Sediment properties as important predictors of carbon storage in zostera marina meadows: a comparison of four European areas

Seagrass ecosystems are important natural carbon sinks but their efficiency varies greatly depending on species composition and environmental conditions. What causes this variation is not fully known and could have important implications for management and protection of the seagrass habitat to continue to act as a natural carbon sink. Here, we assessed sedimentary organic carbon in Zostera marina meadows (and adjacent unvegetated sediment) in four distinct areas of Europe (Gullmar Fjord on the Swedish Skagerrak coast, Asko in the Baltic Sea, Sozopol in the Black Sea and Ria Formosa in southern Portugal) down to similar to 35 cm depth. We also tested how sedimentary organic carbon in Z. marina meadows relates to different sediment characteristics, a range of seagrass-associated variables and water depth. The seagrass carbon storage varied greatly among areas, with an average organic carbon content ranging from 2.79 +/- 0.50% in the Gullmar Fjord to 0.17 +/- 0.02% in the area of Sozopol. We found that a high proportion of fine grain size, high porosity and low density of the sediment is strongly related to high carbon content in Z. marina sediment. We suggest that sediment properties should be included as an important factor when evaluating high priority areas in management of Z. marina generated carbon sinks

Programas de saúde materno-infantil em Moçambique: marcos evolutivos e a inserção da enfermagem Programas de atención de salud materno-infantil en Mozambique: marcos evolutivos e inserción de la enfermería Programs of maternal and infant health in Mozambique: gradual landmarks and the insertion of nursing

Pesquisa centrada nas políticas públicas do governo moçambicano para o setor da saúde, com foco voltado para programas de assistência à saúde materno-infantil. Tem o propósito de apresentar contextos básicos para a reflexão sobre a filosofia da implantação e implementação dos programas e a inserção da Enfermagem, mostrando seus marcos evolutivos. Constatou-se que, na década 70, o Sistema Nacional de Saúde adotou o Programa de Proteção Materno-Infantil, que na década de 80 ficou concebido como Programa de Saúde Materno-Infantil e, posteriormente, na década 90, ficou inserido no Programa Nacional Integrado de Saúde Materno-Infantil e Planejamento Familiar, Programa Alargado de Vacinação, Saúde Escolar e do Adolescente, incluindo Saúde Sexual e Reprodutiva. A inserção da Enfermagem foi evidenciada na implementação das ações assistenciais. Os marcos evolutivos foram: a introdução dos cursos específicos de Enfermagem em saúde materno-infantil do nível básico ao superior e abrangência dos serviços do Programa Nacional Integrado.<br>Pesquisa Centrada en las políticas públicas del gobierno Mozambicano para el setor salud, con foco en los Programas de Asistencia en Salud Materno-infantil, con el propósito de presentar contextos básicos para la reflexión acerca de la filosofia de implantación e implementación de los programas mostrando sus marcos evolutivos e de la inserción de la Enfermería. Se constató que en la década 70, el Sistema Nacional de Salud adoptó el Programa de Protección Materno Infantil, que en la década de 80 se transformó en Programa de Salud Materno-infantil y posteriormente en la década de 90 fue inserido en el Programa Nacional Integrado de Salud Materno- Infantil y Planificación Familia, Programas Ampliado de Vacunación, Salud Escolar y del Adolescente incluyendo la salud Sexual y Reproductiva. La inserción de la Enfermería fue evidenciada en la implantación por medio de acciones asistenciales. Los marcos evolutivos marcan la introducion del los Cursos Específicos de Efermería en Salud Materno-infantil de nível básico al superior y de la expansion de los serviços.<br>For the interest to know about the public Policies of Mozambican government to the Health sector, this research put much emphasis on the process of implantation and implementation of assistance programs to maternal health looking at reflection about the philosophy of including nursing through ever-changing world or marked changes. Established in the 1970s, the National Health System came up with a maternal health protection program which in the 1980s was drawn into Maternal Health Program. This, in the 1990s was included in the National integrated program of maternal health and family planning, integrating a broad vaccination program, school health and adolescent sexual reproductive health. The inclusion of nursing in the implementation of integrated program became as the evidence through action assistances. The evolutional signs were the introduction of specific courses of Maternal and Infant Health Nursing from basic to superior levels, including the service of National Integrated Program

Clonal architecture in an intertidal bed of the dwarf eelgrass Zostera noltii in the Northern Wadden Sea: persistence through extreme physical perturbation and the importance of a seed bank

Genotypic structure and temporal dynamics of the dwarf seagrass, Zostera noltii, were studied in an intertidal meadow that has persisted since prior to 1936 near the Wadden Sea island of Sylt. Samples were collected from two 10 × 10 m plots separated by 250 m from May 2002 to June 2005 and from four 1 × 1 m plots from June 2003 to September 2004. All the samples were genotyped with nine microsatellite loci. No genotypes were shared between the plots separated by 250 m. Genetic diversity was higher in the Wadden Sea than in the other regions of its geographic range. The average clone size (genets) (SD) in the two plots was 1.38 (0.26) and 1.46 (0.4) m², respectively, with a range up to 9 m² and <20% persisted for >4 years. A high genetic and genotypic diversity was maintained by annual recruitment of seedlings despite a dramatic decrease in ramet density that coincided with the severe heat stress event of 2003. Fine-scale (1 m²) analysis suggested that extensive loss of seagrass cover precluded space competition among the genets, while a persistent seed bank prevented local extinction. Long-term persistence of Z. noltii meadows in the intertidal Wadden Sea was achieved by high genet turnover and frequent seedling recruitment from a seed bank, in contrast to the low diversity observed in large and long-living clones of Z. noltii and other seagrasses in subtidal habitats