrategia está particularmente extendida entre organismos sésiles y organismos de cuerpo blando. Las defensas repelentes contra depredadores han de considerarse junto con la calidad nutricional, pues las dietas muy energéticas enmascaran la repelencia. La producción de metabolitos secundarios defensivos es costosa. Por ello, la Teoría de Defensa Optimizada (ODT) prevé que han de localizarse en las regiones corporales más valiosas o expuestas. En las comunidades antárticas los principales depredadores son las estrellas de mar y se postula la concentración de defensas en áreas superficiales en las presas. Pero también influyen las poblaciones de anfípodos asociados a los biosustratos, obteniendo en ellos refugio y fuente de alimentación. Esta tesis se centra en las defensas químicas de tres grupos relevantes del bentos antártico relativamente poco estudiados: esponjas hexactinélidas, corales blandos y ascidias coloniales. Se seleccionaron dos depredadores simpátricos, la estrella Odontaster validus y, por primera vez, fue utilizado el anfípodo Cheirimedon femoratus. Diseñamos un nuevo protocolo con numerosas ventajas metodológicas además de un gran potencial discriminatorio, y observamos que en 31 especies hubo mayor repelencia hacia el anfípodo que hacia la estrella, sobretodo en algas y esponjas, que podrían representar potenciales huéspedes-presa. A partir de aquí estudiamos muestras de los tres grupos seleccionados. En hexactinélidas, las defensas químicas son más débiles y derivadas del metabolismo primario, pero compensadas con un bajo valor nutricional. Algunos glucoesfingolípidos, podrían tener valor quimiotaxonómico como marcadores de la familia Rossellidae. En corales blandos existen metabolitos de defensa primarios y secundarios operando sinérgicamente, y probablemente forman parte del mucus superficial. En ascidias coloniales, los metabolitos defensivos son secundarios y muy potentes; además, en algunas especies éstos tienden a acumularse en tejidos internos, presumiblemente para producir larvas protegidas químicamente. Las ascidias mostraron poca actividad antibacteriana, pero algunos corales exhibieron respuestas inhibitorias. Esta Tesis proporciona la estructura, distribución y posible origen de los metabolitos responsables de las actividades defensivas en tres grupos relevantes de invertebrados antárticos.
29
Rasher, Douglas B. "Chemically mediated competition, herbivory, and the structure of coral reefs." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/49019.
Full textAbstract:
Corals, the foundation species of tropical reefs, are in rapid global decline as a result of anthropogenic disturbance. On many reefs, losses of coral have coincided with the over-harvesting of reef herbivores, resulting in ecosystem phase-shifts from coral to macroalgal dominance. It is hypothesized that abundant macroalgae inhibit coral recovery and recruitment, thereby generating ecological feedback processes that reinforce phase-shifts to macroalgae and further diminish reef function. Notwithstanding, the extent to which macroalgae directly outcompete coral, the mechanisms involved, and the species-specificity of algal-coral competition remains debated. Moreover the capacity for herbivores to prevent vs. reverse ecosystem phase-shifts to macroalgae and the roles of herbivore diversity in such phenomena remain poorly understood. Here I demonstrate with a series of field experiments in the tropical Pacific and Caribbean Sea that multiple macroalgae common to degraded reefs directly outcompete coral using chemical warfare, that these interactions are mediated by hydrophobic secondary metabolites transferred from algal to coral surfaces by direct contact, and that the outcomes of these allelopathic interactions are highly species-specific. Using field observations and experiments in the tropical Pacific, I also demonstrate that the process of herbivory attenuates the competitive effects of allelopathic algae on corals by controlling succession of algal communities, and that the herbivore species responsible for macroalgal removal possess complementary tolerances to the diversity of chemical defenses deployed among algae, creating an essential role for herbivore diversity in reversing ecosystem phase-shifts to macroalgae. Lastly, I demonstrate with field experiments in the tropical Pacific that algal-coral competition simultaneously induces allelochemicals and suppresses anti-herbivore deterrents in some algae, likely due to trade-offs in the productions of defense metabolites with differing ecological functions. Together, these studies provide strong evidence that chemically mediated competitive and consumer-prey interactions play principal roles in coral reef degradation and recovery, and should provide resource managers with vital information needed for effective management of these ecologically and economically important but threatened ecosystems.
