Inter-island movements of scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) and seasonal connectivity in a marine protected area of the eastern tropical Pacific

Marine top predators are common at offshore bathymetric features such as islands, atolls, and seamounts, where most pelagic reef fish reside, while certain sharks perform inter-island movements between these formations. Scalloped hammerhead sharks are known to school in great numbers at small islands and seamounts in the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP) and are very susceptible to fisheries while moving into the open sea. It is, therefore, essential to understand hammerhead inter-island movements and environmental effects to provide baseline information for their conservation and management within and beyond an insular marine protected area. Movements of scalloped hammerheads were analyzed in the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) and ETP, and environmental factors were linked to their movements. Hammerheads were tagged (N = 134) with V16 coded pingers (July 2006 to July 2010) in the northern Galapagos and detected at listening stations around four islands in the GMR and two isolated islands in the ETP, 700 and 1,200 km away. Hammerheads formed daytime schools at specific locations, but dispersed at night. Overall, more daytime than nighttime detections were recorded at all receivers in the northern Galapagos Islands, and more detections in the up-current sides of these islands. Hammerheads remained more days at the northern islands during part of the warm season (December–February) compared to the cool; however, fewer individuals were present in March–June. Movement modes were diel island excursions (24-h cycles) in the northern Galapagos and inter-island in the GMR and ETP at different scales: (1) short back-and-forth (<50 km, SBF), <5 days cycles, (2) medium distance (50–300 km, MDT), 5–20 days, and (3) long distance (>300 km, LDT), 15–52 days. The high degree of inter-island connectivity of hammerheads within the northern GMR is striking compared to the almost nil movement to the central GMR. A seasonal migratory pattern to locations offshore is indicated by (1) fewer hammerheads observed in the northern GMR during part of the warm season (March–June) and (2) evidence of LDT movements from the northern GMR to other islands in the ETP. LDT movements of mature female hammerheads are possibly associated with pupping areas. Our results indicate that currents, season, and individual behavior mainly drive inter-island movements of hammerheads at small (SBF) and medium (MDT) scales. These findings have important implications for the management of a highly mobile and endangered top predator within a marine protected area and beyond.     

Endocrine disruptors in the Leça River and nearby Porto Coast (NW Portugal): presence of estrogenic compounds and hypoxic conditions

The Leça River and two beaches close to the north and south margins of the estuary, nowadays an important seaport harbor, show signs of contamination. However, the chemical nature of that contamination is uncertain. Therefore, this study checked for the presence of 11 endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) of animal (17β-estradiol and estrone), pharmaceutical (17α-ethynylestradiol), and industrial (alkylphenols, alkylphenol ethoxylates, and bisphenol A) origins in water samples collected from six points at the river gradient and at two sites in the coastline (Atlantic Ocean). Along with the EDCs, evaluated by gas chromatography – mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) during spring, summer, and autumn, physico-chemical parameters were also assessed and particular attention was given to dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. Data showed the presence of high amounts of estrogens (up to 10?ng?L^?1 for estrone) and industrial compounds (up to 2?µg?L^?1 for the nonylphenol ethoxylates) at both river and seacoast. Along with this, clear signs of hypoxia were found in the river (DO??1 at several sampling sites). Taking into account these issues, it was concluded that there are local conditions for the occurrence of endocrine disruption in aquatic animals.     

Life cycle assessment for printed newspapers in Northwestern Mexico

This paper aims to present the relevant results of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study conducted on printed matter under a sheet-fed offset printing process by a company located in northwestern Mexico. Different scenarios were simulated in order to support decisions related to the improvement of environmental performance along the production processes. The study design was based on the European Platform on Life Cycle Assessment (EPLCA), which is in line with the ISO 14040 and 14044:2006 standards on LCA. The scope of the study was cradle-to-gate, with emphasis on the production of printed matter. The method chosen for the impact assessment was Impact 2002+ with a combined midpoint–damage approach. The results of the study showed that the major contributors to adverse effects were, primarily electricity consumption followed by paper consumption during the printing operation, as well as consumption of ink to a small degree. As for the plate-making operation along with the generation of secondary products, the result was negative. This is essentially due to involvement of recyclable materials, thus contributing to the prevention of raw material extraction. The smallest impact was observed from processes involving cleaning products and LP gas. The main issues of concern stemming from the results are electricity consumption and printing – both activities dominate almost all the midpoint categories. Generation of secondary products also had a relative environmental impact along the supply chain. Cleaning agents and LP gas did not have a significant impact on the final results of the process.     

An analysis of the influence of the local effects of climatic and hydrological factors affecting new malaria cases in riverine areas along the Rio Negro and surrounding Puraquequara Lake,Amazonas, Brazil

A study was conducted at three sampling regions along the Rio Negro and surrounding Puraquequara Lake, Amazonas, Brazil. The aim was to determine the influence of the local effects of climatic and hydrological variables on new malaria cases. Data was gathered on the river level, precipitation, air temperature, and the number of new cases of autochthonous malaria between January 2003 and December 2013. Monthly averages, time series decompositions, cross-correlations, and multiple regressions revealed different relationships at each location. The sampling region in the upper Rio Negro indicated no statistically significant results. However, monthly averages suggest that precipitation and air temperature correlate positively with the occurrence of new cases of malaria. In the mid Rio Negro and Puraquequara Lake, the river level positively correlated, and temperature negatively correlated with new transmissions, while precipitation correlated negatively in the mid Rio Negro and positively on the lake. Overall, the river level is a key variable affecting the formation of breeding sites, while precipitation may either develop or damage them. A negative temperature correlation is associated with the occurrence of new annual post-peak cases of malaria, when the monthly average exceeds 28.5 °C. This suggests that several factors contribute to the occurrence of new malaria cases as higher temperatures are reached at the same time as precipitation and the river levels are lowest. Differences between signals and correlation lags indicate that local characteristics have an impact on how different variables influence the disease vector’s life cycle, pathogens, and consequently, new cases of malaria.     

