The impact of shrimp farming effluent on bacterial communities in mangrove waters, Ceará, Brazil

The effects of shrimp farm effluents on bacterial communities in mangroves have been infrequently reported. Classic and molecular biology methods were used to survey bacterial communities from four mangroves systems. Water temperature, salinity, pH, total heterotrophic bacteria and maximum probable numbers of Vibrio spp. were investigated. Genetic profiles of bacterial communities were also characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of eubacterial and Vibrio 16S rDNA using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Highest heterotrophic counts were registered in the mangrove not directly polluted by shrimp farming. The Enterobacteriaceae and Chryseomonas luteola dominated the heterotrophic isolates. Vibrio spp. pathogenic to humans and shrimps were identified. Eubacterial genetic profiles suggest a shared community structure independent of mangrove system. Vibrio genetic profiles were mangrove specific. Neither microbial counts nor genetic profiling revealed a significant decrease in species richness associated with shrimp farm effluent. The complex nature of mangrove ecosystems and their microbial communities is discussed.     

First record of stereospondyls (Tetrapoda,Temnospondyli) in the Upper Triassic of Southern Brazil

Stereospondyls survived the Permo-Triassic extinctions in a refuge probably located in the landmass that nowadays comprises Australia. Subsequently, they radiated to other parts of Pangaea, reaching their highest distribution and diversification during the Early Triassic. An incomplete interclavicle from the Caturrita Formation represents their first record in the Upper Triassic of Brazil. Previously, Upper Triassic South American stereospondyls were restricted to Argentina. This new record reinforces a former hypothesis that suggests the presence of a more diverse stereospondyl fauna in South America during the Late Triassic than previously assumed. Additionally, the presence of a stereospondyl and a phytosaur in the Caturrita Formation reinforces the hypothesis of a change to more humid climatic conditions in the Paraná Basin during the Upper Triassic. The record of Early Triassic stereospondyls in South America suggests that they first colonized Brazil and/or Uruguay, spreading from South Africa during the Early Triassic, subsequently reaching Argentina. Up till now, there is no record of Middle Triassic stereospondyls in either Argentina and Brazil, probably due to either taphonomic bias or insufficient prospecting. Despite the lack of direct evidence, one should not dismiss an earlier stereospondyl colonization of Argentina still during the Early or Middle Triassic.     

Chemical variations and significance of phosphates from the Fregeneda-Almendra pegmatite field, Central Iberian Zone (Spain and Portugal)

Granitic pegmatites are widespread within a schist-metagreywacke complex in the Fregeneda-Almendra area (Central Iberian Zone). They intrude pre-Ordovician metasedimentary rocks and show a zonal distribution relative to the Meda-Penedono-Lumbrales granitic complex, from barren bodies to those enriched in Li, F, Sn, Nb>Ta, P and Be. Based on mineralogical criteria, these pegmatites are classified into three main categories: barren, intermediate and rare-element pegmatites, with each type including various subtypes. Phosphates are present in many pegmatites that usually occur as fine-grained accessory minerals. The most complex association of such minerals includes numerous Fe–Mn phosphates that occur in intermediate pegmatites. Al-phosphates are characteristic of Li-rich pegmatites. Electron microprobe analyses of representative phosphates reflect compositional differences depending on the pegmatite type. The Fe/(Fe+Mn) ratio of phosphates tends to decrease as the evolution degree of the pegmatites increases.     

Variability of the gas transfer velocity of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> in a macrotidal estuary (the Scheldt)

We report a large set of 295 interfacial carbon dioxide (CO₂) flux measurements obtained in the Scheldt estuary in November 2002 and April 2003, using the floating chamber method. From concomitant measurements of the air-water CO₂ gradient, we computed the gas transfer velocity of CO₂. The gas transfer velocity is well correlated to wind speed and a simple linear regression function gives the most consistent fit to the data. Based on water current measurements, we estimated the contribution of water current induced turbulence to the gas transfer velocity, using the conceptual relationship of O'Connor and Dobbins (1958). This allowed us to construct an empirical relationship to compute the gas transfer velocity of CO₂ that accounts for the contribution of wind and water current. Based on this relationship, the spatial and temporal variability of the gas transfer velocity in the Scheldt estuary was investigated. Water currents contribute significantly to the gas transfer velocity, but the spatial and temporal variability (from daily to seasonal scales) is mainly related to wind speed variability.     

