The impact of oestrogenic and androgenic contamination on marine organisms in the United Kingdom--summary of the EDMAR programme. Endocrine Disruption in the Marine Environment

This paper summarises results of the EDMAR programme which is investigating oestrogenic and androgenic endocrine disruption in UK coastal waters. Most of the data concern fish. Four species (flounder, viviparous blenny and two sand gobies) are experiencing feminisation in industrialised estuaries. In males this includes vitellogenin (VTG) synthesis, ovotestis induction and/or feminised sexual characteristics. Although reproductive success may be impaired in some cases, implications for fish populations are still unclear. Suspected causative contaminants include natural oestrogenic substances and synthetic oestrogen mimics. The majority of the oestrogenic activity is adsorbed to sediments, and routes of exposure may include benthic food chain transfer. Some natural androgenic substances are also being discharged to estuaries, but their activity appears low.     

Effect of an exotic prey on the feeding pattern of a predatory snail

The mussel Brachidontes pharaonis, which invaded the Mediterranean from the Red Sea about 120 years ago, has recently become abundant in many midlittoral and some infralittoral rocky habitats along the Israeli rocky shore. We investigated the influence of B. pharaonis, as a novel prey, on the foraging patterns of the large whelk Stramonita haemastoma in the field, and examined food preferences in the laboratory. S. haemastoma has shifted from indigenous species to feeding on the novel mussel when abundant. The whelk prefers to prey upon the invasive mussel over all indigenous species offered (e.g. barnacles and mussels), probably due to its larger size. In the midlittoral zone, the foraging activity of S. haemastoma is considerably low even where refuges are readily available (incisioned-rocks) and food density is high (mainly B. pharaonis). Higher proportions of whelks are actively foraging in the infralittoral zone but usually on smaller prey, mostly barnacles. We suggest that this differential foraging activity in the two zones is related to the degree of exposure to wave action. The midlittoral is inherently more exposed to wave action than the infralittoral, where sea conditions are more benign and the whelks may enjoy longer activity periods.     

A growth model for a hyalid amphipod Hyale perieri in the coastal water of Alexandria (Egypt)

Abstract-The growth rate of the hyalid amphipod Hyale perieri was studied on the bases of Ikeda'sgrowth model which is based on the inter moult period (IP) and moult increament (ΔBL). To applythis approach, laboratory experiments were carried out at three temperatures regimes (15℃, 20℃,25℃) to gain accurate data of IP and BL. The total number of specimens used in this study was 86 at15℃, 24 at 20℃ and 70 at 25℃. The number of flagellar segments of both antennae of the Hyaleperieri could not be used as an index of growth (instar criterion). The obtained results indicated that,the predicted IP of the specimens was inversely related to temperature and in good agreement with theobserved values at the experimental temperatures. IP data obtained from laboratory-reared specimes arecombined with ΔBL data to establish a growth model for Hyale perieri from its release from the mar-supium (1.64 mm BL) to the maximum size (12.67 mm BL) as a function of temperature. The maxi-mum numbers of consecutive moults     

Tributyltin and triphenyltin induce spermatogenesis in ovary of female abalone,Haliotis gigantea

Two-month flow-through exposure experiments of tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPhT) were conducted with abalone, Haliotis gigantea. Nominal concentrations of 100 ng TBT/l and 100 ng TPhT/l caused significant spermatogenesis in ovaries of exposed females. There were also significantly more contracted primary oocytes observed in females exposed to either TBT or TPhT than controls. The incidence of two types of unknown cells was also significant in females exposed to TPhT. No significant histological changes were observed in testis of exposed males. This ovarian spermatogenesis caused by TBT and/or TPhT resembles gastropod imposex. Remarkably high concentrations of TBT and TPhT were observed in the head (including central nervous system ganglia), compared to muscles concentrations. Accumulation of TBT and TPhT in the head may disturb reproductive hormonal regulators through neuropeptides released from ganglia. This, as well as possible aromatase inhibition, may be one of the inducers for spermatogenesis in the abalone ovaries.     

Minor constituents in the Martian atmosphere from the ISM/Phobos experiment

Global Martian atmospheric results derived from the infrared imaging spectrometer ISM flown aboard the Phobos 2 Soviet spacecraft are presented. Over low altitude regions the expected CO mixing ratio of (8 +/- 3) x 10(-4) is measured. Variations of the 2.35-micrometers feature are inconsistent with this value over the Great Martian Volcanoes. If the 2.35-micrometers band is entirely attributable to carbon monoxide, the CO mixing ratio is typically depleted by a factor of 3 over these high altitude areas. Orography should play a major role in the existence of this CO "hole." If, however, these spectral variations at 2.35 micrometers are due to the surface composition, the fraction of the surface covered by the responsible mineral must smoothly decrease as the surface elevation decreases. This phenomenon implies a strong interaction between the surface and the atmosphere for the Great Martian Volcanoes. Diurnal behavior and latitudinal variations of water vapor are globally consistent with Viking measurements. During the Phobos observations, the water vapor amounts over the bright equatorial regions range around 11 pr-micrometers during the day. These amounts are slightly larger than those inferred from 1976 to 1979. The lack of global dust storms during 1988-1989 could explain the enhancement of H2O in the atmosphere.     

