Costal Waters Research Articles

Effects of Rainfall on Microbial Water Quality on Haeundae and Gwangan Swimming Beach

The associations between storm events, urban runoff and costal water quality have not been well investigated in Korea. A temporal and spatial analysis during summer, 2015 was conducted to determine associates between urban runoff and fecal indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli, Enterococcus) levels at two popular coastal beaches (Gwanganri beach and Haundae beach) in Busan. In this study, a clear relationship between rainfall and elevated number of indicators was observed. Two beaches met the costal beach water health standards after less than 3.0 mm of rain. Only for storms less than 2.5 mm was no observable rainfall effect. Our results revealed that exceedances were greatest in 5 hours following 41.0~45.5 rainfall, then declined the bacterial concentrations in 8 hours after the storm and they generally returned to levels below water health standards within 10~14 hours. But it took 2.7 days to get the level of water quality of dry days. The time required for water quality recovery depends on the intensity and duration of rainfall. In the event of intense rainfall issuance of beach closure by public authorities is warranted to protect public health.

Agricultural water consumption decreasing nutrient burden at Bohai Sea, China

In this study, we discussed the impacts of human water consumption to the nutrient burden in a river estuary, and used Huanghe River as a case study. The agricultural water consumption from the Huanghe River has significantly decreased the natural water flows, and the amount of water consumption could be almost twice as high as the water entering into the estuary. According to our calculation, agricultural water usage decreased TN outflows by 6.5 × 104 Mg/year and TP outflows by 2.0 × 103 Mg/year. These account for 74% and 77% of the total output loads. It has been widely reported that the majority of the rivers in northern China were severely polluted by nutrients. Its implication on the budget of nutrient in the estuary ecosystem is not well characterized. Our study showed that the discharge of nutrients in the coast waters from polluted rivers was over concerned. Nutrients in the polluted rivers were transported back to the terrestrial systems when water was drawn for human water consumption. The magnitudes of changes in riverine nutrient discharges even exceed the water-sediment regulation trails in the Huanghe River. It has non-negligible impact on estimating the nutrient burden in costal water ecosystem.

Exploring the fate, transport and risk of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) in a coastal region of China using a multimedia model

Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and related substances have been widely applied in both industrial processes and domestic products in China. Exploring the environmental fate and transport of PFOS using modeling methods provides an important link between emission and multimedia diffusion which forms a vital part in the human health risk assessment and chemical management for these substances. In this study, the gridded fugacity based BETR model was modified to make it more suitable to model transfer processes of PFOS in a coastal region, including changes to PFOS partition coefficients to reflect the influence of water salinity on its sorption behavior. The fate and transport of PFOS in the Bohai coastal region of China were simulated under steady state with the modified version of the model. Spatially distributed emissions of PFOS and related substances in 2010 were estimated and used in these simulations. Four different emission scenarios were investigated, in which a range of half-lives for PFOS related substances were considered. Concentrations of PFOS in air, vegetation, soil, fresh water, fresh water sediment and coastal water were derived from the model under the steady-state assumption. The median modeled PFOS concentrations in fresh water, fresh water sediment and soil were 7.20ng/L, 0.39ng/g and 0.21ng/g, respectively, under Emission Scenario 2 (which assumed all PFOS related substances immediately degrade to PFOS) for the whole region, while the maximum concentrations were 47.10ng/L, 4.98ng/g and 2.49ng/g, respectively. Measured concentration data for PFOS in the Bohai coastal region around the year of 2010 were collected from the literature. The reliability of the model results was evaluated by comparing the range of modeled concentrations with the measured data, which generally matched well for the main compartments. Fate and transfer fluxes were derived from the model based on the calculated inventory within the compartments, transfer fluxes between compartments and advection fluxes between sub-regions. It showed that soil and costal water were likely to be the most important sinks of PFOS in the Bohai costal region, in which more than 90% of PFOS was stored. Flows of fresh water were the driving force for spatial transport of PFOS in this region. Influences of the seasonal change of fresh water fluxes on the model results were also analyzed. When only seasonal changes of the fresh water flow rates were considered, concentrations of PFOS in winter and spring were predicted to be higher than that under annual average conditions, while the concentrations in summer and autumn were lower. For PFOS fluxes entering the sea, opposite conclusions were drawn compared to the concentrations. Environmental risks from the presence of PFOS in fresh water were assessed for this region through comparison with available water quality criteria values. The predicted concentrations of PFOS in the Bohai coastal region provided by the model were lower than the water quality criteria published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Chinese researchers, while the concentrations in more than 80% of the sampling locations exceeded the European Union Water Framework Directive Environmental Quality Standards values. Seasonal variations of flow rate might cause a significant increase in environmental risks.