Carbon-optimised land management strategies for southern Amazonia

Regional Environmental Change -     

Adapting to urban challenges in the Amazon: flood risk and infrastructure deficiencies in Belém,Brazil

Regional Environmental Change - Sustainable urban infrastructure transition is perhaps the biggest challenge confronting cities in the global south in a time of climate change. Fast-growing cities...     

A new <Emphasis Type="Italic">P. putida</Emphasis> instrumental toxicity bioassay

Here, we present a new toxicity bioassay (CO₂-TOX), able to detect toxic or inhibitory compounds in water samples, based on the quantification of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 CO₂ production. The metabolically produced CO₂ was measured continuously and directly in the liquid assay media, with a potentiometric gas electrode. The optimization studies were performed using as a model toxicant 3,5-DCP (3,5-dichlorophenol); later, heavy metals (Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, or Zn²⁺) and a metalloid (As⁵⁺) were assayed. The response to toxics was evident after 15 min of incubation and at relatively low concentrations (e.g., 1.1 mg/L of 3,5-DCP), showing that the CO₂-TOX bioassay is fast and sensitive. The EC₅₀ values obtained were 4.93, 0.12, 6.05, 32.17, and 37.81 mg/L for 3,5-DCP, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, As⁵⁺, and Pb²⁺, respectively, at neutral pH. Additionally, the effect of the pH of the sample and the use of lyophilized bacteria were also analyzed showing that the bioassay can be implemented in different conditions. Moreover, highly turbid samples and samples with very low oxygen levels were measured successfully with the new instrumental bioassay described here. Finally, simulated samples containing 3,5-DCP or a heavy metal mixture were tested using the proposed bioassay and a standard ISO bioassay, showing that our test is more sensible to the phenol but less sensible to the metal mixtures. Therefore, we propose CO₂-TOX as a rapid, sensitive, low-cost, and robust instrumental bioassay that could perform as an industrial wastewater-process monitor among other applications.     

Spatial distribution and quantification of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in Sado River estuary, Portugal

The important Portuguese Sado River estuary has never been investigated for the presence of potentially endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as natural estrogens (estradiol, estrone), pharmaceutical estrogens (17α-ethynylestradiol), phytoestrogens (daidzein, genistein and biochanin A), or industrial chemicals (4-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol, and bisphenol A). Thus, the main objective of this study was to evaluate their presence at 13 sampling points distributed between both the industrial and the natural reserve areas of the estuary, zones 1 and 2, respectively. For that, water samples collected in summer and winter were processed by solid phase extraction and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection and gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy. Results showed that estrone, ethynylestradiol, all the aforementioned phytoestrogens as well as bisphenol A and 4-octylphenol were found in zone 1. In zone 2, neither estrogens nor 4-OP were found. However, in the same zone, daidzein (500 ng/L) and genistein (320 ng/L) attained their highest levels in summer, whereas biochanin A peaked in winter (170 ng/L). Furthermore, bisphenol A was also found in some areas of zone 2, but showed similar concentrations in both surveys (about 220 ng/L). This study demonstrated that the Sado River estuary had low EDCs levels, suggesting that the Sado’s high hydrodynamic activity may be involved in the dilution of local pollution. It was suggested that at the current levels of concentrations, all assayed EDCs are unlikely to individually cause endocrine disruption in local animals. However, under a continuous exposure scenario, an additive and/or synergistic action of the estrogenic chemicals load can not be excluded, and so, continuous monitoring is advisable.     

Carbon monoxide concentrations in Santiago City at street levels and their vertical gradient

Carbon monoxide concentrations were measured at ground level (1 m) near heavy traffic streets in downtown Santiago de Chile in periods of low (November and December), intermediate (April) and high (May) ambient concentrations. Also, measurements were carried out at several heights (from 1 to 127 m) in Santiago’s main street during winter time. Measurements carried out at ground level show maximum values during the morning rush hour, with values considerably higher than those reported by the urban air quality network, particularly in summer time. However, the measured values are below air quality standards. Vertical CO profiles were measured in a tower located in the center of downtown. Below 40 m (average altitude of neighboring buildings), the profiles do not show a consistent vertical gradient, with CO concentrations increasing or decreasing with height, regardless of atmospheric stability. In this low altitude range, the observed vertical profiles are poorly predicted by a street canyon model, and the measured concentrations can not be described by a simple exponential decay. At higher altitudes (40 and 127 m) a negative gradient in CO concentrations is observed, both for stable and unstable atmospheric conditions. The values of CO measured at 127 m are relatively well described by an Eulerian dispersion model running with current CO emission inventories for Santiago, although this model tends to predict stepper CO gradients than the observed ones.