Changes in Irish Sea Benthos: Possible Effects of 40 years of Dredging

From 1946 to 1951 Dr N. S. Jones sampled the benthos around the south of the Isle of Man from over 200 sites. Multivariate methods have been used here to compare subsets of this historical data with recent data from the same locations: of these locations some have been subject to heavy scallop dredging over the intervening 40 plus years and some to little dredging. Clear changes were apparent regardless of scallop dredging intensity. Some of the changes in the heavily dredged areas were those expected to result from extreme physical disturbance—an increased polychaete mollusc ratio, loss of some fragile species, and an increase in the predominance of scavenger/predator species. However, changes in the lightly dredged areas also included the loss of a number of species including some potentially fragile tube-dwellers. Reasons for these changes were not apparent.     

桑沟湾农药残留及贝毒对海洋环境质量影响和主要食用贝类健康风险评估

根据2009-04—2010-02隔月6个航次桑沟湾9个调查站位贝类养殖区有机氯(OCPs)、有机磷(OPPs)农药残留和麻痹性贝毒(PSP)的调查资料,分析了它们在该海域海水中、表层沉积物中和主要贝类(栉孔扇贝、太平洋牡蛎和菲律滨蛤仔)体内的含量水平,就农药残留及贝毒污染对海洋环境质量的影响进行综合评价和类别划分,并对主要食用贝类中农药残留和贝毒的暴露水平进行健康风险评估。结果表明,桑沟湾贝类养殖区海水质量、沉积物质量和养殖贝类质量水平范围为1~2级,平均分别为2级、1级和1级,养殖生态环境综合质量水平为2级;总体上,该海域海洋环境综合质量处于良好水平,贝类产区生态环境质量为1类区(清洁区)。即该海域农药残留及贝毒污染对海洋环境质量影响较小或无明显影响。另外,针对食用桑沟湾贝类水产品的消费人群进行了农药残留及贝毒污染的健康风险评估,结果表明调查人群食用贝类中OCPs中的HCHs和DDTs、OPPs中的马拉硫磷和甲基对硫磷、PSP的日摄入量分别为0.75,2.11,0.19,0.09和1.22μg/(人·d),其摄入量低于ADI的推荐限值,因此桑沟湾主要食用贝类中农药残留及贝毒污染的健康风险处于安全范围。     

Interannual Climate Variability of the Past Millennium from Simulations

The interannual variability of global temperature and precipitation during the last millennium is analyzed using the results of ten coupled climate models participating in the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project Phase 3. It is found that large temperature(precipitation) variability is most dominant at high latitudes(tropical monsoon regions), and the seasonal magnitudes are greater than the annual mean. Significant multi-decadal-scale changes exist throughout the whole period for the zonal mean of both temperature and precipitation variability, while their long-term trends are indistinctive. The volcanic forcings correlate well with the temperature variability at midlatitudes, indicating possible leading drivers for the interannual time scale climate change.     

Models of high velocity impacts into dust-covered ice: Application to Martian northern lowlands

The detection of fresh impact craters with bright floors and ejecta (arising from fresh clean water ice) in the northern lowlands of Mars (Byrne et al., 2009b, Science 325, 1674), together with observations of polygonal structures and evidence from the Phoenix probe, suggests that there are substantial water ice deposits just below the surface over large areas. Specifically in cases of the larger craters observed, the impacts themselves may have raised the temperature and the pressure of the water ice deposits locally to values which allow phase changes. In this paper, we use smoothed particle hydrodynamics to model hyper-velocity impacts. We estimate peak shock pressures in a solid water ice target covered by a layer of loose material, modeled by pre-damaged dunite. In addition, we account for the possibility of a thin layer of sub-surface water ice by using a three-layer model where the ice is surrounded by dunite. We find that the peak shock pressures reached in the simulated events are high enough to produce several 100-1000 kg of liquid water depending upon the impact parameters and the exact shock pressure needed for the phase change. A difficulty remains however in determining whether liquid is generated or whether a type of fluidized ice is produced (or indeed some combination of the two). We also note that the process can become rather complex as the number of layers increases because of reflections of the shock at sub-surface boundaries—a process which should lead to increased fluidization.     

