Slaughter weight rather than sex affects carcass cuts and tissue composition of Bisaro pigs

Carcass cuts and tissue composition were assessed in Bisaro pigs (n=64) from two sexes (31 gilts and 33 entire males) reared until three target slaughter body-weights (BW) means: 17 kg, 32 kg, and 79 kg. Dressing percentage and backfat thickness increased whereas carcass shrinkage decreased with increasing BW. Slaughter weight affected most of the carcass cut proportions, except shoulder and thoracic regions. Bone proportion decreased linearly with increasing slaughter BW, while intermuscular and subcutaneous adipose tissue depots increased concomitantly. Slaughter weight increased the subcutaneous adipose tissue proportion but this impaired intramuscular and intermuscular adipose tissues in the loin primal. The sex of the pigs minimally affected the carcass composition, as only the belly weight and the subcutaneous adipose tissue proportions were greater in gilts than in entire males. Light pigs regardless of sex are recommended to balance the trade-offs between carcass cuts and their non-edible compositional outcomes.Work included in the Portuguese PRODER research Project BISOPORC – Pork extensive production of Bísara breed, in two alternative systems: fattening on concentrate vs chesnut, Project PRODER SI I&DT Medida 4.1 “Cooperação para a Inovação”. The authors are grateful to Laboratory of Carcass and Meat Quality of Agriculture School of Polytechnic Institute of Bragança ‘Cantinho do Alfredo’. The authors are members of the MARCARNE network, funded by CYTED (ref. 116RT0503).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Characteristics of the grey seal ( Halichoerus grypus ) diet in the Vistula River mouth (Mewia Łacha Nature Reserve, Southern Baltic Sea), based on the osteological and molecular studies of scat samples

This study reports the propagation dynamics of the Kara Sea surface desalinated layer (SDL) during the summer and autumn seasons. We analysed shipboard measurements data collected in 2013–2018 and MODIS ocean colour data that correlated with the shipboard ones. We formulated a comparatively strict criterion to determine the SDL border based on satellite data. For that, we analyzed the shipboard flow-through measuring system data obtained while crossing the surface desalinated layer border. Further, we used a regional algorithm to process the satellite data and estimate the coloured dissolved organic matter absorption coefficient for the Kara Sea. The results demonstrate a significant effect of the wind regime on the interseasonal and interannual variability of the transformation of the SDL boundaries. The positions of the surface desalinated layer boundaries at different times during 2013–2018 are given. The obtained results are important for calculating the heat balance and analyzing the Kara Sea bio-productivity

Reproduction of cod, Gadus morhua (Actinopterygii: Gadiformes: Gadidae), from the Gdańsk Deep (Baltic Sea) under controlled conditions

Background. The stocks of cod, Gadus morhua Linnaeus, 1758, have been declining within recent decades and the Baltic Sea is one of the most affected areas. The latter body of water with its low salinity, pollution, and vast areas of demersal hypoxia is particularly vulnerable. Areas of natural spawning are scarce and the reproductive output of cod has been irregular and more and more limited. One of the proposed solutions for this problem might be an artificial reproduction.  One of such areas has been the Gdańsk Deep, but the number of potential brood fish is relatively low, which makes the eggs and sperm poorly accessible. The aim of the presently reported study was to conduct spawning and egg incubation under controlled conditions to obtain viable hatchlings and to monitor the embryonic development of cod originating from the area of the Gdańsk Deep. Materials and methods. The parental fish specimens were obtained during commercial trawl catches. The eggs were fertilized artificially at the field laboratory using filtered brackish sea water with salinity of 15‰, and then were incubated at a constant temperature of 8 ± 0.5°C. Eggs and larvae development, and larvae beginning exogenous feeding were observed under a stereo microscope, and photographed regularly to determine the sizes of the eggs and larvae and to document the results of the experiment. Results. The mean percentage of fertilization of eggs was 70%. Hatching began 236 h after fertilization, and the newly hatched larvae comprised 30% of the initial stocking density. The mean length of the larvae was 3.95 mm. The cod larvae began exogenous feeding before the yolk sac was fully absorbed. Conclusion. Artificial reproduction with gametes obtained from cod spawning in the Gdańsk Deep is possible, and the fertilization rates obtained were similar to those achieved with cod from the Bornholm and Gotland basins. Therefore, our results also show that cod spawning in the Gdańsk Deep can be suggested as a model species for further research

