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Effects of extreme climate events on the macrobenthic communities’ structure and functioning of a temperate estuary Texto completo
2011
Grilo, T.F. | Cardoso, P.G. | Dolbeth, M. | Bordalo, M.D. | Pardal, M.A.
The Mondego estuary (Portugal) experienced profound structural and functional modifications due to eutrophication, which was exacerbated by consecutive weather extremes that compromised a previous restoration project. This work explores multiple climate impacts on macrobenthic communities’ structure and functioning and its implications on ecosystem’s recovery. Floods and heat waves had a stronger negative effect on macrobenthic assemblages than the droughts, imposing a total abundance decline. Contrarily, biomass was not so affected by climate events, being stable and even increased in a mudflat area, where seagrass is re-colonizing. Bivalves and oligochaetes decreased with the flooding episodes, likewise subsurface-deposit feeders and suspension feeders, while crustaceans were particularly sensitive to heat waves. Species richness declined with the floods and heat waves, whilst evenness increased in sandflat area, constituting a positive sign towards recovery. Succession of different climate extremes affected ecosystem structure and functioning, delaying its recovery with possible consequent effects at higher trophic levels.
Mostrar más [+] Menos [-]Effects of chronic exposure to dispersed oil on selected reproductive processes in adult blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and the consequences for the early life stages of their larvae Texto completo
2011
Baussant, Thierry | Ortiz-Zarragoitia, Maren | Cajaraville, Miren P. | Bechmann, Renée Katrin | Taban, Ingrid Christina | Sanni, Steinar
Mussels (Mytilus edulis) were continuously exposed to dispersed crude oil (0.015–0.25mg/l) for 7months covering the whole gamete development cycle. After 1month exposure to 0.25mgoil/l, the level of alkali-labile phosphates (ALP) and the volume density of atretic oocytes in female gonads were higher than those in the gonads of control females, indicating that oil affected the level of vitellogenin-like proteins and gamete development. Spawning of mussels was induced after 7months oil exposure. Parental oil exposure did not affect subsequent fertilization success in clean seawater but this was reduced in 0.25mgoil/l. Parental exposure to 0.25mgoil/l caused both slow development and a higher percentage of abnormalities in D-shell larvae 2days post-fertilization; reduced growth 7days post-fertilization. These effects were greatly enhanced when larval stages were maintained at 0.25mgoil/l. Similar studies are warranted for risk assessment prognosis.
Mostrar más [+] Menos [-]Differential kinetics and temperature dependence of abiotic and biotic processes controlling the environmental fate of TNT in simulated marine systems Texto completo
2011
Chappell, Mark A. | Porter, Beth E. | Price, Cynthia L. | Pettway, Brad A. | George, Robert D.
This work seeks to understand how the balance of abiotic and biotic kinetic processes in sediments control the residual concentration of TNT in marine systems after release from ocean-dumped source. Kinetics of TNT disappearance were followed using marine sediments at different temperatures and under both biotic and presumably abiotic conditions (through sodium azide addition). Sediments exhibiting the highest rate of TNT disappearance under biotic conditions also exhibited the highest sorption affinity for TNT under abiotic conditions. Significant temperature dependence in the abiotic processes was observed in the diffusion coefficient of TNT and not sediment sorption affinity. At higher temperature, kinetics of biotic processes outpaced abiotic processes, but at low temperature, kinetics of abiotic processes were much more significant. We concluded that the differential influence of temperature on the kinetics of abiotic and biotic processes could provide distinguishing predictions for the potential residual concentration of TNT contamination in marine-sediment systems.
Mostrar más [+] Menos [-]CYP1A mRNA expression in redeye mullets (Liza haematocheila) from Bohai Bay, China Texto completo
2011
An, Lihui | Hu, Jianying | Yang, Min | Zheng, Binghui | Wei, An | Shang, Jingjing | Zhao, Xingru
Induction of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) has been used as a biomarker in fish for monitoring aromatic and organic contaminants. In this study, a partial of CYP1A gene in redeye mullet (Liza haematocheila) was isolated and sequenced, and then a real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assay was developed for quantification of CYP1A mRNA normalized to β-actin. The developed method was applied to detect CYP1A mRNA expression in redeye mullets collected from Nandaihe (reference site) and Dashentang (impacted site) in Bohai Bay, China. CYP1A mRNA expression values were significantly elevated in redeye mullets from Dashentang compared to a reference site – Nandaihe, which was correlated with the contents of different environmentally relevant pollutants in tissues, particularly with PCBs and PBDEs.
