Contamination of soil and the medicinal plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phyllanthus niruri</Emphasis> Linn. with cadmium in ceramic industrial areas

Phyllanthus niruri is a plant that is used to prevent calcium oxalate crystallisation and to block the stone formation in urolithiasis. Contaminants in the environment can be readily taken up by medicinal plants due to their ability to absorb chemicals into their tissues. If contaminated plants are ingested, they have the potential to negatively affect human and environmental health. The aim of this study was to assess contamination in the soil and the medicinal plant P. niruri by cadmium (Cd) in ceramic industrial areas of Monte Carmelo, Brazil. Soil samples and plant samples (divided in root, shoot and leaves) were collected from a contaminated monitoring site and from a rural area (which was used as a reference site for comparative purposes). The Cd concentrations of the samples were analysed with an atomic absorption spectrometer. P. niruri was found to be sensitive to soil contamination by Cd that was attributed to ceramic industrial emissions. The results revealed that Cd bioaccumulation in the roots and shoots of P. niruri was associated with a significant increase (p?<?0.05) in the concentration of active lignan compounds (phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin) in the leaves. The identification of high concentrations of Cd and active lignan compounds suggests a risk of contamination of the site and the risk of a high dose of Cd to people exposed at the site.     

Integrating multiple vegetation indices via an artificial neural network model for estimating the leaf chlorophyll content of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spartina alterniflora</Emphasis> under interspecies competition

The invasive species Spartina alterniflora and native species Phragmites australis display a significant co-occurrence zonation pattern and this co-exist region exerts most competitive situations between these two species, competing for the limited space, directly influencing the co-exist distribution in the future. However, these two species have different growth ratios in this area, which increase the difficulty to detect the distribution situation directly by remote sensing. As chlorophyll content is a key indicator of plant growth and physiological status, the objective of this study was to reduce the effect of interspecies competition when estimating Cab content; we evaluated 79 published representative indices to determine the optimal indices for estimating the chlorophyll a and b (Cab) content. After performing a sensitivity analysis for all 79 spectral indices, five spectral indices were selected and integrated using an artificial neural network (ANN) to estimate the Cab content of different competition ratios: the Gitelson ratio green index, the transformed chlorophyll absorption ratio index/optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index, the modified normalized difference vegetation index, the chlorophyll fluorescence index, and the Vogelmann chlorophyll index. The ANN method yielded better results (R ² = 0.7110 and RMSE = 8.3829 μg cm^?2) on average than the best single spectral index (R ² = 0.6319 and RMSE = 9.3535 μg cm^?2), representing an increase of 10.78% in R ² and a decrease of 10.38% in RMSE. Our results indicated that integrating multiple vegetation indices with an ANN can alleviate the impact of interspecies competition and achieve higher estimation accuracy than the traditional approach using a single index.     

Assessment of physicochemical parameters and prevalence of virulent and multiple-antibiotic-resistant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> in treated effluent of two wastewater treatment plants and receiving aquatic <Emphasis Type="Italic">milieu</Emphasis> in Durban,South Africa

The poor operational status of some wastewater treatment plants often result in the discharge of inadequately treated effluent into receiving surface waters. This is of significant public health concern as there are many informal settlement dwellers (ISDs) that rely on these surface waters for their domestic use. This study investigated the treatment efficiency of two independent wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Durban, South Africa and determined the impact of treated effluent discharge on the physicochemical and microbial quality of the receiving water bodies over a 6-month period. Presumptive Escherichia coli isolates were identified using biochemical tests and detection of the mdh gene via PCR. Six major virulence genes namely eae, hly, fliC, stx1, stx2, and rfbE were also detected via PCR while antibiotic resistance profiles of the isolates were determined using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion assay. The physicochemical parameters of the wastewater samples ranged variously between 9 and 313.33 mg/L, 1.52 and 76.43 NTUs, and 6.30 and 7.87 for COD, turbidity, and pH respectively, while the E. coli counts ranged between 0 and 31.2?×?10³ CFU/ml. Of the 200 selected E. coli isolates, the hly gene was found in 28 %, fliC in 20 %, stx2 in 17 %, eae in 14 %, with stx1 and rfbE in only 4 % of the isolates. Notable resistance was observed toward trimethoprim (97 %), tetracycline (56 %), and ampicillin (52.5 %). These results further highlight the poor operational status of these WWTPs and outline the need for improved water quality monitoring and enforcement of stringent guidelines.     

