2010 Tropical Coral Reefs (Appendix 10)

SUMMARY Coral reef ecosystems are global biodiversity hotspots that depend on the massive calcium carbonate structures mainly deposited by scleractinian (i.e., “hard”) corals. Scleractinian coral distribution is primarily limited by sea-surface temperature, light, depth, ocean pH, sea water salinity, nutrients and sediment loads. These ecosystems are currently threatened by localized stresses such as overfishing and destructive fishing practices, pollution, terrestrial nutrient and sediment run-off, but are increasing impacted by direct and indirect impacts of rising CO2 concentrations and climate change. Coral reefs provide a broad range of ecosystems services with high socio-economic value: tourism, fisheries (food and employment), nutrient cycling, climate regulation, protection of the shoreline and other ecosystems (e.g. mangroves), and constitute the habitat for a wide range of species. Rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations have already led to a slight acidification of ocean surface waters and are projected to lead to levels of acidification that will severely impede calcium carbonate accretion. Global warming associated with greenhouse gas emissions has resulted in increased sea-surface temperatures, leading to frequent coral bleaching. Acidification and the increased frequency of local and global disturbances are projected to seriously degrade coral reefs world-wide. If current trends continue coral reef ecosystems may undergo regime shifts from coral to sponge or algae dominated habitats. The tipping point for this phase shift is estimated to be a sea-surface temperature increase of 2°C and/or atmospheric CO2 concentrations above 480 ppm (estimated to occur by 2050). Shifts in dominance from corals to sponges or algae would have dramatic consequences for coral reef communities. The reduction of habitat complexity through erosion would reduce the niches for numerous species that rely on corals for shelter, food, substrate, settlement and nursery. In order to avoid this phase shift, urgent local and global action is necessary. Reducing local stresses, such as the reduction of terrestrial inputs of sediment, nutrients and pollutants, is paramount to promote a higher resistance to disturbance and ensure ecosystem resilience. Fisheries require the sustainable management of marine species and should aim to conserve key functional groups such as herbivores that control algae growth. Marine protected areas networks should be designed and implemented to provide refuges and serve as larval sources to replenish harvested areas outside reserves. Globally, urgent and ambitious action to reduce CO2 emissions is necessary to limit sea surface temperature increase and water acidification

Design of strategies to prevent synthesis of S. pneumoniae capsular polysaccharide at the bacteria division septum

Tese de mestrado. Biologia (Biologia Molecular e Genética). Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2012Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common respiratory bacterial pathogen and a frequent cause of community-acquired pneumonia in developed countries. The genes encoding for the capsule polysaccharide (CPS), one of the most important virulence factors of these bacteria, are organized in an operon and in almost all the serotypes the two conserved Wzd and Wze proteins are expressed. Previous results suggest that if these two proteins cannot interact, forming a Wzd/Wze protein complex, pneumococcal bacteria will be prevented from producing capsule at the septum, which was shown to abolish the ability of these bacteria to cause bacteremia in mice after intranasal challenge. In this work, we aimed to find a method capable of screening and identifying small inhibitory (SI) peptides that prevent the interaction between Wzd and Wze. This could, consequently, represent a breakthrough in the development of strategies to replace vaccines against this important clinical pathogen. Initially, a derivative of the Escherichia coli bacterial two-hybrid assay was used. Here, T25- and T18-tagged proteins Wzd and Wze were expressed in the presence of a protein that should compete and interfere with their interaction. However, expression of this control protein, untagged and fully functional Wze, did not prevent the interaction between T25-Wzd and T18-Wze when expressed in a different plasmid. Afterwards we decided to screen for SI peptides directly in S. pneumoniae. For that purpose, we constructed a mutant strain that encodes in the chromosome both proteins, Wzd and Wze, functional and fused to different fluorescent proteins. Accordingly, we observed that Wzd and Wze were localized at the division septum of bacteria and that this localization was lost when a competitor was expressed from a replicative plasmid. We will now screen for SI peptides that can cause delocalization of Wzd and/or Wze and determine their effect on the synthesis of pneumococcal CPS.Streptococcus pneumoniae é um agente bacteriano patogénico que causa frequentemente pneumonia em paises desenvolvidos. Um dos factores de virulência mais importantes é a cápsula (CPS), um polissacarido que reveste as bactérias. Os genes que codificam para a síntese da cápsula encontram-se organizados num operão que contém os genes wzd e wze, conservados em quase todos os serotipos conhecidos. As proteínas Wzd e Wze interagem formando um complexo proteico que é recrutado para o septo, local de divisão da bactéria, induzindo e regulando a síntese da cápsula. Resultados anteriores sugerem que a inibição da ligação entre estas duas proteinas pode impedir a produção de CPS no septo. Por esta razão, a descoberta de pequenos péptidos, denominados de péptidos SI (pequenos péptidos inibitórios – small inibitory peptides), que inibam a interacção entre as proteínas Wzd e Wze, pode significar uma revolução na criação de estratégias alternativas para substituir as vacinas desenvolvidas contra este patogéneo. O objectivo deste trabalho consistiu no desenvolvimento de um método de identificação de péptidos SI. Começou-se por usar um derivado do sistema “bactérial twohybrid”, em Escherichia coli, em que ambas as proteínas Wzd e Wze, contendo os tags T25 e T18 respectivamente, são expressas na presença de uma proteína competidora capaz de inibir a interacção Wzd/Wze. Contudo, este método não se revelou o mais adequado. De seguida decidiu-se desenvolver um sistema alternativo que pudesse identificar péptidos SI directamente em pneumococos. Para isso, construiram-se mutantes que expressam no cromossoma os genes wzd e wze em fusão com sequências que codificam para diferentes proteínas fluorescentes CFP e Citrine, respectivamente. Esta ferramenta revelou-se capaz de identificar péptidos SI que inibam a interacção entre as proteínas Wzd e Wze. Posteriormente procuraremos outros péptidos SI capazes de deslocalizar as proteínas Wzd e/ou Wze e determinar o seu efeito na síntese de CPS de pneumococos

