33 research outputs found
SeaConditions: a web and mobile service for safer professional and recreational activities in the Mediterranean Sea
Reliable and timely information on the environmental conditions at
sea is key to the safety of professional and recreational users as well as
to the optimal execution of their activities. The possibility of users
obtaining environmental information in due time and with adequate accuracy
in the marine and coastal environment is defined as sea situational
awareness (SSA). Without adequate information on the environmental
meteorological and oceanographic conditions, users have a limited capacity
to respond, which has led to loss of lives and to large environmental
disasters with enormous consequent damage to the economy, society and
ecosystems. Within the framework of the TESSA project, new SSA services for
the Mediterranean Sea have been developed. In this paper we present
SeaConditions, which is a web and mobile application for the provision of
meteorological and oceanographic observation and forecasting products.
Model forecasts and satellite products from operational services, such as
ECMWF and CMEMS, can be visualized in SeaConditions. In addition, layers of
information related to bathymetry, sea level and ocean-colour data (chl a and water transparency) are displayed. Ocean forecasts at high spatial
resolutions are included in the version of SeaConditions presented here.
SeaConditions provides a user-friendly experience with a fluid zoom
capability, facilitating the appropriate display of data with different
levels of detail. SeaConditions is a single point of access to interactive
maps from different geophysical fields, providing high-quality information
based on advanced oceanographic models.
The SeaConditions services are available through both web and mobile
applications. The web application is available at
www.sea-conditions.com and is accessible and compatible with present-day browsers. Interoperability with GIS software is implemented. User
feedback has been collected and taken into account in order to improve the
service. The SeaConditions iOS and Android apps have been downloaded by more than 105 000 users to date (May 2016), and more than 100 000 users have
visited the web version
Cadmium, lead and metallothionein contents in tissues of the sea bream Sparus aurata from three different fish farming systems
Heavy metals in marine environment have a particular significance
in ecotoxicology, since they are highly persistent and can be
toxic in traces. Metals such as Pb and Cd are potentially toxic and pose
a serial risk for human health when they enter the food chain. Fish
are exposed to metals at different intensities through two major
routes: metal ions dissolved in the water can be absorbed through the
gills; metals bound to solid particles can be ingested and absorbed
through the gut epithelium. For farmed fish, growing conditions
(food and water chemistry) may determine metal composition of fish
tissues as well as the response that these fish exhibit to metal toxicity.
The distribution and bioaccumulation of dietary and waterborne
cadmium and lead in tissues of sea bream Sparus aurata was studied
in relation to three different fish farming systems. Metallothionein
levels in fish tissues were also evaluated