Mortality and Effect on Growth of Artemia franciscana Exposed to Two Common Organic Pollutants

Acute toxicity and inhibition on growth of Artemia franciscana nauplii (Instar I-II) after exposure to the reference toxicants bisphenol a (BPA) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were studied. LC50 values were calculated and differences in body growth were recorded after 24, 48, and 72 h of exposure to the toxicants. The results indicated that BPA had lower toxicity than SDS. Development of the nauplii was clearly influenced by duration of exposure. Growth inhibition was detected for both toxicants. Abnormal growth of the central eye of several Artemia nauplii after 72 h of exposure to BPA was also detected. Our results indicate that growth inhibition could be used as a valid endpoint for toxicity studies

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). Exchange of nutrients and oxygen across the sediment-water interface below a Sparus aurata marine fish farm in the north-western Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Soils and Sediments. 12(10):1623-1632. doi:10.1007/s11368-012-0581-2S162316321210APHA, AWWA, and WEF (2005) Standard methods for the examination of water wastewater, 21st edn. American Public Health Association, WashingtonAksu M, Kocatas A (2007) Environmental effects of the three fish farms in Izmir Bay (Aegean Sea-Turkey) on water column and sediment. Rapport du 38e Congrés de la Commission Internationale Pour L’exploration Scientifique de la Mer Méditerranée 38, 414Aminot A, Chaussepied M (1983) Manuel des analyses chimiques en milieu marin. Centre National pour l’Explotation des Oceans, BrestArocena R, Conde D (1999) Sedimento. Métodos en ecología de aguas continentales. Universidad de la República, Montevideo, pp 40–52Asociación Empresarial de Productores de Cultivos Marinas (APROMAR) (2010) La Acuicultura Marina de Peces en España, pp. 69Baumgarten MGZ, Rocha JM, Niencheski LFH (1996) Manual de análises em oceanografia química, Rio GrandeBelias C, Dassenakis M, Scoullos M (2007) Study of the N, P and Si fluxes between fish farm sediment and seawater. Results of simulation experiments employing a benthic chamber under various redox conditions. Mar Chem 103:266–275Berelson WM, McManus J, Coale KH, Johnson KS, Burdige D, Kilgore T, Colodner D, Chavez F, Kudela R, Boucher J (2003) A time series of benthic flux measurements from Monterey Bay, CA. Cont Shelf Res 23:457–481Black KD, McDougall N (2002) Hydrography of four Mediterranean marine cage sites. J Appl Ichthyol 18:129–133Borja A, Rodríguez JG, Black K, Bodoy A, Emblow C, Fernandes TF, Forte J, Karakassis I, Muxika I, Nickell TD, Papageorgiou N, Pranovi F, Sevastou K, Tomassetti P, Angel D (2009) Assessing the suitability of a range of benthic indices in the evaluation of environmental impact of fin and shellfish aquaculture located in sites across Europe. Aquaculture 293:231–240Cermelj B, Ogrinc N, Faganeli J (2001) Anoxic mineralization of biogenic debris in near-shore marine sediments (Gulf of Trieste, northern Adriatic). Sci Total Environ 266:143–152Dell’Anno A, Mei ML, Pusceddu A, Danovaro R (2002) Assessing the trophic state and eutrophication of coastal marine systems: a new approach based on the biochemical composition of sediment organic matter. Mar Pollut Bull 44:611–622Dosdat A (2001) Environmental impact of aquaculture in the Mediterranean: nutritional and feeding aspects. Environmental impact assessment of Mediterranean aquaculture farms. Cah Options Méditerr CIHEAM-FAO 55:23–36Ferrón S, Ortega T, Forja JM (2009) Benthic fluxes in a tidal salt marsh creek by fish farm activities: Río San Pedro (Bay of Cádiz, SW Spain). Mar Chem 113:50–62Freitas U, Niencheski LFH, Zarzur S, Manzolli RP, Vieira JPP, Rosa LC (2008) Influência de um cultivo de camaraô sobre o metabolismo béntico e a qualidade da agua. Rev Bras Eng Agríc Ambient 12:293–301Hall POJ, Holby O, Kollberg S, Samuelsson MO (1992) Chemical fluxes and mass balances in a marine fish cage farm: IV. Nitrogen. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 89:81–91Hargrave B (2005) Environmental effects of marine finfish aquaculture. The handbook of environmental. chemistry, vol. 5. Part M. Springer, BerlinHargrave BT, Phillips GA, Doucette LI, White MJ, Milligan TG, Wildish DJ, Cranston RE (1997) Assessing benthic impacts of organic enrichment from marine aquaculture. Water Air Soil Pollut 99:641–650Heilskov AC, Holmer M (2001) Effects of benthic fauna on organic matter mineralization in fish-farm sediments: importance of size and abundance. ICES J Mar Sci 58:427–434Herbert RA (1999) Nitrogen cycling in coastal marine ecosystems. FEMS Microbiol Rev 23:563–590Holby O, Hall POJ (1991) Chemical fluxes and mass balances in a marine fish cage farm. 11. Phosphorus. