Ecomanagement of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the Mediterranean Sea: concerns and strategies

Marine biodiversity is generally higher in benthic than in pelagic systems, and in coastal than in open sea systems. Sediments are the most human-impacted domain and therefore represent the target zone for both the study and actions needed for the preservation of biodiversity. Losses of marine diversity, higher (or simply more evident) in coastal areas, are generally the result of conflicting uses of coastal habitats. Large difficulties arise from the analysis and evaluation of the actual biodiversity, especially when different environments are compared, as often studies on biodiversity are dependent upon the distribution of the specialists. On the other hand, losses of marine biodiversity might be underestimated, due to the limited knowledge of the ecosystems' functioning, of the species inhabiting various habitats and of the still limited capacity to assess microbial biodiversity, which represents the largest fraction of the global marine biodiversity. Finally, claimed losses of biodiversity might be just apparent, as the sea floor is a bank of resting stages of various plankton species that are likely to spend even decades in the sediment before reactivating and inducing unattended blooms in the water column. The Mediterranean Sea displays high species diversity, but might reach the highest values in terms of adaptive strategies and functional diversity. Moreover, the Mediterranean Sea represents also a key area for the study of the relative influences of the natural and anthropogenic changes on biodiversity and its consequences on ecosystem functioning. Habitat destruction, over-fishing, contaminants, eutrophication, introduction of alien species, and climate changes are producing increasingly evident changes in community structure and biodiversity of this warm and miniature ocean. We summarized the main effects of different disruptive agents on the marine biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea, with special attention on the biodiversity relevance in ecosystem functioning and possible implications in bio-geochemical cycles. The present overview aims at focusing and synthesizing the most important factors potentially affecting the interactions between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the Mediterranean in order to better define possible strategies of conservation and eco-management.     

Impact of dissolved organic matter on the photolysis of the ionizable antibiotic norfloxacin

Norfloxacin (NOR), an ionizable antibiotic frequently used in the aquaculture industry, has aroused public concern due to its persistence, bacterial resistance, and environmental ubiquity. Therefore, we investigated the photolysis of different species of NOR and the impact of a ubiquitous component of natural water — dissolved organic matter (DOM), which has a special photochemical activity and normally acts as a sensitizer or inhibiter in the photolysis of diverse organics; furthermore, scavenging experiments combined with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) were performed to evaluate the transformation of NOR in water. The results demonstated that NOR underwent direct photolysis and self-sensitized photolysis via hydroxyl radical (·OH) and singlet oxygen (¹O₂) based on the scavenging experiments. In addition, DOM was found to influence the photolysis of different NOR species, and its impact was related to the concentration of DOM and type of NOR species. Photolysis of cationic NOR was photosensitized by DOM at low concentration, while zwitterionic and anionic NOR were photoinhibited by DOM, where quenching of UOH predominated according to EPR experiments, accompanied by possible participation of excited triplet-state NOR and ¹O₂. Photo-intermediate identification of different NOR species in solutions with/without DOM indicated that NOR underwent different photodegradation pathways including dechlorination, cleavage of the piperazine side chain and photooxidation, and DOM had little impact on the distribution but influenced the concentration evolution of photolysis intermediates. The results implied that for accurate ecological risk assessment of emerging ionizable pollutants, the impact of DOM on the environmental photochemical behavior of all dissociated species should not be ignored.     

Marketing issues related to waste-grown aquatic foods

Environmental Management - Are societal wastes all bad? Some of them, including heat from power plants and certain organic wastes, have been demonstrated to be potentially valuable for growing...     

Arsenism Clinical Stages and their Relation with Hair Arsenic Concentration of Residents of Bayinmaodao Rural District, Inner Mongolia, China

The clinical skin lesions of arsenism in men and women in Bayinmaodao rural district in Inner Mongolia, Peoples Republic of China, have been examined by doctors, and their hair and drinking water samples analysed for arsenic by hydride generation and ICP-AES. Altogether 311 arsenism patients with a 15.53% prevalence rate for the district were recorded. The disease prevalence rate was positively related to population, age, and their exposure to elevated arsenic concentrations in the drinking water from 1983 when new wells were dug and drinking of surface water was abandoned. Hyperkeratosis was the most serious skin lesion with the highest occurrence rate, then depigmentation and pigmentation in decreasing order. With increasing severity of the disease, ranging from skin lesion with single hyperkeratosis 1° to hyperkeratosis 3° with depigmentation 3° and pigmentation 3°, the results showed that arsenic concentrations in head hair had increased. Arsenic concentrations in hair were positively correlated with the arsenic concentrations in drinking water obtained from local wells.     

不同生育期遮荫对番茄氮素分配的影响

以番茄为材料，研究了不同生长阶段(开花早期、盛花期和开花后期)夏季午间不同光照强度(不遮荫，40％遮荫和75％遮荫)对氮素在番茄各器官中分配的影响。结果显示，遮荫不影响开花早期和盛花期叶片氮的含量及其分配效应，但40％遮荫使开花后期叶片中氮的含量增加，叶、茎、茬中氮的分配指数高于开花早期和盛花期。这表明，在开花后期适度遮荫有利于氮优先分配给叶组织，改善番茄氮素状况，增加开花后期番茄的经济产量，在设施栽培中具有一定实际意义。图3表1参21。     

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.     

