Exchange of nutrients and oxygen across the sediment-water interface below a Sparus aurata marine fish farm in the north-western Mediterranean Sea

Purpose: This study analyzes the effects of aquaculture activities in open seawater in the north-western coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the first of its kind to be based on benthic flux data gathered in situ below fish farms for this particular area. Materials and methods: Samples were collected on four sampling campaigns over a 1-year cycle under a Sparus aurata fish farm facility where benthic fluxes were measured in situ using light and dark benthic chambers. Bottom water and sediment samples were also collected. Data were compared to those for a nearby control station. Results and discussion: Significant differences were found (ANOVA, p < 0. 05) between concentrations of organic matter (OM), total phosphorus and redox potentials in sediments located under the cages and those of the control station. The consumption of dissolved oxygen (DO) by sediment and positive ammonium (NH4 +) fluxes was stimulated by OM content, with correlations of r = -0. 60 (p < 0. 01) and r = 0. 70 (p < 0. 01), respectively. The OM content of sediments was found to be consistently higher under the cages than at the control station, with the highest value (1. 8 ± 0. 7 %) under the cages observed during the early summer; values of DO and NH4 + fluxes were -64 ± 17 and 12. 7 ± 1. 0 mmol m-2 day-1, respectively. PO4 3- fluxes were consistently higher in the fish farm sediments (between 0. 58 and 0. 98 mmol m-2 day-1) than those observed at the control station. Nitrate (NO3 -) fluxes were found to be consistently negative due to denitrification occurring in the sediments and were related to the concentration of NO3 - in bottom waters (r = 0. 92, p < 0. 01). Si fluxes were shown to be associated with water temperature (r = 0. 59, p < 0. 05). Conclusions: The results imply that sediments located below cages accumulate organic matter originating from aquaculture activities, especially during summer months when this activity increases. Sediments undergo biogeochemical changes that mainly affect fluxes of DO, NH4 + and soluble reactive phosphorus, although these do not seem to have a significant impact on the quality of the water column due to the hydrodynamic characteristics of the area. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.We would like to thank the Caja del Mediterraneo for a predoctoral fellowship fund for this research and Antonio Asuncion Acuigroup Maremar manager for the facilities and support in conducting the study. The translation of this paper was funded by the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Spain. We are grateful for the valuable comments of the anonymous reviewers on previous versions of the manuscript.Morata Higón, T.; Sospedra, J.; Falco Giaccaglia, SL.; Rodilla Alama, M. (2012). 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Subregional DXA-derived vertebral bone mineral measures are stronger predictors of failure load in specimens with lower areal bone mineral density, compared to those with higher areal bone mineral density

Measurement of areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in intravertebral subregions may increase the diagnostic sensitivity of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived parameters for vertebral fragility. This study investigated whether DXA-derived bone parameters in vertebral subregions were better predictors of vertebral bone strength in specimens with low aBMD, compared to those with higher aBMD. Twenty-five lumbar vertebrae (15 embalmed and 10 fresh-frozen) were scanned with posteroanterior- (PA) and lateral-projection DXA, and then mechanically tested in compression to ultimate failure. Whole-vertebral aBMD and bone mineral content (BMC) were measured from the PA- and lateral-projection scans and within 6 intravertebral subregions. Multivariate regression was used to predict ultimate failure load by BMC, adjusted for vertebral size and specimen fixation status across the whole specimen set, and when subgrouped into specimens with low aBMD and high aBMD. Adjusted BMC explained a substantial proportion of variance in ultimate vertebral load, when measured over the whole vertebral area in lateral projection (adjusted R2 0.84) and across the six subregions (ROIs 2–7) (adjusted R2 range 0.58–0.78). The association between adjusted BMC, either measured subregionally or across the whole vertebral area, and vertebral failure load, was increased for the subgroup of specimens with identified ‘low aBMD’, compared to those with ‘high aBMD’, particularly in the anterior subregion where the adjusted R2 differed by 0.44. The relative contribution of BMC measured in vertebral subregions to ultimate failure load is greater among specimens with lower aBMD, compared to those with higher aBMD, particularly in the anterior subregion of the vertebral body

Review of experimental methods to determine spontaneous combustion susceptibility of coal – Indian context

This paper presents a critical review of the different techniques developed to investigate the susceptibility of coal to spontaneous combustion and fire. These methods may be sub-classified into the two following areas: (1) Basic coal characterisation studies (chemical constituents) and their influence on spontaneous combustion susceptibility. (2) Test methods to assess the susceptibility of a coal sample to spontaneous combustion. This is followed by a critical literature review that summarises previous research with special emphasis given to Indian coals

