Nearby Coastal Areas Research Articles

Comparative analysis of the microbial plastisphere at three sites along the Sarno river (Italy)

This study investigated microplastics (MP) and their associated microbial plastisphere in the Sarno river (Italy), its estuary and in the nearby coastal area in January 2020. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), High Throughput Sequencing (HTS) and Fourier-Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the collected MPs and their associated microbes. The three stations sampled differed substantially for MP concentrations and microbial communities, with the estuarine station showing very high MP concentrations (2048.6 MP m−3), highlighting the threat represented by the river for the coastal marine area and its ecosystem. The prokaryotic plastisphere showed differences between the three stations sampled, in terms of community composition, with only 75 Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASV) in common. The Comamonadaceae was the most abundant family in MP-attached and freshwater communities, and this lifestyle seems to be pivotal in the colonization of new habitats while flowing towards the sea. The results highlight the importance of the plastisphere in colonization of new habitats and support the need of correct management and risk mitigation efforts.

Numerical Investigation of the Sediment Load Exchange between a Coastal Mud Bank and Its Neighbouring Estuary

Muddy coastlines cover much of the world’s shores, yet studies on the interaction between mud-affected coasts and estuaries are limited. This study focuses on the Mahury River estuary and its interaction with the muddy coast of the Guianas, primarily fed by the Amazon. A coupled wave–current–sediment transport model is developed to analyze the sediment exchange in an environment with strong interactions between the waves and the fluid mud. Simulations explore how seasonal changes in waves, mud availability, and tides affect sediment fluxes. The main processes influencing suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediment transport are well emulated, notwithstanding the complexity of the ambient muddy environment. The results show that during the rainy season, strong wave damping and wave refraction zones cause high SPM resuspension in shallow waters (<5 m). In contrast, during the dry season, wave influence shifts to the estuary mouth. Erosion and sedimentation patterns indicate that ebb currents associated with neap tides during the rainy season represent the most favourable conditions for the alongshore migration of mud banks. Neaptide ebb currents also contribute to sedimentation during the dry season but only in the estuary mouth and the nearby coastal area. The abundance of mud leads to an extension of the estuary’s intertidal area during the dry season.

Airport Runoff Water: State-of-the-Art and Future Perspectives

The increase in the quantity and variety of contaminants generated during routine airport infrastructure maintenance operations leads to a wider range of pollutants entering soil and surface waters through runoff, causing soil erosion and groundwater pollution. A significant developmental challenge is ensuring that airport infrastructure meets high-quality environmental management standards. It is crucial to have effective tools for monitoring and managing the volume and quality of stormwater produced within airports and nearby coastal areas. It is necessary to develop methodologies for determining a wide range of contaminants in airport stormwater samples and assessing their toxicity to improve the accuracy of environmental status assessments. This manuscript aims to showcase the latest advancements (2010–2024 update) in developing methodologies, including green analytical techniques, for detecting a wide range of pollutants in airport runoff waters and directly assessing the toxicity levels of airport stormwater effluent. An integrated chemical and ecotoxicological approach to assessing environmental pollution in airport areas can lead to precise environmental risk assessments and well-informed management decisions for sustainable airport operations. Furthermore, this critical review highlights the latest innovations in remediation techniques and various strategies to minimize airport waste. It shifts the paradigm of soil and water pollution management towards nature-based solutions, aligning with the sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Concentrations and carbonyl index of microplastic in surface seawater in southeastern coastal region off Japan, Northwestern Pacific

In this study, microplastic concentrations in the southeastern coastal regions of Japan were measured along the northward ocean current at seven stations from Okinawa to Tokai region. Concentrations ranged from 0.014 to 0.094 pieces/m3, except for a station near the Bungo Channel mouth, which had 0.723 pieces/m3. Polystyrene (PS) foam was most prevalent near the east side of Kyushu, suggesting origination from nearby coastal areas. Fragmentation levels were higher in the Tokai region. In addition, carbonyl index (CI) of polyethylene (PE) microplastics increased northward, indicating northward movement from southern regions. Standard PE microplastics showed chemical treatment does not significantly alter CI values. Further spectral analysis suggested potential oxidation of polypropylene (PP) and PS foam by chemical treatment. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the abundance, distribution, and characteristics of microplastics in the southeastern coastal regions of Japan in the northwest Pacific, enhancing the understanding of environmental fate of microplastics.

