The ecology of two sandy beaches in south west India. II. Notes on Emerita holthuisi

The mole crab Emerita holthuisi Sankolli occurred on two beaches, at Shertallai and at Cochin, in southwest India. Observations on the size-frequency of samples for Shertallai suggest that there were two main periods of recruitment, one in the pre-monsoon,months of February and March, and one during the monsoon, although there may have been some recruitment throught the year. At Cochin, E. holthuisi was present in the pre-monsoon period, but disappeared from the beach during the monsoon.     

Ecology of sandy beaches in Oman

The benthic macrofauna and physical features of 10 sandy beaches along the coast of Oman were surveyed quantitatively. This is a mesotidal regime mostly subject to low to moderate wave energy but more exposed in the south. Five northern beaches are tide-dominated, with low wave energy, and their profiles consist of a berm, a steep, swash-dominated upper shore and a broad tide-dominated terrace from mid-shore downwards. They are composed of moderately sorted fine to medium sands. Southern beaches experience greater wave energy, particularly during the summer southwest monsoon, and exhibit smoother, concave profiles with fine, fairly well sorted carbonate sand. 58 species and species groups were recorded, with crustanceans, polychaetes and molluscs dominant. In general species richness was high, at least 19–25 species per beach, but dry biomass moderate to low at 26–90g/m shoreline, with one high value of 450g/m. Total abundance was moderate at 3–73×10³ organisms/m of beach. Some zonation was evident with ocypodid crabs andTylos in the supralittoral, cirolanid isopods on the upper shore and a variety of species on the lower shore. The coast of Oman appears to constitute a single zoogeographic region, but with some regional differentiation between north and south due to varying physical conditions. Thus, OmanÕs beaches are characterized by tide-dominated morphodynamics and exceptionally high species richness.     

The ecology of two sandy beaches in south west India. III. Observations on the population of Donax incarnatus and D. spiculum

The biology of two species of Donax, D. incarnatus Gmelin and D. spiculum Reeve on two beaches in south west India is described. Two year groups of D. incarnatus were present on both beaches, from settlements during the monsoon period in 1967 and 1968. At Shertallai, both groups were studied through the year, and data on growth, mortality and production are presented. At Cochin, the rate of growth was slower and the maximum size attained smaller, but mortality during the early monsoon precluded study of D. incarnatus through a full year. D. spiculum occurred at Cochin mainly during the pre-monsoon period, and at Shertallai during the post-monsoon. The species has a shorter life-span than D. incarnatus, but its irregular occurrence did not allow detailed production estimates.     

The ecology of two sandy beaches in south west India. I. Seasonal changes in physical and chemical factors,and in the macrofauna

Changes during one year in the fauna of two beaches in south India are described in relation to the nutrient content of the water and sand, and the physical changes brought about by the south-west monsoon. At both beaches, the most stable conditions were reached in the pre-monsoon months when the greatest number of species occurred and when there was marked zonation. During the monsoon, erosion took place and only actively migrating species remained to form a permanent element of the beach fauna. Data on population density and biomass indicate markedly seasonal recruitment and rapid growth of individual species, most of which are suspension feeders.     

Zonation of the interstitial polychaeteStygocapitella subterranea (Stygocapitellidae) in European sandy beaches

The zonation ofStygocapitella subterranea Knoellner (Polychaeta, Stygocapitellidae) in sandy beaches is compared for several localities along the European coasts. In tidal beaches the species occupies a zone near average high tide level (AHTL), whereas in non-tidal beaches it is found at a fairly long distance from the water line. The regularities observed inS. subterranea indicate that the interstitial fauna may prove well suited for the establishment of a general scheme of zonation in sandy beaches analogous to that for rocky shores proposed byStephenson andStephenson (1949).     

