Histopathological biomarkers in estuarine fish species for the assessment of biological effects of contaminants

The increasing emphasis on the assessment and monitoring of estuarine ecosystems has highlighted the need to deploy appropriate biological indices for these locations. Fish diseases and histopathology, with a broad range of causes, are increasingly being used as indicators of environmental stress since they provide a definite biological end-point of historical exposure. This study reports on the histopathological alterations observed in selected organs and tissues of three species of estuarine fish (Platichthys flesus, Pomatoschistus minutus and Zoarces viviparus), captured from four British estuaries (the Tyne, Tees, Mersey and Alde), differently impacted by contaminants, including PAHs. A biannual sampling regime was used to identify the important seasonal variations that occur in terms of the observed biological effects. Inflammatory lesions and hepatocellular fibrillar inclusions attained their highest prevalence in P. flesus captured from the Tyne, Tees and Mersey. The presence of pre-neoplastic and neoplastic toxicopathic lesions was highest in P. flesus captured from these sites, when compared to fish from the Aide reference site. In particular, the prevalence of hepatic foci of cellular alteration (up to 43.3%) and hepatocellular adenoma (up to 10%) were highest in P. flesus captured from the Mersey estuary. Intersex (ovotestis) was only recorded in male P.flesus captured from the Mersey estuary (up to 8.3%) and from male Z. viviparous captured from the Tyne estuary (25%). Pathologies associated with the gill and the kidney were also most prevalent in fish captured from the Tyne, Tees and Mersey estuaries. This study has successfully applied histopathology to an estuarine monitoring program, both for the recording of toxicopathic lesions in the liver and other organs, and for the detection of the endpoint of endocrine disruption, intersex. As such, it provides a powerful integrative tool for the assessment of biological effects of contaminants in these environments.     

Residues of 14C-4n-nonylphenol in mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) oocytes and embryos during dietary exposure of mature females to this xenohormone

In order to assess in fish the maternal transfer of alkylphenolic compounds to the progeny, the identification and quantification of the labelled compounds present in oocytes and embryos was conducted after dietary exposure of mature female mosquitofish to 14C-4n-nonylphenol during vitellogenesis and embryogenesis respectively. Radioactivity found in bile and liver extracts accounted for 0.9-0.6 and 0.2-0.1% of ingested radioactivity for females exposed during vitellogenesis and embryogenesis respectively. The amount of extractable radioactivity present in oocytes and embryos was 0.19 and 0.07% of the ingested dose respectively. The radio-HPLC profiles obtained from bile, liver, oocyte and embryo extracts were similar. They showed the presence of 4n-NP-glucuronide as the major metabolite and traces of unchanged 4n-NP. The other metabolites corresponded to 8-hydroxynonylphenol, 9-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-nonanoic acid and para-hydroxybenzoic acid which is the final product of the alkyl chain oxidation. Our results indicate that exposure of ovoviviparous female fish to 4-NP during vitellogenesis and embryogenesis leads to the contamination of the progeny by 4-NP and its metabolites.     

Upper temperature tolerances of exotic brackish-water mussel, Mytilopsis leucophaeata (Conrad): an experimental study

The dark false mussel, Mytilopsis leucophaeata is an important mussel colonising the brackish-water systems of temperate and subtropical regions. Of late it has earned notoriety as a biofouling species in industrial cooling water systems. However, there are no published data on the temperature tolerance of this species. This paper presents data on the upper temperature tolerance of this mussel from the view point of biofouling control using thermal methods. In addition to mortality, response of physiological activities such as oxygen consumption, filtration rate, foot activity and byssus thread production were also studied at temperatures varying from 5 to 35 degrees C. Experiments were also carried out to understand the effect of mussel size, breeding condition, nutritional status and acclimation conditions (temperature and salinity) on the mortality pattern. The physiological activities were significantly reduced at temperatures beyond 27.5 degrees C and ceased at 35 degrees C. In 20 mm size group mussels exposed to 37 degrees C, 50% mortality was observed after 85 min and 100% mortality after 113 min. The effect of mussel size on mortality at different temperatures was significant, with the larger size group mussels showing greater resistance. M. leucophaeata collected during the non-breeding season (December-April) were more tolerant to temperature than those collected during the breeding season (June-October). Nutritional status of the mussel had no significant influence on the thermal tolerance of the mussel: fed and starved (non-fed) mussels succumbed to temperature at comparable rates. The effect of acclimation temperature and acclimation salinity on M. leucophaeata mortality at different temperatures was significant. Survival time increased with increasing acclimation temperature and decreased with increasing salinity. In comparison with other co-occurring species such as Mytilus edulis and Dreissena polymorpha, M. leucophaeata appears to be more tolerant to high temperature stress.     

An Experi mental Study on Wave-Induced Dynamic Stresses in Seabed

1 .IntroductionEvery year ,Taiwanis subjectedtotwo or three typhoonintrusions in average which always causedisasters . Most of the disasters which occur around the coastal zone are due to seabed instability andcoastal structure destruction caused bytyphoo…     

底部边界层颗粒态物质迁移特征的放射性核素分析方法

利用颗粒态放射性核素携带的颗粒物历经过程信息,我们提出用泥沙扩散方程和颗粒态放射性核素扩散方程联解底部边界层颗粒态物质迁移参数的方法。分析实例的样品取自荷兰Waden Sea南部Balgzand潮滩(砂坪)和Mok湾潮滩(泥坪)的两个站位(BG1和Mok2)。示踪核素为~(234)Th,~(210)Pb和~(137)Cs,其放射性比度由r能谱测出。     

一种新型的米辛尼亚期（Messinian）的复合微生物岩丘建造

在Salemi（西西里西部）附近的米辛尼亚期沉积岩中，我们对一种新型的以米为单位的复合补丁礁进行了描述．其建造由两个截然不同的部分组成：（1）陡倾穹隆状微生物岩丘夹凝块叠层石和结壳状生物；（2）覆盖在微生物岩五上的珊瑚一微生物建造，其中珊瑚群体为微生物岩石所覆盖（这些微生物岩石与各种各样的结壳生物有关）．微生物岩丘的增生作用是葡萄状集合体的发育、畚箕藻骨骼、结完状有孔虫、苔鲜动物、龙介虫和已胶结双壳类的堆积结果．正如地中海中其它类似的米辛尼亚期生物建造，不同部分复合微生物岩丘建造的增生过程似乎是均一的…     

太平洋-南极海岭的新鲜玄武岩延伸到太平洋地球化学区域

太平洋—南极海岭的新鲜玄武岩延伸到太平洋地球化学区域ＥｌｌｓａＭ．Ｆｅｒｇｕｓｏｎ等在最近对一部分太平洋—南极海岭（ＰＡＲ）的地球物理调查期间，Ｓ．Ｃａｎｄｅ、Ｗ．Ｈａｘｂｙ、Ｃ．Ｒａｙｍｏｎｄ和合作人员在大约６４°Ｓ、１７１°Ｗ的破碎带Ⅶ两边海岭区...     

欧亚冰盖的消融

巴巴多斯和新几内亚的海平面变化表明：在过去的15000a中曾有过两次大规模的冰川融水流．同其它环境变化(如北大西洋深水环流)相比，这两次融水流形成的时间显然有助于我们进一步了解从未次冰期到问冰期的气候变迁及新仙女木事件．