Significance of body size in sulphide detoxification in the Baltic clam Macoma balthica (Bivalvia, Tellinidae) in the Gulf of Gdansk

Self Cite

Populations of the Baltic clam Macoma balthica show different degrees of sulphide tolerance in relation to s u l p h~d e contamination of their habitats. Specimens from sulphidic habitats such a s the Gulf of G d k k (Baltic Proper) and shallo~v waters near the island of Hiddensee (Southern Baltic Sea) have higher survival capaclt~es during sulphide exposure than those from low sulphide contaminated environments such as K~e l Bight (Western Baltic Sea) and the Wadden Sea near Dorum-Neufeld (Weser estuary, North Sea). The tolerant clams are better able to protect cytochrome c oxidase against sulphide toxification. It can b e assumed that this protection is due to slower sulphide diffus~on Into the tissues Sulphide-tolerant specimens from h~g h l y sulphidic habitats have apparent sulphide d~ffusion coefflc~ents which al-e roughly half those of sulphide-sensitive specimens from low sulphidic stations.Higher s u l p h~d e influx into the sensitive clams will negatively affect t h e~r metabolism, combined with longer inhibition of cytochrome c oxidase, resulting in higher mortality.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…in detail in Jahn (1997) and Jahn et al (1996Jahn et al ( , 1997 H~ddensee with the following equations: r,2…”

Section: Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Different degrees of tolerance to hydrogen sulphide in populations of Macoma balthica (Bivalvia, Tellinidae)

Jahn¹,

Theede²

1997

Self Cite

“…From the nematode species Oncholaimus campylocercoides living at shallow-water hydrothermal vent sites off the Greek Island Milos, Thiermann et al (2000) reported that its sulphide tolerance under hypoxic conditions became greatly reduced when ambient sulphide levels reached 1 mmol l -1 . Powell (1989) and Jahn et al (1997) calculated that, depending on the ambient sulphide concentration, diffusive sulphide flux into the body tissue of small-sized organisms can be very fast, literally flooding them and overriding any detoxification mechanisms. We propose that, in the Hydrate Ridge microbial mat sediments overlying shallow gas hydrates, the adaptive capability of nematodes is exhausted due to extremely high sulphide concentrations coupled with limited oxygen availability.…”

Section: Meiobenthos At Microbial Mat Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sediments hosting gas hydrate: oases for metazoan meiofauna

Sommer¹,

Gutzmann²,

Pfannkuche³

2007

The effect of methane seepage from sediments harbouring shallow gas hydrates on standing stocks and the distribution pattern of meiobenthic organisms, in particular Nematoda and Rotifera, was studied at about 800 m water depth at Hydrate Ridge, Cascadia subduction zone, off Oregon. The presence of shallow gas hydrates, buried only a few 10s of centimetres below the sediment surface, was indicated by extensive bacterial mats of chemosynthetic Beggiatoa sp. and clam fields of the bivalve mollusk Calyptogena spp. Mean abundances of meiobenthic organisms integrated over the upper 10 cm of the sediment were highest (1294 ind. 10 cm -2 ) at clam fields, closely followed by control sediments least affected by gas hydrates (1199 ind. 10 cm -2 ) and lowest in sediments covered with bacterial mats (762 ind. 10 cm ). The dominant taxa of meiobenthic organisms at the investigated sites were nematodes and, unexpectedly, Rotifera that are almost unknown from the deep marine habitat. In terms of abundance, rotifera dominated the meiobenthic community in gas-hydrate-influenced sediments, while control sediments and deeper basins adjoined to Hydrate Ridge were dominated by nematodes. Nematodes were concentrated in the sediment surface at all sites, whereas rotifers were almost evenly distributed at all depths, with a slight preference for deeper sediment horizons. The horizontal as well as vertical distribution of nematodes and rotifers is likely to be determined by competition or predation, and by the high adaptive capability of rotifers to highly sulphidic and anoxic conditions. Estimates of meiobenthic carbon turnover in relation to the bulk organic carbon supply indicate that, in contrast to other meiobenthic communities in cold seep environments, the meiobenthos in the studied gas-hydrate-containing sediments do not benefit from the excess availability of organic carbon via the chemoautotrophic food web. This may be because, for most meiobenthic organisms (other than rotifers), tolerance mechanisms are overwhelmed by the deleterious environmental conditions of reduced oxygen availability and extremely high sulphide fluxes.KEY WORDS: Meiofauna · Nematoda · Rotifera · Gas hydrate · Carbon turnover · Hydrate Ridge · Cascadia subduction zone Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

“…Sulphur peaks (often together with metals), recorded in granules or intracellular inclusions in various non-bacteria-symbiotic meiobenthic and rnacrobenthic fauna, have led to the suggestion that elemental sulphur or insoluble metal sulphides, accumulating in the body, are the results of H2S detoxification (Powell et al 1980, Nicholas et al 1987, Giere et al 1988. However, these and other studies could not convincingly document the effective export mechanisms required to remove the inclusions from the tissues (Somero et al 1989 (Powell 1989, Jahn et al 1997.…”

Section: Formation Of Sulphur Inclusionsmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…By theoretical deduction and exanoxic/sulphidic conditions (Por & Masry 1968). Since in perimental scrutiny, Jahn et al (1997) confirmed that that experiment oxygen or sulphde concentrations have animals smaller than 1 mm are 'not able to detoxify not been recorded, a comparison to the data on 011-hydrogen sulphide effectively enough but rather can cholaimus campylocercoides is not possible. Also various only survive in sulphidic habitats due to their anaeroscattered reports on, freshwater and marine nematodes bic capacity'.…”

Section: Ecophysiologymentioning

confidence: 93%

Sulphide tolerance of the marine nematode Oncholaimus campylocercoides-a result of internal sulphur formation?

Thiermann¹,

Vismann²,

Giere³

2000

The free-living, marine nematode Oncholaimus campylocercoides occurs in high abundance (up to 600 ind. 10 cm-') at the fringe area of shallow-water hydrothermal vents off the Greek island of Milos in the Aegean Sea. It was found to have a sulphide tolerance (LTSO) of 4.5 d at 500 pM sulphide concentration and of 4 d at 1 mM sulphide. Light-and electron-rnicroscopical inspections showed that the non-symbiotic 0. campylocercoides, when exposed to sulpludic conditions, develops oily to viscous inclusions in the epidermis consisting of elemental sulphur in the form of &-rings and polysulphur chains. The longer the exposure to sulphidic conditions, the more sulphur was formed, which &sappeared after re-introduction of the nematodes in normoxic conditions for 12 h. Based on these results and on tolerance experiments with hydrogen sulphide, we suggest a model of sulphide metabolism in 0. campylocercoides which could relate to its occurrence in sulphidic, hydrothermal sediments.