Compression of home ranges in ghost crabs on sandy beaches impacted by vehicle traffic

Animal movement is a pivotal element of many ecological processes, and on ocean-exposed sandy shores, ghost crabs (genus Ocypode) undertake extensive nocturnal forays on the beach surface. Because crab populations are also threatened by vehicle traffic, indicators that can detect sublethal effects before population declines are manifest are important. To this end, we tested on a barrier island in Eastern Australia whether movement patterns of crabs respond predictably to disturbance by vehicles; this was done by tracking (using the spool-and-line technique) crabs at night in beach sections open and closed to traffic. Beach traffic not only halved population densities of crabs on the unvegetated beach seawards of the dunes, but it also fundamentally changed crab behaviour and movement: individuals from beach areas rutted by tyre tracks travelled shorter distances in a more erratic zigzag pattern, and they had significantly compressed home ranges. Such behavioural changes linked to human pressures could be well suited as an early warning signal for wider negative ecological impacts (as demonstrated by reduced abundances). They also emphasize the need to incorporate sublethal effects into the assessment and management of ecological changes resulting from beach recreation.     

Reproductive plasticity in mole crabs, Emerita brasiliensis, in sandy beaches with contrasting morphodynamics

Ovarian macroscopical analysis, histological validation and field sampling procedures were used to evaluate the variability in reproductive traits of the mole crab Emerita brasiliensis Schmitt, 1935 (Decapoda: Hippidae) in two exposed sandy beaches of Uruguay with contrasting morphodynamics. All developmental stages involved in the complex life cycle exhibited lower abundance, individual size and temporal occurrence in a harsh reflective beach, compared with a more benign dissipative environment. In addition, this population showed more compressed events of the reproductive cycle (e.g oogenesis, encounter of potential mate and female parental care) and recruitment period. However, the beginning of the vitellogenesis, ovary maturity, male sexual differentiation and ending of spermatogenesis occurred at smaller sizes under dissipative conditions. These results disagree with the recent findings of delayed sexual maturity in dissipative beaches. We postulate that, in dissipative conditions, high food availability might allow an overlapping of reproductive and moulting processes, and thus females may reach optimum size and sexual maturity with fewer moults than in reflective beaches. Hence, reproductive responses must be considered not only in relation to environmental harshness, but also in the context of life history traits and their phylogenetic and allometric constraints. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Increased macrophyte nitrate reductase activity as a consequence of groundwater input of nitrate through sandy beaches

While most marine macrophytes preferentially assimilate ammonium to meet growth demand for nitrogen, some also utilize nitrate and exhibit high nitrate reductase activity (NRA). Although nitrate concentrations are often low in coastal waters during the summer and sandy beaches are generally considered to be low nutrient-input habitats, we have observed elevated NRA in leaves of some eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) plants growing immediately adjacent to the shoreline. We postulated that nitrate may become available to eelgrass and macroalgae via groundwater inputs that enter the nearshore water column. To address this possibility, we investigated the availability of groundwater nitrate for the induction of NRA in the leaves of eelgrass and in the macroalgaeSargassum filipendula C. Agardh (Phaeophyceae) andEnteromorpha intestinalis L. Link (Chlorophyceae) collected adjacent to two sandy beaches in the vicinity of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA. Induction of NRA was determined in the laboratory for eelgrass collected from one of the beach sites and from an offshore site, Lackey's Bay, which is isolated from groundwater input. At the two beach locations, pore water nitrate concentrations were 100 to 400µM within a few meters inland from the waterline. Nitrate efflux into the nearshore water column was quite high and variable (2160±660µmol m^–2 h^–1) when associated with rapid percolation (37±11 1 m^–2 h^–1) of nitrate-enriched pore water. Turbulent wave mixing rapidly diluted the nitrate. Macroalgae and eelgrass growing adjacent to a beach with high nitrate efflux had NR activities three- to sevenfold higher than those of algae and eelgrass growing along a beach section with low nitrate efflux. NRA of eelgrass plants from Lackey's Bay and Great Harbor increased in response to low daily nitrate additions (10 to 25µM) in the laboratory, with higher nitrate additions (50 to 200µM) yielding less dramatic responses. The increase in NRA was roughly three times higher for Great Harbor than for Lackey's Bay eelgrass. It appears that groundwater input of nitrate is sufficient to induce NRA in marine macrophytes growing near some beaches, including those with turbulent wave mixing.     

Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination in surface sediment of the Chitrapuzha River,South West India

Distribution (seasonal and spatial) of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments of the Chitrapuzha River, Cochin, India, was investigated using gas chromatography. Significantly high concentrations prevailed during the pre-monsoon season with the industrial zones of the river appearing to be hot spots with particularly elevated levels of the hydrocarbons. AHCs ranged between 7754 and 41,173?ng/g with an average of 25,256?ng/g, while total PAHs varied from 5046 to 33,087?ng/g. n-Alkane indices and PAH diagnostic ratios point to petroleum contamination in the sediments. The significance of PAHs in the sediments was explored using universally accepted interpretation tools. Observed levels of PAHs in sediments of Chitrapuzha are likely to cause adverse effects on biota.     

Habitat harshness and morphodynamics: life history traits of the mole crab Emerita brasiliensis in Uruguayan sandy beaches

The habitat harshness hypothesis (HHH) postulates that in reflective beaches the harsh environment forces organisms to divert more energy towards maintenance and they therefore have lower abundance, fecundity, growth and survival rates than in dissipative beaches. Recent investigations have tested this hypothesis through single comparisons of only two beaches, and thus the observed trends in population level variables cannot be attributed incontestably to the beach state, but only to location. Here, abundance, reproduction, recruitment, population structure and body size of the intertidal mole crab Emerita brasiliensis were compared between populations from eight microtidal exposed sandy beaches with contrasting morphodynamics, sampled bimonthly during 22 months throughout the 180 km Uruguayan Atlantic coast. Physical variables and compound indices of the beach state were used to categorize sandy beaches. The results of this bi-annual large-scale analysis were fully consistent with the predictions of the HHH: abundance (total and population components), duration of the reproduction and recruitment seasons and the individual size of megalops and females of the mole crab E. brasiliensis decreased from dissipative to reflective beaches. This was reflected by linear or, mostly, nonlinear relationships between biological and both physical variables and compound indices of beach state. In conclusion, this multi-beach sampling provides compelling evidence of a consistent response of demographic and life history traits of an intertidal beach species to morphodynamic characteristics.     

HIV sero-prevalance in general population of Warangal, A.P., South India

HIV/AIDS pandemic has devastated many countries reversing national development; HIV was not seen in Asia and India till 1980. Now India has become epicenter of AIDS pandemic. During April 2002 to March 2003 the HIV+ ve pregnant women and their husbands were encouraged to enroll in the prospective study with informed consent. The study results consist of most of the females who are in the age group between 16-25 years who were affected by HIV High infection is observed in people with lower socio-economic and education background. High infection rate is observed in house wives (26.7%), laborers (23%) and agricultural workers (12.1%) followed by toddy tapers (5%), drivers (5.96%) and others (6 47%). HIV +ve subjects at Mother To Child Transmission (MTCT) centers are surprisingly clinically very healthy. No disease manifestation was noticed.     

Arsenic in groundwater in six districts of West Bengal,India

Arsenic in groundwater above the WHO maximum permissible limit of 0.05 mg l^–1 has been found in six districts of West Bengal covering an area of 34 000 km² with a population of 30 million. At present, 37 administrative blocks by the side of the River Ganga and adjoining areas are affected. Areas affected by arsenic contamination in groundwater are all located in the upper delta plain, and are mostly in the abandoned meander belt. More than 800 000 people from 312 villages/wards are drinking arsenic contaminated water and amongst them at least 175 000 people show arsenical skin lesions. Thousands of tube-well water in these six districts have been analysed for arsenic species. Hair, nails, scales, urine, liver tissue analyses show elevated concentrations of arsenic in people drinking arsenic-contaminated water for a longer period. The source of the arsenic is geological. Bore-hole sediment analyses show high arsenic concentrations in only few soil layers which is found to be associated with iron-pyrites. Various social problems arise due to arsenical skin lesions in these districts. Malnutrition, poor socio-economic conditions, illiteracy, food habits and intake of arsenic-contaminated water for many years have aggravated the arsenic toxicity. In all these districts, major water demands are met from groundwater and the geochemical reaction, caused by high withdrawal of water may be the cause of arsenic leaching from the source. If alternative water resources are not utilised, a good percentage of the 30 million people of these six districts may suffer from arsenic toxicity in the near future.     