30
Cohen, Staci Padove. "Functional identification and initial characterization of a fish co-receptor involved in aversive signaling." Diss., Atlanta, Ga. : Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/29677.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph.D)--Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009.Committee Chair: McCarty, Nael A.; Committee Co-Chair: Kubanek, Julia; Committee Member: Derby, Charles; Committee Member: Goodisman, Michael; Committee Member: Pardue, Machelle; Committee Member: Weissburg, Marc. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.
31
Pavaux, Anne-Sophie. "Ecologie chimique du dinoflagellé toxique Ostreopsis cf. ovata en Méditerranée Nord Occidentale." Electronic Thesis or Diss., Sorbonne université, 2019. http://www.theses.fr/2019SORUS292.
Full textAbstract:
Les microalgues toxiques sont connues pour produire un grand nombre de métabolites, dont les effets sur l’environnement demeurent relativement méconnus à ce jour. Dans ce contexte, le travail présenté ici s’est focalisé sur l’écologie chimique du dinoflagellé benthique toxique Ostreopsis cf. ovata en Méditerranée nord occidentale. Dans un premier temps, un suivi de l’abondance cellulaire d’O. cf. ovata sur les substrats biotiques (macroalgues) ainsi que dans la colonne d’eau, a été réalisé à différentes échelles de temps et d’espace, permettant de confirmer la nature tychoplanctonique de ce dinoflagellé. En raison de ces migrations journalières, il va donc impacter aussi bien les écosystèmes benthiques que planctoniques. Afin d’étudier les interactions qu’O. cf. ovata entretient avec son environnement au cours de ces différentes phases, nous avons évalué l’effet d’O. cf. ovata sur la survie, la croissance et le métabolisme secondaire de différents modèles biologiques incluant un compétiteur (diatomée) et plusieurs espèces de prédateurs directs (copépodes benthiques et planctoniques) et indirects (oursins) au cours d’analyses in situ et en laboratoire. Les suivis réalisés in situ et les expériences en laboratoire n’ont pas permis de mettre en évidence un effet néfaste d’O. cf ovata sur la physiologie et le comportement des oursins, suggérant que c’est l’hypoxie engendrée par les efflorescences d’O. cf. ovata qui est le facteur à l’origine des mortalités de masse d’invertébrés décrites en milieu naturel. En revanche, nos résultats montrent qu’O. cf. ovata impacte négativement la croissance des diatomées compétitrices, tandis que ces dernières inhibent en retour sa croissance et son efficacité photosynthétique. Concernant les interactions avec les copépodes, nos résultats montrent une réponse espèce-dépendante, avec en particulier un effet reprotoxique sur les copépodes benthiques. Afin d’analyser plus rapidement, facilement et de façon reproductible la toxicité des différentes souches d’O. cf. ovata ainsi que l’évolution de cette toxicité au cours d’une efflorescence, nous avons ensuite adapté à ce dinoflagellé un test de toxicité utilisant le crustacé Artemia fransciscana. Enfin, ces expérimentations ont été couplées à une approche métabolomique qui a permis d’étudier la nature des métabolites secondaires produits par O. cf ovata. Parmi ces métabolites, les toxines semblent participer aux interactions biotiques mises en évidences au cours des expériences décrites précédemment. En outre, nos résultats suggèrent que d’autres métabolites, dont la nature n’est pas encore connue, contribuent également à l’écologie chimique de cette espèce. En conclusion, notre travail montre qu’O. cf. ovata, par la récurrence de ses efflorescences, sa nature tychoplanctonique, l’abondance et la diversité des métabolites secondaires qu’il produit, s’avère être un excellent modèle pour étudier l’écologie chimique des microalgues marines toxiquesToxic microalgae are known to produce a large panel of secondary metabolites whose effect on the environment remains so far poorly understood. To better understand this ecological problematic, this thesis aimed to decipher the chemical ecology of the benthic, toxic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata in the Northern Occidental Mediterranean Sea. First, we realized a monitoring of O. cf. ovata abundances on biotic substrates (macroalgae) and in the water column to confirme the tychoplanctonic lifestyle of O. cf. ovata, meaning that this dinoflagellate alternatively switches between benthic and planktonic phase within a single day. Because of these daily changes, it thus impacts both benthic and planktonic ecosystems. In order to study the interactions between O. cf. ovata and its environment