Actions taken by fishing Nations towards identification and protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems in the high seas: The Spanish case (Atlantic Ocean)

In reply to the United Nations General Assembly Resolutions on sustainable fisheries, Spain, either by itself or in collaboration with other Nations, has been carrying out studies on vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) in the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean (areas beyond national jurisdictions) since 2005. Such studies provide advice to the Spanish Government, the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations and the European Union. This paper presents the multidisciplinary methodology used and summarises the following management results: (i) contribution to identification of cold-water corals and provision of evidence to close part (∼16,000 km²) of the Hatton Bank (NE Atlantic) to bottom fishing; (ii) compilation of an international data base to identify VMEs on the slopes of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Flemish Pass, and Flemish Cap (NW Atlantic) and to redefine areas currently closed to fishing; (iii) improvement of knowledge about deepwater ecosystems on Walvis Ridge and adjacent seamounts (SE Atlantic) as a pilot project for implementation in this region; and (iv) identification of VMEs and closure of an area (∼41,300 km²) on the high seas of the SW Atlantic. Also discussed are progress and challenges related to identifying and protecting VMEs.     

Eutrophication and drought disturbance shape functional diversity and life-history traits of aquatic plants in shallow lakes

Theories that link plant strategies and abiotic filters discriminate between three strategies: competitive, ruderal or stress-tolerant species, and suggest that functional diversity is higher at intermediate values along the gradients of productivity and disturbance. The mechanism by which abiotic filters screen plant traits in aquatic plant communities has been poorly tested and has led to contrasting results. The present study aimed to test whether functional diversity and abundance of life-history traits corresponding to morphology, fecundity and longevity of aquatic plants were linked to disturbance and productivity. Fifty-nine shallow lakes that were arranged along a gradient of productivity (estimated through total phosphorus concentration) and drought-disturbance frequency were sampled for aquatic plants. Species traits were documented and functional diversity was calculated (richness, dispersion and evenness) for each lake. Increasing total phosphorus concentration was associated with decreased functional richness and dispersion but not functional evenness. Functional diversity did not differ according to disturbance frequency, regardless of the index that was measured. High productivity favoured floating species with storage organs and vegetative reproduction, especially at low disturbance frequency. For all disturbance frequencies, low productivity favoured small species without storage organs and sexual reproduction. The present study partly supports the theoretical model. At high productivity levels, because phytoplankton is a better competitor for light than aquatic plants, plant traits are screened stringently, and species with traits that allow them to reach the photic zone are selected.     

Monte Carlo method applied to modeling copper transport in river sediments

Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) methodology has been applied to explain the variability of parameters for pollutant transport and fate modeling. In this study, the MCS method was used to evaluate the transport and fate of copper in the sediment of the Tibagi River sub-basin tributaries, Southern Brazil. The statistical distribution of the variables was described by a dataset obtained for copper concentration using sequential extraction, organic matter (OM) amount, and pH. The proposed stochastic spatial model for the copper transport in the river sediment was discussed and implemented by the MCS technique using the MatLab 7.3? mathematical software tool. In order to test some hypotheses, the sediment and the water column in the river ecosystem were considered as compartments. The proposed stochastic spatial model makes it possible to predict copper mobility and associated risks as a function of the organic matter input into aquatic systems. The metal mobility can increase with the OM posing a rising environmental risk.     

New methodology for urban seismic risk assessment from a holistic perspective

The seismic risk evaluation usually works with a fragmented concept of risk, which depends on the scientific discipline in charge of the assessment. To achieve an effective performance of the risk management, it is necessary to define risk as the potential economic, social and environmental consequences due to a hazardous phenomenon in a period of time. This article presents a methodology which evaluates the seismic risk from a holistic perspective, which means, it takes into account the expected physical damage and also the conditions related to social fragility and lack of resilience, which favour the second order effects when a hazard event strikes an urban centre. This seeks to obtain results which are useful in the decision making process for risk reduction. The proposed method for urban seismic risk evaluation uses the fuzzy sets theory in order to handle qualitative concepts and variables involved in the assessment, the physical risk level and aggravation level, related to the social fragility and the lack of resilience, are evaluated and finally a total risk level is determinate.     

Study of the Contributions of Non‐Specific and Specific Interactions during Fluoxetine Adsorption onto Activated Carbons

The adsorption of fluoxetine onto activated carbons (ACs) prepared from almond tree pruning by steam and CO₂ activation under different temperature conditions (650–950°C), was studied. In both series increasing the temperature caused an increase in the BET apparent surface area, yielding ACs with S_BET up to 870 and 710 m² g^?1 after steam and CO₂ activation, respectively. Also, a slight widening of the porosity was found in both cases. In order to modify the functionality of the ACs, two of them were impregnated with triethylenediamine (TEDA) prior to the adsorption process, which caused a decrease in the AC apparent surface mainly due to micropore blockage. The fluoxetine adsorption isotherms at 25°C showed maximum adsorption capacities between 110 and 224 mg g^?1. The adsorption isotherms were analyzed using Langmuir and Freundlich models. Although the impregnation reduced the pore volume, it did not cause a decrease in the fluoxetine maximum adsorption capacity, but a modification in the adsorption mechanism was observed.     

