BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY

Author: SOLE OLLE JORDI.
Year: 2003.
University: POLITÉCNICA DE CATALUÑA [www.upc.edu].
Place of defense: UPC.
Place of preparation: FÍSICA APLICADA.

Author: PARADA ENCISA JOSÉ MUNUEL.
Year: 2004.
University: SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA [www.usc.es].
Place of defense: FACULTADE DE BIOLOXÍA.
Place of preparation: FACULTADE DE BIOLOXÍA.

Summary: This mamoria is included in the project "Mapping biosedimentaria the coast of Galicia: Fields Minho -ría Pontevedra" the National R & D AMB93-030 funded by the CICYT between 1990 and 1993 and conducted by the Area Stratigraphy at the University of Vigo and the team's Bentos Marine Studies at the University of Santiago de Compostela. It deals with the study of benthic macrofauna of funds soft subtidal the estuaries of Pontevedra and Aldán and esdenada A Lanzada, and its real tion with the spatial variation of the characteristics of sedimentos.Tras the superficial analysis of the characteristics water depth, as just additional information is the study of the spatial distribution of the physicochemical characteristics of sedimientos.Esta responds to some gradients dominated by configuaración geographic and hidrodinamismo.En the estuary of Pontevedra defines a gradient main transportation of sedimientos with fashions increasingly fine until input from clay to the platform adyacente.Este gradient is interrupted by him hidrodinamismo component SW felt that their influence with funds thick sediment clean, in the most external hast heterogénos in the middle of the ría.En A Lanzada, SW determines their exposure to changes in the characteristics of their sedimientos from very coarse sand clean up outside the fine sand over interiores.En aldán its configuaración geographic and excess facilities mussel culture conducive to the gradient of sediment, initially similar to A Lanzada, finish with sludge accumulated in its third domestic. The variables are studied faunísticas and trophic through parameters derived from the strength 25006 copies and biomass for each of the 564 taxa determinados.Para each study area developed a model that explains the spatial distribution of these parameters according to gradients sedimentológicos.Desde viewpoint sinecológico, he examines the spatial distribution of benthic communities in the overlapping environmental gradients towards defined variables sedimentológias, faunísticas and predation. Through the structure of macrobentos presents the overall environmental condition of the three zonal studied in 1993 compared with this state in the estuary of Pontevedra in 1980 and 1982 in relation to the complex manufacturing of pulp ENCE-ELNOSA and the excessive accumulation of organic matter, and explores the environmental impact of intensive farming facilities mussels on the seabed. Different types of sediment seem influence on the vertical distribution of the animals in terms of values s absolutos.Por contrast, the relative values of this distribution vetical maintain a similar pattern changed only by the presence of large species posed structures that facilitate the access to the deeper layers. This paper aims to show the usefulness of this type of study at the approach of public works, land use planning, plans ontingencia, monitoring environmental impact, resource management, etc.Entre other things, results deemed to induce Aldán as an inlet moderately exposed more than a ría.Igualmente this theory supports the work set as a limit coccidenteal of River Pontevedra the west side of the islands and not Ounce Ons and the line tip Cabiscastro out Udra. Palbras key mapping, biosefimentaria, macrobentos subtidal, benthic communities, trophic structure, environmental impact, contamianciaon organic, vertical distribution, estuary Pontevedra, Aldán estuary, bay of A Lanzada.

Author: SEBASTIÁN CAUMEL MARTA.
Year: 2004.
University: MÁLAGA [www.uma.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS.
Place of preparation: FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS - UNIVERSIDAD DE MÁLAGA.