during both benthic and planktonic phases, we evaluated its impact on survival, growth, and metabolome of various biologic models, including competitors (diatoms), several direct (benthic and planktonic copepods) and indirect (sea urchins) predators during in situ and laboratory assays. Both in situ and laboratory monitoring could not reveal any effect of O. cf. ovata on the physiology and behavior of sea urchins, suggesting that the invertebrate mass mortality episodes that have been previously documented rather result of the hypoxia linked to O. cf ovata blooms. By contrast, our results showed that O. cf. ovata inhibits the growth of competitor diatoms, while the later in return inhibits photosynthetic efficiency and growth of O. cf. ovata. Finally, our results exhibited species-related effects on copepods, with most importantly reprotoxic effects on benthic species. To further analyze toxic effects of O. cf. ovata strains during blooms in a faster, easier and steadier way, we then adapted to this dinoflagellate an Artemia fransciscana based toxicity assay. Finally, this work was complemented by a metabolomic approach, which allowed us to identify the nature of the secondary metabolites produced by O. cf. ovata. Among these metabolites, toxins are likely to take part in the biological interactions mentioned above. In addition, our results further suggested that other metabolites of unknown nature also contribute to the chemical ecology of this species. In sum, our work demonstrates that O. cf. ovata is a valuable biological model to study chemical ecology of toxic marine microalgae, because of its frequent blooms, its tychoplanctonic lifestyle as well as the great diversity of secondary metabolites it produces
32
Ivanisevic, Julijana. "Metabolisme secondaire des éponges Homoscleromorpha : diversité et fluctuation de son expression en fonction des facteurs biotiques et abiotiques." Thesis, Aix-Marseille 2, 2011. http://www.theses.fr/2011AIX22034.
Full textAbstract:
Le métabolisme secondaire joue un rôle écologique majeur dans les interactions des organismes avec leur environnement. Une étude intégrée de la biologie, de l’écologie des organismes et des variations de leur métabolisme est essentielle pour comprendre le rôle des métabolites secondaires au sein des écosystèmes. Or ce type d’approche est rare en milieu marin.Le petit clade d’éponges Homoscleromorpha constitue un vrai potentiel de découverte de nouvelles espèces et de molécules bioactives valorisables. Par ailleurs, leur position de dominance dans certaines communautés benthiques de Méditerranée en faisait un modèle de choix pour démarrer des recherches en écologie chimique marine.Ce travail a débuté avec la description d’une espèce du genre Oscarella, O. balibaloi ainsi que de nouvelles molécules produites par cet organisme. Cette nouvelle espèce avec deux autres espèces communes du même genre, O. tuberculata et O. lobularis constituent parfois de vrais faciès au sein des communautés du coralligène et des grottes semi-obscures. L’étude comparée du cycle de vie de ces Oscarella a montré dans tous les cas une reproduction saisonnière, avec des différences dans les périodes de gamétogénèse et d’émission des larves, et des sensibilités variables face aux changements des conditions de régime thermique. Deux composés majoritaires de type lysophospholipides ont été isolés et caractérisés pour la première fois dans O. tuberculata, et retrouvés dans O. lobularis. Leur rôle potentiel de médiateurs moléculaires impliqués dans le processus de reproduction (embryogenèse et développement) a été proposé, et devra être confirmé par des études expérimentales. Une nouvelle famille de sesterterpènes glycosylés (dénommés balibalosides) a été découverte dans O. balibaloi.Une étude pluriannuelle des variations du métabolisme de ces espèces a été réalisée à travers trois approches complémentaires permettant de tester les modalités d’allocation des ressources à la production de métabolites secondaires. Les patrons de variation des niveaux d’expression de métabolites ciblés, des signatures métaboliques et des bioactivités des extraits d’éponges ont montré une influence significative du cycle de reproduction sur le métabolisme secondaire. Les méthodes globales (métabolomique et bioactivité) ont permis de montrer que le cycle de variation du métabolisme secondaire était marqué par une modification importante de sa production accompagnée par une baisse de bioactivité pendant les périodes les plus coûteuses de la reproduction (reproduction asexuée, embryogenèse et développement larvaire). Ces résultats