Manmade Vulnerability of the Cancun Beach System: The Case of Hurricane Wilma

Climate change and resultant coastal erosion and flooding have been the focus of many recent analyses. Often these studies overlook the effects of manmade modifications to the coastline which have reduced its resilience to storm events. In this investigation, we integrate previous reports, historical photo analysis, field work, and the application of numerical models to better understand the effects of Wilma, the most destructive hurricane to affect Cancun, Mexico. Huge waves (of significant height, >12 m), long mean wave periods (>12 s), devastating winds (>250 km/h), and powerful currents (>2 m/s) removed >7 million cubic meters of sand from the Cancun beach system, leaving 68% of the sub‐aerial beach as bedrock, and the rest considerably eroded. Numerical simulations show that the modifications to the barrier island imposed by tourist infrastructure have considerably increased the rigidity of the system, increasing the potential erosion of the beach under extreme conditions. If there were no structural barriers, a series of breaches could occur along the beach, allowing exchange of water and alleviating storm surge on other sections of the beach. If the effects caused by anthropogenic changes to Cancun are ignored, the analysis is inaccurate and misleading.     

PCBs, PBDEs and organochlorine pesticides in crabs Hepatus pudibundus and Callinectes danae from Santos Bay, State of São Paulo, Brazil

The occurrence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) in crabs Hepatus pudibundus and Callinectesdanae was assessed from two different places inside of the Santos Bay and Moela Island near one of the most economically important metropolitan areas in Southern Brazil. Among POPs analyzed, ∑PCBs (222-923 ng g(-1)lipid weight) and ∑DDTs (154-410 ng g(-1)lw) exhibited the highest concentrations in the crabs. ∑HCHs ranged from 10.3 to 30.9 ng g(-1)lw and were found in all individuals. Other OCPs found in lower concentration was Mirex (7.6-41.6 ng g(-1)lw) and HCB (5.83-16.9 ng g(-1)lw). ∑PBDEs (24.1 ng g(-1)lw) were only found in one male individual from the species C. danae collected near to the submarine sewage of Santos. Male crabs showed higher POP concentrations than female crabs for those two species.     

Steric and mass-induced Mediterranean sea level trends from 14 years of altimetry data

Long-term series of almost 14 years of altimetry data (1992–2005) have been analysed along with Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and temperature and salinity profiles to investigate sea level trends over the Mediterranean Sea. Although sea level variations are mainly driven by the steric contribution, the mass-induced component plays some role in modulating its oscillation. A spatially averaged positive trend of 2.1 ± 0.6 mm/year has been observed, but a change in sign in 2001 seems to appear. Steric effects (mainly on thermal origin) account for  55% of sea level trend. Although Mediterranean Sea is a semi-enclosed basin, this value is comparable to that reported for the global ocean. Sea level rise is particularly important in the Levantine basin south of Crete with values up to 10 ± 1 mm/year. Other areas of sea level rise are localised throughout the Levantine basin and in the Adriatic and Alboran Seas, with more moderate values. Sea level drop areas are localised in the Algerian basin, between the Balearic Islands and the African coasts and, particularly, in the Ionian basin. In this area, negative trends as high as − 10 ± 0.8 mm/year are detected mainly due to the mass-induced contribution, which suggests decadal changes of surface circulation. The inferred sea level trends have been correlated with North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) indices and a low but significant correlation has been detected between sea level in the Levantine and Balearic basins and NAO index.     

Offshore Occurrences of Heavy-Mineral Placers,Northwest Galicia,Spain

ABSTRACT

Results of offshore water-jet sediment sampling demonstrate the potential for interstadial placer deposits of industrial minerals in the shore-face to inner-shelf of Cape Ortegal, NW Spain. Placer deposition is interpreted to have occurred during glacial interstadials since the Last Glacial Maximum, and deposits sampled at 24 to 42 m. BSL were formed during the Younger Dryas, and subsequently preserved as a result of very rapid rising sea-levels. The sediments are almost entirely terrestrially derived with a particularly high heavy mineral content (Sp. Gr. >2.9), of more than 75% in all samples. Reworked garnet from earlier-sedimentary deposits constitutes an important fraction of the placer deposits identified but is generally absent in other sediments. Indications of the presence of +5 m-thick paleo-placer deposits with sections include:

• Placer garnet + spinel grades increase with depth in those sediments at 24 to 42 m BSL to the ocean-floor.

• The d50 of sediments with background grades decrease with depth while those of placer deposits do not display any significant trend.

• Garnets in non-mineralized sediments are almost entirely angular, whereas in placer enriched sediments they vary in form from well-rounded to angular. Some grains in the latter display surface morphologies typical of reworked sediment while none of the former do.

Sediments deposited during glacial interstadials at depths of up to 130 m BSL may represent important, undeveloped exploration targets for offshore placer deposits of industrial minerals. Industrial mineral exploration should extend the depths of investigations to those corresponding to major interstadial periods.