The ecotoxicology of vegetable versus mineral based lubricating oils: 3. Coral fertilization and adult corals

Biodegradable vegetable-derived lubricants (VDL) might be less toxic to marine organisms than mineral-derived oils (MDL) due to the absence of high molecular weight aromatics, but this remains largely untested. In this laboratory study, adult corals and coral gametes were exposed to various concentrations of a two-stroke VDL-1A and a corresponding MDL to determine which lubricant type was more toxic to each life stage. In the fertilization experiment, gametes from the scleractinian coral Acropora microphthalma were exposed to water-accommodated fractions (WAF) of VDL-1A and MDL for four hours. The MDL and VDL-1A WAFs inhibited normal fertilization of the corals at 200 microg l(-1) total hydrocarbon content (THC) and 150 microg l(-1) THC respectively. Disturbance of a stable coral-dinoflagellate symbiosis is regarded as a valid measure of sub-lethal stress in adult corals. The state of the symbiosis in branchlets of adult colonies of Acropora formosa was monitored using indicators such as dinoflagellate expulsion and dark-adapted photosystem II yields of dinoflagellate (using pulse amplitude modulation fluorescence). An effect on symbiosis was measurable following 48 h exposure to the lubricants at concentrations of 190 microg l(-1) and 37 microg l(-1) THC for the MDL and VDL-1A respectively. GC/MS revealed that the main constituent of the VDL-1A WAF was the compound coumarin, added by the manufacturer to improve odour. The fragrance containing coumarin was removed from the lubricant formulation and the toxicity towards adult corals re-examined. The coumarin-free VDL-2 exhibited significantly less toxicity towards the adult corals than all of the other oil types tested, with the only measurable effect being a slight but significant drop in photosynthetic efficiency at 280 microg l(-1).     

Development of QSARs to investigate the bacterial toxicity and biotransformation potential of aromatic heterocylic compounds

A series of aromatic heterocyclic and hydrocarbon compounds were tested for toxicity and biotransformation potential against two contrasting lux-marked whole-cell microbial biosensors. Toxicity was determined by inhibition of light output of a Pseudomonas fluorescens construct that expresses lux constitutively. Biotransformation was tested by increase in light output of P. fluorescens HK44 (pUTK21), which expresses lux when in the presence of a metabolic intermediate (salicylate). The data were then modelled against physical/chemical properties of the compounds tested to see if quantitative structure–activity relationships (QSARs) could be derived. Toxicity was found to be accurately predicted by log K_ow (R²=0.95, Q²=0.88), with the basic (pyridine-ring containing) heterocycles modelled separately. The biotransformation data were best modelled using lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies (R²=0.90, Q²=0.87).     

Nontarget-plant risk assessment for pesticide registration

The approach developed by Environment Canada to assess risk to aquatic and terrestrial plants in nontarget habitats potentially exposed to pesticides evaluated for registration is described. An anonymous sample of pesticide submissions is used to illustrate the approach and to examine its merits and limitations in relation to test species, response variability, testing protocols, ecological relevance, and comparability with other regulatory agencies. Future directions are identified, particularly in relation to impending nontarget-plant testing guidelines for pesticide registration in Canada. This approach incorporates some of the latest research and developments in the field of risk assessment for plants. The novelty of this approach also lies in the use of the plant screening data routinely generated by chemical pesticide companies, which is intended to provide a maximum amount of information to evaluators at minimal increment cost to registrants. The proposed approach can serve as a basis for guideline development and modernization for other jurisdictions.     

Effects of predators on sea urchin density and habitat use in a southern California kelp forest

Grazing sea urchins can reduce kelp abundance and therefore strongly affect kelp forest community structure. Despite the ecological importance of sea urchins, direct field studies on the role that urchin predators play in shaping urchin populations are rare for southern California. We conducted surveys and manipulative experiments within kelp forests near San Diego, CA, (32–51′28″N, 117–16′00″W) from 2006 to 2009 to determine whether predators such as sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) and spiny lobsters (Panulirus interruptus) may be linked to purple urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) and red urchin (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) distribution and habitat use, as well as purple urchin density-dependent mortality. Purple urchins were less dense and more cryptic inside a local marine protected area (MPA) that contained high predator abundance than in nearby heavily fished areas, whereas red urchins rarely were found outside the MPA. Urchin proportional mortality was inversely density dependent during the day when sheephead were active, despite fish aggregations in plots of high urchin density, but was density independent during the night when lobsters were active. Urchin mortality was reduced under understory algal cover during the day, but not during the night. Examining whether urchin mortality from predation is density dependent and how habitat complexity influences this relationship is imperative because behavioral changes and increases in urchin populations can have vast ecological and economic consequences in kelp forest communities.     

The role of national culture in determining safety performance: Challenges for the global oil and gas industry

This paper addresses the issue of occupational safety and how the process of globalisation can potentially influence the attitudes, beliefs and behaviour of disparate ‘national’ workforces working across the globe for the same multi-national company. The paper reviews published literature on cross-cultural differences in attitudes, perceptions and beliefs regarding safety and presents details of a study examining the relationship between Hofstede’s [Hofstede, G., 1984. Culture’s Consequences; International Differences in Work-Related Values, Abridged edition. Sage Publications, London, Hofstede, G., 1991. Culture and Organisations; Software of the Mind. McGraw Hill, Maidenhead] cultural values dimensions (i.e., Power Distance, Individualism/Collectivism, Masculinity/Femininity); safety climate (perceived management commitment to safety) and risk-taking behaviour in workforce members of a multi-national engineering organisation operating in six countries. The results suggest that more proximal influences such as perceived management commitment to safety and the efficacy of safety measures exert more impact on workforce behaviour and subsequent accident rates than fundamental national values.     

Multiscale Analysis of Restoration Priorities for Marine Shoreline Planning

Planners are being called on to prioritize marine shorelines for conservation status and restoration action. This study documents an approach to determining the management strategy most likely to succeed based on current conditions at local and landscape scales. The conceptual framework based in restoration ecology pairs appropriate restoration strategies with sites based on the likelihood of producing long-term resilience given the condition of ecosystem structures and processes at three scales: the shorezone unit (site), the drift cell reach (nearshore marine landscape), and the watershed (terrestrial landscape). The analysis is structured by a conceptual ecosystem model that identifies anthropogenic impacts on targeted ecosystem functions. A scoring system, weighted by geomorphic class, is applied to available spatial data for indicators of stress and function using geographic information systems. This planning tool augments other approaches to prioritizing restoration, including historical conditions and change analysis and ecosystem valuation.