montrent un compromis d’allocation des ressources entre un métabolisme primaire (la reproduction) et la production des métabolites secondaires, et soutient ainsi la théorie de défense optimale.L’approche de métabolomique s’est avérée un bon indicateur de la chimio-diversité. Appliquée à l’étude des relations inter-spécifiques, cette méthode de chimio-systématique a permis de proposer une classification des espèces méditerranéennes d’Homoscleromorpha. Cette classification soutient les résultats les plus récents de phylogénie moléculaire et propose la restauration de deux anciens clades au sein des Homoscleromorpha: les Plakinidae, un groupe qui ne contient aujourd’hui que des espèces à squelette, et les Oscarellidae qui ne contient que des espèces sans squelette. Les approches développées au cours de cette thèse permettent de nombreuses perspectives en chimio-systématique et écologie chimique marine. L’utilisation des signatures métaboliques peut être transposée à d’autres questions de systématique, particulièrement pour démontrer l’existence d’espèces cryptiques, et pour soutenir des hypothèses phylogénétiques au sein d’autres clades problématiques [...]Secondary metabolism plays a major ecological role in the interactions between the organisms and their environment. An integral study of the organisms’ biology and ecology and the variations of their metabolism is essential for understanding the role of secondary metabolites in the ecosystems. This kind of approach is rare in the marine environment. Small sponge clade Homoscleromorpha constitutes a real potential for the discovery of new species and potentially bioactive molecules. In addition, its dominance in some Mediterranean benthic communities makes it a good model in marine chemical ecology research. This work has started with a description of new species of Oscarella genus, O. balibaloi. This new species forms sometimes, with two other commun Oscarella species, O. tuberculata and O. lobularis, special facies within the coralligenous and semi-dark cave communities. All three Oscarella species are caraterized by a seasonal reproductive cycle with differences in the period of gametogenesis and larval emission as well as the variation in sensitivity facing the changes in thermal regime. Two major lysophospholipid compounds were isolated and caracterized for the first time in O. tuberculata and confirmed in O. lobularis. Their potential role as signal molecules in the reproduction process (embryogenesis and development) was proposed and should be confirmed by experimental studies. One new familly of glycosilated seterterpens (named balibalosides) was found in O. balibaloi. A pluriannual study of species metabolism was performed using three complementary approaches and enabled to test the models of resource allocation to secondary metabolite production. Variation patterns in the expression level of target metabolites, in the metabolic fingerprints and the bioactivities of sponge extracts reflected the significant influence of the reproductive cycle to the secondary metabolite production. Holisitic approaches (métabolomics and bioactivity) pointed out the important modification in the secondary metabolism variation pattern followed by the decrease in bioactivity during the costly period of reproduction (asexual reproduction, embryogenesis and larval development). These results highlight the trade-off in resource allocation between the primary (reproduction) and secondary metabolism and therefore support the Optimal Defense Theory. Metabolomic approach applied to the study of interspecific relations turned out as a good indicator of chemical diversity which allowed the classification of Mediterranean Homoscleromorpha sepcies. The obtained classification was congruent with recent molecular phylogeny results proposing the restauration of two ancient clades within Homoscleromorpha, the Plakinidae, a group of species possesing skeleton and the Oscarellidae, a group of species lacking skeleton. Approaches developed during my thesis opened a numerous perspectives in chemosystematics and marine chemical ecology. The use of metabolic fingerprints can be transposed to other questions in systematics, particularly to demonstrate the existance of cryptic species and to support phylogenetic hypothesis within other problematic clades. [...]
33
Hill, Jennifer Marie. "Predator biomass and habitat characteristics affect the magnitude of consumptive and non-consumptive effects (NCEs): experiments between blue crabs, mud crabs, and oyster prey." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/41172.