How to integrate sustainability in the restaurant business: a case study of the first zero-waste Portuguese restaurant

Sustainability is increasingly discussed in a business world that is now also focused on the social and environmental well-being, beyond merely seeking profits. Notwithstanding, the global ecosystem is based on a linear throughput flow of materials, leading to an increase in waste, generating social, environmental, and economic problems. Although the restaurant business has a big contribution to degradation of the environment and social issues, it can also be an important voice in raising consciousness about sustainability and a powerful motivator to the adoption of sustainable practices. However, this is easier said than done. This research aimed to investigate and better understand the integration of sustainability in a restaurant, having in consideration the various stakeholders of the business and their relationships, and bearing in mind the social, environmental, and economic dimensions. The results are based on a qualitative analysis of a case study - Kitchen Dates, the first zero-waste Portuguese restaurant - and interviews were conducted with its stakeholders. The findings reveal that to successfully incorporate sustainability in a restaurant, an integrated and holistic approach is required, that considers all dimensions of sustainability, including a multi-stakeholder perspective based on human relations in every activity of the business. Theoretically, this study introduces a holistic perspective of how to incorporate sustainability in a restaurant, based on the insights of different stakeholders; and from a practical perspective, it is hoped that this dissertation can provide restaurant managers and other industry stakeholders with some guidelines and inspiration for incorporating sustainability in the restaurant business.Cada vez mais se discute o termo Sustentabilidade nos negócios que já não procuram apenas o lucro, centrando-se também no bem-estar social e ambiental. O ecossistema global atual baseia-se num fluxo linear, aumentando o desperdício, gerando problemas sociais, ambientais e económicos. Embora a indústria da restauração contribua para a degradação do ambiente e para o desenvolvimento de problemas sociais, também pode ser uma voz importante na consciencialização em relação à Sustentabilidade. Mas, nem sempre é fácil fazê-lo. Este estudo pretende investigar a integração da sustentabilidade na área da restauração, tendo em consideração os vários intervenientes do negócio e as relações existentes entre si, não esquecendo as diferentes dimensões da Sustentabilidade: social, ambiental e económica. Os resultados baseiam-se numa análise qualitativa de um estudo de caso - Kitchen Dates, o primeiro restaurante português sem caixote do lixo - onde foram entrevistados os seus stakeholders. As respostas deste estudo revelam que, para incorporar com sucesso o tema da Sustentabilidade num restaurante, é necessária uma abordagem integrada e holística, onde todas as dimensões da Sustentabilidade sejam tidas em conta. O gestor do restaurante deve adotar uma perspetiva que tenha em consideração os seus diferentes stakeholders, tendo subjacente a importância das relações humanas em todas as atividades do negócio. Teoricamente, este estudo introduz uma perspetiva sobre como incorporar a Sustentabilidade num restaurante. A nível prático, espera-se que possa proporcionar linhas de orientação tanto aos gestores de restaurantes como a outros intervenientes da indústria, servindo também de inspiração para integrar a Sustentabilidade na área da restauraçã

Additive Negative Effects of Anthropogenic Sedimentation and Warming on the Survival of Coral Recruits

Corals worldwide are facing population declines due to global climate change and local anthropogenic impacts. Global climate change effects are hard to tackle but recent studies show that some coral species can better handle climate change stress when provided with additional energy resources. The local stressor that most undermines energy acquisition is sedimentation because it impedes coral heterotrophic feeding and their ability to photosynthesize. To investigate if reducing local sedimentation will enable corals to better endure ocean warming, we quantitatively assessed the combined effects of increased temperature and sedimentation (concentration and turbidity) on the survival of coral recruits of the species, Porites astreoides. We used sediment from a reef and a boat basin to mimic natural sediment (coarse) and anthropogenic (fine) sediment (common in dredging), respectively. Natural sediment did not negatively impact coral survival, but anthropogenic sediment did. We found that the capacity of coral recruits to survive under warmer temperatures is less compromised when anthropogenic sedimentation is maintained at the lowest level (30 mg.cm−2). Our study suggests that a reduction of US-EPA allowable turbidity from 29 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) above background to less than 7 NTU near coral reefs would facilitate coral recruit survival under current and higher temperatures

Gas emissions on rice culture and its importance on air quality

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia do Ambiente Perfil Gestão de Sistemas AmbientaisIn order to assess the impact of emissions from the agricultural sector to the atmosphere on the air quality the chemical transport model CHIMERE was applied. The model considers emissions due to the various sectors of anthropogenic origin and also due to biogenic activity and natural origin. Sensitivity tests to the model results concentrations were performed by varying the NH3 emissions from the agricultural sector of anthropogenic origin, over rice culture regions identified through land use shapes of the CORINE Land Cover (2006 version). The analysis of time series concentrations of chemical species resulting from the application of the model were evaluated in two areas: on the rice cultivation area of Salvaterra de Magos, where the experimental plots of the research project "Trace gas emissions from Portuguese irrigated rice fields in contrasting soils, by the influence of crop management, climate and increase concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere" (PTDC/AGR-AAM/102529/2008) are located; and on the Lisbon region, downwind of Salvaterra de Magos. An evaluation of the mean concentrations fields obtained over the CHIMERE model domain during the simulation period was also done. The choice of chemical species was focused on the nitrogen compounds in the three phases and on undifferentiated particulate material.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia - PTDC/AGR-AAM/102529/200