Fatores intrínsecos do custo energético da locomoção durante a natação Factores intrínsecos del desgaste energético de locomoción durante la natación Intrinsic factors of the locomotion energy cost during swimming

A quantidade de energia metabólica gasta em transportar a massa corporal de um sujeito por unidade de distância tem sido definida como custo energético da locomoção, ou especificamente para natação, o custo de nado. As diferenças no custo de nado entre os indivíduos parecem ser influenciadas por dois principais fatores, a resistência hidrodinâmica e habilidade técnica do nadador. O menor custo de nado apresentado pelas mulheres tem sido atribuído a menor resistência hidrodinâmica decorrente de menor tamanho corporal, maior percentagem de gordura e melhor posicionamento horizontal. Porém, essas diferenças no custo de nado entre homens e mulheres desaparecem quando corrigidos para o tamanho corporal. Em relação às crianças, o maior custo de nado comparado com o dos adultos quando corrigidos para o tamanho corporal pode ser explicado principalmente por menor habilidade técnica apresentada por elas. Para indivíduos com as mesmas características antropométricas, melhor habilidade técnica e maior tamanho da superfície de propulsão, associados a aumento na eficiência propulsiva, podem reduzir o custo de nado. Quando se comparam os diferentes estilos, o mais econômico é o crawl seguido pelo de costas em qualquer velocidade de nado. O borboleta é o estilo menos econômico a baixas velocidades (< 0,8m·s¹). Entretanto, acima dessa velocidade o peito passa a ser o estilo menos econômico.<br>La cantidad de energía metabólica gastada en transportar la masa corporal de un individuo por unidad de distancia ha sido definida como el desgaste energético de locomoción, o específicamente para la natación, el desgaste de nado. Las diferencias en el desgaste de nado entre los individuos parecen ser influenciadas por dos principales factores, la resistencia hidrodinámica y la habilidad técnica del nadador. El menor desgaste de nado presentado por las mujeres ha sido atribuido a una menor resistencia hidrodinámica proveniente de un menor tamaño corporal, mayor porcentaje de grasa, y mejor posicionamiento horizontal. Sin embargo, estas diferencias en el desgaste de nado entre hombres y mujeres desaparece cuando se corrige el tamaño corporal. En relación a los niños, el mayor desgaste de nado comparado a los adultos cuando se corrige el tamaño corporal puede ser explicado principalmente por una menor habilidad técnica presentada por los mismos. Para individuos con las mismas características antropométricas, una mejor habilidad técnica y mayor tamaño de superficie de propulsión, asociados a un aumento en la eficacia de propulsión, pueden reducir el desgaste de nado. Cuando se comparan los diferentes estilos, el más económico es el de pecho seguido por el de espalda a cualquier velocidad de nado. El estilo mariposa es el estilo menos económico a bajas velocidades (< 0,8 m·s-1). A pesar de esto, por encima de esta velocidad el estilo pecho pasa a ser el estilo menos económico.<br>The amount of metabolic energy spent in transporting the body mass of the subject over a unit of distance has been defined as the energy cost of locomotion, or regarding to swimming, cost of swimming. The differences in the cost of swimming between the individuals seem to be influenced by two main factors, the hydrodynamic resistance and technical skill of the swimmer. The lower cost of swimming showed by females has been attributed to a smaller hydrodynamic resistance due to their smaller size, larger percentage fat and more streamlined position. However, the difference in cost of swimming between males and females disappears when correcting for body size. With regard to children, the higher energy cost of swimming when correcting for body size may be caused by the lower swimming technique showed by them. For individuals with the same anthropometric characteristics, the better swimming technique and larger size of propelling surface, associated with higher propelling efficiency, may decrease the energy cost of swimming. When comparing different types of strokes, the most economical stroke is crawl, followed by backstroke, irrespective the swimming velocity. Butterfly is the less economical at low velocities (< 0.8 m·s¹). However, above that velocity the breaststroke become the less economical stroke

Blue Carbon Storage Capacity of Temperate Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Meadows

