Land‐use impacts and water quality targets in the intensive dairying catchment of the Toenepi Stream,New Zealand

Water quality monitoring in Toenepi Stream, New Zealand, started in 1995 in a study of dairy farming influences on lowland stream quality and has continued since then with brief interruptions. Surveys have provided information about changes in farm and soil management practices as they relate to environmental sustainability. Although average water quality in Toenepi Stream has changed little during 1995–2004, there have been some notable improvements. Water clarity measured by black disc has improved from 0.6m to 1.5m, and median ammonia‐N and nitrate‐N concentrations have declined by 70% and 57%, respectively. The frequency and magnitude of extreme concentrations have declined—most notably for nitrogen (N) forms, which also had decreased mean values. Specific yields for suspended solids (SS) and phosphorus (P) forms in 2002–04 were 47–67% of 1995–97 values, mainly because of lower water yields. Reduced specific yields for N forms in 2002–04 (34–37% of 1995–97 yields) were also attributable to lower mean concentrations in stream water. Faecal bacteria concentrations have not abated and are on average 2–3 times recommended guideline values for contact recreation. Fewer dairy farms and an increased proportion irrigating dairyshed effluent to land, rather than discharging it to the stream via two‐pond systems, were likely causes of improvement in water quality. Water quality targets were developed for Toenepi Stream to achieve contact recreation criteria for the Piako River (downstream) and for intrinsic habitat values for Toenepi Stream. A range of mitigation measures has been formulated to meet these targets, but substantial uptake of sustainable farming practices is needed to improve water quality in Toenepi Stream.     

Sieve‐bucket for rapid field separation of macrofauna from bottom samples (note)

A lidded, 18‐litre sieve bucket was used to separate benthic macroinvertebrates from samples of mud taken with an Ekman grab. The device is operated in shallow water near the shore, and an entire Ekman grab sample (up to 10 litres) can be sieved in 5–10 min.     

Evaluation of policy options for the live reef food fish trade in the province of Palawan,Western Philippines

The live reef food fish (LRFF) trade has an estimated annual retail value of US$1 billion in the Asia-Pacific region and at least US$30 million in the Philippines. Palawan Province is the trade's center accounting for as much as 55% of the commodity's total export. Concern about the LRFF trade has caused the Palawan Provincial government to take action to regulate the trade. Four key policy options to address the short-term policy objective of developing a sustainable LRFF industry through the reduction of threats associated with destructive fishing and overfishing were proposed. These four policy options and associated analyses were presented to stakeholders at three separate policy consultations. The stakeholders reached a consensus that a regulated LRFF trade was the most sensible option. As a result, the Provincial Government of Palawan took action to enact “The Palawan Live Reef Fish Ordinance of 2006”, which provides for the sustainable and integrated regulation of the LRFF industry. This provincial ordinance will assist in crafting a national policy for the LRFF trade and may also be useful in revising the 1998 Philippine Fisheries Code. The key challenge is how to translate the ordinance provisions into effective on-the-ground actions.     

Long-term stability of the fish assemblages in a warm-temperate South African estuary

Little is known about long-term changes in estuarine fish populations and related environmental variations. Fishes in the temporarily open/closed East Kleinemonde Estuary were sampled bi-annually, in summer and winter, using seine and gill nets between December 1994 and July 2005. A total of 18 families, represented by 33 species, were recorded. The 10 most abundant species caught were consistently recorded in catches each year, but CPUE of individual species varied on an annual basis and this can often be related to mouth state. Multivariate analyses of the annual marine fish community identified two distinct groups, with more species recorded during years that succeeded spring (September to November) mouth-opening events than in years following no mouth-opening events in spring. Interannual community stability (IMD) and seriation (IMS) also increased from the years following no opening events in spring to the years that succeeded spring opening events. These results highlight the importance of the timing of mouth opening to the marine fish community in a temporarily open/closed estuary. This study reinforces the importance of long-term studies to understanding community changes in estuaries caused by environmental variations over different time scales.     

Bioactive substances of various seaweeds and their applications and utilization

Over the past century or more,traditional uses of seaweeds began and initially comprised the simple collection,sorting and drying of seaweeds harvested from the wild,or cast upon the beach,for use as soil“manure/fertilizer/improver”.Some macroalgae were used for unprocessed food purposes and subsequently harvested and cultivated biomasses of selected brown and red seaweeds becameindustrially processed to yield alginates,mannitol,iodine,agar,agarose,carrageenan,and more recently biostimulants,etc.Products from various seaweeds are very diverse and are commonly applied in a range that includes textiles and dying,food/feed and supplements and specialized medical applications.     

