First records of 13 echinoderm species on the southwest coast of Portugal

En el ámbito de un análisis de caracterización del área marina adyacente al Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano y Costa Vicentina (PNSACV) se ha estudiado material biológico diverso proveniente de campañas del programa SEPLAT (SEdimentos de la PLATaforma), del que es responsable el Instituto Hidrográfico de la Marina Portuguesa. Las muestras se obtuvieron en el área de plataforma continental adyacente al PNSACV, entre Sines y el cabo de San Vicente, a profundidades comprendidas entre los 15 y los 387 metros. Los equinodermos constituyeron, en esas campañas, un grupo bien representativo de la fauna marina presente en esta área de la plataforma continental. Se recogieron 60 especies de equinodermos distribuidos en las clases siguientes: 2 Crinoidea, 2 Asteroidea, 32 Ophiuroidea, 12 Echinoidea y 12 Holothurioidea. Trece de las 60 especies tienen aquí su primera cita para la costa portuguesa.As part of a characterisation study of the marine area contiguous to the Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina Natural Park (PNSACV), biological material proceeding from cruises of the SEPLAT (PLATform SEdiments) programme (Portuguese Navy's Hydrographic Institute) has been studied. The sampling took place on the continental shelf contiguous to the PNSACV, between Sines and Cape St Vicente, at water depths ranging from 15-387 m. During these cruises, equinoderms were found to be a well-represented faunal group. Sixty echinoderm species were identified, distributed as follows, by classes: 2 crinoids, 2 asteroids, 32 ophiuroids, 12 equinoids and 12 holothuroids. Thirteen of the 60 species are first records on the Portuguese coast.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Production of the ragworm Nereis diversicolor (O. F. Müller, 1776), fed with a diet for gilthead seabream Sparus auratus L., 1758: survival, growth, feed utilization and oogenesis

A 65-day experiment was conducted to determine survival, growth, feed utilization and oogenesis of Nereis diversicolor (O. F. Müller, 1776), fed with a commercial dry diet developed for gilthead seabream Sparus auratus L., 1758. Worms were reared in three replicate tanks with 50 worms per tank (255 indiv · m_2). Tetramin®, a commonly used diet for ornamental fish and polychaete laboratory experiments, was used as a control. Survival was high (95.3 %) for both treatments, and not significantly affected by diet. Specific growth rates and feed efficiency ratios did not differ significantly between worms fed with either diets, nor were there significant differences in the proportion of individuals in the oocyte size classes.La supervivencia, el crecimiento, la utilización del alimento y la oogénesis de Nereis diversicolor (O. F. Müller, 1776) alimentado con pienso de dorada Sparus auratus L., 1758 fueron estudiados durante 65 días. Los poliquetos se cultivaron en tres tanques replicados con 50 individuos en cada uno (255 indiv · m_2). Como control se utilizó Tetramin®, una dieta común para peces ornamentales y en experimentos de laboratorio con poliquetos. La supervivencia fue alta (95,3 %) en ambos tratamientos y no se vio afectada significativamente por la dieta. El aumento de peso y los cocientes de eficiencia alimentaria no variaron significativamente entre los poliquetos alimentados con ambas dietas. Entre los grupos experimentales no hubo diferencia significativa en la proporción de individuos por clases de tamaño de los oocitos.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Preliminary results on the growth and survival of the polychaete Nereis diversicolor (O. F. Müller, 1776), when fed with faeces from the carpet shell clam Ruditapes decussatus (L., 1758)

The growth and survival of the polychaete Nereis diversicolor (O. F. Müller, 1776) fed on faeces of the carpet shell clam Ruditapes decussatus (L., 1758) were studied under controlled temperature and salinity conditions. Juvenile worms were fed with clam R. decussatus faeces in the presence or absence of sediment during 65 days. Starvation treatments were tested as a control. The results of the present study show that the worms were able to grow using the clam faeces in the presence or absence of sediment. However, the worms from the trials with sediment showed a higher survival rate and biomass production than those from the trials in which no sediment was used. These findings suggest that a suspension of bivalve faeces can be used in the rearing of juvenile N. diversicolor in an integrated polyculture system.El crecimiento y la supervivencia del poliqueto Nereis diversicolor (O. F. Müller, 1776) alimentado con heces de almeja Ruditapes decussatus (L., 1758) fueron estimados bajo condiciones controladas de temperatura y salinidad. Los poliquetos juveniles fueron alimentados con heces en presencia y ausencia de sedimento durante 65 días. Como control se aplicaron tratamientos de ayuno. Los resultados sugieren que los poliquetos crecieron usando las heces como única dieta en presencia y en ausencia de sedimento. Es más: los poliquetos de los ensayos con sedimiento mostraron supervivencia y producción de biomasa mayores que aquéllos en que no se utilizó sedimiento. Los resultados sugieren que se puede usar una suspensión de heces procedentes de bivalvos en el cultivo de juveniles de N. diversicolor en un sistema de policultivo integrado.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Short-term versus long-term changes in the benthic communities of a small coastal lagoon: implications for ecological status assessment

The characteristic high variability and low predictability of coastal lagoons, due to strong changes in marine and freshwater inputs, make these ecosystems an interesting casestudy. The small Melides landlocked coastal lagoon in SW Portugal is a paradigmatic example, with a biological community highly stressed by these phenomena. Benthic macroinvertebrate samples were collected in 1998/99 and 2009 and each year, in different seasons and addressing different environmental conditions influenced by the connection to the sea and rainfall regime. Major spatial and temporal patterns in benthic communities were investigated using some invertebrate attributes (e.g. community composition, density, species richness and diversity). A very low taxonomic species richness and diversity was found in the Melides lagoon and only a much reduced number of species occurred along all sampling periods and in both sampling campaigns. Although the colonization events play a crucial role, the persistence of the observed species was mainly associated to abiotic factors, such as salinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen. Despite the potential reduction in anthropogenic pressure, by the construction of a sewage treatment plant and a reduction of urban occupation, the ecological status did not improve and the high level of natural environmental variably in the lagoon seems to be the dominant stressor influencing benthic invertebrate communitie