Responses of benthic macroinvertebrates to thin-layer disposal of dredged material in Mississippi Sound, USA

Benthic community responses to thin-layer disposal of dredged material were assessed at three sites in Mississippi Sound, USA. Community composition differed between disposal and reference sites (ANOSIM) for each disposal event. Oweniid sand worms, Amphinomid fire worms, and brittle stars (Ophiuriodea) contributed the most to community distinctions between disposal and reference sites (SIMPER), with higher abundances at the disposal sites. Total infaunal abundance was similar to pre-disposal and reference conditions within 3-10 months of thin-layer disposal. Distinctions in community composition between disposal and reference sites (nMDS) persisted throughout the 16-month study period, but were less pronounced at the site where sediment composition was unchanged by disposal. Size distributions of some taxa (e.g., gastropod and hemichordate) suggest adults recolonized the newly deposited sediments either through vertical migration or lateral immigration from adjacent areas. Thin-layer disposal offers a viable alternative to conventional open-water disposal practices and warrants further exploration for other areas with deeper bathymetries and different hydrodynamic regimes.     

Prevalence and distribution of fecal indicator organisms in South Florida beach sand and preliminary assessment of health effects associated with beach sand exposure

Fecal indicator levels in nearshore waters of South Florida are routinely monitored to assess microbial contamination at recreational beaches. However, samples of sand from the surf zone and upper beach are not monitored which is surprising since sand may accumulate and harbor fecal-derived organisms. This study examined the prevalence of fecal indicator organisms in tidally-affected beach sand and in upper beach sand and compared these counts to levels in the water. Since indicator organisms were statistically elevated in sand relative to water, the study also considered the potential health risks associated with beach use and exposure to sand. Fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, somatic coliphages, and F(+)-specific coliphages were enumerated from sand and water at three South Florida beaches (Ft. Lauderdale Beach, Hollywood Beach, and Hobie Beach) over a 2-year period. Bacteria were consistently more concentrated in 100g samples of beach sand (2-23 fold in wet sand and 30-460 fold in dry sand) compared to 100ml samples of water. Somatic coliphages were commonly recovered from both sand and water while F(+)-specific coliphages were less commonly detected. Seeding experiments revealed that a single specimen of gull feces significantly influenced enterococci levels in some 3.1m(2) of beach sand. Examination of beach sand on a micro-spatial scale demonstrated that the variation in enterococci density over short distances was considerable. Results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that the physical and chemical parameters monitored in this study could only minimally account for the variation observed in indicator densities. A pilot epidemiological study was conducted to examine whether the length of exposure to beach water and sand could be correlated with health risk. Logistic regression analysis results provided preliminary evidence that time spent in the wet sand and time spent in the water were associated with a dose-dependent increase in gastrointestinal illness.     

The chemistry of bottled mineral and spring waters from Norway,Sweden, Finland and Iceland

Twenty-two bottled mineral and spring waters from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland have been analysed for 71 inorganic chemical parameters with low detection limits as a subset of a large European survey of bottled groundwater chemistry (N = 884). The Nordic bottled groundwaters comprise mainly Ca–Na–HCO₃–Cl water types, but more distinct Ca–HCO₃, Na HCO₃ and Na–Cl water types are also offered. The distributions for most elements fall between groundwater from Fennoscandian Quaternary unconsolidated aquifers and groundwater from Norwegian crystalline bedrock boreholes. Treated tap waters have slightly lower median values for many parameters, but elements associated with plumbing have significantly higher concentrations in tap waters than in bottled waters. The small dataset is able to show that excessive fluoride and uranium contents are potential drinking water problems in Fennoscandia. Nitrate and arsenic displayed low to moderate concentrations, but the number of samples from Finland and Northern Sweden was too low to detect that elevated concentrations of arsenic occur in bedrock boreholes in some regions. The data shows clearly that water sold in plastic bottles is contaminated with antimony. Antimony is toxic and suspected to be carcinogenic, but the levels are well below the EU drinking water limit. The study does not provide any health-based arguments for buying bottled mineral and spring waters for those who are served with drinking water from public waterworks. Drinking water from crystalline bedrock aquifers should be analysed. In case of elevated concentrations of fluoride, uranium or arsenic, most bottled waters, but not all, will be better alternatives when treatment of the well water is not practicable.     