Biomarkers as New Monitoring Method of Coastal Pollutants

The measurement of various contamination of costal water by classic chemical monitoring of few pollutants is possible, but also through examination for indicators of adverse effects of pollution on organisms is more effective. Selected biochemical parameters, so called biomarkers in an indicator fish, can be used for this purpose [1]. Application of biomarkers in environmental monitoring of coastal areas may resolve many challenges by providing a measure of availability of an environmental chemical to an aquatic organism by providing a direct measure of the response of an organism to chemical exposure. One of the benefits of the biomarker approach is the identification of early-onset changes, which predict increased risk of adverse effects following exposure to environmental chemicals [2]. There are many definitions of biomarkers e.g.: “A biomarker is a xenobiotically induced variation in cellular or biochemical components or processes, structures, or functions that is measurable in a biological system or sample”. Peakall suggested the term Biomarker to indicate effects relating to individual organisms and bioindicator to indicate effects measured at the population or community levels of biological hierarchy [3].

Impact of Human Activity on Marine and Coastal Environment in the Gulf of Tadjourah

Extensive research with the aim of establishing seawater quality monitoring is considered essential of any integrated coastal management program. The present study reports for the first time the republic of Djibouti costal water quality. The state of the sixteen stations’ seawater quality was assessed on the basis of determination of temporal and spatial variability of inorganic nutrients with physicochemical variables. The samples were collected seasonally from different areas such as harbor and important touristic area in the Gulf of Tadjourah for three years (2008, 2009 and 2012). The seawater temperatures, pH or Chlorophyll a of sampling sites were evaluated and compared to those of the Gulf of Tadjourah or Red Sea waters. Relatively high concentrations of nutrients (for some sites) and very low chlorophyll a concentrations (0.006 to 0.06 μg.l-1) were observed at sampling sites. The seawater concentrations of trace metals in ten stations across the Doraleh coast, where is located the main port of Djibouti, were also investigated in 20012 and the values were compared to the normal range of concentrations for seawater. The levels of microbial concentrations were also determined for the main beaches of Djibouti-city and showed relatively higher concentrations for stations beaches close to sewage outfall.

Dynamic monitoring of water petroleum substance using HJ-1/CCD remote sensing data

The experiment data used in this paper include CDOM(Chromophoric dissolved organic matter) absorption coefficient, water apparent optical properties and petroleum pollution concentration, which were obtained in May 2008, August 2009 and June 2010 respectively at Liaohe Oilfield in Panjin city, Liaoning province of China. A model between CDOM absorption coefficient and petroleum pollution concentration was developed, and then was applied to eight HJ-1CCD remote sense images obtained from 2009 to 2011, to produce multi-period temporal and spatial distribution maps of petroleum concentration in costal waters. Based on these thematic maps, the dynamic monitoring of petroleum pollution concentration distribution was done. The results showed that (1)There was a decreasing trend of petroleum concentration from costal waters to open sea, which manifest itself as an approximately zonal distribution;(2) due to low precipitation in May and June every year, the concentration of petroleum keeps in a relatively high value state; (3) in September, the concentration of petroleum decreases dramatically as pre increases, most of the area below 0.29 mg/L; (4) compared with that in the same period, the concentration of petroleum in April 2010 is apparently higher than in April 2011, and among the images in September from 2009 to 2011,the highest concentration of petroleum appears in 2010, and the lowest in 2009.

Using gridded multimedia model to simulate spatial fate of Benzo[α]pyrene on regional scale

