Environmental impacts of coastal aquaculture in eastern mediterranean bays the case of astakos gulf,Greece

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Over the last decade Greece has become a leading country in the EU as concerns the cage farming of seabream and seabass. A strong debate has risen, however, about the environmental impacts of aquacultures in the coastal areas. The present paper deals with this problem and it is based on measurements of physico-chemical parameters in the water column, particulate matter and sediments in the area of Astakos Gulf, a coastal embayment in western Greece where three big fish farms are currently operating. METHODS: Water samples were collected by using Hydro-Bios sampling bottles, whereas a prototype sediment trap was installed under a fish cage for the collection of particulate matter. Temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH and salinity were measured in situ using portable equipment. Nutrients were determined by standard spectrophotometric methods. Trace metals were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Dissolved organic carbon was determined by a Shimadzu 5000A carbon analyzer, whereas organic carbon in sediments was determined titrimetrically. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: No clear eutrophication incidents have been identified, although the water column near the fish farms was enriched in nutrients and organic carbon. A sludge 'blanket' covers considerable parts of the seabed and is enriched in colloidal organic carbon and trace metals (Cd, Cu, Fe and Zn) that come from unused fish food. The biodegradation of this sludge leads to the development of anoxic conditions followed by the formation of undesirable gases, precipitation or remobilization of metals and the extinction of benthic fauna. CONCLUSION: The operation of fish farms at the coastal area of Astakos Gulf, and probably in similar Mediterranean gulfs, affects the marine environment, particularly in the vicinity of the cages. The most significant influence concerns the near-bottom water layer. The environmental impacts depend on the amount of food given to fishes, the mode of feeding, the fish density in cages, the annual production and the years of unit operation. The hydrology and the geomorphology of the area are also critical factors for its environmental quality. RECOMMENDATION AND OUTLOOK: The success of the fish-farming sector in the Mediterranean is accompanied by environmental and, in some extents, by social and marketing problems. These problems, derived from the rapid development of fish farming, can be solved only through an integrated management, using methods such as environmental impact assessment, risk assessment, economic evaluation, vulnerability assessments, resource accounting, cost-benefit analysis and outcome-based monitoring.     

中国江河氧化亚氮的排放及其影响因素

氧化亚氮（N₂O）是一种在大气中存留时间很长的强效温室气体,并被认为是21世纪破坏臭氧层的重要物质之一,气候预测需要对自然与人为排放的包括N₂O在内的温室气体进行全面准确地估算.内陆水体是N₂O的重要排放源,由于人为氮输入的增加,江河N₂O的排放量可能逐年升高.本研究总结了江河N₂O排放速率的研究方法,重点汇总了中国各气候带十大流域江河N₂O的溶存浓度和水气界面交换通量,并与世界其他河流进行比较.结果表明我国江河溶存N₂O浓度为0.3~1591 nmol·L^-1,N₂O释放通量为-12.2~2262.1 μmol·m^-2·d^-1,总体与世界其他江河的范围值具有可比性.在此基础上,进一步分析了江河N₂O的产生和释放机理,探讨了水中溶解性无机氮、溶解氧、有机碳以及水文、地形地貌与气象条件等对江河N₂O产生和释放的影响,并讨论了变化环境下江河N₂O的排放特征.     

海州湾海洋牧场的长期环境效应研究

为探讨海州湾海洋牧场的长期环境效应,调查了2010~2015年牧场区和对照区沉积物总氮（TP）、总磷（TN）、水体活性磷酸盐（PO₄^3--P）、总溶解无机氮（DIN）含量,浮游植物和底栖动物的生物量.结果表明：人工鱼礁和贻贝、藻类的养殖造成了牧场区沉积物TN的累积,由2010年的266.62mg/kg增加至2015年的596.21mg/kg.浮游植物的高丰度加快了牧场区和对照区沉积物生物有效性磷的释放,造成TP含量呈减小趋势.牧场区由2010年的547.26mg/kg下降至2015年的317.25mg/kg,对照区由2010年的438.21mg/kg下降至2015年的342.97mg/kg.TP含量的空间分布由牧场区（547.26mg/kg） > 对照区（438.21mg/kg）转变为牧场区（317.25mg/kg） < 对照区（342.97mg/kg）.底栖动物对沉积物-水界面的营养盐交换通量的贡献较低,不是TP、TN变化的主导因素.牧场区DIN含量更易受到沉积物TN的影响,对照区PO₄^3--P的含量变化与TP保持了一致性.高溶解氧环境和高TN含量为牧场区提供了内源性的NH₄⁺-N.牧场区的N/P更接近最适值,海州湾海洋牧场建设取得了一定的生态修复效果.     