Mostrar más [+] Menos [-]Anthropogenic metal contamination and sapropel imprints in deep Mediterranean sediments Texto completo
2011
Angelidis, M.O. | Radakovitch, O. | Veron, A. | Aloupi, M. | Heussner, S. | Price, B.
Anthropogenic metal contamination and sapropel imprints in deep Mediterranean sediments Texto completo
2011
Angelidis, M.O. | Radakovitch, O. | Veron, A. | Aloupi, M. | Heussner, S. | Price, B.
Sediment cores from the deep Balearic basin and the Cretan Sea provide evidence for the accumulation of Cd, Pd and Zn in the top few centimeters of the abyssal Mediterranean sea-bottom. In both cores, 206Pb/207Pb profiles confirm this anthropogenic impact with less radiogenic imprints toward surface sediments. The similarity between excess 210Pb accumulated in the top core and the 210Pb flux suggests that top core metal inventories reasonably reflect long-term atmospheric deposition to the open Mediterranean. Pb inventory in the western core for the past 100years represents 20–30% of sediment coastal inventories, suggesting that long-term atmospheric deposition determined from coastal areas has to be used cautiously for mass balance calculations in the open Mediterranean. In the deeper section of both cores, Al normalized trace metal profiles suggest diagenetic remobilization of Fe, Mn, Cu and, to a lesser extent, Pb that likely corresponds to sapropel event S1.
Mostrar más [+] Menos [-]Anthropogenic metal contamination and sapropel imprints in deep Mediterranean sediments Texto completo
2011
Angelidis, M. O. | Radakovitch, Olivier | Veron, Alain | Aloupi, M. | Heussner, S. | Price, B. | Centre Européen de Recherche et d'Enseignement des Géosciences de l'Environnement (CEREGE) ; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Collège de France (CdF (institution))-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Sediment cores from the deep Balearic basin and the Cretan Sea provide evidence for the accumulation of Cd, Pd and Zn in the top few centimeters of the abyssal Mediterranean sea-bottom. In both cores, 206Pb/207Pb profiles confirm this anthropogenic impact with less radiogenic imprints toward surface sediments. The similarity between excess 210Pb accumulated in the top core and the 210Pb flux suggests that top core metal inventories reasonably reflect long-term atmospheric deposition to the open Mediterranean. Pb inventory in the western core for the past 100 years represents 20-30% of sediment coastal inventories, suggesting that long-term atmospheric deposition determined from coastal areas has to be used cautiously for mass balance calculations in the open Mediterranean. In the deeper section of both cores, Al normalized trace metal profiles suggest diagenetic remobilization of Fe, Mn, Cu and, to a lesser extent, Pb that likely corresponds to sapropel event Si
Mostrar más [+] Menos [-]Phytoplankton pigments and epifluorescence microscopy as tools for ecological status assessment in coastal and estuarine waters, within the Water Framework Directive Texto completo
2011
Seoane, Sergio | Garmendia, Maialen | Revilla, Marta | Borja, Angel | Franco, Javier | Orive, Emma | Valencia Rincón, Victoriano
Inverted microscopy is widespread employed for the analysis of phytoplankton composition within water quality monitoring networks. However, the analysis at the lowest taxonomical level is not always required for ecological status assessment. In addition, inverted microscopy can underestimate the small phytoplankton, and not always distinguish photoautotrophic from heterotrophic cells. In this study, as alternative tools, epifluorescence microscopy and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) were employed to characterize phytoplankton communities within waters of different trophic condition. Epifluorescence microscopy confirmed its effectiveness to count the small phytoplankton. Furthermore, significant correlations between nutrients of anthropogenic origin and nanoplankton abundances were found. However, this technique resulted very time-consuming. HPLC together with the CHEMTAX program was more appropriate than inverted microscopy, in terms of cost-effectiveness. Also, the main variability patterns observed in the phytoplankton community structure by HPLC coincided with previous findings in the study area. Nevertheless, a rapid screening at the inverted microscope is recommended.