Antibiotic resistance and plasmid profiling of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vibrio</Emphasis> spp. in tropical waters of Peninsular Malaysia

Vibrio species isolated from four different sampling stations in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia were screened for their antimicrobial resistance and plasmid profiles. A total of 138 isolates belonging to 15 different species were identified. Vibrio campbellii, V. parahaemolyticus, V. harveyi, and V. tubiashii were found to predominance species at all stations. High incidence of erythromycin, ampicillin, and mecillinam resistance was observed among the Vibrio isolates. In contrast, resistance against aztreonam, cefepime, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, and sulfonamides was low. All the Vibrio isolates in this study were found to be susceptible to imipenem, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and oxytetracycline. Ninety-five percent of the Vibrio isolates were resistant to one or more different classes of antibiotic, and 20 different resistance antibiograms were identified. Thirty-two distinct plasmid profiles with molecular weight ranging from 2.2 to 24.8 kb were detected among the resistance isolates. This study showed that multidrug-resistant Vibrio spp. were common in the aquatic environments of west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.     

A temporal and spatial monitoring of organotin pollution in a harborside region of Brazil by imposex and ecological quality ratio using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leucozonia nassa</Emphasis>

This study represents the first use of Leucozonia nassa (Mollusca-Gastropoda) in a program of long-term monitoring. Specimens of L. nassa were collected between 2006 and 2014 and analyzed for the occurrence of imposex in two areas in Southeastern Brazil, one control area and another characterized by the presence of many ports and marinas. Imposex was evaluated in nine sites based on the percentage of females exhibiting imposex (I%), relative penis length index and vas deferens sequence index, classical indices to evaluate tributyltin (TBT) impacts. Moreover, this study uses for the first time in a tropical environment the ecological quality ratio (EQR), an approach to verify the imposex levels as an indicator of the impact by organotin compounds according to the EU Water Framework Directive. The results confirm the occurrence of high levels of imposex in L. nassa with all the indices evaluated. Furthermore, the results also indicate that, despite the international ban, antifouling paints based on TBT are still possibly used in Brazil. In addition, this study shows that L. nassa has the characteristics that make it a suitable bioindicator to monitor TBT pollution, and that the use of the EQR may create important data regarding this problem.     

Experimental arid land afforestation in Central Anatolia,Turkey

The afforestation of arid lands faces many challenges, and perhaps the most important key for success is choosing one or more species that are adapted well for local environmental conditions. We explored species that would be suitable for the steppe region of Central Anatolia. Intensive site preparation included ripping the subsoil (to 80 cm) and plowing the upper soil before planting seedlings of Elaeagnus angustifolia, Robinia pseudoacacia, Fraxinus angustifolia, and Pinus nigra were used as tree species. We also tested the success of several shrub species: Amygdalus orientalis, Calligonum polygonoides, and Spartium junceum. After five growing seasons, E. angustifolia showed the highest survival, with 80% of planted seedlings remaining. For the shrubs, A. orientalis was the most successful species with a 95% survival rate. Broad-leaved trees grew a cumulative average of 34 cm in height in 5 years, whereas P. nigra seedings grew only 9 cm. The greatest height growth occurred in the shrubs, with A. orientalis gaining 40 cm in height in 5 years. Overall, E. angustifolia and A. orientalis appeared best suited for afforestation in these areas. R. pseodoacacia and F. angustifolia may also be used as alternative species.     

