Role of Lipid, Protein, Carbohydrate and Nucleic Acid As Indicators of the Moulting Cycle of Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus)

ASLO Summer Meeting 2005, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, 19-24 June 200

A new colorimetrically-calibrated automated video-imaging protocol for day-night fish counting at the OBSEA coastal cabled observatory

Field measurements of the swimming activity rhythms of fishes are scant due to the difficulty of counting individuals at a high frequency over a long period of time. Cabled observatory video monitoring allows such a sampling at a high frequency over unlimited periods of time. Unfortunately, automation for the extraction of biological information (i.e., animals’ visual counts per unit of time) is still a major bottleneck. In this study, we describe a new automated video-imaging protocol for the 24-h continuous counting of fishes in colorimetrically calibrated time-lapse photographic outputs, taken by a shallow water (20 m depth) cabled video-platform, the OBSEA. The spectral reflectance value for each patch was measured between 400 to 700 nm and then converted into standard RGB, used as a reference for all subsequent calibrations. All the images were acquired within a standardized Region Of Interest (ROI), represented by a 2 × 2 m methacrylate panel, endowed with a 9-colour calibration chart, and calibrated using the recently implemented “3D Thin-Plate Spline” warping approach in order to numerically define color by its coordinates in n-dimensional space. That operation was repeated on a subset of images, 500 images as a training set, manually selected since acquired under optimum visibility conditions. All images plus those for the training set were ordered together through Principal Component Analysis allowing the selection of 614 images (67.6%) out of 908 as a total corresponding to 18 days (at 30 min frequency). The Roberts operator (used in image processing and computer vision for edge detection) was used to highlights regions of high spatial colour gradient corresponding to fishes’ bodies. Time series in manual and visual counts were compared together for efficiency evaluation. Periodogram and waveform analysis outputs provided very similar results, although quantified parameters in relation to the strength of respective rhythms were different. Results indicate that automation efficiency is limited by optimum visibility conditions. Data sets from manual counting present the larger day-night fluctuations in comparison to those derived from automation. This comparison indicates that the automation protocol subestimate fish numbers but it is anyway suitable for the study of community activity rhythms.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Versatile Application of rfid technology to commercial and laboratory research contexts: fresh fish supply-chain and behavioural tests

Peer Reviewe

Spread of the alien bleak Alburnus alburnus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Actinopterygii cyprinidae) in the Iberian Peninsula: The role of reservoirs

Since its first record in a tributary of the Ebro basin in 1992, the bleak Alburnus alburnus has spread to almost the whole Iberian Peninsula. In this paper (based on electrofishing surveys in 598 localities), we provide information on the expansion of the bleak. We detail current distribution in the Ebro basin and the rivers of the Eastern Pyrenees and we report its presence in three other major Iberian drainages. Currently, the bleak is sympatric with 15 Iberian endemic species (58% of total Iberian endemic fish). The possible threats to the rich Iberian ichthyofauna caused by the presence of the bleak are discussed. The factors that promoted the extremely rapid expansion of this exotic cyprinid are examined, focusing on the role of reservoirs, which seem to favour its dispersal

A Geoethical Approach to Unlock a Social-Ecological Governance Problem: The Case of the Tordera River (Catalonia, Spain)

© 2021 by the authorsThis paper introduces a geoethical dilemma in the coastal zone of the Tordera Delta as a case study with the objective of showing the contribution of geoethics to the governance of coastal social-ecological systems. The Tordera Delta, located in Costa Brava, Catalonia, constitutes a social-ecological system that suffers from intense anthropization mainly due to tourist pressures causing a cascade of different environmental problems impacting the Delta functions. The massive sun and beach tourism brought human well-being and economic development to the region, but has caused an intense urbanization of the coastline that altered the coastal dynamics, eroded its beaches, and degraded many ecosystem services, a process that is being worsened today by the climate change events such as the rising sea level or the magnitude of the storms (“llevantades”), typical of the Western Mediterranean coast. Posing the problem of governance in terms of a geoethical dilemma enables discerning among the values connected to the intrinsic meaning of coastal landscapes and the instrumental values that see beaches as goods (commodities) for tourism uses. Finally, the paper reflects on options to overcome this dichotomy of values by considering meaning values as elements that forge cultural identities, contributing to highlighting this societal challenge in the Tordera Delta area, as a case study that can be useful for similar ecosystems.This paper was carried out partially and received funds within the framework of the ECOPLAYA project (CGL2013-49061) of the National Research Plan of Spain in R+D+i. The authors gratefully acknowledge the ISAAC-TorDelta and the REDAPTA projects coordinated by CREAF with the support from the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition of Spain that contributed to the development and implementation of the called “Taula del Delta i de la Baixa Tordera (TDBT)” for which we also thank many regional stakeholders involved in the process.Peer reviewe

