pH variability off Goa (eastern Arabian Sea) and the response of sea urchin to ocean acidification scenarios

The increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentration in the last few decades has resulted in a decrease in oceanic pH. In this study, we assessed the natural variability of pH in coastal waters off Goa, eastern Arabian Sea. pH_T showed large variability (7.6–8.1) with low pH conditions during south-west monsoon (SWM), and the variability is found to be associated with upwelling rather than freshwater runoff. Considering that marine biota inhabiting dynamic coastal waters off Goa are exposed to such wide range of natural fluctuations of pH, an acidification experiment was carried out. We studied the impact of low pH on the local population of sea urchin Stomopneustes variolaris (Lamarck, 1816). Sea urchins were exposed for 210 days to three treatments of pH_T: 7.96, 7.76 and 7.46. Our results showed that S. variolaris at pH_T 7.96 and 7.76 were not affected, whereas the ones at pH_T 7.46 showed adverse effects after 120 days and 50% mortality by 210 days. However, even after exposure to low pH for 210 days, 50% organisms survived. Under low pH conditions (pH_T 7.46), the elemental composition of sea urchin spines exhibited deposition of excess Sr²⁺ as compared to Mg²⁺ ions. We conclude that although the sea urchins would be affected in future high CO₂ waters, at present they are not at risk even during the south-west monsoon when low pH waters reside on the shelf.     

The effect of habitat and environmental history on otolith chemistry of barramundi Lates calcarifer in estuarine populations of a regulated tropical river

We examine the microchemistry of otoliths of cohorts of a fished population of the large catadromous fish, barramundi Lates calcarifer from the estuary of a large tropical river. Barramundi from the estuary of the large, heavily regulated Fitzroy River, north-eastern Australia were analysed by making transects of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope and trace metal/Ca ratios from the core to the outer edge. Firstly, we examined the Sr/Ca, Ba/Ca, Mg/Ca and Mn/Ca and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope ratios in otoliths of barramundi tagged in either freshwater or estuarine habitats that were caught by the commercial fishery in the estuary. We used ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope ratios to identify periods of freshwater residency and assess whether trace metal/Ca ratios varied between habitats. Only Sr/Ca consistently varied between known periods of estuarine or freshwater residency. The relationships between trace metal/Ca and river flow, salinity, temperature were examined in fish tagged and recaptured in the estuary. We found weak and inconsistent patterns in relationships between these variables in the majority of fish. These results suggest that both individual movement history within the estuary and the scale of environmental monitoring were reducing our ability to detect any patterns. Finally, we examined fish in the estuary from two dominant age cohorts (4 and 7 year old) before and after a large flood in 2003 to ascertain if the flood had enabled fish from freshwater habitats to migrate to the estuary. There was no difference in the proportion of fish in the estuary that had accessed freshwater after the flood. Instead, we found that larger individuals with of each age cohort were more likely to have spent a period in freshwater. This highlights the need to maintain freshwater flows in rivers. About half the fish examined had accessed freshwater habitats before capture. Of these, all had spent at least their first two months in marine salinity waters before entering freshwater and some did not enter freshwater until four years of age. This contrasts with the results of several previous studies in other parts of the range that found that access to freshwater swamps by larval barramundi was important for enhanced population productivity and recruitment.     

Immune inhibition in marine mussels by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Polycyclic aromatic pollutants produced by a range of industrial processes and the combustion of fossil fuels. They eventually enter the marine environment, and are bioaccumulated in the tissues of sessile, filter-feeding bivalves, causing a variety of sublethal effects. Few studies, however, have examined immune inhibition in molluscs by these xenobiotics. Here, the immunotoxic effects of PAHs were investigated in marine mussels (Mytilus edulis) by means of in vivo exposure experiments. Animals were exposed to a PAH cocktail of anthracene, fluoranthene and phenanthrene for 2 or 4 weeks. The haemolymph was then extracted, and phagocytosis and lysosomal neutral red retention assays performed to examine the effects of PAHs on particle uptake by haemocytes and lysosome integrity, respectively. PAHs were found to inhibit phagocytosis and damage lysosomes. It is hypothesized that PAHs exert their toxicity directly on the lysosomes. A possible consequence of such lysosomal damage will be immune impairment in mussels leading to reduced resistance to infectious diseases.     