The Avellino Event. Cultural and Demographic Effects of the Great Bronze Age Eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Overview of main project results, publications and valorisation activities

Between 2015 and 2019, a team of archaeologists, palaeobotanists and geologists from the Universities of Groningen, Amsterdam and Leiden looked into the distal effects of a powerful eruption of the Somma–Vesuvius volcano in Campania on the former wetlands of the Agro Pontino and Fondi coastal plains in Central Tyrrhenian Italy. These wetlands are located c. 60 km south of Rome and between 90 and 140 km north-west of Mount Vesuvius. The ‘Avellino’ eruption took place during an advanced stage of the Early Bronze Age and was radiocarbon dated around 1900 BCE. This article reports on the results of the research programme “The Avellino Event: Cultural and Demographic Effects of the Great Bronze Age Eruption of Mount Vesuvius”, funded by the Dutch Research Council. The team’s main hypothesis, that people living in the surroundings of Mount Vesuvius in the Early Bronze Age who had time to escape the proximal effects of the eruption – pyroclastic flows and heavy ash falls – fled to the relative safety of nearby coastal areas to build a temporary or permanent new existence, was disproved by field evidence early on. No major environmental and archaeological impacts were evident in the archaeological and environmental record of the study area around the date of the eruption. Nonetheless, the research resulted in a significant increase in geological and palaeobotanical data, which has proved extremely useful for the reconstruction of the longue durée of human–landscape interactions. The Avellino tephra was a most reliable chronological horizon in this reconstruction contributing to the overall objectives of the long-running Pontine Region Project of the University of Groningen. This contribution contains an overview of the main results of the Avellino Event Project, including an overview of scientific publications, valorisation output, and a brief discussion of some remarkable spin-off projects.

Adsorption Performance and Mechanisms of Tetracycline on Clay Minerals in Estuaries and Nearby Coastal Areas.

Clay minerals in sediments have strong adsorption capacities for pollutants, but their role in the distribution of antibiotics in estuaries and nearby coastal areas is unclear. We evaluated the clay mineral montmorillonite (SWy-2) adsorption capacity for tetracycline (TC). We assessed the adsorption capacity of SWy-2 for TC by measuring the removal percentage of 30 mg/L TC over time. The effects of pH and ionic strength on the TC adsorption onto SWy-2 were investigated. We analyzed the kinetics of TC adsorption using a pseudo-second-order model and determined the adsorption isotherm using the Langmuir equation. SWy-2 particles were characterized using zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses before and after TC adsorption. The removal percentage of 30 mg/L TC by SWy-2 reached 70.76% within 0.25 h and gradually increased to 78.64% at 6 h. TC adsorption was influenced by pH and ionic strength, where low pH enhanced and high ionic strength reduced the adsorption. The kinetics of TC adsorption followed a pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption isotherm adhered to the Langmuir equation. The saturated adsorption capacity (qmax) of SWy-2 for TC was 227.27 mg/g. Zeta potential, FTIR, and XRD analyses confirmed that electrostatic interactions and chemical bonds played a significant role in the TC adsorption by SWy-2. SWy-2 clay mineral exhibits a substantial adsorption capacity for TC, indicating its potential as an effective sorbent to mitigate antibiotic contamination in estuaries and nearby coastal areas. The observed effects of pH and ionic strength on TC adsorption have implications for the environmental fate and transport of antibiotics. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm equation provide valuable insights into the adsorption behavior and capacity of TC on SWy-2. Characterization analyses support the involvement of electrostatic interactions and chemical bonds in the SWy-2-TC adsorption mechanism.