Impact of mining and forest regeneration on small mammal biodiversity in the Western Region of Ghana

Much of the terrestrial biodiversity in sub-Saharan Africa is supported by tropical rainforest. Natural resource development, particularly surface mining in the rainforest, poses great risks to the region’s rich and endemic biodiversity. Here, we assessed the impact of surface mining and the success of forest rehabilitation on small mammal diversity in the Western Region of Ghana. We surveyed small mammals in the project area and two adjoining forest reserves (control sites) before the mining operation and 10 years after mine closure and forest rehabilitation (topsoil replacement and revegetation). The forest reserves recorded higher species abundance than the mining areas. Majority of the species captured in the forest reserves, including Hylomyscus alleni, Praomys tullbergi, Malacomys cansdalei, and Hybomys trivirgatus, are forest obligate species. Only one individual each of H. alleni and P. tullbergi was captured in the naturally regenerated areas (core areas of mining activities that were allowed to revegetate naturally), while 32 individuals belonging to four species (Lophuromys sikapusi, Mus musculoides, Mastomys erythroleucus, and Crocidura olivieri) were recorded in the rehabilitated areas. Our data suggested negative effects of mining on small mammal diversity and the restoration of species diversity and important ecological processes after rehabilitation of altered habitats. We strongly encourage deliberate conservation efforts, particularly the development of management plans that require the restoration of degraded land resulting from mining activities.     

Relative proportions of <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. coli</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enterococcus spp.</Emphasis> may be a good indicator of potential health risks associated with the use of roof harvested rainwater stored in tanks

A total of 285 water samples were collected from 71 roof harvested rainwater tanks from four villages in different provinces over a two-year (2013–2014) period during the early (October to December) and late (January to March) rainy season. Water quality was evaluated based on Escherichia coli, faecal coliforms and Enterococcus spp. prevalence using the IDEXX Quanti-Tray quantification system. Real-Time PCR was used to analyse a subset of 168 samples for the presence of Shigella spp., Salmonella spp. and E. coli virulence genes (stx1, stx2 and eaeA). Escherichia coli were detected in 44.1% of the samples, Enterococcus spp. in 57.9% and faecal coliforms in 95.7%. The most prevalent E. coli concentrations in harvested rainwater were observed in 29.1% of samples and 22.5% for Enterococcus spp. and, were within 1–10 cfu/100 ml and 10–100 cfu/100 ml, respectively, whereas those for faecal coliforms (36.6%) were within 100–1000 cfu/100 ml. On average 16.8% of the samples had neither E. coli nor Enterococcus spp. detected, while 33.9% had only Enterococcus spp. and 23.7% had only E. coli. E. coli and Enterococcus spp. were detected together in 25.5% of the samples. Evaluation of samples for potential pathogenic bacteria showed all tested samples to be negative for the Shigella spp. ipaH gene, while five tested positive for Salmonella ipaB gene. None of the samples tested positive for the stx1 and stx2 genes, and only two tested positive for the eaeA gene. These findings are potentially useful in the development of a simplified risk assessment strategy based on the concentrations of indicator bacteria.     

Diversity of crude oil-degrading bacteria and alkane hydroxylase (<Emphasis Type="Italic">alkB</Emphasis>) genes from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The aim of this study was to survey the response of the microbial community to crude oil and the diversity of alkane hydroxylase (alkB) genes in soil samples from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). The enrichment cultures and clone libraries were used. Finally, 53 isolates and 94 alkB sequences were obtained from 10 pristine soil samples after enrichment at 10 °C with crude oil as sole carbon source. The isolates fell into the phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, with the dominance of Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter. The composition of degraders was different from polar habitats where Acinetobacter sp. is not a predominant responder of alkane degradative microbial communities. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the alkB genes from isolates and enrichment communities formed eight clusters and mainly related with alkB genes of Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, and Acinetobacter. The alkB gene diversity in the QTP was lower than marine environments and polar soil samples. In particular, a total of 10 isolates exhibiting vigorous growth with crude oil could detect no crude oil degradation-related gene sequences, such as alkB, P450, almA, ndoB, and xylE genes. The Shannon-Wiener index of the alkB clone libraries from the QTP ranged from 1.00 to 2.24 which is similar with polar pristine soil samples but lower than that of contaminated soils. These results indicated that the Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Rhodococcus genera are the candidate for in situ bioremediation, and the environment of QTP may be still relatively uncontaminated by crude oil.     