A Geoethical approach to the governance of social-ecological systems: the case of Delta del Tordera

This paper presents the geoethical dilemma of the coastal zone of the Tordera Delta as a case study with the objective of showing the contribution of geoethics to the governance of coastal social-ecological systems. The Tordera Delta, located in the southern Costa Brava, Catalonia, constitutes a social-ecological system that suffers from intense anthropization mainly due to tourist pressures on the coast. The massive tourism of “sun and beach”, although it brought human well-being and economic development to the region, has caused a heavy urbanization of the coastline that altered the coastal dynamics, eroded its beaches and degraded many ecosystem services, something that is aggravated today by the climate change events in terms of rising sea level as well as the magnitude of the storms ("llevantades"), typical of the Western Mediterranean coast. Posing the problem of governance in terms of a geoethical dilemma means discerning among the values that refer to the intrinsic meaning of coastal landscapes and much more instrumental values that see beaches as goods (commodities) for tourism uses. Finally, the paper reflects if there is a way to overcome this dichotomy of values by briefly considering meaning values as elements that forge cultural identities as further research.Peer reviewe

The beach as a strategic element of governance for Spanish coastal towns

Este artículo contiene 15 páginas, 6 tablas, 4 figuras,.Governance models and future strategic visions for Spain’s beach social– ecological systems are assessed using an online questionnaire. Beaches continue to represent the most valuable attraction for Spanish coastal towns, but their strategic vision regarding the beach consists more of it being a profitable attraction and of maintaining the traditional “sun and sand” model, rather than of planning strategically. There are three trends looking to 2020. First, beach resorts are becoming linked with culture and heritage, gastronomy, events and ecotourism to enhance their attraction capacity and competitiveness. Second, the coastal towns plan to reduce the strain on beaches by increasing the number of square metres of sand per user. Third, they plan to reduce the strain of the seasonal population compared to the year-round population. Two indices (Beach Quality and Governance Quality) and two factors (Beach Management Proximity and Tourist Resource Expectations) were developed to assess municipal beach governance frameworks, enabling us to construct a typology of four municipal governance models. The country follows a classical public hierarchical model of beach management. Other than at the local scale, beaches are not strategically managed. There is a lack of implementation of adaptive measures, collective actions, integrated management, or policy learning.This work was carried out within the framework of the MeVaPlaya-II project [CSO2009-14589] and the PLAYAC project [CGL2013-49061] of the National Research Plan of Spain in RCDCi.Peer reviewe

Efectes del temporal Glòria sobre el litoral

Este artículo contiene 21 páginas, 9 figuras.El temporal Glòria va afectar la costa catalana entre els dies 19 i 23 de gener de 2020. En aquest treball es caracteritzen el clima d’onatge i les condicions morfodinàmiques prè-vies a la llevantada, per a després presentar un recull dels impactes més notables. Aquests van consistir en l’erosió de les platges, l’afectació a les estructures de defensa portuàries, destrosses al passeigs marítims i la inundació d’àrees urbanes situades a primera línia entre d’altres. Finalment es presenten les lliçons apreses del temporal consistents en la necessitat d’avançar en un canvi del model de gestió de la costa. Es proposa incorporar les recomanacions dels organismes internacionals, basades en els principis de la gestió ecosistèmica, la qual està emergint com el paradigma dominant en la gestió dels recursos naturals i el medi ambient, i que permet transitar d’una costa molt artificialitzada com l’actual, a un litoral més natural, menys vulnerable i més resilient.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y UniversidadesPeer reviewe