Genetics, Physiological Mechanism and Breeding for Tolerance against Submergence, Salinity, and Saline-Submergence Stress in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice is a staple food and one of the most crucial crops globally, providing sustenance for more than half of the world's population. Climate change has a crucial impact on the agricultural sector, particularly rice cultivation, due to the increase in abiotic stress incidences. Salinity is one of the most severe abiotic stresses on rice production globally. Salt stress significantly reduces growth performance, affecting various metabolic and physiological processes in rice. Submergence is another type of abiotic stress affecting rice growth and yield. Recently, a newly emerged abiotic stress called saline submergence may also jeopardize rice production. Seawater intrusion into rice fields located nearby coastal areas may cause saline flash floods, especially during monsoon season. Rice cultivated in coastal areas is prone to saline-submergence stress, leading to a significantly lower yield. Although Sub1 and Saltol QTLs are widely used in developing rice cultivars with submergence and salinity tolerance, there is a lack of studies conducted to explore the potential performance of breeding lines with Sub1 and Saltol QTLs under saline-submergence stress. It has been hypothesized that the introgression of Sub1 and Saltol QTLs into elite rice cultivars might result in potentially tolerant breeding lines to saline-submergence stress. Further breeding projects, however, need to be conducted to prove this postulation. The present mini-review deals with genetics, physiological mechanisms, and breeding achievements for submergence and salinity-tolerant rice while at the same time highlighting saline-submergence as an emerging type of abiotic stress in rice cultivation.

Biochemical properties and heavy metal analysis of a commercial fish Opisthopterus tardoore

Aim: The study was designed to evaluate various biochemical parameters, protein expression, antioxidant enzymes and heavy metals by testing an edible fish Opisthopterus tardoore. Methodology: The experimental fish were collected from five major fish markets of Bhubaneswar, India and distribution of carbohydrate, lipid and protein content were assessed in muscle tissues. To enhance the understanding of molecular mechanism, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of crude proteins was conducted. Catalase (CAT) and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) activities were determined both spectrophotometrically and by native gel electrophoresis. For heavy metal analysis, three toxic elements viz.,chromium, cadmium and lead were examined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: The muscle tissues showed variation in the concentrations of carbohydrate (0.17 ± 0.02 to 0.28 ± 0.04 % f.wt.), lipid (3.48 ± 0.27 to 6.62 ± 0.44 % d. wt.) and protein (1.56 ± 0.11 to 2.92 ± 0.16 % f. wt.) with respect to the markets from where fish samples were collected. The protein profiling study revealed the disappearance as well as de novo synthesis of some proteins. The activities of CAT and GPX were determined for establishing a possible bioindicator of metal toxicity in fish. A rapid disturbance in their enzymatic actions was noticed which was also confirmed through native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with respect to fish samples. The heavy metals analysis manifested a varying level of accumulation of Cr whereas Pb and Cd were found below the detection limits. Interpretation: The biochemical disturbances and accumulation of Cr in muscle tissues of O. tardoore reflect the pollution status of nearby coastal areas of the Bay of Bengal, Odisha. Key words: Biochemical analysis, Chromium toxicity, Guaiacol peroxidase, Opisthopterus tardoore, Protein expression

The 2020 Samos Mw7 earthquake: Source model depicting complexity and rupture directivity

