In reviewing the complexity and diversity of bacterial mediation of settlement and metamorphosis of marine invertebrate larvae, we give particular attention to settlement and metamorphosis on macroscopic biological substrata, focusing on bacteria-mediated induction of larvae by non-geniculate coralline algae. We consider the evolution of interactions between marine substrata, bacteria and larvae, and offer arguments as to why natural selection may favour these interactions. We speculate that bacterial induction of settlement and metamorphosis in marine invertebrates might be more widespread than is generally recognised.

Annelida is a diverse group of animals, commonly referred to as segmented worms and currently comprising around 14000 described species. Found in most marine and freshwater areas, annelids have also successfully occupied many subterranean habitats. This volume documents annelid reproduction in the context of their phylogenetic relationships. It pre

Many bottom-dwelling marine invertebrates produce free-swimming larvae that colonize new surfaces. To identify a suitable habitat, these motile larvae preferentially settle on areas that are covered by bacterial biofilms. However, the bacterial cues and animal sensory systems required to mediate this microbe-animal interaction are poorly understood. Our lab discovered that larvae of the marine tubeworm Hydroides elegans are induced to settle by an array of phage tail-like structures termed MACs (Metamorphosis Associated Contractile structures) produced by the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea. MACs are genetically and evolutionarily related to the contractile tails of bacteriophage where each structure contains an inner tube surrounded by a contractile sheath, a tail spike at the end of the tube and a baseplate complex. Contraction of the sheath drives the inner tube and tail spike through the target cell membrane and often deliver effectors to host cells. n this study, we discovered a putative effector that we hypothesize is injected by MACs into Hydroides larvae causing them to settle and metamorphose. Using molecular cloning, metamorphosis assays, and mass spectrometry, we tested the ability of P. luteoviolacea mutants to induce Hydroides metamorphosis. We found a gene product that is necessary for the MAC’s ability to induce metamorphosis that was termed JF50_12615. Intriguingly, JF50_12615 mutants lack electron dense cargo within the contractile MAC structure when observed by Electron Cryo-Tomography. Our results show that cargo found in MAC tails is responsible for P. luteoviolacea’s ability to induce the metamorphosis of the marine tubeworm H. elegans. Our findings are the first to identify a bacterial effector directly mediating animal metamorphosis.

The interdisciplinary field of marine chemical ecology is an expanding and dynamic science. It is no surprise that the breadth of marine organisms studied expanded in concert with developments in underwater technology. With its up-to-date subject reviews by experts, Marine Chemical Ecology is the most current, comprehensive book on the subject. The

The emphasis is on new and exciting facets of the subject, notably biotechnology, fish and shellfish pathology and deep-sea microbiology. The volume also provides a sound introduction to the main elements of marine microbiology: indluding the habitats and ecology of marine micro-organisms, their taxonomy, and a practical guide to microbiological techniques and methods.

Biofouling is a costly problem, and it is encountered in a wide spectrum of technical systems, ranging from the shipping industry, power industry, water purification, automobile industry, paint and pharmaceuticals, to the microelectronics and food industries. Micro- and macroorganisms attach to surfaces and accumulate there, forming biofilms that cause interferences – a fundamentally natural process. Usually, a medical paradigm is applied: kill biofilms and the problem is solved. This leads to excessive biocide use. However, the success of this strategy is very limited; furthermore it leads to equipment damage and environmental pollution. Simply trying to kill the fouling organisms is clearly not seen as a successful strategy while cleaning is put forward as much more important. In this book, strategies to prevent adhesion, to mitigate the extent and effects of biofouling, and to detect and remove fouling layers are presented. Holistic approaches to the fouling process are elaborated, taking into account options such as nutrient limitation, repellent and easy-to-clean surfaces for fouling layer limitation, and replacing biocides with more environmentally friendly methods – in other words: learning how to live with fouling biofilms without suffering the damage they can do.

Ascidians are the invertebrate group that gave rise to vertebrates, thus the biology of ascidians provides an essential key to understanding both invertebrates and vertebrates. This book is the first to cover all areas of ascidian biology, including development, evolution, biologically active substances, heavy metal accumulation, asexual reproduction, host-defense mechanisms, allorecognition mechanisms, comparative immunology, neuroscience, taxonomy, ecology, genome science, and food science. The 69 articles that make up the collection were contributed by leading ascidiologists from all over the world who participated in the First International Symposium on the Biology of Ascidians, held in June 2000 in Sapporo, Japan. For scientists and students alike, the book is an invaluable source of information from the latest, most comprehensive studies of ascidian biology.