Total mercury and methylmercury in sediments near offshore drilling sites in the Gulf of Mexico

Concentrations of total Hg in sediments near six drilling sites in the Gulf of Mexico were elevated well above average background values of 40–80 ng/g. The excess Hg was associated with barite from discharged drilling mud. In contrast with total Hg, concentrations of methylmercury (MeHg) in these sediments did not vary significantly at nearfield (<100 m) versus farfield (>3 km) distances from the drilling sites. Observed variability in concentrations of MeHg were related to local differences in redox state in the top 10 cm of sediment. Low to non-detectable concentrations of MeHg were found in nearfield sediments that were anoxic, highly reducing and contained abundant H₂S. At most drilling sites, nearfield samples with high concentrations of total Hg (>200 ng/g) had similar or lower amounts of MeHg than found at background (farfield) stations. Higher values of MeHg were found in a few nearfield sediments at one site where concentrations of TOC were higher and where sediments were anoxic and moderately reducing. Overall, results from this study support the conclusion that elevated concentrations of MeHg in sediments around drilling sites are not a common phenomenon in the Gulf of Mexico.     

A portable rainfall simulator for field assessment of splash and slopewash in remote locations

This paper describes the design, operation and performance of a field‐portable ‘drip‐type’ simulator and erosion measurement system. The system was constructed specifically for soil erosion research in the humid tropics and has been used extensively in Malaysian Borneo. The simulator is capable of producing replicable storms of up to 200 mm h^?1 intensity and 20–30 minutes duration with a drop‐size distribution close to that of natural storms of such intensity (D₅₀ of simulated rainfall is 4·15 mm at 200 mm h^?1 and 3·65 mm at 160 mm h^?1, D⁵⁰ measured during natural rainfall = 3·25 mm). The simulator is portable and simply constructed and operates without a motor or electronics, thus making it particularly useful in remote, mountainous areas. The erosion measurement system allows assessment of: (1) rainsplash detachment and net downslope transport from the erosion plot; (2) slopewash (erosion transported by overland flow); and (3) infiltration capacity and overland flow. The performance of the simulator–erosion system compared with previous systems is assessed with reference to experiments carried out in primary and regenerating tropical rainforest at Danum Valley (Malaysian Borneo). The system was found to compare favourably with previous field simulators, producing a total storm kinetic energy of 727 J m^?2 (over a 20‐minute storm event) and a kinetic energy rate of 0·61 J m^?2 s^?1, approximately half that experienced on the ground during a natural rainfall event of similar intensity, despite the shorter distance to the ground. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Land, ethnic, and gender change: Transnational migration and its effects on Guatemalan lives and landscapes

Migration to the United States of America from Guatemala effects many aspects of Guatemalan life. We document, through extensive ethnographic fieldwork, how migrants and their remittances effect gender relations, ethnicity, land use, and land distribution. Our evidence is drawn from research in four communities. San Pedro Pinula and Gualán represent communities of eastern Guatemala. San Cristóbal Totonicapán is an Indigenous town in Guatemala’s western highlands, and San Lucas is a lowland frontier community in the Guatemalan department of Ixcán, which borders Chiapas, Mexico. Our results reveal that migrants and their remittances, both social and tangible, result in significant changes in land use and land distribution in Ixcán. Migrant money permits the conversion of rainforest into cattle pasture and also results in the accumulation of land in the hands of migrants. In terms of land use, we see in San Pedro Pinula that migrant money also allows the Pokoman Maya to make small entries into the Ladino (non-indigenous) dominated cattle business. In San Pedro Pinula, the migration and return of Maya residents also permits them to slowly challenge ethnic roles that have developed over the last five centuries. When we look at how migration effects gender roles in Gualán and San Cristóbal we also note that migration and social remittances permit a gradual challenge and erosion of traditional gender roles in Guatemala. We point out, however, that migration-related changes to traditional gender and ethnic roles is gradual because migrants, despite their increased earnings and awareness, run into a social structure that resists rapid change. This is not the case when we examine land transformations in Ixcán. Here, migrants encounter few barriers when they attempt to put their new money and ideas to work. Despite the advantages that migration brings to many families, especially in the face of a faltering national economy and state inactivity regarding national development, we conclude that migration and remittances do not result in community or nation-wide development. At this stage migrant remittances are used for personal advancement and very little money and effort is invested in works that benefit communities or neighborhoods. We call for continued studies of the effects of international migration on Guatemalan hometowns that build on our initial studies to better understand the longer-term ramifications of migration in a country where no community is without migrants.     