The October 30, 2020, Mw7 Samos earthquake ruptured a north-dipping offshore normal fault, bounding the Samos basin; it accommodated ∼N-S extension and can be viewed as a modern manifestation of the basin evolution. It caused 118 fatalities, generated a tsunami, and caused a co-seismic uplift of 20 to 35 cm of the NW part of Samos Island. Using broadband, strong-motion, and geodetic data, we constrain the location and source geometry of the mainshock. A multiple-point source model suggests three sequential subevents providing 20 s of source duration. Our finite-fault kinematic model confirms the prevalence of large slip amplitudes (∼2.4 m) along the entire ruptured area and the up-dip and westward rupture propagation. This directivity is independently confirmed by Apparent Source Time Functions inferred from regional recordings using a herein developed new variant of the empirical Green's function method. Static GNSS displacements from inland stations yield a near-surface co-seismic slip of ∼1 m amplitude, contributing to any interpretation of the observed island uplift. The 2020 Samos event showed that in the spatially heterogeneous oblique transtentional regions in the back-arc Aegean region, normal faults bounding the basins are capable to rupture in M7 earthquakes, provoke tsunami generation, and constitute a constant threat to the nearby coastal areas of both Greece and Turkey.

Submarine Landslide Susceptibility Mapping in Recently Deglaciated Terrain, Glacier Bay, Alaska

Submarine mass wasting events have damaged underwater structures and propagated waves that have inundated towns and affected human populations in nearby coastal areas. Susceptibility to submarine landslides can be pronounced in degrading cryospheric environments, where existing glaciers can provide high volumes of sediment, while cycles of glaciation and ice-loss can damage and destabilize slopes. Despite their contribution to potential tsunami hazard, submarine landslides can be difficult to study because of limited access and data collection in underwater environments. Here we present a method to quantify and map the submarine landslide susceptibility of sediment-covered slopes in Glacier Bay, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, using multibeam-sonar bathymetric digital elevation models (DEMs) and historical maps of glacial extents over the last ∼250 years. After mapping an inventory of >7,000 landslide scarps in submarine sediments, we filtered the inventory by size to account for limitations in DEM resolution and spatial scales relevant to tsunami hazards. We then assessed landslide concentration, accounting for the age of the initial exposure of submarine slopes by deglaciation. We found a positive correlation between landslide concentration and deglaciation age, which we interpreted as a mean landslide accumulation rate over the period of record. Local deviations from this rate indicated differences in susceptibility. Additionally, we accounted for some of the effect of material and morphometric properties by estimating the submarine bedrock-sediment distribution using a morphometric model and assessing the relationship between slope angle and landslide incidence. Finally, we supplemented our susceptibility assessment with a geomorphic component based on the propensity of active submarine fans and deltas to produce landslides. Thus, our map of submarine landslide susceptibility incorporates three components: age-adjusted landslide concentration, slope angle, and geomorphology. We find that areas of mapped high susceptibility correlate broadly with areas of high sediment input and availability, locations of fans and deltas, and steep sediment-covered glacially carved fjords and troughs. Areas of high submarine landslide susceptibility in Glacier Bay moderately correspond with locations of known high-hazard subaerial slopes, but more research on submarine and subaerial landslides in degrading cryospheric environments would be beneficial to better understand landslide and tsunami hazards.

The THE AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES IN KOMODO NATIONAL PARK AND THE SURROUNDING AREA

The Komodo National Park in the Wallacea region is the komodo dragon’s primary habitats. Published report on the herpetofauna of this national park is mostly concentrated in Komodo island. To increase our knowledge of amphibian and reptile communities in Komodo National Park, we conducted a herpetofauna survey in Komodo and Rinca Island and the nearby coastal area to assess diversity and community similarity and developed a complete checklist of the herpetofauna of Komodo National Park. We conducted a Visual Encounter Survey and put glue traps from February-April 2018 at six locations on Komodo Island (Loh Liang, Loh Wau dan Komodo Village) and Rinca Island (Loh Buaya, Loh Baru, and Rinca Village); and three locations on coastal areas of Flores (Labuan Bajo and Cumbi Village) and coastal area of Sumbawa (Sape) adjacent to Komodo National Park. We found seven species of amphibians and 22 species of reptiles and, however, only two species of amphibians and 18 species of reptiles were found in Komodo and Rinca Island. The highest diversity (H’ = 2.14) is in Loh Buaya (Rinca Island), and the highest evenness (E=0.58) is in Loh Baru (Rinca Island). The highest similarity occurs between Komodo Island and Rinca Island (IS = 0.8). Using data from other research, we have compiled a list of four species of amphibians and 39 species of reptiles occurring at three main islands of Komodo National Park: Komodo island, Rinca Island and Padar Island.
 