The dust distribution within the inner coma of comet P/Halley 1982i: encounter by Giotto's impact detectors

Analysis of the data from Giotto's Dust Impact Detection System experiment (DIDSY) is presented. These data represent measurement of the size of dust grains incident on the Giotto dust shield along its trajectory through the coma of comet P/Halley on 1986 March 13/14. First detection occurred at some 287000 km distance from the nucleus on the inbound leg; the majority of the DIDSY subsystems remained operational after closest approach (604 km) yielding the last detection at about 202000 km from the nucleus. In order to improve the data coverage (and especially for the smallest grains, to approximately 10(-19) kg particle mass), data from the PIA instrument has been combined with DIDSY data. Flux profiles are presented for the various mass channels showing, to a first approximation, a 1/R2 flux dependence, where R is the distance of the detection point from the cometary nucleus, although significant differences are noted. Deviations from this dependence are observed, particularly close to the nucleus. From the flux profiles, mass and geometrical area distributions for the dust grains are derived for the trajectory through the coma. Groundbased CCD imaging of the dust continuum in the inner coma at the time of encounter is also used to derive the area of grains intercepted by Giotto. The results are consistent with the area functions derived by Giotto data and the low albedo of the grains deduced from infrared emission. For the close encounter period (-5 min to +5 min), the cumulative mass distribution function has been investigated, initially in 20 second periods; there is strong evidence from the data for a steepening of the index of the mass distribution for masses greater than 10(-13) kg during passage through dust jets which is not within the error limits of statistical uncertainty. The fluences for dust grains along the entire trajectory is calculated; it is found that extrapolation of the spectrum determined at intermediate masses (cumulative mass index alpha = 0.85) is not able to account for the spacecraft deceleration as observed by the Giotto Radio Science Experiment and by ESOC tracking operations. Data at large masses (>10(-8) kg) recently analysed from the DIDSY data set show clear evidence of a decrease in the mass distribution index at these masses within the coma, and it is shown that such a value of the mass index can provide sufficient mass for consistency with the observed deceleration. The total particulate mass output from the nucleus of comet P/Halley at the time of encounter would be dependent on the maximum mass emitted if this change in slope observed in the coma were also applicable to the emission from the nucleus; this matter is discussed in the text. The flux time profiles have been converted through a simple approach to modeling of the particle trajectories to yield an indication of nucleus surface activity. There is indication of an enhancement in flux at t approximately -29 s corresponding to crossing of the dawn terminator, but the flux detected prior to crossing of the dawn terminator is shown to be higher than predicted by simple modelling. Further enhancements corresponding to jet activity are detected around +190 s and +270 s.     

Land Utilization in Chengtu Plain, Szechwan

In the north-western part of Szechwan Basin is the famous Chengtu Plain,with an area of 8,000 sq. km. and at 500-700 m. above the sea level. It is a huge alluvial plain formed by cohesion of many alluvial fans, among which the Minking fan is the largest, constituting 2/3 of the area of Chengtu Plain.     

Stokes二阶波作用下斜坡海床中盾构隧道周围砂土渗流压力响应分析

目前针对波浪作用下海底盾构隧道周围渗流场的既有理论研究一般将衬砌考虑为不透水介质,较少考虑隧道衬砌的渗透性,尤其是较少考虑海底斜坡地形下波浪非线性带来的影响。首先基于斜坡海床表面的动力边界条件,得到Stokes非线性波作用下自由海床的Biot固结孔压响应;其次,采用镜像法建立了由于隧道存在引起的砂土体摄动压力控制方程,并利用砂土与衬砌间渗流连续条件获得了该方程的Fourier级数展开解析解;接着,采用叠加原理得到了Stokes波作用下斜坡海床中隧道周围砂土的渗流压力响应解答;最后,将理论解析解与数值结果及已有的试验结果进行对比,获得了较好的一致性。此外,针对波浪敏感参数(波长、周期、形态)、海床敏感参数(海床渗透性、剪切模量、饱和度、坡度)及隧道敏感参数(衬砌厚度、渗透性、埋深)进行了影响因素分析。结果表明：随着波浪周期及波长增加,衬砌外超静孔压明显增加;随着水深沿斜坡方向减小,Airy波和Stokes波理论在适用范围内(d/L>0.125,d为海水深度,L为波长),获得的波浪压力差异明显增加,前者会低估隧道周围的超静孔隙水压力;当海床渗透系数较大时(k_s&...