Summary: It was determined the alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) in samples from two oceanographic campaigns conducted in 1999 at the Giro subtropical North Atlantic (campaign AZORES II) and south of the Canary Islands (campaign FAX - 9908), aboard the vessel Ocean Hesperides . To the extent the activity was quantified by hydrolysis of the compound 4-metilumbeliferil phosphate (MUF-P) using fluorescence. Prior to the measures, tests were conducted to optimize the method of measurement of the APA found that a concentration of more than 1 uM substrate tends to produce an overestimate of the activity, which calls into question much of the activity data and published. In general, water sampled were characterized by their strong character oligotrophic while mesoscale structures were found with a higher concentration of nutrients (eddies ciclínicos and filaments off the outcrop NO Africa due to the action of wind and the Stream Canary moving ocean indoors). Therefore the selected stations could be arranged in a shaft of oligotrofia-eutrofia, which allowed check the hypothesis that the APA is an indicator of phosphorus deficiency in the ocean. The APA submitted averages of 0.16 and 0.10% h-1 in the transitional zone and in the Giro d'Subtropical respectively. In general, there was a good correlation between the APA and the availability of phosphorus estimated from their concentration and the reasons for Redfield. This low correlation was attributed to the presence of two different fractions of activity. A constitutive activity not inducible by phosphate deficiency but attributable to bacteria and in the availability of organic carbon. The other part came from APA inducible phosphorus deficiency (at least seemed to come through to find significant inhibition of the APA by adding phosphate in the samples from these stations). As an example of the usefulness of measures to APA, a statement of the role of the bristles off the outcrop NO Africa based on these measures, we found that phosphorus is transported up to 175 km away from the coast.

Author: BASILONE GUALTIERO.
Year: 2004.
University: VIGO [www.uvigo.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS UNIVERSIDAD DE VIGO.
Place of preparation: FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS UNIVERSIDAD DE VIGO.

Summary: The Strait of Sicily has been the subject of numerous investigations, particularly on hydrology, because of its importance for the movement in the Mediterranean Sea, and that through this narrow canal are made all exchanges between the eastern and western basins. The influence of oceanographic variables is remarkable about pelagic species. In this investigation took into consideration the main physical and chemical parameters of water (chlorophyll concentration, temperature and turbidity in the water column) to explain biological variables such as growth and reproduction of anchovy (Engraulis encarsiolus). Initially used for the amino acid composition of anchovy in the determination of population structure discriminating casual sub-poblaciones with different characteristics. Subsequently, study the growth of both youth and adults. The growth parameters obtained for the species were compared with those from other areas, the variation was explained in relation to differences in temperature and concentration of chlorophyll. Besides indices were obtained in the state status of the species during 6 years of observations (1997-2002). Finally, the main methods of fishing on small pelagic fish in the study area were analyzed and compared to establish the impact on the populations of anchovy and sardine, defining its economic efficiency. The main results we emphasize that: * The amino acid composition is a good tool to identify sub-poblaciones within the same species, and therefore allows you to define the structure of the population. It seems that there sub-poblaciones using different areas of putting, but adults share the same habitat. * Through satellite imagery of chlorophyll and water surface temperature showed that the growth rate of anchovy, in different area of the Mediterranean, varying depending on the concentration of food and temperature. In the Strait of Sicily growth rate anchovy is among the lowest in the Mediterranean and the intensity of spawning is limited by primary production, which would explain in part the low abundance of this species in the area. * The only adaptation reproductive habitat observed in the anchovy to maximize the survival of progeny, was conducting spawning in the days when the wind speed was low, which is conducive to the stability and the mechanisms of concentration. * The impact of fishing gear on the biology of anchovy in the Strait of Sicily and sardines can we ensure that there are no major differences between the fence and pelagic trawling. With the siege was generally gets a higher economic performance since, with a smaller number of fishing days per year, the gross income is very similar, mostly due to greater efficiency in the catch.

Author: CUTTITTA ANGELA.
Year: 2004.
University: VIGO [www.uvigo.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS UNIVERSIDAD DE VIGO.
Place of preparation: FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS UNIVERSIDAD DE VIGO.

