Monitoring floating microlitter in offshore waters by manta-trawl (collaboration with iFADO project)

Floating marine litter is a recurrent pollutant in the Atlantic and worldwide oceans which has attracted increasing attention in the latest years. Meso- and microplastics derived from industrial pellets or through debris degradation have been also reported in surface and subsurface water samples from Atlantic coast and high-seas. The need of microplastic monitoring and assessment in EU countries and the Atlantic Area calls for the establishment of standardized sampling protocols and methods. In this work, the application of manta-trawl for micro-litter monitoring in coastal and offshore waters of the Galician coast (NW Spain) was assessed. The results obtained in this work suggest a moderate micro-litter density in both coastal and offshore stations. Also, manta-trawl was proved to be a feasible tool for surface and subsurface meso and micro-litter collection

Optimized protocol and template for monitoring floating macrolitter by scientific observers onboard research vessels

In 2007 the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) established for the first time the group of Apex Predators (marine mammals, seabirds and turtles) observers during a campaign to evaluate pelagic fisheries in the Bay of Biscay (PELACUS 07). This campaign was performed onboard the RV Thalassa, where researchers from the University of La Rochelle carried out the campaign PELGAS, which included apex predator surveys too. Therefore, the same protocol used by French researchers was applied for PELACUS with the aim of facilitating data collection and sharing. This protocol was also adopted by the Spanish research institute AZTI during their campaigns JUVENA and BIOMAN. Since then floating macro litter was incorporated also to the list of observations to be reported by observers to optimize marine debris surveys and allow for an estimation of its density. In the frame of the CleanAtlantic project (Tackling marine litter in the Atlantic Area) the protocol and templates used for recording floating litter were further adapted and improved so that they could be used as a common tool for any observer regardless the specificities of R/V and institutions, and also to facilitate the work of the observers. Thus, the optimized and English-translated protocols and datasheets for apex predators and marine litter recording are presented in the next sections. This work was carried out under the Work Package 5.2, whose final aim is to reinforce and support the monitoring of marine litter in the framework of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)

Resultados de la autotransfusión postoperatoria en artroplastia total de rodilla

Introducción. El propósito es evaluar si la utilización de los drenajes autotransfusores en la artroplastia total de rodilla primaria minimiza la caída de la hemoglobina en el postoperatorio, así como la necesidad de transfusiones sanguíneas alogénicas. Material y métodos. Estudio retrospectivo, analítico observacional que incluyó 100 pacientes intervenidos de artroplastia de rodilla entre enero 2014 y enero 2015 en el Hospital Dr. Peset. Compara tanto los parámetros analíticos de sangrado (hemoglobina y hematocrito) como la necesidad de transfusión sanguínea entre pacientes reinfundidos y no reinfundidos. Resultados. Se reinfundieron 50 pacientes con un volumen medio de 505 ml. La necesidad de transfusión sanguínea alogénica en los reinfundidos fue de 4% mientras que en los no reinfundidos fue de 24%. La caída media de hemoglobina postquirúrgica fue 1,12 g/ dl menor en el grupo reinfundido. Conclusiones. El redón autotransfusor es una técnica segura que mejora el rendimiento analítico postransfusional y, por consiguiente, reduce el número de transfusiones alogénicas.Introduction. The purpose is to evaluate the use of autotransfusors drains in total knee arthroplasty primary minimizes the drop in hemoglobin in the postoperative period, and the need for allogeneic blood transfusions. Material and methods. A retrospective, analitic and observational study, have been included 100 patients undergoing knee arthroplasty between January 2014 and January 2015 at the Dr. Peset Hospital. Compare the analytical parameters of bleeding (hemoglobin and hematocrit) and the need for blood transfusion among patients and not reinfused reinfused. Results. Fifty patients with Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) were reinfused with a mean volume of 505 ml. The need for allogenic blood transfusions was 4%, while in patients not reinfused was 24%. The average drop in postoperative hemoglobin was 1.12 g / dl lower in the group reinfused. Conclusions. The autotransfusion drain is a safe technique which improves post-transfusional values and therefore reduces the number of allogenic blood transfusions

Development and validation of sensitive and rapid immunoassays to detect minute amounts of hazelnut in processed food and working surfaces

Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) represents one of the most allergenic nuts and it can be found as a hidden allergen in processed food due to cross contamination. Therefore, sensitive and specific analytical techniques are in high demand to be used in allergen risk management plans at food industry. In this study, sandwich ELISA and Lateral Flow Immunoassay (LFIA) to detect hazelnut have been developed based on the determination of Cor a 9, one of the most abundant and allergenic proteins of hazelnut. Results showed that cross-reactivity was only found with walnut and Pecan nut, which was lower than 0.1%. When analyzing food spiked with a hazelnut extract or blended with hazelnut flour, ELISA and LFIA were able to detect 0.1 ppm and 0.5 ppm of hazelnut protein with a recovery from 82 to 110%. ELISA and LFIA could also detect 0.15 and 0.6 ppm of hazelnut protein in baked cookies incurred with ground hazelnut, respectively. Furthermore, LFIA could detect 1.25 μg of hazelnut protein in working surfaces of stainless steel and melamine. The sandwich ELISA was in-house validated, showing acceptable results of precision. Likewise, ELISA and LFIA showed to be robust tests. The combined use of both assays could improve the allergen risk management plans in food industry to monitor the presence of hazelnut traces in raw ingredients, processed food and working surfaces