 Keywords: Herpetofauna diversity, Komodo National Park, Lesser Sunda Islands

The influence of the Doce River mouth on the microbiome of nearby coastal areas three years after the Fundão Dam failure, Brazil

The failure of the Fundão Dam, considered the world's largest mining disaster, released more than 55 million m3 of ore tailings into the environment. The sediment plume formed by water and tailings spread along approximately 663 km of water bodies of the Doce River basin. It reached the Atlantic Ocean sixteen days after the dam failure. However, the effects of the dam failure in the marine coastal areas years after the disaster are still unknown. This study aims to evaluate water and sediment microbial communities of nearby coastal areas three years after the Fundão Dam failure, using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. A total of 441 samples from 25 locations were collected during two different seasons (dry and rainy). The results showed that the Doce River mouth seems to divide the microbial communities from the southern and northern stations into two groups. The plume of sediments from the Doce River seems to be impacting the marine microbiome even at the furthest sampling stations. Bacterial (Anaerolineaceae, Thermodesulfovibrionia and Rhodopirellula) and Archaeal (Bathyarchaeia and Woesearchaeia) taxa, found in high abundance in the sediment of the Doce River mouth, have been previously described in high abundance in heavy metal contaminated sediments, including the Doce River itself and in mine tailing sediments. Cyanobium, found in great abundance in the water samples from the Doce River mouth, was also reported as the most abundant in the water of the Doce River after the Fundão Dam failure. Overall, the farther from the Doce River mouth the sample was, the lower the relative abundances of these taxa were. These results provide strong evidence that the sediment plume released by the Fundão Dam failure is probably impacting the marine microbiome of nearby coastal areas, even three years after the dam failure.

Susceptibility of Malaysian Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Cultivar to Saline Water Submergence Based on the Morphological Traits

Saline water submergence is a newly emerge abiotic stress jeopardizing rice production especially for the rice fields located nearby or alongside coastal areas. The stress was caused by the intrusion of sea water into those rice fields causing flash flood mainly during monsoon season. The present study was conducted to evaluate susceptibility level of selected Malaysian rice cultivars to saline water submergence at seedling stage based on the morphological traits and survival rate. There were six genotypes involved in the study mainly IR64-Sub1 as submergence tolerant control, Pokkali as salinity tolerant control, IR64 as susceptible control and MR297, MR284 and MR253 as local rice cultivars, respectively. The experiment was conducted using split plot design with three replications. On the day 14 after germination, all rice seedlings were totally submerged of about one-meter depth in a polyethylene tank containing saline water at 0, 4, 8 and 12 dS/m for 14 days while the non-submerged plant was control of the experiment. Seedling growth attributes and survival rate were recorded before, right after de-submerged and 14 days after de-submerged. All genotypes however were susceptible to saline water submergence at 4, 8 and 12 dS/m. In contrast, under 0 dS/m, IR64-Sub1 recorded significantly higher survival rate at 83% as compared to MR284 (17%), MR297 (17%), Pokkali (8%), MR253 (0%) and IR64 (0%). All genotypes were not survived under saline submergence. Therefore, further phenotypic screening of rice genetic resources originated from or nearby coastal areas could be suggested in order to increase chance of identifying potentially tolerant genotype to saline water submergence.

Growth of Marine Microalgae in Landfill Leachate and Their Ability as Pollutants Removal.

