Benthic macrofauna changes in areas of Venice lagoon populated by seagrasses or seaweeds.

Two areas of the Venice lagoon populated by seagrasses (three stations covered by Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Asherson, Zostera marina Linnaeus, Zostera noltii Hornemann) or seaweeds (two stations: one covered by Ulva rigida C. Agardh and another at present without seaweed biomass) were monitored by means of six surveys over a year in order to study macrofaunal composition and seasonal changes. The seagrass stations showed a mean species richness (28-30 S m(-2)), individual abundance (1854-4018 N m(-2)) and biomass (22.3-37.7 g m(-2) ash-free-dry-weight, AFDW) ca. 3-8 times higher than those populated by seaweeds (10-15 S m(-2), 494-1395 N m(-2) and 5.6-13.7 g m(-2) AFDW). Differences among seagrass or seaweed stations were much lower. The Ulva-dominated station showed a macrofauna completely different both from the other stations and the communities recorded ca. 30 years ago, before the prolific growth of Ulva. In this station, frequent biomass decompositions and anoxic crises created critical conditions for life favouring organisms with reduced life cycles, younger individuals and the epifaunal species instead of the infaunal ones. In particular, Ulva grazers and scrapers such as Gammarus aequicauda Stock and Gibbula adriatica Philippi were found to be by far the most abundant species, whereas the taxa characteristic of the associations found in the past, in the presence of seagrasses or seaweeds and typical of low eutrophicated environments, appear strongly reduced. Marked differences in the macrophyte dominance and in the bio-physico-chemical variables which characterise the main environmental conditions of the Venice lagoon support the different distribution and composition of macrofaunal communities. Seaweed stations appear mainly governed by the seasonal cycles of these un-rooted macrophytes which, by alternating periods of production and decomposition, are responsible for the drastic reduction of macrofauna biodiversity and biomass. Conversely, seagrass stations exhibit a better oxidisation of the environment and show conditions more favourable for macrofauna colonisation, especially in the presence of macrophytes which are characterised by very well developed below-ground systems such as Cymodocea nodosa.     

Design and projected performance of a flapping foil AUV

The design and construction of a biomimetic flapping foil autonomous underwater vehicle is detailed. The vehicle was designed as a proof of concept for the use of oscillating foils as the sole source of motive power for a cruising and hovering underwater vehicle. Primary vehicle design requirements included scalability and flexibility in terms of the number and placement of foils, so as to maximize experimental functionality. This goal was met by designing an independent self-contained module to house each foil, requiring only direct current power and a connection to the vehicle's Ethernet local area network for operation. The results of tests on the foil modules in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Marine Hydrodynamics Water Tunnel and the MIT Ship Model Testing Tank are both used to demonstrate fundamental properties of flapping foils and to predict the performance of the specific vehicle design based on the limits of the actuators. The maximum speed of the vehicle is estimated based on the limitations of the specific actuator and is shown to be a strong function of the vehicle drag coefficient. When using four foils, the maximum speed increases from 1 m/s with a vehicle C/sub D/ of 1.4 to 2 m/s when C/sub D/=0.1, where C/sub D/ is based on vehicle frontal area. Finally, issues of vehicle control are considered, including the decoupling of speed and pitch control using pitch-biased maneuvering and the tradeoff between actuator bandwidth and authority during both the cruising and hovering operation.     

Phytoremediation of small-scale oil spills in fresh marsh environments: a mesocosm simulation

Research was conducted to assess the impact of oiling on fresh-marsh plant communities and to test the efficacy of techniques that may be used to enhance the bioremediation of crude oil spills in these environments while minimizing secondary anthropogenic impacts. To emulate field conditions, a mesocosm facility was used that houses 120 mesocosm vessels, each of 200-1 capacity. A five-way factorial treatment arrangement was used that included two substrates (inorganic, organic), two nutrient regimes (fertilized, not fertilized), two aeration levels (substrate aeration, no aeration), three oiling concentrations (0-, 5-, 10-1 m(-2) of South Louisiana Sweet Crude oil), and four vascular plant species (Alternanthera philoxeroides, Panicum hemitomon, Phragmites australis, Sagittaria lancifolia, and an unplanted control). Under the 5- and 10-1 m(-2) oiling concentrations, S. lancifolia displayed a short-term response of increased productivity, whereas P. hemitomon had the highest biomass production and photosynthetic rates at the end of the 18-month experiment. Overall plant growth and productivity, as well as oil degradation, were significantly higher in the inorganic substrate, indicating that biodegradation of oil spills in organic substrates may require a longer time period. Time-released fertilizer also stimulated plant productivity and resulted in higher soil respiratory quotients, suggestive of greater microbial activity, particularly in aerated mesocosms. The amount of oil remaining after 18 months was lowest in aerated and fertilized mesocosms containing either P. hemitomon or S. lancifolia and a substrate of low organic matter content.     

PCDD/F and PCB in harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) from British Columbia: response to exposure to pulp mill effluents

Blubber of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) sampled from the Strait of Georgia, BC, in 1991 and 1992 contained higher concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/F) than did samples from Quatsino Sound on western Vancouver Island. The higher proportions of 1,2,3,6,7,8-hexachlorodibenzodioxin and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran in the Strait of Georgia samples probably reflect contamination arising from the discharge of effluents from bleached kraft mills. Higher concentrations of non-ortho- and mono-ortho substituted polychlorinated biphenyls were also found in the Strait of Georgia samples, probably as a result of general industrial activity in the region. Principal components analysis showed that residues were distributed differently between males and females. Within males, concentrations of PCDD, PCDF and PCBs appeared to increase with age. Toxic equivalents (TEQ) to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin in the Quatsino Sd. samples were close to the working guidelines for edible fish used by Health Canada; TEQ calculated for the Strait of Georgia samples exceeded these guidelines by up to a factor of five.     