Decapod crustacean larval communities in the Balearic Sea (western Mediterranean): Seasonal composition, horizontal and vertical distribution patterns

Decapod crustaceans are the main target species of deepwater bottomtrawl fisheries in the Balearic Sea but little is known about their larval stages. This work focuses on the species composition of the decapod larval community, describing the main spatio-temporal assemblages and assessing their vertical distribution. Mesozooplankton sampling was carried out using depth-stratified sampling devices at two stations located over the shelf break and themid slope, in the north-western and southern Mallorca in late autumn 2009 and summer 2010. Differences among decapod larvae communities, in terms of composition, adult's habitat such as pelagic or benthic, and distribution patternswere observed between seasons, areas and station. Results showed that for both seasonsmost species and developmental stages aggregatedwithin the upperwater column (above 75 mdepth) and showed higher biodiversity in summer compared to late autumn. Most abundant species were pelagic prawns (e.g., Sergestidae) occurring in both seasons and areas. The larval assemblages' distributions were different between seasonal hydrographic scenarios and during situations of stratified and non-stratified water column. The vertical distribution patterns of different larval developmental stages in respect to the adult's habitat were analyzed in relation to environmental variables. Fluorescence had the highest explanatory power. Four clearly different vertical patterns were identified: two corresponding to late autumn, which were common for all the main larval groups and other two in summer, one corresponding to larvae of coastal benthic and the second to pelagic species larvae.Versión del editor2,655

Effects of the herbicide Roundup on freshwater microbial communities: a mesocosm study

The impact of the widely used herbicide glyphosate has been mainly studied in terrestrial weed control, laboratory bioassays, and field studies focusing on invertebrates, amphibians, and fishes. Despite the importance of phytoplankton and periphyton communities at the base of the aquatic food webs, fewer studies have investigated the effects of glyphosate on freshwater microbial assemblages. We assessed the effect of the commercial formulation Roundup using artificial earthen mesocosms. The herbicide was added at three doses: a control (without Roundup) and two treatments of 6 and 12 mg/L of the active ingredient (glyphosate). Estimates of the dissipation rate (k) were similar in the two treatments (half-lives of 5.77 and 7.37 d, respectively). The only two physicochemical parameters showing statistically significant differences between treatments and controls were the downward vertical spectral attenuation coefficient kd(λ), where λ is wavelength, and total phosphorus concentration (TP). At the end of the experiment, the treated mesocosms showed a significant increase in the ratio kd(490 nm)/kd(550 nm) and an eightfold increase in TP. Roundup affected the structure of phytoplankton and periphyton assemblages. Total micro- and nanophytoplankton decreased in abundance in treated mesocosms. In contrast, the abundance of picocyanobacteria increased by a factor of about 40. Primary production also increased in treated mesocosms (roughly by a factor of two). Similar patterns were observed in the periphytic assemblages, which showed an increased proportion of dead : live individuals and increased abundances of cyanobacteria (about 4.5-fold). Interestingly, the observed changes in the microbial assemblages were captured by the analysis of the pigment composition of the phytoplankton, the phytoplankton absorption spectra, and the analysis of the optical properties of the water. The observed changes in the structure of the microbial assemblages are more consistent with a direct toxicological effect of glyphosate rather than an indirect effect mediated by phosphorus enrichment.Fil: Pérez, Gonzalo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas ; ArgentinaFil: Torremorell, Ana María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas ; ArgentinaFil: Mugni, Hernan Diego. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Limnología ; ArgentinaFil: Rodriguez, Patricia Laura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Vera, Maria Solange. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Do Nascimento, Mauro. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Allende, Luz. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Bustingorry, Jose Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas ; ArgentinaFil: Escaray, Francisco José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas ; ArgentinaFil: Ferraro, Marcela Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas ; ArgentinaFil: Izaguirre, Irina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; ArgentinaFil: Pizarro, Haydee Norma. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; ArgentinaFil: Bonetto, Carlos Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Limnología ; ArgentinaFil: Morris, Donald P.. Lehigh University; Estados UnidosFil: Zagarese, Horacio Ernesto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas ; Argentin

Size dependent predation in piscivorous larval stages of three tuna species

The bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is a heavily fished temperate tuna that spawns in the Mediterranean Sea; the area off the Balearic Islands is a key spawning area. Other abundant tunas, including albacore (Thunnus alalunga) and the small bullet tuna (Auxis rochei) spawn in the same area. The three species temporally overlap during the summer spawning period of the adults. Because they are clearly piscivorous already at very early larval stages, we expect strong interactions both in terms of a direct predator–prey relationship and as competitors for food resources. In this study, we focus on understanding the size dependent trophic interactions among the three species at the different developmental larval stages. First, we describe the environmental and biological scenarios where different size stages of the three species co-occur through the application of generalized additive model (GAM) analyses to field data collected during cruise surveys in 2004–2005. We then develop an individual_based model (IBM) to evaluate inter- and intraspecific predation rates considering size structured prey and predator fields in the framework of piscivorous behaviour. The results demonstrate how predation mortality rates influence the spawning location of the three speci

CleanAtlantic sea litter geographical web

A Sea litter data viewer has been developed in the framework of the CleanAtlantic European project. This web application allows access to the litter data of different compartments of the ocean as beach litter, floating litter, and seabed litter. The users can query the statistical distributions of litter concentrations, time series, and the composition of the most frequent types of litter of each geographical item. In order to facilitate access to this type of information to all types of users independently of their data analysis skills, the viewer has developed following criteria of simplicity and usability