The distribution and enrichment characteristics of copper in soil and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phragmites australis</Emphasis> of Liao River estuary wetland

The aims of the present investigation were to reveal the distribution and enrichment characteristics of copper in soil and Phragmites australis of Liao River estuary wetland. The concentrations of copper in root, stem, leaf, and ear of Phragmites australis as well as in soil were determined to study the absorption capacity of copper by wild Phragmites australis of Liao River estuary wetland. The study was carried out at test pool of the Shenyang Agricultural University, and the experimental materials (soil, irrigating water and Phragmites australis) were derived from Liao River estuary wetland. The concentrations of copper in soil and Phragmites australis were 16.4441 to 49.0209 mg/kg and 0.8621 to 89.5524 mg/kg, respectively. The results indicated that the enrichment coefficients of copper in different tissues of Phragmites australis changed with the growth of Phragmites australis. The results revealed that the enrichment coefficients of copper in the whole Phragmites australis were greater than 1 at each growing stage of the Phragmites australis. The results also showed that the transfer coefficients of Phragmites australis to copper changed with the growth of Phragmites australis. The results revealed that the Phragmites australis had a good removal effect on copper from soil and had some characteristics of copper hyperaccumulator.     

Trace elements in muscle of three fish species from Todos os Santos Bay,Bahia State,Brazil

In this study, an analysis was performed on the concentrations of the trace elements Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn in muscle of two carnivorous and one planktivorous fish species collected at Todos os Santos Bay (BTS). The accumulation order of the trace elements in Lutjanus analis was Al >Zn >Fe >Cr >Ba >Ni. In Cetengraulis edentulus, the order was Al >Fe >Zn >Cr >Ni >Mn >As. In the species Diapterus rhombeus, the order was Al >Fe >Zn >Cr >Ni >Mn >Cd. To determine the risk related to the consumption of fish, toxicity guidelines were used as standard references. It was observed that the species C. edentulus contained concentrations of As exceeding WHO limits, but these concentrations were acceptable according to the Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA) guidelines. Cd levels were found only in D. rhombeus and in low concentrations according to the determinations of WHO and ANVISA. Pb levels were not detected in any of the three fish species. The analyzed elements did not differ statistically according to the species and feeding habits. The results point to possible risks of human contamination by As related to the consumption of the fish species C. edentulus from the BTS.     

Detection of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stenotrophomonas</Emphasis> species growing in an organic acid and endocrine-disrupting chemical-rich environment of distillery spent wash and its phytotoxicity

Sugarcane molasses-based distillery spent wash (DSW) is well known for its toxicity and complex mixture of various recalcitrant organic pollutants with acidic pH, but the chemical nature of these pollutants is unknown. This study revealed the presence of toxic organic acids (butanedioic acid bis(TMS)ester; 2-hydroxysocaproic acid; benzenepropanoic acid, α-[(TMS)oxy], TMS ester; vanillylpropionic acid, bis(TMS)), and other recalcitrant organic pollutants (2-furancarboxylic acid, 5-[[(TMS)oxy] methyl], TMS ester; benzoic acid 3-methoxy-4-[(TMS)oxy], TMS ester; and tricarballylic acid 3TMS), which are listed as endocrine-disrupting chemicals. In addition, several major heavy metals were detected, including Fe (163.947), Mn (4.556), Zn (2.487), and Ni (1.175 mg l^?1). Bacterial community analysis by restriction fragment length polymorphism revealed that Bacillus and Stenotrophomonas were dominant autochthonous bacterial communities belonging to the phylum Firmicutes and γ-Proteobacteria, respectively. The presence of Bacillus and Stenotrophomonas species in highly acidic environments indicated its broad range adaptation. These findings indicated that these autochthonous bacterial communities were pioneer taxa for in situ remediation of this hazardous waste during ecological succession. Further, phytotoxicity assay of DSW with Phaseolus mungo L. and Triticum aestivum revealed that T. aestivum was more sensitive than P. mungo L. in the seed germination test. The results of this study may be useful for monitoring and toxicity assessment of sugarcane molasses-based distillery waste at disposal sites.     