藻源性黑水团环境效应:对水-沉积物界面氮磷变化的驱动作用

利用自制的静态模拟实验装置,通过连续抽取间隙水来研究藻细胞沉降在沉积物表面后对水-沉积物界面处的N、P变化的驱动作用及影响效果.结果表明,藻细胞沉降后,在50 min内就完全消耗掉水-沉积物界面处的溶解氧,同时水体出现严重的发黑、发臭现象;形成的厌氧、强还原环境,使得死亡的藻细胞在界面处发生强烈的厌氧矿化作用,界面处的水溶性PO34--P、NH 4+-N在实验的第2 d开始向上覆水中扩散,含量不断增加.至实验结束时(实验第8 d),界面处PO34--P、NH 4+-N的含量分别达到4.00 mg/L、39.45 mg/L,分别为同期对照实验样柱中的10倍和241倍(对照样柱中的PO43--P、NH 4+-N的含量分别为0.42 mg/L、0.16 mg/L).藻细胞的厌氧矿化加剧了氮磷营养盐向上覆水的扩散,在加重水体营养盐含量的同时,也为藻华的再次发生提供了物质基础.     

安徽中北部河流沉积物的特征与多环芳烃分布

通过对安徽省中北部6条河流沉积物样品的粒径、矿物组分和有机质含量的测试,并应用气相色谱质谱联用仪测定了样品中萘、二氢苊、苊、芴、菲、蒽、荧蒽、芘、苯并[a]蒽、、苯并[a]芘和二苯并[a,h]蒽等12种多环芳烃的含量,分析了研究区河流沉积物的特征和多环芳烃分布。研究结果表明:位于安徽省中北部的淮河南北岸支流沉积物粒径和矿物组分具有不同特征;就PAHs总量来看,北岸支流平均值为313.3ng/g,南岸支流平均为112.8ng/g,差异比较明显,南岸支流沉积物中大多数多环芳烃的平均含量都低于北岸支流(蒽和菲除外,二苯并[a,h]蒽未检出);而有机质的含量,南北岸支流总体无明显差异(含量在0.55%至1.83%之间),但单条河流的分布呈沿水流方向自中上游至下游逐渐降低。     

Changes in Hydrology of the Ganges Delta of Bangladesh and Corresponding Impacts on Water Resources

The Ganges Delta in Bangladesh is an example of water‐related catastrophes in a major rural river basin where limitations in quantity, quality, and timing of available water are producing disastrous conditions. Water availability limitations are modifying the hydrologic characteristics especially when water allocation is controlled from the upstream Farakka Barrage. This study presents the changes and consequences in the hydrologic regime due to climate‐ and human‐induced stresses. Flow duration curves (FDCs), rainfall elasticity, and temperature sensitivity were used to assess the pre‐ and post‐barrage water flow patterns. Hydrologic and climate indices were computed to provide insight on hydro‐climatic variability and trend. Significant increases in temperature, evapotranspiration, hot days, heating, and cooling degree days indicate the region is heading toward a warmer climate. Moreover, increase in high‐intensity rainfall of short duration is making the region prone to extreme floods. FDCs depict a large reduction in river flows between pre‐ and post‐barrage periods, resulting in lower water storage capacity. The reduction in freshwater flow increased the extent and intensity of salinity intrusion. This freshwater scarcity is reducing livelihood options considerably and indirectly forcing population migration from the delta region. Understanding the causes and directions of hydrologic changes is essential to formulate improve water resources management in the region.     

