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Abstract

Three collectives of substances - plastics, plant nutrients, biotoxins - are candidates for monitoring programmes that could keep track of the quality of ocean waters for vital life processes. All three are not subject to systematic surveillance at present. They are each characterized by long residence times in the marine environment, by increasing influx, and by growing evidence of their deleterious impacts on living systems.     

The Application of A Tiered Testing Approach to the Management of Dredged Sediments for Disposal at Sea in Canada

Canada, and other signatories to the London Convention 1972 on the prevention of marine pollution by dumping, are preparing to ratify a 1996 Protocol to this convention. Among the improvements to this international agreement, is a new process for the Assessment of Waste and Other Matter, which is to be adopted by signatory parties. the process includes a step in which material considered potentially acceptable for sea disposal must be characterized by chemical, physical and biological properties. Canada's interpretation and intended implementation of this characterization step is presented for the assessment of dredged sediments. This tiered testing approach involves using chemical screening limits for contaminants, and biological testing when screening levels are exceeded. Dredged material containing specified substances (e.g., cadmium, mercury, PAHs, PCBs, etc.) below or at screening levels would generally be considered of little environmental concern for disposal at sea. Wastes above the screening levels would require more detailed assessment before their suitability for disposal at sea could be determined.     

Rising sea and threatened mangroves: a case study on stakeholders,engagement in climate change communication and non-formal education

Scientific consensus shows that the changes related to climate change are already occurring and will intensify in the future. This will likely result in significant alterations to coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, increase coastal hazards and affect lifestyles of coastal communities. There is increasing speculation that mangrove, a socio-economically important ecosystem, will become more fragile and sensitive to uncertain climate variability such as sea level rise. As a result, mangrove-dependent societies may find themselves trapped in a downward spiral of ecological degradation in terms of their livelihoods and life security. Strengthening the resilience capacity of coastal communities to help them cope with this additional threat from climate change and to ensure sustainability calls for immediate action. In this context, this paper critically examines the regional implications of expected sea level rise and threats to mangrove-dependent communities through a case study approach. The main objective is to highlight the requirement for climate change communication and education to impart information that will fulfil three expectations: (1) confer understanding; (2) assess local inference on climate change through a participatory approach; and (3) construct a framework for climate change awareness among mangrove-dependent communities through community-based non-formal climate change education. This scale of approach is attracting increasing attention from policymakers to achieve climate change adaptation and derive policies from a social perspective.     

Nest-Site Selection in Individual Loggerhead Turtles and Consequences for Doomed-Egg Relocation

Abstract:  Relocation of eggs is a common strategy for conservation of declining reptilian populations around the world. If individuals exhibit consistency in their nest-site selection and if nest-site selection is a heritable trait, relocating eggs deposited in vulnerable locations may impose artificial selection that would maintain traits favoring unsuccessful nest-site selection. Conversely, if most individuals scatter their nesting effort and individuals that consistently select unsuccessful nest sites are uncommon, then artificial selection would be less of a concern. During the 2005 nesting season of loggerhead turtles ( Caretta caretta ) at Mon Repos beach, Queensland, Australia, we measured the perpendicular distance from the original nest site to a stationary dune baseline for in situ (unrelocated) and relocated clutches of eggs. We observed the fate of in situ clutches and predicted what would have been the fate of relocated clutches if they had not been moved by mapping tidal inundation and storm erosion lines. In 2005 turtles deposited an average of 3.84 nests and did not consistently select nest sites at particular distances from the stationary dune baseline. Selection of unsuccessful nest sites was distributed across the nesting population; 80.3% of the turtles selected at least one unsuccessful nest site and when previous breeding seasons were included, 97% selected at least one unsuccessful nest site. Females with nesting experience selected more successful nest sites than females with little or no experience. Relocating eggs vulnerable to tidal inundation and erosion saves the progeny from a large percentage of the population and the progeny from individuals who may in subsequent years nest successfully. Our results suggest that doomed-egg relocation does not substantially distort the gene pool in the eastern Australian loggerhead stock and should not be abandoned as a strategy for the conservation of marine turtle populations.     

溶解无机碳的拉曼光谱定量分析可行性研究

海水溶解无机碳(DIC)的平均浓度约为2.05mmol/L,其中HCO3-占93%, CO32-为6%,CO2和H2CO3共1%.HCO3-的拉曼散射活性太弱,而其他成分的浓度又过低,使得海水中DIC组分不能产生明显的拉曼散射强度,目前还未见有关溶解无机碳拉曼光谱定量分析的报道.为突破这一局限,本研究探索了一种碱化辅助的拉曼定量分析方法,以海水DIC中拉曼活性最低、占比例最大的HCO3-为研究对象进行了可行性实验研究.通过碱化处理(100mL样品中添加NaOH试剂15mg)将HCO3-转化为拉曼活性更强的CO32-,有效提高了拉曼光谱系统对HCO3-的检出限(<3mmol/L).定量分析使用内标定法,选取水在~1635cm-1附近的O—H弯曲振动谱带作为标定物.实验结果显示,该方法对与海水中浓度相当的低浓度HCO3-溶液的定量分析具有良好的精度(相对误差<6.5%).     