Summary: The Canal of Sicily, its central location in the Mediterranean Sea, plays an important role in controlling trade between its western and eastern, and, therefore, in general circulation. This is a very complex area, because of outcrop phenomena that affect the reproductive phase of many fish species and the formation of meso-escala producing areas where retention fish larvae are ideal conditions for its growth. L anchovy. Engraulis encrasicolus, is a pelagic fish that represents one of the most important fish stocks in some areas of the Mediterranean Sea. It is known interannual variability of the biomass of this species, which is characterized by failures in the recruitment, which is conditioned by environmental fluctuations, which seem to be much more important than the effects caused by the pressure and intensity of fishing. The purpose of this investigation was to study the ecology of the early life stages of anchovy, through analysis of the distribution, abundance and quality of eggs and larvae, in conjunction with the study of environmental parameters between the years 1998 and 2002. To study the ecology of anchovy have been analyzed biological factors specific to the species and biological factors inherent in the pelagic environment where this species lives. Analysis of the amount of phytoplankton and zooplankton in conjunction with the analysis of the main factors which determine oceanographic this environment, has helped to understand the link between reproductive strategies of the species and the movement Basin in the Sicilian Channel. There has also been a description of all larvae found in the Channel of Sicily from the main morphological characters and map the distribution of the same in the Channel. CONCLUSIONS 1 - The Commonwealth of ichthyoplankton in the Channel of Sicily is diverse and anchovy is one of the most abundant species. 2 - The space strategy of making the anchovy is clearly adapted to the pattern of movement of the Sicilian Channel, which is determined by the AIS. 3 - The setting takes place all along the southern coast of Sicily, within about 200 miles from Sciacca (west) to the Gulf of Gela (east), is more important in the area near where a Sciacca arm ISA is approaching the coast. 4-In the area of Sciacca are favorable conditions for the spawning of anchovy, for the decline in the speed of the flow associated with the bifurcation of the AIS. 5 - The eggs and larvae are carried by the AIS towards Cape Passero which produce mechanisms for retention. 6 - The main risk associated with the strategy of making space is related to the mechanisms leading to larval dispersal towards the open sea by the lower branch of the AIS. 7 - The risk of dispersion not think it is important to take into account the typical angles of the ISA, since only a small percentage of the flow (10-15%) is deflected westward, thus reducing the likelihood of transportation to address unfavorable. 8 - Despite that ISA in its motion gives rise to a certain outcrop as it approaches the coast, this is not significant enough to make many nutrients into the surface layers, and therefore the primary production of the area is low.

Author: ZABALA SILVA LAURA.
Year: 2004.
University: MÁLAGA [www.uma.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS.
Place of preparation: FACULTAD CIENCIAS, UNIVERSIDAD DE MÁLAGA.

Summary: It explores the community pico-nanoplanctónica in Antarctic waters, both from the point of view descriptive (distribution of the different populations discriminated by flow cytometry), as well as from the point of view of its structure sizes. In connection with the latter two models are compared: the class-based logarithmic size and based on the statistical distribution of Pareto. The data come from two campaigns oceanographic FRUELAS95 (Strait Bransfield- Sea of Bellingshausen) and DHARMA98 (Pass Drake-Estrecho de Gerlache). The results reveal a community pico-nanoplanctónica Antarctic cells dominated by relatively small size (ultraplancton), highlighting the virtual absence of photosynthetic prokaryotic cells. The structure of this size community pico-nanoplanctónica conforms to the statistical distribution of Pareto II, whose parameters adequately describe the variability of the system. This distribution sup9one a clear deviation from the general trend of decline logarithmic size described in systems not Antarctic ocean. Much dela phytoplankton community focuses on specific ranges of the size distribution. There is a clear dependence on the size typical of the community and the concentration of biomass. The singularities basins, as fronts or retreat outside the rink, playing a key role in the development, stockpiling and distribution of phytoplankton biomass. So the development of large biomass fitoplanctónicas is linked to the absence of "sizes characteristic" in the structure size of the community, resembling more of the non-Antarctic ocean systems.