Changes in soils and vegetation in a Mediterranean coastal salt marsh impacted by human activities

This paper reports changes in vegetation distribution and species cover in relation to soil factors and hydrology in a semiarid Mediterranean salt marsh adjacent to the Mar Menor saline lagoon. Species cover, soil salinity, and the groundwater level were monitored between 1991 and 1993 and between 2002 and 2004, and total organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, nitrates, ammonium and exchangeable phosphorus were measured in the soils in both study periods. In addition, three soil profiles were described in August 1992 and August 2004. The results indicate an elevation of the water table throughout the 13-year period, which was attributable to water flowing from areas with intensive agriculture. Flooding increased and soil salinity dropped in the most saline sites and increased in the least saline ones. The morphology of the soil profiles reflected the increase in flooding periods, due to the appearance of a greyer matrix in the deeper horizons and a more diffuse pattern of Fe mottles. Following these environmental changes, Sarcocornia fruticosa, Phragmites australis and Juncus maritimus strongly expanded at the wettest sites, which led to the disappearance of the original zonation pattern. The cover of Limonium delicatulum, in turn, decreased with the increase in moisture but increased following the increase in salinity. Changes in soil nutrients were only very evident in the sandy soils of the beach, probably due to the influence of organic debris deposited on the shoreline by the storms and due to the strong increase in the colonisation of this habitat by perennial species. According to the results obtained, control measures are needed in order to preserve habitat diversity in this and other salt marshes of this area. Monitoring of the vegetation distribution could be a useful tool to identify environmental impacts, in order to implement remedial actions.     

Spatially resolved spectroscopic observations of Jupiter during the 1987 opposition

Spectroscopic observations in the spectral region 6000–6600 » of major belts and zones of Jupiter have been carried out at Calar Alto Observatory (Spain) during the 1987 opposition, in support to the International Jupiter Watch Program. More than a hundred long-slit, medium resolution spectra have been taken at the coudé focus of the 1.52 m telescope. The longitudinal and latitudinal distribution of the equivalent widths of the methane and ammonia absorption bands at 6190 » and 6450 » have been investigated. Unlike the CH₄-6190 » band, the longitudinal distribution in the NH₃-6450 » band shows asymmetries in some of the Jovian regions analyzed, being the absorption greater at West than at East limbs. These results are interpreted in terms of inhomogeneous scattering models by the simultaneous variation of the NH₃ cloud optical thickness and its altitude level. The north-south scans show little latitudinal dependence on absorption in both methane and ammonia bands, although some relationship could be established between the absorption and relative continuum reflectivity variation.

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Resumen Se presentan los resultados obtenidos de las observaciones espectroscópicas de las principales zonas y cinturones de Júpiter realizadas durante la oposición de 1987 como una contribución al International Jupiter Watch Program. Las observaciones fueron llevadas a cabo haciendo uso del foco coudé del telescopio de 1.52 m del observatorio hispanoalemán de Calar Alto (España), habiéndose obtenido algo más de cien espectros, de resolución media, en la región espectral de 6000–6600 ». Se exponen los resultados de las anchuras equivalentes de las bandas de absorción del metano en 6190 » y del amoniaco en 6450 », estudiándose, al mismo tiempo, la distribución tanto longitudinal como latitudinal de las mismas. Mientras que los resultados para la banda del metano presentan un comportamiento simétrico en todas las regiones analizadas, las anchuras equivalentes para la banda NH₃-6450 » presentan un comportamiento asimétrico en algunas regiones del planeta, con una mayor absorción hacia el limbo del oeste que hacia el del este. Los resultados son interpretados en base a un modelo de scattering no homogéneo, variando, simultáneamente, el espesor óptico y la altitud de la nube de amoniaco. Los espectros tomados en la dirección norte-sur, aunque presentan una dependencia latitudinal pequeña en la absorción de las bandas mencionadas, sugieren una relación entre la absorción y las variaciones de reflectividad en el continuo.

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Also at Departamento de Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Campus Universitario Fuentenueva, Granada, Spain.     

Irish on the move

Trends in emigration from Ireland over time are reviewed. "During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries overseas migration to the United States and seasonal harvest migration to Britain were the main types of movement, but over the past 100 years the Irish have developed a special affinity for settling in British towns. Although the outflow was halted for a time during the 1970s, when return migration took over, the 1980s have seen a renewal of the exodus. This time, however, the character of the flow has changed from predominantly low-skill construction and factory workers to embrace better-educated emigrants, including many graduates. This shift reflects Ireland's changing position in the international market for labour."     

Radiometry of near-earth asteroids

We report 10 micrometers infrared photometry for 22 Aten, Apollo, and Amor asteroids. Thermal models are used to derive the corresponding radiometric albedos and diameters. Several of these asteroids appear to have surfaces of relatively high thermal inertia due to the exposure of bare rock or a coarse regolith. The Apollo asteroid 3103, 1982 BB, is recognized as class E. The Jupiter-crossing Amor asteroid 3552, 1983 SA, is confirmed as class D, but low albedos remain rare for near-Earth asteroids.