Occurrence of tar balls on the beaches of Fernando de Noronha Island,South Equatorial Atlantic

This work reports on the widespread occurrence of tar balls on a pebble beach of Sueste Bay on Fernando de Noronha Island, a Brazilian national marine park and a preserve in the South Equatorial Atlantic. Environmental regulations preclude regular visitors to the Sueste Bay beach, and the bay is a pristine area without any possible or potential sources of petroleum in the coastal zone. In this work, these tar balls were observed for the first time as they occurred as envelopes around beach pebbles. They are black in color, very hard, have a shell and coral fragment armor, and range in average size from 2 to 6 cm. The shape of the majority of the tar balls is spherical, but some can also be flattened ellipsoids. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon analyses of the collected samples revealed the characteristics of a strongly weathered material, where only the most persistent compounds were detected: chrysene, benzo(b,k)fluoranthene, dibenzo(a,h)antracene and benzo(a)pyrene.     

Pesticide Residues in Water From River Kaveri,South India

The residue levels of presistent chlorinated pesticides such as HCH (hexachlorocyclo-hexane) isomers and DDT (dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane) compounds were quantified in water samples collected from the River Kaveri and its distributor River Coleroon in Tamil Nadu, South India. HCH showed higher levels in River Kaveri during premonsoon (July to September) and monsoon (October to December) months, reflecting the HCH usage during that season for paddy crops. But in the case of DDT no clear trend in residue level was observed. the α-HCH was detected as the dominant isomer in all the three sampling sites. Among DDT compounds, p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE showed higher percentage of the total. International comparison of residue levels revealed that the present values are comparable to the waters from Asian and South East Asian nations, but lower than some samples from other parts of India. the value of DDT is well below the EEC's maximum acceptable concentration for surface waters and lower than the recommended limit of 2000ng 1^-1 in USA water for protection of aquatic life (Water Quality Criteria, 1972).     

Activity rhythms of two cirolanid isopods from an exposed microtidal sandy beach in Uruguay

Activity rhythms of two cirolanid isopods, Excirolana armata and Excirolana braziliensis, were studied based on both seasonal field observations and laboratory experiments, at an exposed microtidal sandy beach in Uruguay. The natural emergence patterns of both species were observed in the field for 1 year, twice in each season, and correlated to sea level, expected tidal cycles and diel cycles. Laboratory experiments were carried out in order to detect endogenous rhythms of activity and observe how emergence of both species was affected by changes in light and/or sediment thixotropy. We also compared behavioral strategies of sympatric species that occupy different beach levels. Sea level (and thus swash zone position) during field sampling did not follow expected tidal cycles for most sampling occasions. E. armata was observed in activity most of the time, but activity only correlated with sea level on three out of eight occasions, and only once was correlated to expected tidal cycle. Laboratory results showed that emergence under constant conditions was rare; changes in sediment thixotropy stimulated emergence, but the response was not cyclical; light had little effect on this response. On the other hand, E. braziliensis was fairly scarce in the water column, but swimming individuals were observed always during the night. They displayed an endogenous circadian activity pattern in the laboratory which augmented in response to changes in sediment thixotropy. The natural light/dark cycle modulated both spontaneous and response emergence by increasing day/night differences in activity. In this study E. armata, a midlittoral species more exposed to sea level variations, seemed to rely entirely on different physical and/or biological cues to trigger emergence at the appropriate time. E. braziliensis, found mostly in the upper intertidal zone, emerged in a circadian rhythm, which was stimulated by changes in sediment thixotropy and reinforced by light cycles. The results of this study led us to conclude that on microtidal, unpredictable beaches, local physical and biological factors can combine to determine different activity strategies in organisms from different intertidal levels. Received: 23 March 2000 / Accepted: 30 August 2000     