Large-scale carbon stock assessment of woody vegetation in tropical dry deciduous forest of Sathanur reserve forest,Eastern Ghats,India

Tropical dry forests are one of the most widely distributed ecosystems in tropics, which remain neglected in research, especially in the Eastern Ghats. Therefore, the present study was aimed to quantify the carbon storage in woody vegetation (trees and lianas) on large scale (30, 1 ha plots) in the dry deciduous forest of Sathanur reserve forest of Eastern Ghats. Biomass of adult (≥10 cm DBH) trees was estimated by species-specific allometric equations using diameter and wood density of species whereas in juvenile tree population and lianas, their respective general allometric equations were used to estimate the biomass. The fractional value 0.4453 was used to convert dry biomass into carbon in woody vegetation of tropical dry forest. The mean aboveground biomass value of juvenile tree population was 1.86 Mg/ha. The aboveground biomass of adult trees ranged from 64.81 to 624.96 Mg/ha with a mean of 245.90 Mg/ha. The mean aboveground biomass value of lianas was 7.98 Mg/ha. The total biomass of woody vegetation (adult trees + juvenile population of trees + lianas) ranged from 85.02 to 723.46 Mg/ha, with a mean value of 295.04 Mg/ha. Total carbon accumulated in woody vegetation in tropical dry deciduous forest ranged from 37.86 to 322.16 Mg/ha with a mean value of 131.38 Mg/ha. Adult trees accumulated 94.81% of woody biomass carbon followed by lianas (3.99%) and juvenile population of trees (1.20%). Albizia amara has the greatest biomass and carbon stock (58.31%) among trees except for two plots (24 and 25) where Chloroxylon swietenia contributed more to biomass and carbon stock. Similarly, Albizia amara (52.4%) showed greater carbon storage in juvenile population of trees followed by Chloroxylon swietenia (21.9%). Pterolobium hexapetalum (38.86%) showed a greater accumulation of carbon in liana species followed by Combretum albidum (33.04%). Even though, all the study plots are located within 10 km radius, they show a significant spatial variation among them in terms of biomass and carbon stocks which could be attributed to variation in anthropogenic pressures among the plots as well as to changes in tree density across landscapes. Total basal area of woody vegetation showed a significant positive (R ² = 0.978; P = 0.000) relationship with carbon storage while juvenile tree basal area showed the negative relationship (R ² = 0.4804; P = 0.000) with woody carbon storage. The present study generates a large-scale baseline data of dry deciduous forest carbon stock, which would facilitate carbon stock assessment at a national level as well as to understand its contribution on a global scale.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Synechococcus</Emphasis> production and grazing loss rates in nearshore tropical waters

Temporal variation of Synechococcus, its production (μ) and grazing loss (g) rates were studied for 2 years at nearshore stations, i.e. Port Dickson and Port Klang along the Straits of Malacca. Synechococcus abundance at Port Dickson (0.3–2.3 × 10⁵ cell ml^?1) was always higher than at Port Klang (0.3–7.1 × 10⁴ cell ml^?1) (p < 0.001). μ ranged up to 0.98 day^?1 (0.51 ± 0.29 day^?1), while g ranged from 0.02 to 0.31 day^?1 (0.15 ± 0.07 day^?1) at Port Klang. At Port Dickson, μ and g averaged 0.47 ± 0.13 day^?1 (0.29–0.82 day^?1) and 0.31 ± 0.14 day^?1 (0.13–0.63 day^?1), respectively. Synechococcus abundance did not correlate with temperature (p > 0.25), but nutrient and light availability were important factors for their distribution. The relationship was modelled as log Synechococcus = 0.37Secchi ? 0.01DIN + 4.52 where light availability (as Secchi disc depth) was a more important determinant. From a two-factorial experiment, nutrients were not significant for Synechococcus growth as in situ nutrient concentrations exceeded the threshold for saturated growth. However, light availability was important and elevated Synechococcus growth rates especially at Port Dickson (F = 5.94, p < 0.05). As for grazing loss rates, they were independent of either nutrients or light intensity (p > 0.30). In nearshore tropical waters, an estimated 69 % of Synechococcus production could be grazed.     

