Sub-lethal effects of metal exposure: physiological and behavioural responses of the estuarine bivalve Macoma balthica

Variation in glycogen concentration, condition index (CI) and filtration activity were measured in the bivalve Macoma balthica buried in sediment and experimentally exposed to cadmium (Cd). The stress due to elevated but sub-lethal concentrations (300 ppb Cd) affected the overall fitness of the organism as all parameters monitored responded significantly. Lower concentrations tested (10, 30 and 100 ppb) only induced a significant decrease in filtration activity, which may play a protective role, enabling the organism to slow down its metabolic activity and preserving the integrity of its reserves (reflected by stable CI and glycogen levels). Hence, the various endpoints selected show different thresholds. Our results also demonstrate that under high exposure, small individuals loose proportionally more glycogen per unit of weight than larger ones, thus confirming the higher sensitivity of small individuals to metal contamination. Furthermore, exposure to intermediate concentration (30 ppb) seems to be beneficial to the small individuals as indicated by their high CI values compared to the control. These results showed thus that non-sigmoidal concentration-response relationship and sizes of individuals should be considered in monitoring programmes and risk assessment.     

现代黄河三角洲土地利用变化分析

人类对海岸带的开发利用影响着海岸的变迁。土地利用和土地覆被变化可以说是自然与人文过程交叉最为密切的问题，是人地关系的具体体现。通过对黄河三角洲土地利用变化的研究，可了解人为因素对三角洲海岸带的开发利用状况及其对海岸侵蚀的影响。根据1987年和2001年两期卫星遥感图像和2001年野外调查数据，运用地理信息系统方法及数理统计方法，分析了现代黄河三角洲地区1987年至2001年土地利用／覆被的数量变化和空间变化特征；揭示了该地区各类土地利用数量变化的幅度、速度和土地利用空间变化的主要类型；阐明了该区各类土地利用变化的区域特点。该地区土地利用变化速度比整个环渤海地区速度快，草地、滩地和不明地类这3种类型大量减少，其他类型增多。从变化率来看，养殖区、库塘、油田用地增长最快。库塘、海滩养殖区等类型的增加，滨海草地的减少，使海岸侵蚀加剧。     

An alternative approach to the structural motion analysis of wedge-beam offshore structures supporting a load

For convenience of dynamic analysis, some offshore structures such as fixed-type platforms are often modeled as the wedge beams supporting tip lumped masses. It is well-known that, due to the effect of the surrounding water, the natural frequencies of a beam in air (or dry beam) are different from those of the same beam immersed in water (or wet beam). However, if the natural frequencies and the associated mode shapes of a dry beam are calculated by taking account of the “added mass” for the immersed beam, then the last natural frequencies and mode shapes will be equal to the corresponding ones of the wet beam. Based on the last concept, the closed form solutions for natural frequencies and the associated mode shapes of the dry beam were determined first, then the partial differential equation of motion for the wet beam was transformed into a matrix equation by using the expansion theorem and the foregoing closed form solutions of free vibration responses for the dry beam. Solving the last matrix equation will give the required natural frequencies and the associated mode shapes of the wet beam. The formulation of this paper is available for the fully or partially immersed double tapered beams with either circular, square or rectangular cross-sections. The taper ratio for width and that for depth may be equal or unequal. The numerical results of this paper were compared with the existing results or the finite-element-method results and good agreement was achieved.     

泉州湾河口湿地鸟类的种类组成与分布

本文根据1988-1999年进行4次泉州湾河口湿地鸟类调查资料，研究了泉州湾河口湿地自然概况，首次报道了该区鸟类13目30科108种，指出泉州湾河口地区鸟类栖息地面临的威胁因素，建议建立泉州湾河口湿地保护区以保护该区的自然生态系统和鸟类资源。     

水下工程项目监理的任务与条件

结合近年来参与有关水下工程检测和项目监理的实践体验 ,从总结水下工程项目的基本特征着手 ,分析了水下工程项目监理的主要任务 ,并结合对于实施水下工程项目监理必备装备条件的探讨 ,介绍了国内外现有水下监测技术装备的开发应用状况     