Predicting the environmental multimedia fate is an essential step in the process of assessing the human exposure and health impacts of chemicals released into the environment. Multimedia fate models have been widely applied to calculate the fate and distribution of chemicals in the environment, which can serve as input to a human exposure model. In this study, a grid based multimedia fugacity model at regional scale was developed together with a case study modeling the fate and transfer of Benzo[α]pyrene (BaP) in Bohai coastal region, China. Based on the estimated emission and in-site survey in 2008, the BaP concentrations in air, vegetation, soil, fresh water, fresh water sediment and coastal water as well as the transfer fluxes were derived under the steady-state assumption. The model results were validated through comparison between the measured and modeled concentrations of BaP. The model results indicated that the predicted concentrations of BaP in air, fresh water, soil and sediment generally agreed with field observations. Model predictions suggest that soil was the dominant sink of BaP in terrestrial systems. Flow from air to soil, vegetation and costal water were three major pathways of BaP inter-media transport processes. Most of the BaP entering the sea was transferred by air flow, which was also the crucial driving force in the spatial distribution processes of BaP. The Yellow River, Liaohe River and Daliao River played an important role in the spatial transformation processes of BaP. Compared with advection outflow, degradation was more important in removal processes of BaP. Sensitivities of the model estimates to input parameters were tested. The result showed that emission rates, compartment dimensions, transport velocity and degradation rates of BaP were the most influential parameters for the model output. Monte Carlo simulation was carried out to determine parameter uncertainty, from which the coefficients of variation for the estimated BaP concentrations in air and soil were computed, which were 0.46 and 1.53, respectively. The model output–concentrations of BaP in multimedia environment can be used in human exposure and risk assessment in the Bohai coastal region. The results also provide significant indicators on the likely dominant fate, influence range of emission and transport processes determining behavior of BaP in the Bohai coastal region, which is instrumental in human exposure and risk assessment in the region.

Influence of Sample Sizes on Analyzing Community Parameters of Periphytic Diatoms for Bioassessment Using an Artificial Substrate in Coastal Waters

ABSTRACT: Influence of sample sizes on analyzing community parameters of periphytic diatoms was studied in coastal waters of the Yellow Sea from May 2010 to June 2010. Samples were collected from two depths of 1 m and 3 m using an artificial substrate. Based on a 95% probability, 15, 8, and 5 replicate slides (∼260, 140, and ∼90 cm2) were sufficient for recovering the diatom communities with specified cumulative contributions of 99%, 95%, and 90% at two depths, respectively. To achieve less than 10% standard errors (coefficients of variation), six (105 cm2) replicate slides were required for biodiversity analysis of the microperiphyton communities with various colonization times at two depths. More replicate sides were required for the young diatom communities (less than 14 days) than the mature samples (greater than 14 days). These results suggest that six replicate slides at two depths may be sufficient to analyze community parameters of periphytic diatoms in costal waters.

Profiling the fatty acids from a strain of the microalgae Alexandrium tamarense by means of high-speed counter-current chromatography and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

Fatty acids of microalgae have been studied as potential chemotaxonomic markers, to reveal plausible lipid phycotoxins or in the context of mass production of algal biofuels. The planctonic microalgae Alexandrium tamarense (Dinophyceae) is a common harmful algal bloom species that often proliferates in eutrophic costal waters. Alexandrium blooms are the proximal source of toxins associated with paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), a neurological affliction that has caused human illness for centuries via consumption of contaminated shellfish. However, data on the fatty acid composition of A. tamarense is currently limited. For this reason, we cultivated a well-defined strain of A. tamarense (Alex2, group I, North American clade) in order to study both its major and minor fatty acids. The harvested microalgae were transesterified and the fatty acid methyl esters were fractionated by means of high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). The resulting 31 HSCCC fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Unknown substances were identified by transferring assorted HSCCC fractions into picolinyl or pyrrolidide derivatives. Twenty fatty acids (range 0.2–22.9% contribution to total fatty acids) were identified in the unfractionated sample with 14:0, 16:0, 18:1n-9, 18:4n-3, 18:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 representing>80% of the total fatty acids. HSCCC fractionation enabled the identification of further 22 trace fatty acids contributing between ∼0.01 and 0.2% to total fatty acids. The fatty acids included several branched-chain fatty acids as well as scarcely reported fatty acids like 11-methyl-18:1n-6tr or 18:2Δ4,9. In order to enable a better comparability and repeatability of HSCCC fractionations, we calculated for each HSCCC fraction the total volume of mobile phase, which had passed the HSCCC. From this volume we subtracted the volume of extruded stationary phase and divided the corrected volume by the total coil volume. These elution values were in good agreement with the partition ratios of randomly chosen fatty acid methyl esters obtained in shake flask tests, which allows the prediction of the elution from the HSCCC system when the partition ratio is known.