Biological Connectivity of Seasonally Ponded Wetlands across Spatial and Temporal Scales

Many species that inhabit seasonally ponded wetlands also rely on surrounding upland habitats and nearby aquatic ecosystems for resources to support life stages and to maintain viable populations. Understanding biological connectivity among these habitats is critical to ensure that landscapes are protected at appropriate scales to conserve species and ecosystem function. Biological connectivity occurs across a range of spatial and temporal scales. For example, at annual time scales many organisms move between seasonal wetlands and adjacent terrestrial habitats as they undergo life‐stage transitions; at generational time scales, individuals may disperse among nearby wetlands; and at multigenerational scales, there can be gene flow across large portions of a species’ range. The scale of biological connectivity may also vary among species. Larger bodied or more vagile species can connect a matrix of seasonally ponded wetlands, streams, lakes, and surrounding terrestrial habitats on a seasonal or annual basis. Measuring biological connectivity at different spatial and temporal scales remains a challenge. Here we review environmental and biological factors that drive biological connectivity, discuss implications of biological connectivity for animal populations and ecosystem processes, and provide examples illustrating the range of spatial and temporal scales across which biological connectivity occurs in seasonal wetlands.     

Aquatic Plant and Dissolved Oxygen Changes in a Reference‐Condition Prairie Stream Subjected to Experimental Nutrient Enrichments

Effects of controlled nutrient additions on a prairie stream were studied using a before‐after‐control‐impact paired design. The site is in a reference condition with low soluble nitrate (NO₃) and phosphate (soluble reactive phosphorus [SRP]) in summer (3 μg NO₃‐N/L, 4 μg SRP/L). Nutrients were added to two reaches over the growing season at two levels (Low Dose — 39 μg NO₃‐N/L and 4.4 SRP/L; High Dose — 119 μg NO₃‐N/L and 15.6 μg SRP/L). Continuously measured dissolved oxygen (DO) and changes in aquatic flora were compared to an upstream Control. Enrichment led microalgae and filamentous algae to increase in density, areal coverage, and thickness, and the magnitude of the changes were largely concordant with dosing (more in the High Dose); algal growth also suppressed macrophytes in the High Dose. Enrichment caused significant increases in diel DO swings whose magnitudes were consistent with dosing level. In the High Dose, benthic algae flourished in the growing season and then senesced en masse in fall. The decomposing algae led DO to crash (ca. 0 mg/L on the bottom), but DO impacts were out‐of‐sync with peak algal growth and photosynthesis, which occurred weeks earlier. This finding provides a plausible explanation as to why high DO delta in streams impacts aquatic life even when concurrently measured DO is not low. When DO crashed, DO was longitudinally patchy, some areas having low DO near the bottom, others near saturation. Geomorphology and exposure to wind may have caused this pattern.     

聚类分析和标识指数法在苏州城区河道的应用

选取2013—2014年苏州市古城区河道8个监测断面的水质监测数据,应用层次聚类分析法和改进的综合水质标识指数法对苏州市古城区河道水质进行综合评价,并对各监测断面综合水质达标率进行计算。结果表明:苏州市古城区主河道水质在2013年5月份后明显好转,但小河道水质改善较小;在空间上呈现出城北河道水质较城南好,纵向河道水质比横向好的特点。根据评价结果与实际工程情况对比发现,层次聚类分析和水质标识指数法可以有效、准确地对城区河道水质进行总体评价。     

Climate Sensitivity of Phosphorus Loadings to an Urban Stream

We investigate the sensitivity of phosphorus loading (mass/time) in an urban stream to variations in climate using nondimensional sensitivity, known as elasticity, methods commonly used by economists and hydrologists. Previous analyses have used bivariate elasticity methods to represent the general relationship between nutrient loading and a variable of interest, but such bivariate relations cannot reflect the complex multivariate nonlinear relationships inherent among nutrients, precipitation, temperature, and streamflow. Using fixed‐effect multivariate regression methods, we obtain two phosphorus models (nonparametric and parametric) for an urban stream with high explanatory power that can both estimate phosphorus loads and the elasticity of phosphorus loading to changes in precipitation, temperature, and streamflow. A case study demonstrates total phosphorus loading depends significantly on season, rainfall, combined sewer overflow events, and flow rate, yet the elasticity of total phosphorus to all these factors remains relatively constant throughout the year. The elasticity estimates reported here can be used to examine how nutrient loads may change under future climate conditions.