Plastic debris in freshwater systems worldwide

Plastic debris is widespread in freshwater ecosystems, but a rigorous assessment of its global distribution has been hindered by a lack of comprehensive and comparable data. We performed the first standardized global survey of lakes to assess the quantity and type of plastics (>250μm). We included 38 lakes located in 23 different countries distributed across five continents, spanning different environmental gradients and varying levels of anthropogenic stress. All samples were collected by horizontal trawling of a plankton net and subsequently treated with hydrogen peroxide. We identified 9425 plastic particles, which were classified based on shape, color, and size. Polymer identification was carried out using Raman micro-spectroscopy. Our results showed that the concentration of plastics spanned four orders of magnitude (10-3-101 particles/m3). Fibers (49%) and fragments (41%) were the most frequently detected particles, suggesting a secondary origin of plastic contamination. The most commonly identified polymers were polyester (30%), polypropylene (20%), and polyethylene (16%), which are widely used in short life-cycle products and account for the majority of global plastic production. Further, we found that urban-related attributes of lakes/watersheds influenced the occurrence and type of plastics in lentic systems and larger and deeper lakes with higher retention times are accumulating plastic debris at higher concentrations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Plastic debris in lakes and reservoirs

Plastic debris is thought to be widespread in freshwater ecosystems globally. However, a lack of comprehensive and comparable data makes rigorous assessment of its distribution challenging. Here we present a standardized cross-national survey that assesses the abundance and type of plastic debris (>250 μm) in freshwater ecosystems. We sample surface waters of 38 lakes and reservoirs, distributed across gradients of geographical position and limnological attributes, with the aim to identify factors associated with an increased observation of plastics. We find plastic debris in all studied lakes and reservoirs, suggesting that these ecosystems play a key role in the plastic-pollution cycle. Our results indicate that two types of lakes are particularly vulnerable to plastic contamination: lakes and reservoirs in densely populated and urbanized areas and large lakes and reservoirs with elevated deposition areas, long water-retention times and high levels of anthropogenic influence. Plastic concentrations vary widely among lakes; in the most polluted, concentrations reach or even exceed those reported in the subtropical oceanic gyres, marine areas collecting large amounts of debris. Our findings highlight the importance of including lakes and reservoirs when addressing plastic pollution, in the context of pollution management and for the continued provision of lake ecosystem services

Global patterns and predictors of microplastic occurrence and abundance in lentic systems

The majority of microplastic research has focused on seawater, with fewer than 4% of microplasticsrelated studies occurring on freshwaters. The limited available information suggests that the abundance of microplastics in freshwaters is often as high or even higher than marine environments. However, comprehensive investigations on occurrence and fate of microplastics in freshwaters are scarce and highly fragmented, partly because detection and identification of microplastic particles is rather complex. In addition, up to now, harmonized and standardized protocols for the sampling and analysis of microplastics in freshwaters do not exist, and studies with different research aims and hypotheses often report unstandardized results, making comparison among studies difficult. In the present study, we performed the first global standardized sampling and analysis effort to investigate the occurrence and distribution of microplastics in surface water of lakes and reservoirs with different anthropogenic impacts. Participants aim to collect water samples of freshwater systems with different features (e.g., area, depth, thermal behavior, watershed), following a common protocol. This 18 establishes the collection of samples by horizontal trawling of a plankton net and, after treatment with hydrogen peroxide, the polymer identification through micro-Raman spectroscopy. This GLEON project will allow obtaining comparable data about microplastic contamination in different freshwater systems around the globe. With this global dataset, our goals are to determine whether a relationship exists between the abundance of microplastics and the waterbody/watershed attributes and understand which factors are likely to influence the occurrence of microplastics in surface water of lentic systems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Global patterns and predictors of microplastic occurrence and abundance in lentic systems