Author: GARCÍA-MUÑOZ MARTÍNEZ MARÍA MERCEDES.
Year: 2005.
University: LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA [www.ulpgc.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS DEL MAR.
Place of preparation: FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS DEL MAR.

Summary: The study area is a region in transition costa complex characterized by a high variability mesoescalar, frequently broken by the presence of eddies and coastal filaments. Moreover, the region is considered a Canaria heterotrophic system because, generally speaking, breathing (R) is greater than primary production (P). One possible explanation for the imbalance MOP may be related to the natural variability of the region transitional Canaria, in the sense that both eddies as filaments can be formed as the two main mechanisms of transport of organic matter from the coastal outcrop. The excess organic matter produced by these structures can be breathed by the community heterótrofos causing high rates of respiration measures in the area, and may even become a factor in the regulatory community development planktonic. Moreover, the net transport of organic matter is conditioned, first, by the recirculation of organic matter through interaction remolinos-filamentos. And secondly, by the remineralization of organic matter at the same time it is transported. Thus, it would be logical to assume that if more labile organic compounds are selectively used, the organic matter transported is becoming increasingly refractory may reach a state of degradation that prevents their use and promotes their accumulation. However, it seems likely that there are also a number of production processes of COD as the water is being transported. In this regard, it has been shown in several experiments in situ and laboratory where the processes heterotrophic are important, in particular, protozoa may be responsible for up to 50% of the production of COD. Specifically, the heterotrophic flagellates could produce, through different mechanisms, nitrogenous organic compounds that could be used by heterotrophic bacteria. In this way, heterotrophic flagellates influence in the state of degradation of organic matter, because these would be "fertilizing" water transported.

Author: ALONSO SAEZ LAURA.
Year: 2005.
University: POLITÉCNICA DE CATALUÑA [www.upc.edu].
Place of defense: SALA D'ACTES DE L'INSTITUT DE CIÈNCIES DEL MAR.
Place of preparation: EDIFICI D1 Campus NORD.

Author: DÍAZ DEL RÍO PÉREZ GUILLERMO.
Year: 2005.
University: VIGO [www.uvigo.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS DEL MAR.
Place of preparation: FACULTAD DE FÍSICA, UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA.

Summary: This report examines a set of hydrological data and flows collected between May and September of 1996 in the Gulf Artabro located in the northwest corner of coastline galician. The first block of work studying the data collected during two campaigns oceanographic arrivals out in May and September in an area of about 30x35 nautical miles. The second section examines the data sets collected by two lines of anchoring placed on the outside of the area sampled. With the first set of data has been carried out an analysis casi-sinóptico (the data were collected over a period of time of 5 days or so) of the distribution of water bodies in the region and its dynamics based on calculations geostrophic providing the first comprehensive description of oceanography of the region. By having information in two different times, one at the beginning of the season and another outcrop in the high season, it has been possible to deal with the variability of circulation patterns. The largest diferencies observed in the upper layer, which changes from a situation where even identifiable is the Poleward Current (May 1996) to another that displays the movement of the typical seasonal outcrops in the eastern contours of the drawings subtropics. In September 1996, the outcrop was a phase of (almost) peak and sampling identified a structure with hydrological characteristics filament emanated from the Cabo San Adrián (irregular topographic most notable in the coastal zone) to the high seas. Minor changes were also observed in the flow of water Mediterranean vein. Time series have helped investigate the variability in different time scales. La más importante es la asociada a las mareas las cuales muestran una intensa contribución baroclina con importantes oscilaciones internas y una notable intensificación de las corrientes en el fondo. Detailed analysis of genetic data suggest that this escalation is the result of reflection total energy carried by the mare internal influence on a slope with supercritical topographic slope. Records flows have also identified an inertial wave of a lower intensity linked to the passage of weather fronts intense and the transfer of power of inertia in the wind field. The most important episodes inertial coincide with significant changes in the velocity field subinercial when it postulates a relationship between the two phenomena. A lower frequency, current records suggest more superficial training regularly filaments in the vicinity of Cape San Adrián while the deepest indicate significant oscillations (to tens, perhaps, a centenera meters) in depth where water flows at the heart of Mediterranean).