Full textAbstract:
Recent research has focused on the non-lethal effects of predator intimidation and fear, dubbed non-consumptive effects (NCEs), in which prey actively change their behavior and habitat use in response to predator chemical cues. Although NCEs can have large impacts on community structure, many studies have ignored differences in predator population structure and properties of the natural environment that may modify the magnitude and importance of NCEs. Here, I investigated the roles of predator size and density (i.e. biomass), as well as habitat characteristics, on predator risk assessment and the magnitude of consumptive and NCEs using blue crabs, mud crabs, and oyster prey as a model system. Predation experiments between blue crabs and mud crabs demonstrated that blue crabs consume mud crabs; however, the consumptive effects were dependent upon blue crab body size and habitat type. When mud crabs were exposed to chemical cues from differing biomasses of blue crabs in laboratory mesocosms, mud crab activity and predation on oysters was decreased in response to high biomass treatments (i.e. large and multiple small blue crabs), but not to low biomass predators (i.e single small blue crab), suggesting that risk associated with predator size is perceptible via chemical cues and is based on predator biomass. Further experiments showed that the perception of risk and the magnitude of the NCEs were affected by the sensory cues available and the diet of the blue crab predator. The NCE based on blue crab biomass was also demonstrated in the field where water flow can disperse cues necessary for propagating NCEs. Properties of water flow were measured within the experimental design and during the experiment and confirmed cage environments were representative of natural conditions and that patterns in NCEs were not associated with flow characteristics. These results affect species conservation and commercial fisheries management and demonstrate that we cannot successfully predict NCEs without considering predator size structure and the contexts under which we determine predator risk.
34
AYO-BALI, ABIODUN Emmauel. "Geochemical Analysis of the Environmental Phases of La Barra de Santiago Estuary, El Salvador." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1556804693894507.
Full text
35
de, Nys Rocky. "Natural products chemistry and chemical ecology of tropical marine algae." Thesis, 1991. https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/16979/1/01front.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis reports results from an investigation of the natural product chemistry and chemical ecology of tropical marine algae. The research has led to the discovery of novel metabolites in a number of algal species and demonstrated the ecological role of selected isolated metabolites.
Chapter one provides a general overview of the roles of secondary metabolites in the marine algae, including a review of all algal secondary metabolites previously investigated for their role in ecological interactions.
The algal Division Rhodophyta proved to be a rich source of secondary metabolites. Chapter two describes the structural elucidation of novel metabolites from the algae Laurencia mariannensis, L. majuscula, Dasyphila plumerioides and Delisea pulchra using chemical manipulations and high field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The presence of previously reported metabolites, a number of which have now been fully characterised or reassigned, is also described.
The algal Divisions Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and Cyanophyta proved to be less chemically rich than the Rhodophyta yielding only previously reported metabolites. Chapters three to five describe chemical investigations of the Chlorophyta Microdictyon obscurum and Chlorodesmis jastigata, the Phaeophyta Sargassum spp., and the Cyanophyta Lyngbya sp.
An opportunistic investigation of the natural product chemistry of the blue coral H eliopora coerulea (Alcyonacea) yielded interesting secondary metabolites of potential ecological significance. Chapter six describes the elucidation of novel metabolites from H. coerulea.
The ecological role of selected algal metabolites is described in the latter part of the thesis. Chapter seven treats the chemically mediated interaction between the red alga P locamium hamatum and the alcyonacean soft coral Sinularia cruciata. Experimental studies have shown that the algal secondary metabolite chloromertensene plays a major role in allelopathic interactions with S. cruciata. The importance of natural irradiance levels on the distribution of the alga and its possible influence on the selection of secondary metabolites with allelopathic function is also discussed.
Chapter eight identifies the chemical defences of the temperate red alga Delisea pulchra against common herbivores. In situ feeding experiments were carried out to determine the deterrent effect of purified metabolites isolated from the alga on selected herbivore species.
36
Walls, Justin T. "The chemical ecology of four bryozoan species from Tasmanian coastal waters." Thesis, 1993. https://eprints.utas.edu.au/22318/1/whole_WallsJustinT1993_thesis.pdf.
