Effects of cadmium, zinc and nitrogen status on non-protein thiols in the macroalgae Enteromorpha spp. from the Scheldt Estuary (SW Netherlands, Belgium) and Thermaikos Gulf (N Aegean Sea, Greece)

Enteromorpha prolifera (Scheldt Estuary) and E. linza (Thermaikos Gulf) were incubated at three salinities with 100 and 200microgL(-1)Cd and Zn. The objective was to measure effects of Cd, Zn and nitrogen (N) status on the pools of metal-binding non-protein thiols: glutathione and phytochelatins, (gamma-glutamyl-cysteinyl)(n)-glycine (PC). In E. linza, ammonium pools were higher, but amino acid pools, total N and protein contents were lower than in E. prolifera. Reduced glutathione (GSH) pools were positively correlated with free glutamate and protein contents. In E. linza GSH pools increased and the ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione (GSH:(GSH+0.5GSSG)), an indicator of oxidative stress, decreased with Cd contents, indicating Cd-induced glutathione oxidation. Total glutathione pools (reduced plus oxidized) ranged from 16nmolSgdwt(-1) in controls (at 0.5micromolCdgdwt(-1)) to 179nmolSgdwt(-1) (at 1.9micromolCdgdwt(-1)) at the highest cadmium dosage. Cadmium stimulated PC synthesis in E. prolifera which suggests that in N-rich algae, glutathione pools were high enough for PC synthesis. In both species GSH and protein increased with Zn contents, whereas GSH:(GSH+0.5GSSG) decreased, which would indicate Zn-induced oxidative stress; in E. linza, at the highest salinity the glutathione redox ratio decreased from 0.61 (at 2.9micromolZngdwt(-1)) to 0.26 (at 4.9nmolSgdwt(-1)) (at 0.5molCdgdwt(-1)). PCs were not synthesized in response to Zn, which may have resulted in Zn-induced GSH oxidation. The presence of both oxidative effects (Cd, Zn) and detoxification (Cd) could be identified by observing the responses of glutathione and PC pools to metal stress.     

Lead contamination of small cetaceans in European waters--the use of stable isotopes for identifying the sources of lead exposure

Lead concentrations and isotopic composition have been measured in bone and teeth of small cetaceans belonging to three species (Delphinus delphis, Phocoena phocoena and Stenella coeruleoalba), to evaluate the toxicological risk and to determine sources of lead in the European waters. Lead concentrations, far lower than threshold value inducing toxic effects in human, were higher in teeth than in bones, but highly correlated between the two tissues (r=0.92, p<0.001). Large variations of 206Pb/207Pb values in bone tissue showed that cetaceans must be submitted to various atmospheric influences. No geographical differences appeared which is consistent with studies on their distribution indicating seasonal movements between Brittany waters and the Bay of Biscay. The negative correlation between 206Pb/207Pb ratios and age of the individuals reflected the decrease in the production of alkyl lead in Europe, i.e., the increasing use of unleaded gasoline.     

香港一富营养河港内的底泥耗氧和营养盐释放

Tolo Harbour has received massive discharges of municipal sewage, agricultural wastes and cottage industrial effluents, via three river systems, in the past two decades before the mid Eighties. The Harbour is almost land locked and poorly flushed. The soft sediment acted as a sink for nutrients and organic pollutants. After a decade of efforts in establishing and enforcing water pollution control legislations and upgrading wastewater treatment facilities, the sediments have turned into sources of nutrients and exert a measurable oxygen demand upon the overlying waters. In vitro measurements showed that the sediments oxygen demand (SOD) was between 17.6 and 54.3 mgo₂ · m^-2 · h^-1. The maximum rates of release of ortho-phosphate phosphorus and ammonia nitrogen were 15.0 and 206.0 mg · m^-2 · h^-1, respectively.     

