Bacterioplanktonic abundance,productivity and petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation in marinas and other coastal waters in North Carolina,USA

The purpose of this study was to assess the differences in the abundance and activity of the bacterioplankton at sites with varied boating activity, and to determine the response of the communities to additional petroleum pollution. Three sites, including two marinas and a site on Bogue Sound in coastal North Carolina, were selected for monthly experiments. Seasonal patterns of bacterioplanktonic abundance and diesel fuel biodegradation for each site were examined, and possible correlations with intensity of boating activities were explored. Bacterioplanktonic communities at the three sites in this study were more similar in their structure and biodegradation potential than would have been expected from previous studies. We found no differences in the abundance and biodegradation potential of theses communities at the three sites, and only a slightly elevated number of hydrocarbon degraders at one of the marinas. Patterns of biodegradation were more closely related to total bacterial abundance, rather than number of petroleum hydrocarbon degraders. There was a strong seasonal pattern in bacterial abundance and biodegradation at all three sites. The bacterioplanktonic Community at all sites responded similarly to additions of diesel fuel. Bacterial abundance and productivity were both elevated to some extent, and number of petroleum hydrocarbon degraders changed relatively little. These data indicate that marinas may not profoundly after the bacterioplankton and that coastal waters often have resident bacterial communities capable of degrading petroleum hydrocarbon pollution.     

Exudates of different marine algae promote growth and mediate trace metal binding in Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Phaeodactylum tricornutum was grown in filtered natural seawater enriched with nitrate, phosphate, and silicate only (control) or with exudates from itself, from Emiliania huxleyi (a coccolithophore micro-alga), Porphyra spp. (a red macro-alga) or Enteromorpha spp. (a green macro-alga). Cathodic (and anodic) stripping voltammetry (C(A)SV) were used to determine the concentrations of trace metals, both in the medium and in the algae, as well as total Cu-complexing organic ligands in the medium and, among these, some thiols (compounds identified as cysteine- or as glutathione by CSV). Exudates of different marine micro- and macro-algae could cause allelopathic effects in P. tricornutum cultures. Cell yield of P. tricornutum was increasingly promoted by exudates of E. huxleyi >Porphyra >Enteromorpha. Although exudates strongly complex Cu (and probably other metals), their presence promoted Cu uptake. Significant changes of Ni, Cd, Fe, Zn and Mn uptake by P. tricornutum were also observed in the presence of exudates of different algal species. In addition, both intensity of production and nature of exudates released by P. tricornutum were markedly influenced by the presence of exudates of other algae, the allelopathic effects being very specific (variable from one species to another). Allelopathy will probably also occur in the aquatic environment, although to a lesser extent than in cultures, particularly during bloom events and may have effects on both chemical speciation and bioavailability of chemicals to phytoplanktonic species. Such changes might cause the predominance of some species over other species. Therefore, in future in vitro culture studies with the purpose of using them as models of the real environment, more attention should be paid to the role of algal exudates, in order to improve the environmental relevance and significance of the results.     

The use of chemical dispersants to combat oil spills at sea: A review of practice and research needs in Europe

In order to better understand the practice of dispersant use, a review has been undertaken of marine oil spills over a 10 year period (1995-2005), looking in particular at variations between different regions and oil-types. This viewpoint presents and analyses the review data and examines a range of dispersant use policies. The paper also discusses the need for a reasoned approach to dispersant use and introduces past cases and studies to highlight lessons learned over the past ten years, focussing on dispersant effectiveness and monitoring; toxicity and environmental effects; the use of dispersants in low salinity waters; response planning and future research needs.     

The occurrence of chemical elements and POPs in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta): an overview

Chemical elements and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are globally present in aquatic systems and their potential transfer to loggerhead marine turtles (Caretta caretta) has become a serious threat for their health status. The environmental fate of these xenobiotics may be traced by the analysis of turtles’ tissues and blood. Generally, loggerhead turtles exhibited a higher metal load than other turtle species, this could be explained by differences in diet habits being food the main source of exposure. Literature shows that muscle, liver and kidney are most considered for the quantification of chemical elements, while, organic compounds are typically investigated in liver and fat.This paper is an overview of the international studies carried out on the quantification of chemical elements, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorines (OCs) and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), in tissues, organs and fluids of C. caretta from the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.