Author: VILA COSTA MARIA.
Year: 2006.
University: POLITÉCNICA DE CATALUÑA [www.upc.edu].
Place of defense: INSTITUT DE CIÈNCIES DEL MAR.
Place of preparation: EDIFICI D1 Campus NORD.

Author: LOPEZ GARCIA EVA.
Year: 2006.
University: OVIEDO [www.uniovi.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAD DE BIOLOGIA.
Place of preparation: DEPARTAMENTO DE BIOLOGIA DE ORGANISMOS Y SISTEMAS.

Summary: Copepods are the largest group within the zooplankton metazoo and thus key players in biogeochemical cycles of the ocean. Despite this, the role of its juvenile stages in food chains has been rarely studied. The literature is scarce work assessing the size of this group due to the use of standardized network of 200 Â µ m for sampling metazooplancton. Several recent studies have highlighted the bias produced by the use of the network in the sampling of copepods, since most nauplii and copepoditos are not retained by it. In cases that have been sampled using nets smaller mesh, it has been found that the abundance of copepods stages of belonging to the lower portion of 200 Â µ m can exceed an order of magnitude to that of copepods bigger. This means a gap of information in relation to a group that could play a very important role in the pelagic community. On the other hand, even more remarkable is the lack of information on the rates of ingestion of this group. Over the past few decades have been numerous studies that have addressed the rates of ingestion of copepods adults in the laboratory and in the field, however, our knowledge of the dietary habits of the youth stage comes only a few studies, most they performed in the laboratory and crops monoespecíficos of copepods and phytoplankton. The results of these studies are thus hardly extrapolated to natural conditions. This deficiency is partly explained by the difficulty in working with these agencies. The protocols commonly employed adults copepods do not give acceptable results with this fraction due to its small size, there is a perceived need for new methodologies that are applicable in studies campo.El overall objective of this thesis was to evaluate the size and rates ingestion of herbivorous of nauplii and copepods belonging to the lower portion of 200 Â µ m in coastal and ocean management, compared with the data obtained for copepods mesozooplanctónicos and determine the influence of environmental factors in certain populations copépodos.Dicho overall objective has been broken down in the following objectives:-Design of an efficient method for estimating rates herbivorous ingestion of small copepods in the laboratory and in the field. It has adapted a method widely used copepods adults to increase their sensitivity and be usable with individuals smaller .- Making laboratory experiments using the new protocol with nauplii two species of copepods. It has been found that these nauplii were a response functional type 3 consuming on a crop monoespecífico different concentrations of phytoplankton .- Study of abundance and herbivorous ingestion rates of copepods, focusing mainly on the lower portion of 200 Â µ m for an annual cycle the Cantabrian Sea. Inclusion of the smaller fraction in the study has allowed us to a better understanding of population dynamics, which appear to be mainly influenced by water temperature, the quantity and quality of food available .- Study of abundance and rates ingestion of different fractions of copepods in a transect meridiconal Atlantic (campaign AMT-13). This study has been evaluated in large-scale spatial variability in density and the relative importance of each fraction in the impact on populations of phytoplankton.

Author: GUADAYOL ROIG OSCAR.
Year: 2006.
University: POLITÉCNICA DE CATALUÑA [www.upc.edu].
Place of defense: SALA D'ACTES DE L'INSTITUT DE.
Place of preparation: EDIFICI D1 Campus NORD.