Physical and biological response of the Arabian Sea to tropical cyclone Phyan and its implications

The response to the tropical cyclone Phyan, which developed in the eastern Arabian Sea during 9-11 November 2009, was rapid cooling of sea surface temperature (SST), enhancement of chlorophyll a and two-fold increase in net primary productivity (NPP). Cooling of SST was immediate in response to the strong wind-mixing, and the subsequent upward Ekman pumping sustained the cooling even after the dissipation of Phyan. The biological response mediated by the upward Ekman pumping driven vertical transport of subsurface nutrient showed a time lag of 3-4 days. The CO? flux to the atmosphere associated with Phyan was 0.123 Tg C, which accounted for ~85% of the total out-gassing from the eastern Arabian Sea during November. Thus, an increased occurrence of cyclones in a warming environment will lead to an enhanced biomass production and also increase in CO? out-gassing.     

Susceptibility to genetic damage and cell types in Mediterranean mussels

Micronucleus (MN) frequency is generally accepted as a marker of chromosomal damage and has been studied in a variety of cells and species. In previous work, we detected significant dose-related MN increases in the epithelial-like gill cells and agranular haemocytes of Mytilus galloprovincialis treated with benzo[a]pyrene, a well-known mutagenic pollutant. In addition, we have studied micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities in mussels collected from the Venice lagoon (Italy). Frequency changes, possibly related to genotoxic/toxic stress, in both granular and micronucleated cells from gills and haemolymph, were detected. Environmental data suggest the effect of genotoxic pollutants and the importance of cell replication in the interpretation of micronucleus frequencies.     

Evaluating the effects of protection on fish predators and sea urchins in shallow artificial rocky habitats: a case study in the northern Adriatic Sea

Man-made defence structures (e.g., breakwaters, jetties) are becoming common features of marine coastal landscapes all around the world. The ecology of assemblages of species associated with such artificial structures is, however, poorly known. In this study, we evaluated the density and size of fish predators of echinoids (i.e., Diplodus sargus, Diplodus vulgaris, Sparus aurata), and the density of sea urchins (i.e., Paracentrotus lividus) at defence structures (i.e., breakwaters) inside and outside the marine protected area of Miramare (northern Adriatic Sea) in order to: (1) assess possible differences in fish predator density and size between protected and fished breakwaters; (2) assess whether fish predation may have the potential to affect sea urchin density in artificial rocky habitats. Surveys were carried out at four random times over a period of two years. Total density, and density of medium- and large-sized individuals of the three predatory fishes were generally greater at the protected than at the fished breakwaters, whereas no differences were detected in the density of small-sized individuals. Density of the sea urchin P. lividus did not show any difference between protected and fished breakwaters. The results of this study suggest that: (1) protection may significantly affect predatory fishes in artificial rocky habitats; (2) differences in predatory fish density, and size may be unrelated with the density of the sea urchin P. lividus; (3) protected artificial structures such as breakwaters, originally planned for other purposes, could represent a potential tool for fish population recovery and enhancement of local fisheries.     

对H.Utada“统计评估地震预报方法的困难”一文的答复

Utada 的一些意见(1996)和 Varotsos 等(1996a)讨论的观点是一致的。简单的例子表明 Mulargia 和 Gasperini(1992)的主要结论(即 VAN 预报可归于偶然”)并非由于 VAN 方法的“含混不清”,而是由于他们计算中明显的错误。这些错误也导致了 Varotsos 等(1996a)的附录中所揭示的反论。在纠正了他们的一些错误后,这一反论[即如果我们应用 Mulargia 和 Gasperini(1992)的方法,那么可以得到结论:理想完善的地震预报方法(IPEPM)的结果也可归于偶然]也就不用再提了。     

The difference of economic function and the trends of industrial development in central cities along the Xijiang River

TheXijiangRiveristhemainwaterwayacrosseastandwestinSouthernChina.ItsmaincoursebacksontothewestofGuangdongandthesouthwestofChina,withitsexitthroughHongKong,MacaoandSoutheasternAsia.Ithasawidehinterlandandconvenientwatertransportation.AlongtheXijiangRiver,thecentralcitiesarethecities,whichspreadalongtheXijiangRiver'smaincourse,theZhujiangRiver'sdeltaandoutlet,andBosehasbeenselectedasarepresentativecityintheupperreachesoftheXijiangRiver.Theytotal12cities,includingGuangzhou,Shenzhen,Zhuh…