Toxicity and transfer of metal oxide nanoparticles from microalgae to sea urchin larvae

Nanoparticles (NPs) contained in commercial products are released and enter into the aquatic ecosystem, posing serious possible risks to the environment and affecting the food chain. Therefore, investigating the potential toxicity of NPs on aquatic organisms has become an important issue. This study assessed the toxicity and trophic transfer of metal oxide NPs from marine microalgae (Cricosphaera elongata) to the larvae of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Larvae (24 h old) were fed on 2000 cell mL^?1 48 h of microalgae contaminated with 5 mg L^?1 of several metal oxide NPs (SiO₂, SnO₂, CeO₂, Fe₃O₄) for 15 days. Larval viability and development were monitored from the 4-arm stage to the 8-arm pluteus stage. A significant decrease in survival was observed in larvae fed with microalgae exposed to SiO₂ and CeO₂ NPs. Abnormal development, characterised by skeletal degeneration and altered rudiment growth, was observed in all larvae fed with contaminated NP algae. Our findings revealed that SiO₂ and CeO₂ NPs exerted a toxic effect in the trophic interaction analysed, by reducing sea urchin larval viability, and all metal oxide NPs induced toxicological effects. In conclusion, metal oxide NPs may enter the food chain and become bioavailable for marine organisms, affecting their development.     

Standardizing the Methodology of Sperm Cell Test with Paracentrotus Lividus

The sperm cell toxicity test with Paracentrotus lividus is widely used in Italy to assess the quality of complex aqueous matrices, but at present there is a shortage of standardized methodologies for the bioassay performance. In this work several critical points were considered, in order to verify the reliability of this bioassay and to improve its standardization.In particular, we have studied the differences in EC50 values at different sperm: egg ratios and with different quantities of gametes; the influence of sperm and eggs on fertilization rate and the influence of different recipients materials (plastic or glass). At the same time, it was evaluated if the obtained EC50 values were in accordance with those reported in literature.Experiments performed yielded EC50 values for copper ranging from 16.54 μ g/l to 69.59 μ g/l, with a total mean value ± SD of 39.79 μ g/l ± 11.17. These data fit with those found in literature for other echinoid species. According to the same authors, poor fertilization was probably due to the effects on sperm and not on eggs, and moreover the linear regression analysis performed on each experiment suggested that the best amount of eggs to use in the test was 1000.Results from the comparison between the performance of the test in plastic or glass tubes showed an higher success in fertilization rate using borosilicate glass tubes.     

基于EOS/MODIS卫星遥感数据的渤海海冰变化趋势及特征应用研究

根据卫星遥感数据的分辨率、采集频次、获取方式等特点,将MODIS卫星遥感数据应用到渤海海冰遥感监测中。通过海冰在可见光和红外光波段的光谱存在特定差异的特性,对海冰发生面积进行提取。同时对渤海海冰进行了遥感监测,并完整地监测到海冰从发生到极盛再到消退的全过程。同时,在海冰发生最为严重的时段,对辽东湾海域进行了密集监测。研究结果表明,MODIS卫星遥感数据在海冰监测中有着及时、准确的优势。     

自净作用下渤海海域COD环境容量研究

为测算自净作用下我国渤海COD环境容量,按地理特征将渤海水域划分为莱州湾、渤海湾、辽东湾以及渤海中部4个分区,从水动力交换扩散和化学降解两个方面入手,一方面利用各分区水半交换周期分别求得COD的扩散能力,另一方面利用COD衰减规律得到其降解能力,综合后得到各分区在不同水质标准下COD的环境容量.研究表明,渤海各湾水域COD浓度和环境容量各不相同,其中,莱州湾水质属于较清洁,在此区间内还有26%的环境余量;渤海湾水质属于轻度污染,在此区间内还有5%的环境余量,辽东湾水质属于较清洁,在此区间内还有88%的环境余量.     

南极春季海冰物理对叶绿素控制作用的统计分析

利用2006年南极威德尔海西北海域冬末春初的冰芯晶体结构,和302组冰芯温度、盐度、密度、叶绿素-a、脱镁叶绿素数据,以及冰底面叶绿素a垂直分布数据,进一步确定积雪/海冰厚度、冰内温度、盐度、密度对冰内和冰下叶绿素a的贡献.利用环境制约与生态平衡原理,阐明积雪/海冰厚度通过阻碍光通量对冰底叶绿素的效应,以及卤水体积通过冰温度和盐度体现对冰藻细胞活性的抑制作用.统计分析不仅确立了南极海冰冰内卤水体积-内叶绿素a的逻辑斯蒂上限含量曲线,并体现出粒状冰同柱状冰卤水排泄方式的差异及其对冰底春季叶绿素a快速增长的冰物理贡献.冰藻细胞活性指标小于0.5的仅占4.3%,该数据为南极冰藻是维持南极冰区浮游植物旺发的主导因子提供了重要依据.