ESPR subject area 5 ‘Environmental Microbiology, (Bio)Technologies, Health Issues’

Goal, Scope and Background  Aquaculture activities are well known to be the major contributor to the increasing level of organic waste and toxic compounds in the aquaculture industry. Along with the development of intensive aquaculture in China, concerns are evoked about the possible effects of everincreasing aquaculture waste both on productivity inside the aquaculture system and on the ambient aquatic ecosystem. Therefore, it is apparent that appropriate waste treatment processes are needed for sustaining aquaculture development. This review aims at identifying the current status of aquaculture and aquaculture waste production in China. Main Features  China is the world’s largest fishery nation in terms of total seafood production volume, a position it has maintained continuously since 1990. Freshwater aquaculture is a major part of the Chinese fishery industry. Marine aquaculture in China consists of both land-based and offshore aquaculture, with the latter mostly operated in shallow seas, mud flats and protected bays. The environmental impacts of aquaculture are also striking. Results  Case studies on pollution hot spots caused by aquaculture have been introduced. The quality and quantity of waste from aquaculture depends mainly on culture system characteristics and the choice of species, but also on feed quality and management. Wastewater without treatment, if continuously discharged into the aquatic environment, could result in remarkable elevation of the total organic matter contents and cause considerable economy lost. Waste treatments can be mainly classified into three categories: physical, chemical and biological methods. Discussion  The environmental impacts of different aquaculture species are not the same. New waste treatments are introduced as references for the potential development of the waste treatment system in China. The most appropriate waste treatment system for each site should be selected according to the sites’ conditions and financial status as well as by weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each system. Strategies and perspectives for sustainable aquaculture development are proposed, with the emphasis on environmental protection. Conclusions  Negative effects of waste from aquaculture to aquatic environment are increasingly recognized, though they were just a small proportion to land-based pollutants. Properly planned use of aquaculture waste alleviates water pollution problems and not only conserves valuable water resources but also takes advantage of the nutrients contained in effluent. It is highly demanding to develop sustainable aquaculture which keeps stocking density and pollution loadings under environmental capacity. Recommendations and Perspectives  The traditional procedures for aquaculture waste treatment, mainly based on physical and chemical means, should be overcome by more site-specific approaches, taking into account the characteristics and resistibility of the aquatic environment. Further research needs to improve or optimize the current methods of wastewater treatment and reuse. Proposed new treatment technology should evaluate their feasibility at a larger scale for practical application. ESS-Submission Editor: Dr. Ding Wang (wangd@ihb.ac.cn)     

微囊藻毒素对不同生育期水稻生长的影响

灌溉水中的微囊藻毒素不仅会影响作物生长与产量,还可能沿食物链传递而威胁人类健康。以水稻为试材,研究了不同质量浓度(1μg/L、100μg/L、1 000μg/L、3 000μg/L)微囊藻毒素(MCs)对幼苗期和孕穗期水稻生长与成熟期水稻产量的影响,以及MCs在3个生育期水稻中的积累。结果表明:处理7 d后,1μg/L MCs处理对幼苗期水稻生长有一定促进作用,而对孕穗期水稻生长没有影响,高质量浓度MCs(≥100μg/L)抑制幼苗期和孕穗期水稻的生长;胁迫结束且恢复7 d后,100μg/L处理组孕穗期水稻根长、根表面积恢复能力强于幼苗期,株高、叶面积低于幼苗期,而1 000μg/L和3 000μg/L MCs组水稻各指标不仅未恢复,且劣于胁迫期,水稻产量下降92.4%和95.2%。用酶联免疫法检测发现,胁迫后MCs均在水稻体内富集。对于相同质量浓度MCs处理,幼苗期水稻各器官富集能力最大,孕穗期次之,成熟期最小。3 000μg/L MCs处理组的水稻谷粒中MCs质量比达21.2μg/kg,使人体每天摄入MCs的量可能高于世界卫生组织规定的人体每天吸收MCs的上限值。     

白洋淀水产养殖区水体富营养化评价及防治对策

为了研究白洋淀水产养殖对水环境的影响,评价白洋淀养殖水体所处的营养状态.进而为白洋淀水体富营齐化的防治提供科学依据,在此以2009年夏季监测数据为依据,采用修正的卡森指数法(TSIM)和综合营养状态指数法(TLI)分别对不同的养殖区域水体进行分析和讨论.其中修正卡森指数的评价结果为TSIM=67.62.已符合富营养化的标准;TLI=58.59,符合轻度富营养化标准,但部分养殖水体已经处于中度富营养状态.     

生活垃圾堆肥分阶段反应动力学研究

根据堆肥不同阶段特点 ,通过接种和不接种堆肥实验 ,分别研究升温 -高温阶段和高温 -降温阶段动力学。从得到的动力学方程分析可知 :接种复合微生物菌剂 ,在升温 -高温阶段最大反应速率比对照组提高约 13 8.7 ;在高温 -降温阶段最大反应速率比对照组大 4.73 g/( h· kg) ,而半速系数 Km比对照组下降了 10 3 g/kg。说明接种复合微生物菌剂不仅使反应速率增大 ,而且使半速系数减小 ,使底物与酶反应更完全 ,有机物分解更迅速、更彻底