Taxonomic notes on Protoperidinium (Peridiniales, Dinophyceae) species in the Thermaikos Bay (North Aegean Sea, Greece)

The thecal morphology and plate pattern of fourteen species of the genus Protoperidinium, found in the inner Thermaikos Bay (North Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean) during the period 1989-1992, are described and discussed. These species are: P. depressum, P. oceanicum, P. oblongum, P. claudicans, P. punctulatum, P. conicum var. concavum ?, P. cf. obtusum, P. sp., P. brochi, P. divergens, P. curtipes, P. oviforme, P. pallidum and P. diabolus. Among the fourteen species, P. cf. obtusum and P. sp. are the most interesting from a taxonomic point of view. The morphology of the theca of each species combines features attributed in the current literature to two different species, P. obtusum and P. leonis. These features concern primarily the shape of the 1' plate and the morphology of the hypotheca. As a consequence of my findings, I believe that the morphology of the 1’ plate and the sculpture of the epitheca may be too variable to be used to distinguish between P. obtusum and P. leonis. We also believe that P. obtusum, P. leonis as well as P. striatum require further clarification of their diagnostic characters. Taxa of similar morphology to P. sp. have been recorded in the literature and they may represent a new Protoperidinium taxon

Dužinsko-maseni odnos za 9 komercijalnih vrsta riba iz sjevernog Egejskog mora

Length-weight relationships are presented for 9 commercial fish species from Psara Island (North Aegean Sea). The species studied are Boops boops, Dentex maroccanus, Helicolenus dactylopterus, Merluccius merluccius, Mullus surmuletus, Pagrus pagrus, Raja clavata, Scyliorhinus canicula and Trachurus picturatus. To our knowledge, there are no published data on the fish stocks of the study area. Estimates of LWR parameters are provided for Dentex maroccanus, Trachurus picturatus and Helicolenus dactylopterus, for which reliable LWR datasets are few in the literature, while none has been published for the Greek seas. The samples were collected from the continental shelf and the upper slope, by using non-selective fishing gear (with a research vessel and a commercial bottom trawler), during two seasonal sampling periods: November 2009 and May 2010. The growth pattern of Boops boops and Scyliorhinus canicula was found to be positive allometric, whereas an isometric growth pattern was determined for the other species in the study. We hope that the LWR obtained here will be used in future fisheries management or conservation research in the study area, for example, to convert lengths to weights, determine fish condition and assess spatial or temporal variability in fish growth.Prikazani su dužinsko-maseni odnosi za 9 komercijalnih vrsta riba s otoka Psara (sjever Egejskog mora). Istraživane vrste su bukva (Boops boops), marokanski zubatac Dentex maroccanus, bodečnjak veliki (Helicolenus dactylopterus), oslić (Merluccius merluccius), trlja kamenjarka (Mullus surmuletus), pagar (Pagrus pagrus), raža kamenica (Raja clavata), mačka bljedica (Scyliorhinus canicula) i šarun golemi (Trachurus picturatus). Prema saznanjima, nema objavljenih podataka o ribljem fondu ovog istraživanog područja. Procjena parametara dužinsko-masenog odnosa (LWR) iznesena je za zubaca Dentex maroccanus, šaruna golemog (Trachurus picturatus) i bodečnjaka velikog (Helicolenus dactylopterus), za koje u literaturi postoje malobrojni pouzdani podaci o dužinsko-masenom odnosu, dok nema nikakvih objavljenih podataka za mora oko Grčke. Uzorci su prikupljani iz epikontinentalnog pojasa i gornjeg nagiba koristeći neselektivne ribolovne alate (istraživačko plovilo i komercijalna pridnena koćarica) tijekom dva sezonska razdoblje uzorkovanja u studenom 2009. i svibnju 2010. godine. Rast bukve i mačke bljedice alometrijski je pozitivan, dok je izometrični uzorak rasta uočen kod drugih istraživanih vrsta. Smatra se da će dužinsko-maseni odnos koji je ovdje uočen biti ubuduće korišten prilikom upravljanja ribarstvom ili prilikom konverzacijskih istraživanja u istraživanom području, primjerice pretvorbom dužine u širinu, određivanja stanja ribe i procjene prostornih i vremenskih varijabilnosti u rastu riba

Trace Elemental Composition in PM10 and PM2.5 Collected in Cardiff, Wales

A Dichotomous Sampler Model 241 was used to collect PM10 and PM2.5 samples, from midnight to midnight on every other day, from December 2009 to December 2010. Ca, K, Mg, Na, Al, Pb, Cr, Ni, Zn, Cu, Cd, and Fe were determined by Atomic absorption Spectrometer (AAS). The mass concentration ranged from 18.0 to 83.3 μg/m3, with an annual average of 37. 9 μg/m3 for PM10. The mass concentration of PM2.5 ranged from 3.0 to 36.0 μg/m3 with an annual average of 14.1 μg/m. Most of the elements in both PM fractions were abundant in the winter season. A good correlation was observed between PM10 and PM2.5.Enrichment factors (EF) for elements in PM10 and PM2.5 were calculated and indicate that elements from anthropogenic origins such as Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr and Cd were highly enriched with respect to crustal elements Al, Fe and Ca