Effect of Bioremediation on the Microbial Community in Oiled Mangrove Sediments

Bioremediation was conducted in the field on a mature Rhizophora stylosa mangrove stand on land to be reclaimed near Fisherman’s Landing Wharf, Gladstone Australia. Gippsland crude oil was added to six large plots (>40 m²) and three plots were left untreated as controls. Bioremediation was used to treat three oiled plots and the remaining three were maintained as oiled only plots. The bioremediation strategy consisted of actively aerating the sediment and adding a slow-release fertilizer in order to promote oil biodegradation by indigenous micro-organisms. Oil addition stimulated the numbers of alkane-degrading bacteria slightly to levels of 10⁴–10⁵/g sediment. Bioremediation of the oiled sediment had a marked effect on the alkane-degrading population, increasing the population size by three orders of magnitude from 10⁵ to 10⁸ cells/g of sediment. An effect of bioremediation on the growth of aromatic-degraders was detected with numbers of aromatic-degraders increasing from 10⁴ to 10⁶ cells/g of sediment. Active aeration and nutrient addition significantly stimulated the growth of hydrocarbon-degraders in oiled mangrove sediment in the field.     

A 12,000-Year Pollen Record from Lake Maliq, Albania

Pollen data from Lake Maliq, the first from Albania, contribute new information to the discussion of the vegetational, hydrological, and climatological history of the Balkans since 12,000 yr B.P. During late-glacial time, a perennial lake expanded at Maliq. It was surrounded by a complex vegetation association composed of steppe and mixed forest elements. The highly diverse forest flora suggest that late-glacial forest refugia were more developed here at middle altitude, rather than at higher altitude as previously suggested. The forest developed after 9800 yr B.P., while the water level remained high in the Korçë basin until 5000 yr B.P. Different environmental conditions, characterized by lower available moisture and warmer winters, progressively took place after this date. Human activity in the Korçë basin ca. 4500 yr B.P. was coeval with conditions characterized by an increase in winter temperatures and a decrease in summer moisture.     

Quantification of peatland water storage capacity using the water table fluctuation method

Peat specific yield (S_Y) is an important parameter involved in many peatland hydrological functions such as flood attenuation, baseflow contribution to rivers, and maintaining groundwater levels in surficial aquifers. However, general knowledge on peatland water storage capacity is still very limited, due in part to the technical difficulties related to in situ measurements. The objectives of this study were to quantify vertical S_Y variations of water tables in peatlands using the water table fluctuation (WTF) method and to better understand the factors controlling peatland water storage capacity. The method was tested in five ombrotrophic peatlands located in the St. Lawrence Lowlands (southern Québec, Canada). In each peatland, water table wells were installed at three locations (up‐gradient, mid‐gradient, and down‐gradient). Near each well, a 1‐m long peat core (8 cm × 8 cm) was sampled, and subsamples were used to determine S_Y with standard gravitational drainage method. A larger peat sample (25 cm × 60 cm × 40 cm) was also collected in one peatland to estimate S_Y using a laboratory drainage method. In all sites, the mean water table depth ranged from 9 to 49 cm below the peat surface, with annual fluctuations varying between 15 and 29 cm for all locations. The WTF method produced similar results to the gravitational drainage experiments, with values ranging between 0.13 and 0.99 for the WTF method and between 0.01 and 0.95 for the gravitational drainage experiments. S_Y was found to rapidly decrease with depth within 20 cm, independently of the within‐site location and the mean annual water table depth. Dominant factors explaining S_Y variations were identified using analysis of variance. The most important factor was peatland site, followed by peat depth and seasonality. Variations in storage capacity considering site and seasonality followed regional effective growing degree days and evapotranspiration patterns. This work provides new data on spatial variations of peatland water storage capacity using an easily implemented method that requires only water table measurements and precipitation data.