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 70:263–272Holby O, Hall POJ (1994) Chemical fluxes and mass balances in a marine fish cage farm. III. Silicon. Aquaculture 120:305–318Jackson C, Preston N, Thompson PJ (2004) Intake and discharge nutrient loads at three intensive shrimp farms. Aquacult Res 35:1053–1061Karakassis I, Tsapakis M, Hatziyanni E (1998) Seasonal variability in sediment profiles beneath fish farm cages in the Mediterranean. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 162:243–252Kaymakci A, Aksu M, Egemen O (2010) Impacts of the fish farms on the water column nutrient concentrations and accumulation of heavy metals in the sediments in the eastern Aegean Sea (Turkey). Environ Monit Assess 162:439–451Lorenti M, De Falco G (2004) Measurements and characterization of abiotic variables. In: Gambi MC, Diappiano M (eds) Mediterranean marine benthos: a manual of methods for its sampling and study. Societa Italiana di Biologia Marina, Genova, pp 1–37Maldonado M, Carmona MC, Echeverría Y, Riesgo A (2005) The environmental impact of Mediterranean cage fish farms at semi-exposed locations: does it need a re-assessment? Helgol Mar Res 59:121–135Mantzavrakos E, Kornaros M, Lyberatos G, Kaspiris P (2007) Impacts of a marine fish farm in Argolikos Gulf (Greece) on the water column and the sediment. Desalination 210:110–124Mazzola A, Mirto S, La Rosa T, Fabiano M, Danovaro R (2000) Fish-farming effects on benthic community structure in coastal sediments: analysis of meiofaunal recovery. ICES J Mar Sci 57:1454–1461Molina L, Vergara JM (2005) Impacto ambiental de jaulas flotantes: estado actual de conocimientos y conclusiones prácticas. Bol Inst Esp Oceanogr 21:75–81Morán XAG, Estrada M (2005) Winter pelagic photosynthesis in the NW Mediterranean Deep-Sea. Research I 52:1806–1822Neofitou N, Klaoudatos S (2008) Effect of fish farming on the water column nutrient concentration in a semi-enclosed gulf of the Eastern Mediterranean. Aquac Res 39:482–490Niencheski LF, Jahnke RA (2002) Benthic respiration and inorganic nutrient fluxes in the estuarine región of Patos Lagoon (Brazil). Aquat Geochem 8:135–152Nizzoli D, Bartoli M, Viaroli P (2007) Oxygen and ammonium dynamics during a farming cycle of the bivalve Tapes philippinarum. Hydrobiologia 587:25–36Pergent-Martini C, Boudouresque CF, Pasqualini V, Pergent G (2006) Impact of fish farming facilities on Posidonia oceanica meadows: a review. Mar Ecol 27:310–319Pitta P, Karakassis I, Tsapakis M, Zivanovic S (1999) Natural versus mariculture induced variability in nutrients and plankton in the Eastern Mediterranean. Hydrobiologia 391:181–194Redfield AC, Ketchum BH, Richards FA (1963) The influence of organisms on the composition of seawater. In: Hill MN (ed) The sea, vol 2. Interscience, New YorkRiise JC, Roos N (1997) Benthic metabolism and the effects of bioturbation in a fertilized polyculture fish pond in northeast Thailand. Aquaculture 150:45–62Rodríguez J (1999) Ecología. Ed. Pirámide. pp 411Sakamaki T, Nishimura O, Sudo R (2006) Tidal time-scale variation in nutrient flux across the sediment-water interface of an estuarine tidal flat. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 67:653–663Sarà G, Scilipoti D, Milazzo M, Modica A (2006) Use of stable isotopes to investigate dispersal of waste from fish farms as a function of hydrodynamics. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 313:261–270Shepard FP (1954) Nomenclature based on sand-silt-clay relations. J Sediment Petrol 24:151–158Siokou-Frangou I, Christaki U, Mazzocchi MG, Montresor M, Ribera d’Alcalá M, Vaqué D, Zingone A (2010) Plankton in the open Mediterranean Sea: a review. BG 7:1543–1586Warnken KW, Gill GA, Lehman R, Dellapenna T, Allison MA (2002) The effects of shrimp trawling on sediment oxygen demand and the release of trace metals and nutrients from estuarine sediments. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 57:25–42Yucel-Gier G, Kucuksezgin F, Kocak F (2007) Effects of fish farming on nutrients and benthic community structure in the Eastern Aegean (Turkey). Aquac Res 38:256–26