Release into the environment of metals by two vascular salt marsh plants

Metals in contaminated salt marshes are mainly locked in the anaerobic layer of sediments, where they are tightly bound as sulfides and organic complexes. Vascular plants survive in saturated soils in part by pumping O2 into their root zones, changing their microenvironment to an oxic one. This, along with chelating exudates, mobilizes metals, allowing uptake by the roots. We compared the common reed Phragmites australis and cordgrass Spartina alterniflora in lab and field studies for ways in which they handle trace metals. Both plants store most of their metal burden in their roots, but some is transported to aboveground tissues. Spartina leaves contain approximately 2-3 x more Cr, Pb, and Hg than Phragmites leaves, but equivalent Cu and Zn. Furthermore, Spartina leaves have salt glands, so leaf excretion of all metals is twice that of Phragmites. In-depth studies with Hg indicate that Hg excretion correlates with Na release but not with transpiration, which is 2.2 x higher in Phragmites; and that more Hg accumulates in early-appearing leaves than in upper (i.e. later) leaves in both species. Spartina thus makes more metals available to salt marsh ecosystems than Phragmites by direct excretion and via dead leaves which will enter the food web as detritus.     

The expression of CYP1A,vitellogenin and zona radiata proteins in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) after oral dosing with two commercial PBDE flame retardant mixtures: absence of short-term responses

The short-term effects of the commercial PBDE flame retardant mixtures Penta-BDE and cta-BDE on the expression of cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A), vitellogenin (Vtg) and zona radiata proteins (Zrp) were investigated in juvenile salmon (Salmo salar). For this purpose, groups of fish were dosed twice (oral intake at days I and 4) with 10 and 50 mg/kg body weight of both commercial mixtures. The fishes were sacrificed at day 7 (n = 5 for each group) and 14 (n = 6 for each group), and blood, liver, fillet, and brain were collected. Blanks and positive controls were also part of the experiment. The expressions of Vtg, Zrp, and CYPIA were measured with several techniques (EROD, ELISA, Western, Northern and Slot Blot). The values in the groups of fish treated with Penta-BDE or Octa-BDE did not significantly differ from the reference group for any of the parameters tested. In contrast, the positive control groups treated with estradiol-17beta for Vtg and Zrp expression, and beta-naphthoflavone for CYP1A expression did show a significant response, indicating the potential sensitivity of the fishes for the parameters measured. Since the results of the chemical analyses showed concentrations of a number of PBDE congeners in liver, fillet, and brain that were about three orders of magnitude above those of fish from the North Sea, it is concluded that the short-term toxicity of both commercial PBDE mixtures for these endpoints was low.     

Effects of chemical ecological adjustment and control experiment on phytoplankton community in the Aoshan Bay

There is a low nutrient level in the Aoshan Bay. In June 1999, the chemical adjustmentand control experiment was made in the Aoshan Bay. Following tracts investigation was carried out before the experiment and on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 45th day/after the experiment. While the variance of amount of phytoplankton, the replacement of superior species and the species composition of phytoplankton were researched. The results show that the amount of phytoplankton in the Aoshan Bay rises gradually after the experiment. Ceratium macroceros Cleve of pyrophyta was the dominant species before the experiment, its dominant index was 37.7％. Six days after the experiment, its dominant index dropped to 17.6％ . Meanwhile the dominant index of Asterionella japanics Cleve rose from 7.1％ to 39.2％ , it became the first dominant species. Forty-five days after the experiment, the amount of phytoplankton in the Aoshan Bay was 5.15 to 137.32 times more than that in 1997.     

渤海小型底栖生物的丰度和生物量

该文是渤海 1997年 6月、1998年 9月和 1999年 4月 3个航次小型底栖生物调查结果。结果表明 ,3个航次小型底栖生物的平均丰度分别为 :(2 30 0± 12 0 6 ) ind/ (10 cm2 )、(86 9± 5 10 ) ind/(10 cm2 )和 (6 32± 4 0 0 ) ind/ (10 cm2 )。平均生物量分别为 :(15 2 1± 6 34) μg(dwt) / (10 cm2 )、(72 5±35 4 )μg (dwt) / (10 cm2 )和 (5 17± 393)μg (dwt) / (10 cm2 )。共鉴定出 14个小型底栖生物类群 ,其中自由生活海洋线虫丰度占绝对优势 ,桡足类丰度居第 2位 ,这两个类群总和占小型底栖生物总丰度的 94 .8%～ 97.5 %。在生物量中所占比例列前 4位的类群依次为线虫、多毛类、桡足类、双壳类 ,加起来超过小型底栖生物总生物量的 80 %。小型底栖生物的 74 %分布于 2 cm以浅表层中。小型底栖生物的丰度和生物量在渤海海峡和渤海中东部较高 ,与环境因子的相关分析表明小型底栖生物的丰度与水深呈极显著的正相关 ,与沉积物的中值粒径呈显著的负相关