Insight into aquaculture's potential of marine annelid worms and ecological concerns: a review

Polychaetes are marine annelid worms that can contribute to aquaculture diversification. Its culture has been viable, and commercially attempted, but intensive production has progressed only in few countries around the world. In the countries with no production, marine polychaetes are imported or harvested. A strong and sustained research investment provided to a better understanding of the nutritional requirements and reproduction of some species. Recent studies showed new technical improvements, which can lead to an important progress in productivity and give a new impetus to the polychaete production. Some marine worm species were identified as good candidates for integrated multitrophic aquaculture. The development of cost-effective aquaculture techniques for marine annelid worms is essential to ensure a balance between commercial interests and the preservation of ecosystems. The influence of polychaete aquaculture on the environment and vice versa raise important concerns related to ecological security and sustainability of this activity. This review focus on the main technical improvements and advances that have been made in areas as diverse as: aquaculture potential of polychaetes, reared species, main species used worldwide, and highlights biological and ecological concerns, important challenges and recommendations.This study was supported by the FCT (Portuguese National Board of Scientific Research), through the MARE (Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre) (UID/MAR/04292/2013) strategic programme and through strategic project PEst-OE/MAR/UI0199/2014, granted to MARE. This study has also the financial support of PROMAR Program through the project 31-03-05-FEP42: LIVE BAIT – Annelid polychaetes as live bait in Portugal: harvesting, import and rearing management.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Defining the importance of landscape metrics for large branchiopod biodiversity and conservation: the case of the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands

The deficiency in the distributional data of invertebrate taxa is one of the major impediments acting on the bias towards the low awareness of its conservation status. The present study sets a basic framework to understand the large branchiopods distribution in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands. Since the extensive surveys performed in the late 1980s, no more studies existed updating the information for the whole studied area. The present study fills the gap, gathering together all available information on large branchiopods distribution since 1995, and analysing the effect of human population density and several landscape characteristics on their distribution, taking into consideration different spatial scales (100 m, 1 km and 10 km). In overall, 28 large branchiopod taxa (17 anostracans, 7 notostracans and 4 spinicaudatans) are known to occur in the area. Approximately 30% of the sites hosted multiple species, with a maximum of 6 species. Significant positive co-occurring species pairs were found clustered together, forming 4 different associations of large branchiopod species. In general, species clustered in the same group showed similar responses to analysed landscape characteristics, usually showing a better fit at higher spatial scales.Brazilian Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico-CNPq [401045/2014-5]Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport [FPU014/06783]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sex- and age-related differences in the management and outcomes of chronic heart failure: an analysis of patients from the ESC HFA EORP Heart Failure Long-Term Registry

Aims: This study aimed to assess age- and sex-related differences in management and 1-year risk for all-cause mortality and hospitalization in chronic heart failure (HF) patients. Methods and results: Of 16 354 patients included in the European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Long-Term Registry, 9428 chronic HF patients were analysed [median age: 66 years; 28.5% women; mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 37%]. Rates of use of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) were high (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists: 85.7%, 88.7% and 58.8%, respectively). Crude GDMT utilization rates were lower in women than in men (all differences: P\ua0 64 0.001), and GDMT use became lower with ageing in both sexes, at baseline and at 1-year follow-up. Sex was not an independent predictor of GDMT prescription; however, age >75 years was a significant predictor of GDMT underutilization. Rates of all-cause mortality were lower in women than in men (7.1% vs. 8.7%; P\ua0=\ua00.015), as were rates of all-cause hospitalization (21.9% vs. 27.3%; P\ua075 years. Conclusions: There was a decline in GDMT use with advanced age in both sexes. Sex was not an independent predictor of GDMT or adverse outcomes. However, age >75 years independently predicted lower GDMT use and higher all-cause mortality in patients with LVEF 6445%

Contra a maré cremos,crianças, que basta edificar mais cubos e muralhas de areia: reflexões interdisciplinares sobre a gestão costeira

Este trabalho – que não é um artigo científico e por isso não segue a sua estrutura – reúne um conjunto de opiniões de vários investigadores que se dedicam ao estudo das zonas costeiras. A todos se pediu que reflectissem – com base na sua experiência pessoal e profissional – sobre a gestão actual deste espaço, partindo da frase do artista plástico Carlos Augusto Ribeiro, que serve de título a este texto. Aqui se discute sobre populações e saberes tradicionais, obras de engenharia costeira, gestão de conflitos, destruição de ecossistemas e insustentabilidade, necessidade de cooperação e conhecimento multidisciplinar, novos modelos de gestão do litoral e de cidadania.This work is not a scientific paper and therefore does not follow the typical structure. This text is a collection of the opinions of several researchers that share a common interest in coastal areas. They were asked to reflect – based on their personal and professional experience – about present coastal management, using as a start the phrase of the plastic artist Carlos Augusto Ribeiro – Like children we believe that stopping the tide is only a matter of building more sand walls. Several themes are addressed: traditional populations and knowledge, maritime engineering works, conflict management, ecosystems destruction and unsustainability, new models for coastal management and participative citizenship.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sexing Bonelli\u27s Eagle nestlings: Morphometrics versus molecular techniques

Volume: 35Start Page: 187End Page: 19