Digestibility Of Nutrients And Energy In Diets For The African Catfish Clarias Gariepinus (Burchell 1822)

A purified diet, the raw material zein, and two diets composed of complex foodstuffs (fishmeal, soy, wheat) were tested for eight months in the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822) to determine the in vivo Apparent Digestibility Coefficients (ADC) for dry matter, crude protein, lipid, carbohydrates, ash, energy, and amino acids. Feces were collected by sedimentation and digestibility coefficients were calculated using chromium oxide as an external indicator. Average ADCs ranged 54-96%. The ADC of crude protein (80-90%) was similar to previously recorded ADCs. Ash digestibility (54-89%) varied significantly between diets, probably as the result of the reduced bioavailability of minerals and trace elements in the constituent raw materials. ADC for individual amino acids ranged 82-99%. Zein, as an experimental feed ingredient, had an accept- able ADC for both gross nutrients and amino acids. When the nutrient level in the test ingredi- ent differed greatly from that in the reference diet, calculation of ADC was based on relative nutri- ent contributions. Results are discussed in relation to the nature of the dietary ingredients and their suitability for related experimental nutritional work

Feeding Frequency And Feed Intake In The African Catfish Clarias Gariepinus (Burchell 1822)

Triplicate groups of subadult catfish (Clarias gariepinus; 102.18±30.48 g) were fed a purified diet to satiation twice or three times a day during the daylight hours for 26 days. Fish fed twice a day consumed 1.42±0.49% of their body weight per day. Those fed three times a day consumed 1.27±0.27%. The fish fed twice a day exhibited better growth and food conversion. Despite the use of purified diets, performance indices for the group fed twice per day were good, compared to previously reported data. The specific growth rate was 1.24±0.08%, the weight gain was 38.51±2.96% and the food conversion ratio was 0.72±0.13

Self-purification of a long-stretched gully affects the restoration of an alpine-type lake in Northern Greece

Vegoritis Lake in Macedonia, Greece, is part of an extensive water complex of smaller lakes and streams with Pentavrisos gully discharging at the southern point of the lake and affecting considerably the lake's nutrient cycles and biodiversity. During the last fifteen years, the lake has shown significant signs of degradation, such as disturbance of its aquifer bed, algal blooms, fish mass mortalities, and the transformation of its trophic status from an oligotrophic to a meso-trophic and, even, an eutrophic one. Such a transformation has an additional impact on terrestrial, avian and aquatic fauna, with alteration in species' composition, and a considerable decline in local fisheries and tourism. This study focused on investigating the role that gully Pentavrisos has on the physicochemical water quality status of Lake Vegoritis. Most parameters inside the lake (nitrates 0.55-1.95 mg.1(-1), nitrites 0.008-0.031 mg.1(-1), ammonia 0.011-0.158 mg.1(-1)) indicate the existence of a natural purification process occurring between the sites of gully Pentavrisos, receiving the treated/untreated effluents, and the final recipient of those effluents, Lake Vegoritis. Suggested mitigation measures for the restoration of the lake and the management of the respective aquifer bed, mainly consist of rationalization of water consumption for irrigation purposes, recycling of industrial effluent water, establishment of depuration plants for the biological treatment of industrial and urban waste, appropriate planning and demarcation of landuse in the littoral areas of the lake, and qualitative upgrade of Pentavrisos gully