Phylogeography Study of Ammodytes personatus in Northwestern Pacific: Pleistocene Isolation, Temperature and Current Conducted Secondary Contact

To assess the role of historical process and contemporary factors in shaping population structures in Northwestern Pacific, mitochondrial control region sequences were analyzed to characterize the phylogeography and population structure of the Japanese sand lance Ammodytes personatus. A total of 429 individuals sampled from 17 populations through the species' range are sequenced. Two distinct lineages are detected, which might have been divergent in the Sea of Japan and Pacific costal waters of Japanese Island, during the low sea level. Significant genetic structure is revealed between the Kuroshio and Oyashio Currents. However, significant genetic structure is also detected in the Sea of Japan, contracting expected homogenization hypothesis in Tsushima Current. The haplotype frequency of lineages in both sides of Japanese Island and significant genetic structure between north and south groups revealed that the distribution of lineage B and north group were highly limited by the annual sea temperature. The lack of lineage B in Qingdao population with low sea temperature reflects the sea temperature barrier. Lack of genetic structure in the south group and north group populations indicated that ocean currents within groups facilitated the dispersal of A. personatus.

Risk Assessment of Marine Traffic Safety at Coastal Water Area

With the rapid development of the maritime industry, maritime traffic safety management in China is under great pressure. Recently, it is obvious from the safety management on aft-causalities to risk assessment on proactive management of marine traffic at costal water area. According to the investigation of safety situation at coastal water area of China, applied on Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) approach which was held by International Maritime Organization, the characteristics of hazards and accidents at coastal water area were analyzed and some results of risk distribution were held out in quantities. Furthermore, some proposed risk control options (RCO), synergy-based management mode by grid or cell, and long-term strategy in Coastal Water Area were carried out, which included hazard identification, risk evaluation, crisis early-warning, emergency handling and decision-making of RCO.

Fish colonization of artificial reefs in the Persian Gulf (Bandar Lengeh-Iran): Reef designs and seasonal changes of fish abundance

Artificial reefs are used as a management tool to compensate for overfishing and anthropogenic degradation. In the present study, to find the best artificial structure for enhancing of fish yields, the values of total fish catch and its seasonal changes were investigated in different forms of artificial structures placed in costal waters of Persian Gulf (Bandar-e-Lengeh-Iran). For this purpose, eight treatments including different forms of artificial reefs, reef ball (RB), fish house (FH), non-designed materials (ND), RB+FH, RB+ND, FH+ND and RB+ND+FH and one control group (C) were established. At each site, the fish sampling were carried out every three months for one year. According to data, total fish catch was higher significantly in RB+ND+FH treatment than in other experimental reef structures. As well as, the total fish yields in spring season were significantly higher than in other seasons. The catch composition data showed that Epinephelus coioides with 65% allocates the main quota of total catch on experimental artificial structures. In conclusion, the results indicated that artificial structures especially a complex of RB+ND+FH are more suitable for enhancing of fish catch successes in inshore waters of Bandar Lengeh. Key words: Artificial reefs, reef ball, Persian Gulf.

Records of Guiana dolphin, Sotalia guianensis, in the State of Ceará, Northeastern Brazil

The Guiana dolphin, Sotalia guianensis, is a small delphinid found in costal waters, estuaries and bays from Santa Catarina, Brazil, to Nicaragua. Strandings of Guiana dolphins were recorded systematically and opportunistically in the coast of Ceará (~02-04°S), northeastern Brazil, from 1992 to 2005. A total of 160 single events were documented. The number of records was higher in Fortaleza Metropolitan Region than in other three surveyed areas, probably due to a more intensive survey effort. More strandings were recorded during austral winter and spring. The majority of stranded animals were adults (48.8%). Calves were not commonly recovered and no seasonality in the strandings of calves was observed. Overall body length ranged from 95 to 208cm for females and from 85 to 210cm for males. A total of 49 animals (30.6%) showed evidence of fishery interactions such as net marks and cuts. Of these, we confirmed through fisherman information the incidental catch of 13 dolphins by driftnet (n = 8), surface gillnet (n = 3) and beach seine (n = 2). Twenty three percent of all stranded animals showed evidences of other human interactions, like meat or fins removed, eyes removed and rostrum extracted. According to the results, Guiana dolphin strandings occurred year-round in all zones along the coast of Ceará. The incidental bycatch in fishing nets may have a negative impact on the dolphin population. The study reveals that a long-term systematic monitoring of artisanal fishing communities is necessary to evaluate the extent of the impact on the species.

Violacein-Producing Collimonas sp. from the Sea Surface Microlayer of Costal Waters in Trøndelag, Norway

A new strain belonging to the genus Collimonas was isolated from the sea surface microlayer off the coast of Trøndelag, Norway. The bacterium, designated Collimonas CT, produced an antibacterial compound active against Micrococcus luteus. Subsequent studies using LC-MS identified this antibacterial compound as violacein, known to be produced by several marine-derived bacteria. Fragments of the violacein biosynthesis genes vioA and vioB were amplified by PCR from the Collimonas CT genome and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences demonstrated close relatedness of the Collimonas CT violacein biosynthetic gene cluster to those in Janthinobacterium lividum and Duganella sp., suggesting relatively recent horizontal gene transfer. Considering diverse biological activities of violacein, Collimonas CT shall be further studied as a potential producer of this compound.