Spatiotemporal analysis of the effect of climate change on vegetation health in the Drakensberg Mountain Region of South Africa

The impact of climate change on mountain ecosystems has been in the spotlight for the past three decades. Climate change is generally considered to be a threat to ecosystem health in mountain regions. Vegetation indices can be used to detect shifts in ecosystem phenology and climate change in mountain regions while satellite imagery can play an important role in this process. However, what has remained problematic is determining the extent to which ecosystem phenology is affected by climate change under increasingly warming conditions. In this paper, we use climate and vegetation indices that were derived from satellite data to investigate the link between ecosystem phenology and climate change in the Namahadi Catchment Area of the Drakensberg Mountain Region of South Africa. The time series for climate indices as well as those for gridded precipitation and temperature data were analyzed in order to determine climate shifts, and concomitant changes in vegetation health were assessed in the resultant epochs using vegetation indices. The results indicate that vegetation indices should only be used to assess trends in climate change under relatively pristine conditions, where human influence is limited. This knowledge is important for designing climate change monitoring strategies that are based on ecosystem phenology and vegetation health.     

Assessment of chlorine tolerance profile of <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Citrobacter</Emphasis> species recovered from wastewater treatment plants in Eastern Cape,South Africa

This present study assessed the chlorine tolerance of some Citrobacter species recovered from secondary effluents from the clarifiers of two wastewater treatment plants in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The bacterial survival, chlorine lethal dose and inactivation kinetics at lethal doses were examined. Inactivation of the test bacteria (n = 20) at the recommended dose of 0.5 mg/l for 30 min exposure showed a progressive reduction in bacterial population from 4 to 5 log reduction and residuals ranged between 0.12 and 0.46 mg/l. The bactericidal activity of chlorine increased at higher dosages with a substantial reduction in viability of the bacteria and complete inactivation of the bacterial population at a lethal dose of 0.75 and 1.0 mg/l in 30 min. For the inactivation kinetics, bactericidal activity of chlorine increased with time showing a 3.67–5.4 log reduction in 10 min, 4.0–5.6 log reduction in 20 min and above 6.3 log reductions to complete sterilization of bacterial population over 30 min for all the entire test Citrobacter isolates used in this study. Furthermore, there was a strong correlation (R ² > 0.84) between bacteria inactivation and increase in contact time. This study appears to have provided support for laboratory evidence of bacterial tolerance to chlorine disinfection at current recommended dose (0.5 mg/l for 30 min), and chlorine concentration between 0.75 and 1.0 mg/l was found to have a better disinfecting capacity to check tolerance of Citrobacter species.     

Dynamic Modeling of Biological Treatment of Leachates from Solid Wastes

Leachates from municipal solid wastes are liquids formed by organic and inorganic components suitable for biological treatment. In biological treatment plants, prediction of the output parameter value due to dynamic variation is essential. A dynamic model based on ASM1 has been applied for prediction of effluent COD value at real scale, using three different composition leachates. Tuning between dynamic variables and predicted parameter is tested for a correct proposal of the model. Dynamic model predicts correctly fluctuations in the output COD value and tempers dynamism caused by variation of temperature and biomass concentration in the case of high organic loaded leachates. Kinetic parameters Y _H and K _s are fixed to solve the model, and dynamic variables μ _H and X_BH are changing in time. μ_H,max is obtained in simulation (0.37–1.82 day^?1) for minimum error between predicted values and experimental data. μ_H,max value is much lower compared with the value for domestic wastewater treatment due to lower biodegradability of leachate.     

Microplankton dynamics of a coastal lagoon,Chilika: interactive effect of environmental parameters on microplankton groups