Despite the importance of coastal ecosystems for the global carbon budgets, knowledge of their carbon storage capacity and the factors driving variability in storage capacity is still limited. Here we provide an estimate on the magnitude and variability of carbon stocks within a widely distributed marine foundation species throughout its distribution area in temperate Northern Hemisphere. We sampled 54 eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows, spread across eight ocean margins and 36° of latitude, to determine abiotic and biotic factors influencing organic carbon (Corg) stocks in Zostera marina sediments. The Corg stocks (integrated over 25-cm depth) showed a large variability and ranged from 318 to 26,523&nbsp;g&nbsp;C/m2 with an average of 2,721&nbsp;g&nbsp;C/m2. The projected Corg stocks obtained by extrapolating over the top 1&nbsp;m of sediment ranged between 23.1 and 351.7&nbsp;Mg&nbsp;C/ha, which is in line with estimates for other seagrasses and other blue carbon ecosystems. Most of the variation in Corg stocks was explained by five environmental variables (sediment mud content, dry density and degree of sorting, and salinity and water depth), while plant attributes such as biomass and shoot density were less important to Corg stocks. Carbon isotopic signatures indicated that at most sites &lt;50% of the sediment carbon is derived from seagrass, which is lower than reported previously for seagrass meadows. The high spatial carbon storage variability urges caution in extrapolating carbon storage capacity between geographical areas as well as within and between seagrass species

Blue Carbon Storage Capacity of Temperate Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Meadows

Despite the importance of coastal ecosystems for the global carbon budgets, knowledge of their carbon storage capacity and the factors driving variability in storage capacity is still limited. Here we provide an estimate on the magnitude and variability of carbon stocks within a widely distributed marine foundation species throughout its distribution area in temperate Northern Hemisphere. We sampled 54 eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows, spread across eight ocean margins and 36° of latitude, to determine abiotic and biotic factors influencing organic carbon (Corg) stocks in Zostera marina sediments. The Corg stocks (integrated over 25-cm depth) showed a large variability and ranged from 318 to 26,523&nbsp;g&nbsp;C/m2 with an average of 2,721&nbsp;g&nbsp;C/m2. The projected Corg stocks obtained by extrapolating over the top 1&nbsp;m of sediment ranged between 23.1 and 351.7&nbsp;Mg&nbsp;C/ha, which is in line with estimates for other seagrasses and other blue carbon ecosystems. Most of the variation in Corg stocks was explained by five environmental variables (sediment mud content, dry density and degree of sorting, and salinity and water depth), while plant attributes such as biomass and shoot density were less important to Corg stocks. Carbon isotopic signatures indicated that at most sites &lt;50% of the sediment carbon is derived from seagrass, which is lower than reported previously for seagrass meadows. The high spatial carbon storage variability urges caution in extrapolating carbon storage capacity between geographical areas as well as within and between seagrass species

Feed-backs between genetic structure and perturbation-driven decline in seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadows

We explored the relationships between perturbation-driven population decline and genetic/genotypic structure in the clonal seagrass Posidonia oceanica, subject to intensive meadow regression around four Mediterranean fish-farms, using seven specific microsatellites. Two meadows were randomly sampled (40 shoots) within 1,600 m2 at each site: the “impacted” station, 5–200 m from fish cages, and the “control” station, around 1,000 m downstream further away (considered a proxy of the pre-impact genetic structure at the site). Clonal richness (R), Simpson genotypic diversity (D*) and clonal sub-range (CR) were highly variable among sites. Nevertheless, the maximum distance at which clonal dispersal was detected, indicated by CR, was higher at impacted stations than at the respective control station (paired t-test: P < 0.05, N = 4). The mean number of alleles (Â) and the presence of rare alleles ( r) decreased at impacted stations (paired t-test: P < 0.05, and P < 0.02, respectively, N = 4). At a given perturbation level (quantified by the organic and nutrient loads), shoot mortality at the impacted stations significantly decreased with CR at control stations (R 2 = 0.86, P < 0.05). Seagrass mortality also increased with  (R 2 = 0.81, P < 0.10), R (R 2 = 0.96, P < 0.05) and D* (R 2 = 0.99, P < 0.01) at the control stations, probably because of the negative correlation between those parameters and CR. Therefore, the effects of clonal size structure on meadow resistance could play an important role on meadow survival. Large genotypes of P. oceanica meadows thus seem to resist better to fish farm-derived impacts than little ones. Clonal integration, foraging advantage or other size-related fitness traits could account for this effect