The Ah receptor in marine animals: phylogenetic distribution and relationship to cytochrome P4501A inducibility

In mammals, the induction of cytochrome P4501A forms by chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, chlorinated dibenzofurans, and halogenated biphenyls is under control of a soluble protein known as the Ah (aromatic hydrocarbon) receptor. Little is known about the presence and properties of the Ah receptor in other vertebrate and invertebrate species. In these studies, we sought evidence for an Ah receptor in the liver or liver-equivalent of 20 species of marine and freshwater animals, using the photoaffinity ligand 2-azido-3-[¹²⁵I] iodo-7,8-dibromodibenzo-p-dioxin (N₃[¹²⁵I]Br₂DD). Specific labeling of cytosolic proteins by N₃[¹²⁵I]Br₂DD was observed in seven species of teleost and elasmobranch fish, in PLHC-I fish hepatoma cells, and in beluga whales. No specifically labeled proteins were found in cytosol from two species of agnathan fish nor in any of nine invertebrate species representing eight classes of four phyla. The presence or absence of specifically labeled polypeptides corresponds with the inducibility of cytochrome P4501A and sensitivity to the toxic effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and related planar halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons in many of these groups. Thus, Ah receptor function may have arisen early invertebrate evolution and has been conserved from elasmobranch and teleost fish to mammals.     

The sea-surface microlayer of puget sound: Part I. Toxic effects on fish eggs and larvae

The sea surface is an important habitat for the developmental stages (eggs and larvae) of many fish and invertebrates; it is also a concentration point for anthropogenic contaminants entering the sea. Studies were conducted to determine the extent to which the sea surface of Puget Sound was toxic to the early life history stages of fish. Three urban bays with suspected contamination, a rural reference bay, and a Central Sound site were compared. Surface-dwelling eggs and organisms (zooneuston) were collected with a surface-skimming neuston net and their densities enumerated. Sand sole (Psettichthys melanostictus) embryos were exposed in the field and laboratory to the sea-surface microlayer. To develop a useful year-round approach to monitoring sea-surface toxicity, larval development of anchovies, kelp bass, and sea urchins was also evaluated as an indication of sea-surface microlayer toxicity.During the spawning season (February and March), urban boys in Puget Sound had lower concentrations of sand sole eggs and neustonic organisms on the sea surface than did the rural bayor Central Sound reference sites. Compared to the reference sites, laboratory exposure to surface microlayer samples collected from urban bay sites generally resulted in more chromsomal aberrations in developing sole embryos, reduced hatching success of sole larvae, and reduced growth in trout cell cultures. In situ hatching success of sole eggs was reduced by half or more in urban bays compared to reference sites.Toxicity was associated with visible surface slicks and, in urban bays, increased with increasing surface pressure (dynes cm⁻¹). Results to be reported separately (Part II) indicate that toxicity is strongly correlated with the presence of high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals in the sea-surface microlayer. The toxicity of SMIC samples was similar when evaluated by sole, anchovy, kelp bass, or sea urchin tests. A sea-surface monitoring program could use sea urchin embryos to evaluate site-specific sea-surface toxicity throughout the year.     

A New Genus and Species of Rhynchonellid (Brachiopoda, Recent) from Submarine Caves in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract. A new rhynchonellid brachiopod genus Tethyrhynchia , with type species Tethyrhynchia mediterranea n. sp., is described from specimens discovered in dark zones of submarine caves along the Mediterranean coast of France between Marseille and La Ciotat, and also at Zembra Island, off the Gulf of Tunis, Tunisia. Other brachiopods occurring with this diminutive rhynchonellid are also small and include the megathyridids Argyrotheca cistellula and Megathiris detruncata . This is the first recorded occurrence of a rhynchonellid from the Mediterranean Sea. The new form is apparently neotenous, in that the lophophore in adults never develops beyond the trocholophous stage. A new type of rhynchonellid crus, crescentic in profile and here named the lunifer type, is described. The new genus is assigned to the new family Tethyrhynchiidae , and comparisons are made with other extant rhynchonellid genera.