The majority of microplastic research has focused on seawater, with fewer than 4% of microplasticsrelated studies occurring on freshwaters. The limited available information suggests that theabundance of microplastics in freshwaters is often as high or even higher than marine environments.However, comprehensive investigations on occurrence and fate of microplastics in freshwaters arescarce and highly fragmented, partly because detection and identification of microplastic particles israther complex. In addition, up to now, harmonized and standardized protocols for the sampling andanalysis of microplastics in freshwaters do not exist, and studies with different research aims andhypotheses often report unstandardized results, making comparison among studies difficult. In thepresent study, we performed the first global standardized sampling and analysis effort to investigatethe occurrence and distribution of microplastics in surface water of lakes and reservoirs with differentanthropogenic impacts. Participants aim to collect water samples of freshwater systems with differentfeatures (e.g., area, depth, thermal behavior, watershed), following a common protocol. This establishes the collection of samples by horizontal trawling of a plankton net and, after treatmentwith hydrogen peroxide, the polymer identification through micro-Raman spectroscopy. This GLEONproject will allow obtaining comparable data about microplastic contamination in different freshwatersystems around the globe. With this global dataset, our goals are to determine whether a relationshipexists between the abundance of microplastics and the waterbody/watershed attributes andunderstand which factors are likely to influence the occurrence of microplastics in surface water oflentic systems.Fil: Nava, Veronica. University Of Milano-Bicocca; ItaliaFil: Frezzotti, Maria Luce. University Of Milano-Bicocca; ItaliaFil: Aherne, Julian. Trent University; CanadáFil: Alfonso, María Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: AntãoGeraldes, Ana M.. Instituto Politécnico De Bragança; PortugalFil: Attermeyer, Katrin. No especifíca;Fil: Bah, Abdou R.. City University of New York; Estados UnidosFil: Bao, Roberto. Universidad da Coruña; EspañaFil: Bartrons, Mireia. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; EspañaFil: Berger, Stella A.. Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research; AlemaniaFil: Biernaczyk, Marcin. No especifíca;Fil: Breider, Florian. Institute Of Environmental Engineering; SueciaFil: Brookes, Justin. University of Adelaide; AustraliaFil: Cañedo Argüelles, Miguel. Universidad de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Canle, Moisés. Universidad da Coruña; EspañaFil: Capelli, Camilla. Institute Of Earth Sciences; SueciaFil: Cereijo, José. Universidad da Coruña; EspañaFil: Carballeira, Rafael. Universidad da Coruña; EspañaFil: Christensen, Søren T.. Cphbusiness Laboratory And Environment; DinamarcaFil: Christoffersen, Kirsten S.. Universidad de Copenhagen; DinamarcaFil: Clayer, Francois. Norwegian Institute For Water Research; NoruegaFil: De Eyto, Elvira. Marine Institute; MayotteFil: De Senerpont Domis, Lisette N.. Netherlands Institute of Ecology; Países BajosFil: Jordi Delgado, Martín. Universidad da Coruña; EspañaFil: Doubek, Jonathan P.. Lake Superior State University; Estados UnidosFil: Eaton, Ashley. University of Vermont; Estados UnidosFil: Erdogan, Seyda. Bozok University; TurquíaFil: Erina, Oxana. Lomonosov Moscow State University; RusiaFil: Ersoy, Zeynep. Universidade De Évora; PortugalFil: Feuchtmayr, Heidrun. No especifíca;Fil: Fugère, Vincent. Université du Québec a Montreal; CanadáFil: Galafassi, Silvia. Water Research Institute; ItaliaFil: Gonçalves, Vitor. Universidad de Porto. Facultad de Ciências. Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; PortugalFil: Grossart, Hans Peter. No especifíca;Fil: Hamilton, David. Griffith University; AustraliaFil: Hanson, Paul C.. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Harris, Ted. University of Kansas; Estados UnidosFil: Başaran Kankılıç, Gökben. Kırıkkale University; TurquíaFil: Kessler, Rebecca. University of Kansas; Estados UnidosFil: Jacquet, Stéphan. No especifíca;Fil: Kangur, Külli. Estonian University Of Life Sciences; EstoniaFil: Kiel, Christine. No especifíca;Fil: Knoll, Lesley. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Kokorīte, Ilga. No especifíca;Fil: Lavoie, Isabelle. Institut National De La Recherche Scientifique; CanadáFil: Leiva Presa, Àngels. No especifíca;Fil: Lepori, Fabio. University Of Applied Sciences And Arts Of Southern Switzerland; SuizaFil: Lusher, Amy. Norwegian Institute For Water Research; NoruegaFil: Macintyre, Sally. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Matias, Miguel. Universidade De Évora; PortugalFil: Matsuzaki, Shin Ichiro S.. National Institute For Enviromental Studies; JapónFil: Mccarthy, Valerie. Dundalk Institute Of Technology; IrlandaFil: Mcelarney, Yvonne. Agri - Food And Bioscience Institute; IrlandaFil: Mcnally, David. Winooski High School; Estados UnidosFil: Mekonen Belay, Berte. Netherlands Institute Of Ecology; Países BajosFil: Messyasz, Beata. Adam Mickiewicz University In Poznan; PoloniaFil: Mlambo, Musa. Rhodes University. Albany Museum.; SudáfricaFil: Nandini, Sarma. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Nodine, Emily. Rollins College; Estados UnidosFil: Özen, Arda. Çankırı Karatekin University; TurquíaFil: Ozkundakci, Deniz. Waikato Regional Council Science; Nueva ZelandaFil: Vazquez Perez, Ricardo. Universidad da Coruña; EspañaFil: Pociecha, Agnieszka. Institute Of Nature Conservation; PoloniaFil: Raposeiro, Pedro. Universidad de Porto. Facultad de Ciências. Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; PortugalFil: Rõõm, Eva Ingrid. Estonian University Of Life Sciences; EstoniaFil: Salmaso, Nico. Research And Innovation Centre; ItaliaFil: Sarma, Singaraju S. S.. Facultad De Estudios Superiores Iztacala; MéxicoFil: Saulnier Talbot, Émilie. Laval University. Centre Hospitalier de L'universite Laval; CanadáFil: Scordo, Facundo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Sibomana, Claver. University Of Burundi; BurundiFil: Stepanowska, Katarzyna. West Pomeranian University Of Technology In Szczecin; PoloniaFil: Tavşanoğlu, Ü. Nihan. Çankırı Karatekin University; TurquíaFil: Tolotti, Monica. Research And Innovation Centre; ItaliaFil: Udoh, Abel. Gazi University; TurquíaFil: Urrutia Cordera, Pablo. Uppsala University; SueciaFil: Valois, Amanda. National Institute Of Water And Atmospheric Research; Nueva ZelandaFil: Vandergoes, Marcus. No especifíca;Fil: Verburg, Piet. National Institute Of Water And Atmospheric Research; Nueva ZelandaFil: Volta, Pietro. Water Research Institute - National Research Council; ItaliaFil: Wain, Danielle. No especifíca;Fil: Wesolek, Brian. Bay Mills Indian Community; Estados UnidosFil: Weyhenmeyer, Gesa. Uppsala University; SueciaFil: Wightman, Ryan. Agri - Food And Bioscience Institute; IrlandaFil: Wood, Susie. Cawthron Institute; Nueva ZelandaFil: Wu, Naicheng. Ningbo University; ChinaFil: Zawiska, Izabela. Polish Academy of Sciences; ArgentinaFil: Zawisza, Edyta. Polish Academy of Sciences; ArgentinaFil: Zink, Lauren. University Of Lethbridge; CanadáFil: Leoni, Barbara. University Of Milano Bicocca; ItaliaThe Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network All Hands' MeetingEstados UnidosGlobal Lake Ecological Observatory Networ