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Many species of Solenogastres (Mollusca: Aplacophora) have been described from relatively remote locations or the deep sea. However, knowledge of the diversity of this group of carnivorous molluscs remains incomplete, even in relatively accessible, shallow localities. Here, we describe three new species of interstitial solenogasters from a well-studied site virtually right off the dock of Friday Harbor Laboratories (WA, USA). Two new species ofMacellomenia,M. schanderisp. nov. andM. morseaesp. nov, are described, greatly expanding the biogeographic range of this genus previously only known from the Atlantic. Interestingly,M. schanderiappears to be more similar to the AtlanticM. adenotaSalvini-Plawen, 2003a than the co-occurringM. morseae. However, the one specimen ofM. morseaewe were able to examine by histology was a juvenile, so the adult condition of some characters (mostly dealing with the reproductive system) are unknown. Additionally, a new species ofHypomenia,H. sanjuanensissp. nov, is described, also extending the geographic range of this previously monotypic genus known only from the Gulf of Naples, Italy. DNA barcode sequences are provided to aid in the identification ofM. schanderi,H. sanjuanensis, and the previously described sympatric speciesMeiomenia swedmarkiMorse, 1979. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:87E88772-B9BC-4BE6-93AB-C19FD944DD23 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial communities inhabiting subseafloor ocean crust were analyzed using culture-dependent and -independent techniques of volcanic basement drill-cores from various locations in the Pacific Ocean. Our results suggest that a low-diversity community of bacteria belonging to the Betaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes exists in this rocky habitat. Drilling-related contamination was observed, however, identification of these phylotypes was (and will continue to be) beneficial for distinguishing indigenous from contamination-related communities. Due to difficulties in accessing the subseafloor crustal environment, this study further highlights the necessity for innovative approaches in future drilling-based microbiological studies conducted in ocean crust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of axial stress-strain measurements made from short columnar samples of seafloor shallow surface sediment in the southern South China Sea area indicate that there are three kinds of variations in the longitudinal wave sound velocity, which are related to such characteristics as physical-mechanical properties, grain contact status and grain structure and microstructure of the submarine shallow surface sediment. This study may make theoretical contributions to further understanding the reliability of various submarine sediments in the southern South China Sea as bearing interfaces and such scientific objectives as phonotelemetering and remote sensing of the engineering mechanical properties of seafloor sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]