Morphodynamic responses of nourished beaches in SW Spain

Coastal erosion in SW Spain is affecting man-made structures and beaches that represent an important economic resource in the area. In the last decade the Spanish government carried out several nourishment works that have limited durability. Most of the artificial beach fills consist of a spill of natural dredged sand on the visible beach, leading to a flat, artificial berm with an important seaward slope and narrow foreshore. As a result, the initial dissipative profile was transformed into a fully reflective one. A beach monitoring program was carried out to record morphological evolution after the nourishment works. Several field assessments of disturbance depth were also made to characterize beach morphodynamics of a nourished beach (Rota) and a natural dissipative one (Tres Piedras), whose slope was similar to the pre-nourishment gradient of Rota beach. Natural dissipative beaches were characterized by spilling breakers that did not significantly affect bottom sand. The severe erosion recorded in the nourished zones was related to the new morphodynamic regime acting on these beaches, which was controlled by high erosive plunging breakers associated with high foreshore slopes. In conclusion, other nourishment practices should be used, better adapted to the natural beach morphodynamics of the zone, taking also into account the original grain size and density of the beach sands, in order to obtain more durable artificial beaches.     

A study on traffic noise of two campuses of University, Balasore, India

Noise pollution is a significant environmental problem in many rapidly urbanizing areas of Orissa, India. Transportation sector is one of the major contributors to noise in these areas. The present study is an attempt to estimate traffic noise pollution at five places on the way from Vyasa Vihar Campus to Gyan Vigyan Vihar Campus of Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, Orissa. The sources of noise at the studied sites are predominantly attributable to motor vehicular traffic. The noise levels of all the five locations were found to be beyond permissible limit during the day time. The contributions of different types of vehicles to environmental noise were found to ranging from 70.4-94.2, 79.0-96.1, 77.8-110.2, 70.8-90.3, 71.0-87.5, 71.1-84.4, 72.5-86.9 and 74.0-85.4 dB (A) by cargo carrying Trucks, Tractors, Dumpers, Town Buses, Motor cycles, Bolero/Trucker, Pick up and Tempo respectively. The contributions of individual vehicles towards noise pollution were found to be more than the road traffic noise-limit i.e., 70 dB (A). On certain local inhabitants interviewed, the impact of noise was observed in the forms of alterations in their physical, psychological and personal aspects. This study warrants attention from all sections of people to deal with the problem of noise pollution.     

Some distinguishing characteristics of nesting beaches of the green turtle Chelonia mydas on North West Cape Peninsula,Western Australia

On an 85 km stretch of coastline along the western and northwestern edge of North West Cape Peninsula, Western Australia, are numerous beaches used for nesting by the green turtle Chelonia mydas. Many other beaches in the area are not so used. Nesting beaches displayed three characteristics that distinguished them from non-nesting beaches: the salinity of the sand moisture at nesting depth was lower, the salt content of surface sand was lower, and the beaches were sheltered from prevailing winds. Several beaches on which turtles did not nest exhibited these characteristics, but possessed sand platforms of reduced elevation above sea level. These observations are discussed in relation to the question of what cues green turtles use in selecting nesting beaches.     

A model of rainfall redistribution in terraced sandy grassland landscapes

A simple model of rainfall redistribution within a terraced sandy grassland landscape has been developed. The model assumes that rainfall redistribution is driven by rainfall impulses and is controlled by characteristic field capacity of soils. When the rainfall intensity is large enough to render soil water content greater than its characteristic field capacity, the excessive soil water can drain very quickly by means of large amounts of non-capillary pores of sandy soils or by means of surface runoff. Exponential distribution of rainfall impulses was assumed and tested with measured daily rainfall at two meteorological stations in the sandy grassland area of north China. The model was solved to give the equivalent rainfall at each terrace in the landscape.