Full text
37
Koya, C. N. Haneefa. "Studies on ecology, chemical constituents and culture of marine macroalgae of Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep." Thesis, 2000. http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/7110/1/TH-86_Han.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The Union Territory of Lakshadweep is situated in the
Arabian Sea about 200 to 400 km off the Kerala coast. This
archipelago consists of 36 islands and five s.ubmerged banks
with a total area of 32 sq. km .The islands lie between 08° 00 -
12° 30' N latitude and 71 ° 00 - 74° 00 E longitude. These
islands consist of coral formation built on submerged ridge
raising steeply from a depth of about 1500 to 4000 m in the
Arabian Sea. The Lakshadweep, Maldives and Chagos
archipelagos foon an uninterrupted chain of coral atolls and
reefs on a submarine bank covering a distance of over 2000 km.
Most of these islands have sandy beaches with gentle slope on
the lagoon side and on the seaward side there is a steep slope
with boulders, coral rocks, living corals and debris. Corals
cannot grow very deep in the oceans and what is seen at present
depicts millennia of interaction between the submarine bank,
tectonic activity and the level of the oceans, particularly during
the Pleistocene period (Jones, 1986).
Coral reef ecosystems are the most diverse and
colourful of any communities with the most complex
interrelationship between species. Corals grow where the mean
sea temperature is at least 20 °C throughout the year, preferably
more than 23 °C. They also need clean sea water and are wlable
to grow where rivers dilute the sea or bring in mud. Coral reef
communities may be very old and their foonation is a result of
persistent accumulation of calcareous deposits over long
periods, extending from hundred to thousands of years (Qasim,
1998). Coral reefs are of three types: (I) Barrier reefs along
continents (2) Fringing reefs around islands (3) Atolls, broken
fringes of reef and islands around a central lagoon. The IndoPaci
fic region is particularly rich in corals. The Australian
Great Barrier Reef is an intermittent series of reefs stretching
over 1900 km along the coast of Queensland. Other coastal
reefs lie off East Africa and in the Red Sea. The Pacific and the
Indian Oceans have thousands of atolls. In the West Atlantic,
coastal reefs extend 200 km. southwards from Yucatan and
many Caribbean islands are fringed with coral reefs. The corals
are coelenterate polyp animals which extent their tentacles at
night to feed on zooplankton washed over the reefs. Their
tissues house symbiotic green algae (zooxanthillae).
Zooxanthillae and other algae living in or on their calcareous
skeleton conduct photosynthesis in the sunlight. Many reefs are
in trade wind belts, the windward side being exposed to wave
action, the leeward side being sheltered. Reef systems are often
bioenergeticaly more or less self maintaining, complete
ecosystem in themselves, beautifully adapted to use, hoard or
recycle any inputs from the surroundings.
38
Ferioli, Laurie Jean. "In situ chemical characterization of cold seep fluid in Monterey Bay, California." 1997. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/38743635.html.
Full text
39
Bausch, Alexandra Renee. "Interactive effects of ocean acidification with other environmental drivers on marine plankton." Thesis, 2018. https://doi.org/10.7916/D81278PZ.
Full textAbstract:
Planktonic organisms form the base of the marine food web and may be impacted by environmental change in many ways. The interactive effects of multiple, simultaneous climate-driven changes on these organisms are not well understood. This dissertation examined the impacts of ocean acidification in combination with other environmental stressors on marine plankton and determined spatial patterns of one of these potential interactive drivers. Chapter 2 investigated the synergistic effects of ocean acidification and hypoxia on the harmful dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae. Findings indicated that empirical studies may be crucial to accurately predict organismal responses to multi-stressors. Results also suggested that photorespiration may serve a previously unrecognized role in dinoflagellate metabolism. Chapter 3 examined the combined effects of ocean acidification and lithogenic trace metals on the growth of another harmful dinoflagellate, Cochlodinium polykrikoides. Results indicated that high suspended sediment loads may deliver toxic concentrations of trace elements to marine phytoplankton in acidified coastal ecosystems. Chapter 4 examined the interactive effects of ocean acidification and bacteria on the severity and extent of dissolution in the shells of larval gastropods and the adult pteropod Limacina helicina. Research findings indicated that microbial communities on the shell surfaces of some planktonic molluscs may mediate certain types of shell dissolution in acidified, upwelled waters. Chapter 5 explored the use of thorium isotope fluxes as a proxy for dust and lithogenic iron in the Indian Ocean. Results suggested that the gradient of dust fluxes in the region could impose thresholds for biological productivity. Together, these interdisciplinary studies demonstrate coupled biological and chemical changes in marine ecosystems as a result of increased anthropogenic environmental change.