Microplankton population of Asia’s largest coastal lagoon Chilika was studied for five major groups, bacillariophyceae, cyanophyceae, chlorophyceae, dinophyceae, rotifera, and tintinninae. The study reported presence of 233 species of microplankton whose average annual abundance was 1631 cells/l. The physicochemical parameters contributing to the spatio-temporal fluctuations in microplankton diversity, abundance, and community structure were identified as salinity, pH, DO, nitrate, and silicate. Salinity, transparency, depth, and silicate most explained the abundance of bacillariophyceae; nitrate, pH, and DO influenced cyanophyceae; salinity, transparency, and chlorophyll concentration influenced chlorophyceae; salinity, depth, and water temperature influenced dinophyceae; salinity, free CO2, and nitrate-influenced rotifers, whereas salinity, pH, DO, and depth influenced tintinnids. Biotic-abiotic relationships revealed particular preference of environmental conditions at species level in groups like bacillariophyceae, cyanophyceae, and dinophyceae. Although the lagoon is shallow, bacillariophyceae-environment interaction showed depth can be a critical factor for species like Aulocoseira sp., Amphipleura sp., and Rhophalodia sp. Species of dinoflagellates like Dinophysis caudata, Noctiluca scintillans, and Protoperidinium proliferated in lower level of silicate. Unlike other cyanophyceae species Streptococcus sp., Chroococcus sp., Diplococcus sp., Aphanocapsa sp., and Gloeocapsa sp. were negatively influenced by nitrate concentration. The study provides better scope for ecological management of the lagoon with respect to conserving biodiversity and hydrological quality of the ecosystem.     

Cultivable microbiome and its resistance to antimicrobials isolated from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zaprionus indianus</Emphasis>

The objective of this study was to identify Z. indianus in PEJC and PESCAN. Listed are the following methods: to isolate bacteria from the integument of the Z. indianus species collected and to check the resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics. Collections of Z. indianus were performed in four seasons of the two parks. The results obtained suggest that the low amount of Z. indianus collected can be justified by environmental factors such as high average temperature and low average humidity. It is noted that there is a predominance of bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family found in both the PEJC and the PESCAN. The antibiogram performed for the isolated PEJC bacteria shows statistical significance when comparing the edge and inside values of the park. Studies with fungi were also carried out, and it was evidenced that Trichophyton spp. was the genus that most inhabited the two environments studied. The ability of fluconazole and ketoconazole to inhibit fungal growth was also investigated, and considering the concentration tested may suggest that they have good action spectra. Plasmid profile data show that 60% of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have plasmids. The values found show that Z. indianus can act as vectors of microorganisms that affect the healthy animals and humans and that these organisms may be influenced by seasons.     

Estimation of underwater visibility in coastal and inland waters using remote sensing data

An optical method is developed to estimate water transparency (or underwater visibility) in terms of Secchi depth (Z _sd ), which follows the remote sensing and contrast transmittance theory. The major factors governing the variation in Z _sd , namely, turbidity and length attenuation coefficient (1/(c + K _d ), c = beam attenuation coefficient; K _d  = diffuse attenuation coefficient at 531 nm), are obtained based on band rationing techniques. It was found that the band ratio of remote sensing reflectance (expressed as (R _rs (443) + R _rs (490))/(R _rs (555) + R _rs (670)) contains essential information about the water column optical properties and thereby positively correlates to turbidity. The beam attenuation coefficient (c) at 531 nm is obtained by a linear relationship with turbidity. To derive the vertical diffuse attenuation coefficient (K _d ) at 531 nm, K _d (490) is estimated as a function of reflectance ratio (R _rs (670)/R _rs (490)), which provides the bio-optical link between chlorophyll concentration and K _d (531). The present algorithm was applied to MODIS-Aqua images, and the results were evaluated by matchup comparisons between the remotely estimated Z _sd and in situ Z _sd in coastal waters off Point Calimere and its adjoining regions on the southeast coast of India. The results showed the pattern of increasing Z _sd from shallow turbid waters to deep clear waters. The statistical evaluation of the results showed that the percent mean relative error between the MODIS-Aqua-derived Z _sd and in situ Z _sd values was within ±25%. A close agreement achieved in spatial contours of MODIS-Aqua-derived Z _sd and in situ Z _sd for the month of January 2014 and August 2013 promises the model capability to yield accurate estimates of Z _sd in coastal, estuarine, and inland waters. The spatial contours have been included to provide the best data visualization of the measured, modeled (in situ), and satellite-derived Z _sd products. The modeled and satellite-derived Z _sd values were compared with measurement data which yielded RMSE = 0.079, MRE = ?0.016, and R ²  = 0.95 for the modeled Z _sd and RMSE = 0.075, MRE = 0.020, and R ²  = 0.95 for the satellite-derived Z _sd products.