High-pressure minerals in mafic microgranular enclaves: evidences for co-mingling between lamprophyric and syenitic magmas at mantle conditions

Mafic microgranular enclaves, composed of diopside and rare magnesium biotite phenocrysts in a groundmass of diopside, biotite, apatite, Fe-Ti-oxides, and alkali feldspar, are associated with Neoproterozoic Piquiri potassic syenite in southern Brazil. Co-genetic mica and clinopyroxene cumulates present inclusions of pyrope-rich garnet in diopside phenocrysts. Textural evidence, as well as the chemical and mineralogical composition, suggest that enclaves crystallized from a lamprophyric magma and co-mingled with the host syenitic magma. The contrasting temperature between both magmas and the consequent chilling was important for the preservation of some early-crystallized minerals in the mafic magma. Diopside groundmass grains contain micro-inclusions of K-rich augite and phlogopite, and some clinopyroxene phenocrysts and elongate groundmass crystals have potassium-rich cores. The pyrope-rich garnet have high #mg number (67–68), with appreciable amounts of Na₂O and K₂O comparable to pyrope synthesized at 5 GPa. The extremely high K₂O contents of K-rich augite micro-inclusions suggest non-equilibrium with the parental magma, whereas the other K-rich clinopyroxenes are similar to K-clinopyroxenes produced at 5–6 GPa. K-clinopyroxene and garnet in mafic microgranular enclaves suggest that lamprophyric magma started its crystallization at upper mantle conditions, and chilled clinopyroxenes with measurable amounts of K₂O are taken as evidence that co-mingling began still at mantle pressures.     

Planktonic and whole system metabolism in a nutrient-rich estuary (the Scheldt estuary)

Planktonic gross primary production (GPP), community respiration (CR), and nitrification (NIT) were measured monthly in the Scheldt estuary by the oxygen incubation method in 2003. No significant evolution of planktonic GPP was observed since the 1990s with high rates in the freshwater area (salinity 0; 97±65 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹) decreasing seaward (22–37 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹). A significant decrease of NIT was observed with regard to previous investigations although this process still represents up to 20% of total organic matter production in the inner estuary. Planktonic CR was highest in the inner estuary and seemed to be mainly controlled by external organic matter inputs. Planktonic net community production was negative most of the time in the estuary with values ranging from −300 to 165 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹. Whole estuary net ecosystem production (NEP) was investigated on an annual scale using the results mentioned above and published benthic metabolic rates. A NEP of −39±8 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹ was estimated, which confirms the strong heterotrophic status of this highly nutrified estuary. NEP rates were computed from June to December 2003 to compare with results derived from the Land-Ocean Interaction in the Coastal Zone budgeting procedure applied to dissolved inorganic phosphorus and carbon (DIP and DIC). DIP budgets failed to provide realistic estimates in the inner estuary where abiotic processes account for more than 50% of the nonconservative DIP flux. DIC budgets predicted a much lower NEP than in situ incubations (−109±31 versus −42±9 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹) although, as each approach is associated with several critical assumptions, the source of this discrepancy remains unclear.     

Using a genetic algorithm for 3-D inversion of gravity data in Fuerteventura (Canary Islands)

The use of genetic algorithms in geophysical inverse problems is a relatively recent development and offers many advantages in dealing with the non-linearity inherent in such applications. We have implemented a genetic algorithm to efficiently invert a set of gravity data. Employing several fixed density contrasts, this algorithm determines the geometry of the sources of the anomaly gravity field in a 3-D context. The genetic algorithms, based on Darwins theory of evolution, seek the optimum solution from an initial population of models, working with a set of parameters by means of modifications in successive iterations or generations. This searching method traditionally consists of three operators (selection, crossover and mutation) acting on each generation, but we have added a further one, which smoothes the obtained models. In this way, we have designed an efficient inversion gravity method, confirmed by both a synthetic example and a real data set from the island of Fuerteventura. In the latter case, we identify crustal structures related to the origin and evolution of the island. The results show a clear correlation between the sources of gravity field in the model and the three volcanic complexes recognized in Fuerteventura by other geological studies.     

A gravimetric 3D Global inversion for cavity detection1

A gravimetric survey, covering a site 200 m square, was carried out in order to locate karstic cavities. After eliminating the regional trend using a polynomial fit, the residual is modelled by least-squares prediction. Correlated signals for several wavelengths are detected. The inversion of these anomalies is performed by a global 3D adjustment using spherical bodies as models. The adjustment is repeated in order to obtain a stable configuration. The results show the probable presence of a system of cavities and galleries. Data collected from boreholes and the subsequent appearance of sink-holes are consistent with the results.     

Conditions governing the use of approximations for the Saint-Vénant equations for shallow surface water flow

The solutions of the Saint-Vénant equations are compared with those of the kinematic, diffusion and gravity wave approximations, for a range of constant Froudé and kinematic wave numbers, with two different lower boundary conditions: (1) critical flow; and (2) zero depth gradient. For each lower boundary condition, zones are defined in the F₀,k-field in which either kinematic, diffusion or gravity wave solutions may be used to approximate the full Saint-Vénant solutions.