Mostrar más [+] Menos [-]Listening to the Deep: Live monitoring of ocean noise and cetacean acoustic signals Texto completo
2011
André, M. | van der Schaar, M. | Zaugg, S. | Houégnigan, L. | Sánchez, A.M. | Castell, J.V.
The development and broad use of passive acoustic monitoring techniques have the potential to help assessing the large-scale influence of artificial noise on marine organisms and ecosystems. Deep-sea observatories have the potential to play a key role in understanding these recent acoustic changes. LIDO (Listening to the Deep Ocean Environment) is an international project that is allowing the real-time long-term monitoring of marine ambient noise as well as marine mammal sounds at cabled and standalone observatories. Here, we present the overall development of the project and the use of passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) techniques to provide the scientific community with real-time data at large spatial and temporal scales. Special attention is given to the extraction and identification of high frequency cetacean echolocation signals given the relevance of detecting target species, e.g. beaked whales, in mitigation processes, e.g. during military exercises.
Mostrar más [+] Menos [-]Inter- and intra-annual patterns of Ulva prolifera green tides in the Yellow Sea during 2007–2009, their origin and relationship to the expansion of coastal seaweed aquaculture in China Texto completo
2011
Keesing, John K. | Liu, Dongyan | Fearns, Peter | García, Rodrigo
The large green-tide events that occurred in the Yellow Sea in 2008 (3489km²) and 2009 (4994km²) are shown to be novel events preceded only once by a much smaller event in 2007 (82km²). The blooms originated in the coastal area of Jiangsu province and spread north-east towards the Shandong Peninsula. The blooms grew at different rates and mesoscale variability in surface winds explained the differences in the spatial and temporal patterns of blooms in 2008 and 2009. The 2009 bloom was tracked to its origin immediately offshore of extensive intertidal flats between Yancheng and Nantong where recent rapid expansion of Porphyra aquaculture has occurred. We review published hypotheses which have been advanced to explain the occurrence of blooms and in light of our findings, we conclude that the accumulation and disposal of waste Ulva prolifera from Porphyra aquaculture rafts is the most likely cause of the blooms.
Mostrar más [+] Menos [-]Ecological status of seagrass ecosystems: An uncertainty analysis of the meadow classification based on the Posidonia oceanica multivariate index (POMI) Texto completo
2011
Bennett, Scott | Roca, Guillem | Romero, Javier | Alcoverro, Teresa
Quantifying the uncertainty associated with monitoring protocols is essential to prevent the misclassification of ecological status and to improve sampling design. We assessed the Posidonia oceanica multivariate index (POMI) bio-monitoring program for its robustness in classifying the ecological status of coastal waters within the Water Framework Directive. We used a 7-year data set covering 30 sites along 500km of the Catalonian coastline to examine which version of POMI (14 or 9 metrics) maximises precision in classifying the ecological status of meadows. Five factors (zones within a site, sites within a water body, depth, years and surveyors) that potentially generate classification uncertainty were examined in detail. Of these, depth was a major source of uncertainty, while all the remaining spatial and temporal factors displayed low variability. POMI 9 matched POMI 14 in all factors, and could effectively replace it in future monitoring programs.
Mostrar más [+] Menos [-]Assessment of recent sediment influence in an urban polluted subantarctic coastal ecosystem. Beagle Channel (Southern Argentina) Texto completo
2011
Gil, M.N. | Torres, A.I. | Amin, O. | Esteves, J.L.
In this study, baseline information about the environmental status of Ushuaia (UB) and Golondrina (GB) bays is presented. Surface and bottom seawater and freshwater discharged from land were evaluated. Multivariate analysis identified different water quality zones within the bays, two of them located next to the north and northwest coastlines of UB, where the majority of human activities are developed. Porosity, total organic matter, biochemical components, ammonium, and phytopigments were determined in sediment samples from each quality zone. Benthic fluxes of nutrients and dissolved oxygen were assessed in situ using opaque chambers. In northwest zone of UB, carbon equivalents of proteins and carbohydrates in surficial sediments were the same order as in hypertrophic ecosystems, whereas ammonium and phosphate released from sediment greatly exceeded the allochthonous sources. Management of municipal wastewater is required to remediate this chronic pollution.
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