Ecosystem processes: litter breakdown patterns in Mediterranean and Black Sea transitional waters

1 - Leaf litter decomposition rates, in aquatic ecosystems, are known to be related to many different abiotic and biotic factors. 2 - Here, we focus on the influence of abiotic factors, searching for patterns of reed litter decay rates on gradient of physiographic, hydrological and physico-chemical components of transitional water ecosystems. 3 - Field experiments were carried out in 16 water ecosystems in the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea in spring 2005. 4 - Significant differences of leaf litter decomposition were observed among ecosystems along univariate gradient of tidal range, index of sinuosity, water temperature and salinity. At least 71% of variance in the litter breakdown rate was explained by the considered abiotic factors. 5 - It is concluded that, at the macro-ecological scale of study, some key abiotic factors, such as tidal range and salinity, are suggested to play a major role as drivers of plant detritus decomposition processes. 6 - The relevance of the described abiotic drivers as descriptor of the most commonly used classification schemes for transitional water ecosystems (i.e., Confinement and Venice System classifications), is a further support to their role as environmental forcing factors

Advancing marine conservation in European and contiguous seas with the MarCons Action

Cumulative human impacts have led to the degradation of marine ecosystems and the decline of biodiversity in the European and contiguous seas. Effective conservation measures are urgently needed to reverse these trends. Conservation must entail societal choices, underpinned by human values and worldviews that differ between the countries bordering these seas. Social, economic and political heterogeneity adds to the challenge of balancing conservation with sustainable use of the seas. Comprehensive macro-regional coordination is needed to ensure effective conservation of marine ecosystems and biodiversity of this region. Under the European Union Horizon 2020 framework programme, the MarCons COST action aims to promote collaborative research to support marine management, conservation planning and policy development. This will be achieved by developing novel methods and tools to close knowledge gaps and advance marine conservation science. This action will provide support for the development of macro-regional and national policies through six key actions: to develop tools to analyse cumulative human impacts; to identify critical scientific and technical gaps in conservation efforts; to improve the resilience of the marine environment to global change and biological invasions; to develop frameworks for integrated conservation planning across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments; to coordinate marine conservation policy across national boundaries; and to identify effective governance approaches for marine protected area management. Achieving the objectives of these actions will facilitate the integration of marine conservation policy into macro-regional maritime spatial planning agendas for the European and contiguous seas, thereby offsetting the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in this region

A risk-based approach to cumulative effect assessments for marine management

Marine ecosystems are increasingly threatened by the cumulative effects of multiple human pressures. Cumulative effect assessments (CEAs) are needed to inform environmental policy and guide ecosystem-based management. Yet, CEAs are inherently complex and seldom linked to real-world management processes. Therefore we propose entrenching CEAs in a risk management process, comprising the steps of risk identification, risk analysis and risk evaluation. We provide guidance to operationalize a risk-based approach to CEAs by describing for each step guiding principles and desired outcomes, scientific challenges and practical solutions. We reviewed the treatment of uncertainty in CEAs and the contribution of different tools and data sources to the implementation of a risk based approach to CEAs. We show that a risk-based approach to CEAs decreases complexity, allows for the transparent treatment of uncertainty and streamlines the uptake of scientific outcomes into the science-policy interface. Hence, its adoption can help bridging the gap between science and decision-making in ecosystem-based management

Cloud-Based Decision Support System for Air Quality Management

Air quality is important for the protection of human health, the environment and our cultural heritage and it is an issue that will acquire increased significance in the future due to the adverse effects of climate change. Thus, it is important to not simply monitor air quality, but to make information immediately available to those responsible for monitoring the networks, to policy/decision makers, but also to the general population. Moreover, the development of information technologies over the last couple of decades has allowed the proliferation of real-time pollution monitoring. The work presented herein concerns the development of an effective way of monitoring environmental parameters using dedicated software. It offers a complete suite of applications that support environmental data collection management and reporting for air quality and associated meteorology. It combines modern technologies for the proper monitoring of air quality networks, which can consist of one or more measuring stations. Innovatively, it also focuses on how to effectively present the relevant information, utilizing modern technologies, such as cloud and mobile applications, to network engineers, policy/decision managers, and to the general public at large. It also has the capability of notifying appropriate personnel in the event of failures, overruns or abnormal values. The system, in its current configuration, handles information from six networks that include over 55 air pollution monitoring stations that are located throughout Greece. This practical application has shown that the system can achieve high data availability rates, even higher than 99% during the year