Two new species of seahorses (Syngnathidae, Hippocampus) from the Middle Miocene (Sarmatian) Coprolitic Horizon in Tunjice Hills, Slovenia: The oldest fossil record of seahorses

Two new and the only known extinct seahorse species Hippocampus sarmaticus and Hippocampus slovenicus are described from the Middle Miocene beds (Lower Sarmatian) in Slovenia, representing the oldest known fossil record of seahorses. Hippocampus sarmaticus was most similar to the extant seahorse species Hippocampus trimaculatus, while H. slovenicus can be most easily compared to the extant pygmy seahorses H. bargibanti, H. denise, and H. colemani. These Sarmatian seahorses lived among seagrasses and macroalgae in the temperate shallow costal waters of the western part of the Central Paratethys Sea.

Length-weight relationships and condition factor of the Japanese silver-biddy,Gerres equulus, in the Yatsushiro Sea, western Kyushu, Japan

Summary The Japanese silver-biddy Gerres equulus (Temminck and Schlegel) is one of the most common shore fishes in the costal waters of southern Japan and commercially important for the local fishery. In this study the condition factor, length–weight (LWR) and length–length relationships (LLR) of G. equulus are described for the first time. A total of 1121 specimens (511 males; 620 females) were collected using gill nets in the Yatsushiro Sea, western Kyushu, Japan. The overall allometric coefficient b of LWR was close to the isometric values (b = 3.088). Fulton’s condition factor showed high values at the beginning of the spawning season (June–September) and peaking 2 months after the spawning season.

Private Security & Local Politics in Somalia

The use of private security by weak states is often seen to erode state power and prevent national institution building. This article investigates the use of private military force in Somalia and the three different entities that exercise political authority within this geographically defined territory, namely the Transitional Federal Government, Puntland, and Somaliland. All three have contracted private security companies, primarily to prevent piracy and illegal fishing in their costal waters. The article shows that while the turmoil in Somalia continues to offer lucrative investment opportunities for private security and military companies of various sorts, it cannot be uniformly concluded that private security always serves to weaken already fragile public authorities. On the contrary, in some cases the activities of private military companies have served to strengthen the power of local authorities.

Multiple spawning and length of embryonic development ofMunida gregariain northern Patagonia (Argentina)

Munida gregariais a small galatheid widely distributed around the southern hemisphere, considered a key species in food webs of coastal and shelf marine ecosystems. Previous studies conducted at 55°S and 46°S on the Atlantic coast of South America, have shown that the species can adapt its reproductive patterns to different environmental conditions. The objectives of this work are to complete this analysis by determining: (1) the reproductive season span; (2) the potential of the species to produce multiple clutches of eggs; (3) the length of its embryonic development; and (4) based on previous objectives, the potential number of clutches produced byM. gregariaby reproductive season in the northern range of its coastal distribution (42–43°S, northern Patagonia). In this region, brooding females were present from June to December, representing more than 80% of total females between July and October. Females presented previtellogenic oocytes beginning maturation just after egg extrusion, and fully developed vitellogenic oocytes just before hatching. From November to February increasing proportions of females showed signs of athresia and resorption of mature oocytes. The complete embryonic development ofM. gregarialasted 26–29 days at 11ºC constant temperature. Considering the pattern of synchronous ovary re-maturation and embryonic development, the length of embryogenesis at water temperatures typical from costal waters off northern Patagonia during the breeding season, it is concluded that femaleM. gregariahave the potential to consecutively lay more than three egg clutches per reproductive season.

Food sources of consumers in temperate estuaries and costal waters : Achievements and potential problems of isotopic studies

Food sources of consumers in temperate estuaries and costal waters : Achievements and potential problems of isotopic studies

Microalgae: A Potential Source of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Selected fish oils are the main industrial sources of PUFAs. However, this oil may be insufficient in the future to meet the expected growth in world demand for n-3 fatty acids (Tacon, 1995). Refined oils produced by marine microalgae represent potential sources of supplemental dietary fatty acids. This study examines the lipid and fatty acid composition of three microalgae that were isolated from the costal waters of Tunisia with particular interest on the variability of composition related to the cellular growth stage.