Mining industry and sustainability

20th International Mining Congress and Exhibition of Turkey (IMCET 2007) -- JUN 06-08, 2007 -- Ankara, TURKEYWOS: 000248289300028From the seventies, the concept of sustainable development (SD) has undergone various changes and more recently has begun to be understood as a development activities of modem industrial activities including mining sector. Due to the mainstream definition from the Brundtland commision report, SD is: a concept of needs, an idea of limitation, a future oriented paradigm, and a dynamic process of change and it says "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". SD, which has emerged as the prevailing paradigm for balansing society's environment, social and economic goals, offers a framework within which the appropriate combination of consumption and preservation can be sought. However, there are many alternative definitions of SD, each reflecting a different political and philosophical perspective. In this paper, foresights from literature dealing with relationship of sutainable development and mining are review and an assessment was implemented by using some statistical data for energy and coal industry in Turkey.Sci & Technol Res Council Turkey, Turkish Coal Enterprises, Eti Mine Works Gen Management, Turkish Hardcoal Enterprises, Yildizlar Holding, Black Sea Copper Works, Eti Copper Corp, Dedeman Holding, Chamber Mining Engineers Turke

Lithospheric structural control on inversion of the southern margin of the Black Sea Basin, Central Pontides, Turkey

International audienc

The type fixing of Turkgeldi sheep herd

WOS: 000081569300025This study was conducted from the data of 3 years' research which was carried out at the Turkgeldi State Farm in 1993-1995. 1514 Turkgeldi prototype B-1 of Tahirova x Kivircik sheep including mature and young animals were used as the subjects of the study. Fecundity, litter size and viability rates were found to be 1.39; 1.52 and 95% respectively. Birth weights, weaning weigths and weights at 120 days in the base and elite flocks were 3.53 and 3.65 kg; 19.73 and 20.87 kg; 27.46 and 29.18 kg respectively. Heritabilities of birth weight, weaning weight and weights at 120 days were 0.04; 0.10 and 0.18 respectively. The results showed that the newly obtained Turkgeldi type has high fertility and lactation yield and also good adaptability

Cross-sectional anatomy and geodynamic evolution of the Central Pontide orogenic belt (northern Turkey)

International audienceGeophysical data allowed the construction of a ~250-km-long lithospheric-scale balanced cross section of the southern Black Sea margin (Espurt et al. 2014). In this paper we combine structural field data, stratigraphic data, and fault kinematics analyses with the 70 km-long onshore part of the section to reconstruct the geodynamic evolution of the Central Pontide orogen. These data reveal new aspects of the structural evolution of the Pontides since the Early Cretaceous. The Central Pontides is a doubly vergent orogenic wedge that results from the inversion of normal faults. Extensional subsidence occurred with an ENE-trend from Aptian to Paleocene in a forearc setting. We infer that the Black Sea back-arc basin also opened during this period, which was also the period of subduction of the Tethys Ocean below the Pontides. As in the Western Pontides, the Cretaceous-Paleocene subsidence was interrupted from Latest Albian to Coniacian time by uplift and erosion that was probably related to a block collision and accretion in the subduction zone. The restoration of the section to its pre-shortening state (Paleocene) shows that fault-related subsidence locally reached 3600 m within the forearc basin. Structural inversion occurred from Early Eocene to Mid-Miocene as a result of collision and indentation of the Pontides by the Kırşehir continental block to the south, with 27.5 km (~28%) shortening along the section studied. The inversion was characterized by NNE-trending shortening that predated the Late Neogene dextral escape of Anatolia along the North Anatolian Fault and the modern stress field characterized by NW-trending compression within the Eocene Boyabat basin

Growth and milk yield traits of Turkgeldi sheep

WOS: 000220459800028This study was conducted from data from 3 years of research performed at the Turkgeldi State Farm in 1997-2000. A total of 1053 Turkgeldi Pro-type B-1 Tahirova x Kivircik sheep including mature and young individuals were used as the study material. Litter size and fecundity were 1.42 and 1.51, respectively. The averages of birth weights and weaning weights were 3.43 and 20.04 kg, respectively. The average lactation milk yield was 100.62 kg, and the lactation period was 174.90 days. The levels of milk fat, protein, dry matter, ash and casein were 7.36%, 5.28%, 18.72%, 0.98% and 4.37%. respectively