Summary: Turbulence affects plankton at very different levels and scales. The study of this topic has been mainly based on the assessment of effects of constant levels of turbulence, particularly through experimental studies, and little is known about the influence of intermittent patterns. The aim of the present thesis is to address how the variability in forcing factors, especially turbulence, affects the dynamics of coastal plankton communities. To do so the distribution of wind events as a proxy of the variability of turbulent energy input in a coastal zone, has been first studied. Turbulent forcing derived from wind in the Catalan coast is shown to have a large spatial and temporal variability. An empirical model has been developed which allows predicting the distribution of wind events with an ecologically relevant intensity. An assessment of the statistical distribution of turbulence in the Catalan coast is given. In chapter 2 the actual turbulence levels achieved in the laboratory set-ups used for experimental research are measured. These analyses have been extended to a range of different set-ups frequently used in experimental studies of plankton and turbulence, including different oscillating-grid systems and orbital shakers with common laboratory containers. In the case of oscillating grid systems, measurements have shown that turbulence is isotropic, and homogeneously distributed within cylindrical containers as long as the stroke length is comparable to the water column height. Away from the grid oscillation dissipations decay nonlinearly. Turbulence can be trustfully estimated using theoretical considerations about the energy entered into the system by the oscillating grid. A list of drag coefficients for different grids inferred from turbulence measurements is provided. In order to identify the variability in the responses of the planktonic community to realistic episodes of turbulence, two complementary approaches have been developed: a time series analysis of field data and a microcosm study. Blanes Bay (NW Mediterranean) was chosen as the study site. In chapter 3 the variability in the response of plankton has been studied in situ by analysing jointly a biogeochemical time series with a monthly frequency and several meteorological and hydrodynamic high-frequency time series. River discharge and wave height have been found to be the two forcing episodic variables with a clearer effect on plankton dynamics. The influence was due mainly to an increase in nutrient concentrations because of sediment resuspension and/or of terrestrial runoff. Increased nutrients led to increased chlorophyll concentrations after several days. Finally, in chapter 4 the information obtained in the preceding chapters has been combined to experimentally evaluate the changes in the sensitivity to turbulence and nutrient enrichment of the natural community in a one year long series of microcosm experiments. A consistent and significant effect of turbulence was observed even in the non-enriched treatments. The coincidence of mixing with nutrient enrichment always led to an increased phytoplankton response. The changes in the response to the experimental forcings had a seasonal component, probably linked to the photoperiod, but were not directly related to the community composition or size structure. The historic record of nutrient input by terrestrial runoff and sediment resuspension was strongly determining the response of the community to new nutrient enrichments. This thesis has started to address how turbulence and the temporal variability in different meteorological and hydrological factors affect the biogeochemical dynamics of a coastal system. I hope that this new approximation will be a stepping stone in the long way to understand how the spatial and temporal variability in environmental forcings, and particularly in turbulence, influences the dynamics of plan 8 ktonic e 292 cosystems.

Author: PÉREZ PORTELA ROCÍO.
Year: 2006.
University: BARCELONA [www.ub.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAD DE BIOLOGÍA.
Place of preparation: DEPARTAMENTO DE BIOLOGÍA ANIMAL, FACULTAD DE BIOLOGIA, UNIVERSIDAD DE BARCELONA.

Summary: A detailed analysis of data from molecular, morphological and biological ascidias colonial gender Pycnoclavella allowed us to discover a complex of six different species on the shores of southern Europe. Three species were formally described as a new species, Pycnoclavella Atlantic Pycnoclavella brava and Pycnoclavella communis, and their holotipos appointed. The study of population genetics conducted on the most abundant species, Pycnoclavella communis, in the West populations of the Mediterranean Sea demonstrated the existence of two different lineages for two cryptic species. These results also showed that the species has a very limited ability to spread, resulting in structured populations at the local level with a flujogenético restricted even among populations very close geographically. The phylogenetic analysis applied gender Pycnoclavella and Clavelina showed an objective that both genders should be included within a single family, Clavelinidae, rather than separated into two families Clavelinidae and Pynoclavellidae, as had been suggested in recent years. In addition this work allowed describe the new species Pycnocalvella martae from samples of Kenya and Tanzania.