Hog Daddy and the Walls of Steel: Catch Shares and Ecosystem Change in the New England Groundfishery

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration implemented market-based fishery management in the New England groundfishery as catch shares, controlling aggregate harvests through tradable annual catch quotas allocated to fishing groups called sectors. Policy supporters assert that resulting markets raise conservation incentives. In compliance with the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, species assessments permit catch shares to replace more spatially and temporally specific constraints on fishing gear, time, areas, and daily harvest limits. Qualitative evidence from field interviews and participant observation questions the efficacy of catch shares. Fishing industry members observe that increased presence of large trawl vessels in previously protected areas damages fish subpopulations and benthic habitat. Regulatory bioeconomic models fail to consider these lay observations. The consequent inability of quota markets to recognize the materiality of human–environment relationships at the spatiotemporal scales of fishing activity, and to internalize associated externalities, may have devastating consequences for the fishery.     

Weather extremes and street life in India—Implications of Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping as a new tool for semi-quantitative impact assessment and ranking of adaptation measures

The potential impacts of progressing climate change are alarming. Some adverse consequences are now unavoidable and adaptation measures are increasingly needful. This poses enormous challenges for emerging megacities in the Global South, which barely manage in current weather conditions. This paper introduces Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping as a new tool for structured, semi-quantitative assessments of climate change impacts and adaptation measures.Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping is used to evaluate differences in sensitivities to heatwaves and rainstorms across socio-economic groups and for the ranking of useful adaptation options, based on 188 individual interviews to the impacts of extreme weather events in Hyderabad, India. The results of this multi-stakeholder assessment indicate that rainstorms affect low-income residents more than heatwaves, while the opposite is true for medium-income respondents. The latter are also less seriously affected by extreme weather in general. Profession, though, not income determines the kind of impact that people feel most affected by. Individual characteristics like age and gender do not significantly explain differences in the data, but religion does. This is because, in Hyderabad, Muslims live in the older, less serviced and more affected parts of the city. However, semi-quantitative scenario analyses suggest that, under future climate change, many parts of the city will become increasingly exposed to the effects of extreme weather. Planned investments in urban infrastructure will be seriously challenged by climate change and preventive adaptation measures are urgently needed to at least maintain the current level of quality of life. Investments in the health infrastructure appear to be most effective in reducing the impact of heatwaves and investments in the traffic infrastructure most effective in reducing the impact of rainstorms. However, looking at heat and rain events together—which is realistic as they are both projected to increase and often occur in the same year—reveals that investments in water infrastructure and management have greatest potential to reduce impacts across all localities and on all social groups, particularly the lower-income classes. This is because first-order impacts caused by inadequate water infrastructure often give rise to second- or third-order impacts. Addressing the root cause is the most effective way to break cause-and-effect chains and prevent proliferation of negative consequences. Similar studies are suggested in other cities in order to support adaptation mainstreaming in complex urban environments. Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping proved a useful, semi-quantitative tool for climate change impact and adaptation assessments.     

Assessing changing vulnerability to dengue in northeastern Brazil using a water-associated disease index approach

Water management practices and access to safe water supplies have major implications for human health. While a range of assessments has been developed to assess water vulnerability, limited work has extended these concepts to health and wellbeing. Water-associated disease cycles are characterized by complex linkages between social and ecological determinants, thus conceptualizing vulnerability in the context of health offers a useful framework for analysis. This paper applies a water associated disease index (WADI) as a tool to deepen understanding of changing vulnerability to dengue, comparing conditions in 2000 and 2010 in Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. Multi-dimensional data were integrated into indicators of exposure and susceptibility using the WADI approach, including water access, land cover, climate, and solid waste collection, and outputs were validated and visualized in map form. The findings illustrate heterogeneous patterns of vulnerability to dengue in the region, and highlight trends of seasonal and long-term changes. Highest vulnerability was observed in densely populated Recife and the surrounding coastal region in both time periods, with climate conditions creating seasonal trends in exposure to dengue. While more remote areas in the semi-arid Sertão showed low vulnerability overall, increases were observed in some areas between 2000 and 2010 due to land use intensification and growing population densities. These findings suggest that interventions should consider the dynamic nature of social and ecological factors that contribute to health outcomes and address current as well as future populations vulnerable to dengue transmission. This vulnerability mapping approach can be applied to other water-associated diseases impacted by global environmental change to highlight priority areas for further investigation and contribute towards improving interventions.