Three brooding corals, Seriatopora hystrix, Stylophora pistillata, and Pocillopora damicornis in Nanwan Bay, southern Taiwan, revealed a diel rhythm of larval release. Planulation by S. hystrix and S. pistillata was highly synchronized with one peak of planula release occurring close to sunrise. Planulae of P. damicornis were released throughout the day with two peaks occurred in the early morning and at night. We maintain corals in laboratory with varied light-dark cycle and temperature to determine the mechanism of their release rhythm. S. hystrix did not release larvae under constant light and constant dark, thus the release of larvae in S. hystrix is not controlled by an endogenous rhythm. Peak of larval release occurs after 23hrs of light cue and under the dark. Temperature treatments, in 1¢J intervals from 23.5-28.5¢J, did not change the timing of larval release. We infer that the diel rhythm of larval release of S. hystrix controlled by sunrise. S. pistillata did not release larvae under constant light and constant dark. The larval release pattern of S. pistillata is similar to S. hystrix. Thus, we infer that sunrise may be the cues for the diel rhythm of larval release of S. pistillata. P. damicornis releases larvae under constant light and constant dark, and exhibit a rhythm of larval release with 37 h periodicity under constant dark. The regulation of its larval release is complex. These results suggest that the interspecific mechanism controlling diel rhythm of larval release may be different.

The fate of coral reef biodiversity could be predicted from the extant situation and understanding the possible temporal and spatial mechanisms. Among the many hypotheses explaining the biodiversity, the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis is the most often tested. It proposed that the frequencies and intensities of disturbance determine the biological species diversity of a habitat; here seasonal recruitment is not considered an important factor. We propose Seasonal Recruitment Hypothesis here with three important characteristics and predictions: there is different assemblages of recruitment after disturbance in different seasons; the following succession is lead by these initial assemblages and thus have different patches for spaces created in different seasons. Mosaic of patches, each with different history, combined to form a high diversity ecosystem of coral reefs. In this investigation, the first hypothesis that recruitment assemblage is different among season, is tested. The study site is located in the coral reef of Kenting in southern Taiwan. We put out recruitment panels to simulate space generated after disturbance, at two-month intervals; then we checked the abundance of sessile fauna on the inside and outside surface of plates. A total of 17 zoological taxa was identified and numbered. Then Primer was used to ordinate the assemblages of recruitment from different seasons. A significant seasonal effect was found. Thus the first stage of the Seasonal Recruitment Hypothesis was supported.

Deep-water corals provide complex habitat structure for diverse assemblages of invertebrates and fishes. Similar to shallow coral reefs, oyster reefs, and seagrass beds, these complex biogenic structures serve many ecosystem functions: (a) as prey items; (b) sites for reproduction; (c) feeding stations, elevating suspension feeders above the benthos; and (d) refuges from predation. Because deep-sea corals provide some of the only three-dimensional habitats in the deep-sea, they may host distinct assemblages of epifauna. Non-destructive video surveys of deep-water coral assemblages were made to depths of 700 m at eight sites off Roatan, Honduras in May and December, 2011. Abundance, species richness, and distribution of epifauna were measured for 305 corals. We observed sixteen morphospecies of coral and twenty-six morphospecies of epifauna. Coral and epifaunal abundances were highest in the 335-449 m depth zone. Some epifauna had high fidelity for a single coral species or for a few species of similar morphological complexity. Other coral species had overlapping assemblages of habitat generalists. This is the first research on the biodiversity of deep-sea coral communities in Roatan, Honduras, and provides information on the assemblages, their depth distributions and ecological interactions.

In order to search for bioactive compounds from the organic extracts of a Formosan soft coral Lemnalia flava fourteen natural compounds, including seven new nardosinane sesquiterpenoids flavalin B-H (1-7), two new nornardosinane sesquiterpenoids flavalins I-J (8-9), along with five known compounds, 2-oxolemnacarnol (10), lemnacarnol (11), armatin F (12), (2R)-2-hydroxylemnal-1(10)-en-12-one (13) and laevinol B (14) were isolated from L. flava. The structures of these compounds were established by the detailed spectral analysis (IR, MS, 1D, 2D NMR) and by comparison of the spectral data with those of the related known compounds. The structure of 1 was unambiguously proven by X-ray diffraction analysis. The absolute configuration of 13 was further determined by a modified Mosher's method. The neuroprotective effect compounds of 1¡V3 against the damage of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) toward SH-SY5Y cells was also measured. The cytotoxicity of 6-OHDA on SH-SY5Y cells was significantly reduced by pretreatment of 1 at various concentrations. The cytotoxicity of compounds 1¡V13 against human breast carcinoma (MCF-7), human colon carcinoma (WiDr), human laryngeal carcinoma (HEp 2), human medulloblastoma (Daoy) T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia(CCRF-CEM), colon adenocarcinoma (DLD-1), human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) and murine leukemia (P388D1) cell lines was studied. The ability of 1¡V13 to inhibit the up-regulation of pro-inflammatory iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) and COX-2(cyclooxygenase-2) proteins in LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells was examined, and it was shown that no cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activity could be found for these compounds.