Spatial and temporal effects of fish farming on benthic community structure in a semi-enclosed gulf of the Eastern Mediterranean

Spatial and temporal effects of fish farming on the benthic community structure at 2 fish farms in the Eastern Mediterranean were investigated between July 2004 and April 2005. In the area of each fish farm, 3 stations were sampled. At each station, sediment samples were collected for analysis of organic carbon, organic matter and benthic community parameters. There were statistically significant differences in organic matter and organic carbon among all stations. This impact seems to be only spatial, since 1-way ANOVA indicated no significant differences in organic matter and organic carbon between seasons for both farms. Furthermore, significant differences were found in species number, abundance and species richness among stations and seasons for one of the farms (2-way ANOVA). One-way ANOVA indicated that the significant differences, detected in the benthic community parameters of this farm, were spatio-temporal for species number, temporal for abundance and spatial for species richness. The spatial effect of fish farming on benthic community structure was present up to 50 m from the centre of cages on one farm and between 50 and 300 m from the other farm. Capitella capitata was the most dominant species at the farm sites, while Nephthys hystricis was the most dominant species at the control sites. In all cases, the benthic assemblages in the immediate vicinity showed symptoms of disturbance, but the spatial and temporal extent of this effect was less than one would expect considering the fact that the study area is located in a semi-enclosed gulf

Ecohydrological gradients affecting the abundance and biodiversity of macro-invertebrates in the estuarine system of Sperchios River, Central Greece

The factors affecting the abundance and biodiversity of the macro- invertebrates in relation to the quality of substrate and vegetation of the estuarine system of Sperchios River, Central Greece, were examined. The reason why only the two specific seasons of winter and summer were chosen is because extreme weather phenomena take place during both seasons that affect the factors of abundance and biodiversity. Of the nine identified taxa, the main contributor to macro-invertebrate abundance in August 2001 was Hediste diversicolor, while Cerastoderma glaucum was the principal one in January 2002. The Spearman coefficient showed a positive correlation of biomass (A') with water temperature (0.39) in January, the concentration of nitrates (0.69), the clay (0.66), and the organic matter of the sediment (0.47-0.53). A positive correlation (Spearman) has also been shown between biodiversity, the percentage of sand in the sediment, and the concentrations of ammonia and nitrates. As species abundance (A) has been positively correlated (Spearman coefficient = 0.21-0.72) with sediment organic matter, vegetation in the lower inter-tidal zone seems to have affected A positively. The analyses of the used indices (A, A', Margalef, Shannon-Wiener, Pielou's evenness, Sorensen similarity) indicated a negative influence on the diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates, and a possibly causal relationship between agricultural wastes drained to the estuarine Sperchios system and its sediment quality

Study of the Spatiotemporal Variability of Oceanographic Parameters and Their Relationship to Holothuria Species Abundance in a Marine Protected Area of the Mediterranean Using Satellite Imagery

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are designated to protect marine ecosystems and, among other things, to monitor climate variability, which in turn affects aquatic species. The aim of this study is to examine the contribution of remotely sensed data as an indication of Holothuria abundance, by investigating the spatiotemporal variability of physicochemical parameters. The study area is in the National Marine Park of Alonissos Northern Sporades, which is included in the NATURA 2000 network. Firstly, the abundance of Holothuria species was measured by scuba diving. At the same time, depth profiles of five physicochemical parameters (temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and Chl-a) were recorded by CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth), a primary instrument used to determine the essential physical and chemicals properties of seawater column profiles in the coastal zone. The physicochemical variables examined are the most common environmental parameters with the highest impact on growth, reproduction, productivity and survival rate of sea cucumber species, affecting the availability of food sources. Analysis of this data allows us to identify parameters which are essential for their existence. The analysis showed that only temperature and Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) could be useful for identifying the abundance. These two parameters are readily available from satellite data. Additionally, particulate organic carbon (POC) is essential for Holothuria’s existence. Consequently, a time series of satellite data products from Terra/MODIS sensor were utilized from 2000 to 2020 for sea surface temperature (SST), Chl-a and POC. The monthly temporal trend shows that the abundance could be justified in areas where the Holothuria presence has been established. Monthly spatiotemporal analysis shows that SST, Chl-a and POC availability, could be an indication of the differences in abundance recorded. © 2022 by the authors