40
Ghandourah, Mohammed Ali H. "Marine natural products and brown macroalga cystophora moniliformis chemistry." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1032382.
Full textAbstract:
Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)Chemists have isolated and identified many diverse natural products from both terrestrial and marine organisms. The fascinating structural peculiarities and unusual molecular arrangements of many marine compounds have made the field of marine natural products particularly attractive. In the marine natural products group at The University of Newcastle our research is focussed on the identification of new compounds and, in addition, investigation of chemotaxonomy and ecological chemistry. Much of our work is involved with the marine brown algae of the genus Cystophora which consists of about 20 species endemic to Australasian waters, from the western coast of Australia around to the southeast to Newcastle, including Tasmanian and New Zealand waters. The marine brown algae that was the focus of this research is Cystophora moniliformis, which has a wide distribution across southern Australia. Sixteen secondary metabolites were isolated from C. moniliformis. Fifteen had been previously identified (18, 19, 21, 23-32, 34 and 37). Compound 42 is a new linear terpenoid belonging to the same farnesylacetone family as the other metabolites and possess an unusual quaternary aldehyde functionality. [Figures could not be replicated]. The secondary metabolites of algae potentially have roles such as in allelopathic interactions or as herbivore feeding deterrents. Geranylacetone, a metabolite isolated from a South Australian collection of C. moniliformis was found to act as a feeding deterrent towards the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla. The concentration of secondary metabolites in the marine ecosystem may be affected by herbivore interactions and seasonal variations. We were interested in seeing whether secondary metabolite production varied in response to the presence of herbivores (and/or the level of herbivory), however, before commencing this study we had to establish the baseline variability of secondary metabolite concentrations throughout the year. Algae were sampled monthly for just over one year and crude extracts examined by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. We have been able to show that the concentration of the major secondary metabolites generally vary regularly with the seasons, but superimposed on this, there are smaller scale variations, which have significant implications on how the metabolites interact with each other, due to their order of biosynthesis and in response to environmental factors and events. The secondary metabolites could be divided into three groups, those that showed maximum production close to the time of maximum algal metabolic production in late summer, a second that peaked much later, in winter, and the third group which contains "the others" - compounds that peaked somewhere in between the first two groups or showed unique fluctuations in their compound concentration profile. It appears that the biosynthesis of the first group may be quite sensitive to water temperature, whereas the second group are less so. The possible implications of the significance of a compound belonging to the third group is discussed. In one case, the compound may be misplaced (and should be in the second group), perhaps due to limitations in the analysis, while others may be compounds that have responded to environmental or ecological events not measured in this study. Water temperature appears to show the closest association with metabolite production, especially compounds falling in the first group of secondary metabolites and primary metabolism in general. What was especially interesting is that it appears that sudden precipitation events can affect metabolite production by causing changes in water temperature. We conclude that to gain a proper understanding of the details of marine ecosystems and the factors that affect them, purely observational studies of an ecosystem should include as many environmental, chemical and biological variables as possible, so that cause and effect is not mis-attributed as it may be in more limited studies. These can subsequently be confirmed by the sue of well designed and executed manipulative experiments which will allow unambiguous assignment of 'cause and effect'.
41
Putz, Annika [Verfasser]. "Secondary metabolites from marine sponges, with focus on the chemical ecology and biochemical characterisation of the stress induced biotransformation of Aplysina alkaloids = Sekundärmetabolite mariner Schwämme, mit Schwerpunkt auf der chemischen Ökologie und biochemischen Charakterisierung der stressinduzierten Biotransformation von Aplysina-Alkaloiden / vorgelegt von Annika Putz." 2009. http://d-nb.info/994615175/34.
Full text