This dissertation mainly discussed the investigation of three different kinds of Formosan soft corals, Cespitularia hypotentaculata Roxas, C. taeniata May and Junceella juncea, as well as Formosan star-anise, Illicium arborescens Hayata. Their EtOAc extracts were investigated by intensive chromatography. Twenty new natural products were isolated and purified and their biological activities were studied. The chemical investigation of soft coral Cespitularia hypotentaculata and C. taeniata resulted in the isolation of twenty natural products, including ten new natural products, designated as cespihypotins B, W¡VZ (6, 1 ¡V 4), cespihypotone (5), cespitaenins A (10) and F-H (7-9) as well as fourteen know compounds (21-34). Compounds 1-3 were nor-verticillane-type nor-diterpenes. Compounds 4-6 were verticillane-type diterpenes. Cespitaenins A and F (10 & 7) were nor-verticillane-type nor-diterpenes. Cespitaenins G and H (8 & 9) were verticillane-type diterpenes. Three new briarane-type natural products, juncenolides L-N¡]11-13¡^ toghther with and one know compound (35) were isolated from Junceella juncea. The study of Formosan star anise, Illicium arborescens Hayata has afforded seven new compounds (14-20). Two of them were stereoisomer, named 2,3-dide- hydro-5-O-methyl-11-epiillifunone E (14) and 2,3-Didehydro-5-O-methylillifunone E (15). The others were 8,9-secoprezizaane-type sesquiterpenes (16-20). All the structures of above compounds were elucidated by physical and spectroscopic analyses (IR, mass, UV, optical rotation and NMR), and also by comparisions with the published data. Cytotoxicity and in vitro anti-inflammatory activities were measured by Dr. Yao-Haur Kuo of National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine and Dr. Tsong-Long Hwang of Chang Gung University. The biological activities of compounds against MCF-7 (Human breast adenocarcinoma), Doay (Human medulloblastoma), WiDr (Human colon adenocarcinoma), Hela (Human cervical epitheloid carcinoma) cell lines and effects of compounds on superoxide anion generation and elastase release by human neutrophils in response to FMLP/CB. were tested. The effects of compounds 9-12 on superoxide anion generation and elastase release by human neutrophils in response to FMLP/CB were 6.19, 6.72, 7.56 and 6.72 respectively. The IC50 of compounds 14 and 19 against MCF-7, Doay, WiDr and Hela were 9.0, 7.1, 11.2, 10.9 and 5.1, 6.3, 10.9, 6.24 £gg/mL, respectively.

Abstract Investigation on the chemical constituents of EtOH extract of the Formosan soft coral Sinularia grandilobata, collected off the Kenting coast, has led to the isolation of six cembrane-type diterpenoids, grandilobatins A-F (1-6), and four steroids, sinugrandisterols A-D (7-10). All metabolites 1-10 are new natural products. The structures of 1-10 were elucidated by the analysis of spectroscopic data (MS, IR, 1D and 2D NMR) and by comparison of the related spectral data with those of related metabolites in literatures. The cytotoxicity assays of compounds 1-10 against the growth of cell lines, including MDA-MB-231(human breast cancer cell), MCF 7 (human breast cancer cell), Hep G2 (human liver carcinoma), and A-549 (human lung carcinoma), were carried out. The result showed that compound 5 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231 cells. Compounds 7 and 8 showed moderate cytotoxicity against Hep G2 and MDA-MB-231 tumor cells and exhibited weak cytotoxicity against A-549 and MCF 7 tumor cells. Compound 9 showed weak cytotoxicity against A-549 and MCF 7 tumor cells.

Population studies and species identification based on morphological characteristics are often ambiguous. A different approach, e.g. molecular information, may be used to clarify the ambiguities . In this thesis, two categories of organisms, fish and corals, were chosen for study. The Danioninae, Candidia barbata and Opsariichthys pachycephalus, are extremely diversified morphologically among the Henchun peninsula and the northern Taiwan populations. Six geographic population of C. barbata were found using the mitochondrial D-loop DNA sequences. The sequences data also confirmed that the Henchun peninsula population was the most divergent group. On the other side of Taiwan strait, Opsariichthys bidens and Zacco platypus in northern Fujian province were also found to be divergent. It is likely that the Danioninae fishes migrated through the basins due to lowering of sea level during glacial stages. The discrepancies of morphological classification and molecular phylogenetics should be re-examined. The five coral mitochondrial genomes sequenced were Euphyllia ancora (19084 bp), Tubastrea aurea (18770 bp), Stylophora pistillata (17169 bp), Montipora aequituberculata (17886 bp), and Junceella fragilis (18724 bp). The gene organization of Octocorallia and Hexacorallia were highly conserved. All the stony corals contain a group I intron in the ND5 gene. In addition, the COI gene of Tubastrea aurea contains an extra intron, which consists an ORF of the LAGLI-DADG gene family. Of all the genes analysed, the transition rates were saturated except COI, COIII, Cytb and ND3; on the other hand, only 12S and ATP8 were saturated for the transversion rates. The results might refer to new gene markers for future species identification of corals.

The sexual reproduction of four gorgonian corals, Ellisella robusta, Subergorgia suberosa, Subergorgia mollis and Bebryce indica at Wanlitong, a non-upwelling area, and Talauko, an upwelling area, in south Taiwan were compared in order to understand their reproductive strategies. Four species were gonochoric. E. robusta, S. suberosa and S. mollis were broadcasting spawners with annual reproductive cycle. The reproductive mode of B. indica was not certain and it may reproduce several times within one year. The mean diameter of mature oocytes of E. robusta, S. suberosa, S. mollis and B. indica was 360, 322, 461, and 312 £gm, respectively. Their fecundity was 3.2, 1.4, 1.1, and 2.0 oocytes/polyp, respectively. Corals with longer oogenesis duration produce larger mature oocytes. The three broadcasting species spawned in September, October and November after the seasonal disturbances. It may be advantageous for the survival of their offspring. The reproductive traits of E. robusta, S. suberosa, and B. indica were similar between Wanlitong and Talauko populations. It suggests that reproductive traits of theses species may be not influenced by upwelling.

No description available.

No description available.