Leachate from landfill contains concentrated nutrients that may enter the terrestrial and aquatic environment, including nearby coastal areas. The nutrient contaminants eventually bring harm to marine organisms, including microalgae. This study was performed to investigate the growth of two green microalgal species, i.e. Chlorella sp. and Nannochloropsis sp. in diluted landfill leachate. Besides, the ability of nutrient removal by these microalgal was also explored from the changes of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nutrients content. The initial and final concentrations of COD, NH3-N, and PO43− in the diluted leachate (5%, 10% and 15%) were measured and the growth patterns of these species were determined by counting the cell numbers for 12 days. Comparison of these microalgae showed that the growth rate of Nannochloropsis was significantly higher compared to Chlorella in all leachate concentrations. Leachate at 5% enhanced the growth of both microalgae, while leachates at 10% and 15% decreased their growth as early as at the beginning of the test. It is apparent that the less concentrated leachate discharged into seawater would not pose any toxicity to the environment and would not bear adverse effect to microalgae yet could promote their growth. This study also revealed that the microalgae could remediate leachate pollution by its ability of nutrient removal; thus, leading to the potential application in wastewater bioremediation, including industrial waste and palm oil mill effluent.

Assessment of Water Quality in Surface Water of Shipbreaking Sites at Kumira Ghat, Sitakunda, Bangladesh

The Bay of Bengal ecosystem is blessed with vast resources. A major part of the people living nearby coastal areas depends on marine resources for their livelihood. These resources are facing risks due to pollution caused by shipbreaking activities. The present study was conducted to investigate the water quality adjacent to shipbreaking sites of Kumira Ghat, Sitakunda, Chittagong, Bangladesh and was carried out by field measurements of DO, pH, TDS, EC, temperature; BOD and heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu and Fe) in the laboratory while heavy metals followed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) methods of 5 water samples. The values of DO, pH, TDS, EC, BOD and temperature ranged from 7.16 to 7.43 mg/l, 8.02 to 8.04, 10000 mg/l, 5752 to 6745 µS/cm, 1.4 to 2.76 mg/l, 26.87 to 27.6 ºC, respectively. The values of Temperature, pH and BOD were within the standard limit but TDS and EC values were exceeding the standard level given by WHO for surface water. According to the study, the water was contaminated with Cd (0.003 to 0.007 mg/l), Pb (0.01 mg/l), Hg (0.001), Cu (0.1 mg/l) and Fe (25.2 to 53.6 mg/l). The amount of Fe crossed the standard level for surface water (0.1-1.0 mg/l) given by WHO. Finally, it was found that water was alkaline based on pH range. The ionization capacity of the water was very high because of high TDS and EC values. Positive correlations were found among pH and Temperature, BOD and Temperature, BOD and pH, Fe and EC and negative correlations were found among EC and Temperature, EC and BOD, Fe and Temperature and Fe and BOD.

The Comparative Study of Adaptation Measure to Sea Level Rise in Thailand

In the 21st century, global sea level rise associated with climate change will affect beach areas, which provide a number of benefits that include benefits to the recreational sector of the economy. In Thailand, the adoption of structural measures in order to slow down beach erosion and handle the impact of sea level rise is commonly implemented. However, structural measures often bring about negative effects on nearby coastal areas. For this reason, suitable adaptation measures should be determined, in order to protect beach areas and to sustain the tourism carrying capacity of the beach. This study analyzed historical shoreline changes using satellite images, and assessed beach value with the hedonic pricing method. We used a benefit–cost ratio analysis to evaluate the economic valuation assessment of Pattaya beach and Chalatat beach. The results showed that the beach values of Pattaya beach and Chalatat beach were 1,072,250 and 92,092 USD, respectively. The benefit–cost ratio analysis proposed that it is worth implementing beach nourishment for the adaptation measure to address all climate change scenarios. In response to climate change, recommendations could be applied to support beach tourism.

Reconstruction Of Oil Spill Trajectory In The Java Sea, Indonesia Using Sar Imagery

Oil spill phenomena in the ocean possess a very serious threat to ocean health. On the ocean surface, oil slicks immediately start to spread and mostly end up in the ecosystem. Furthermore, it could threaten the organisms living in the ocean or impact nearby coastal area. The aim of this research was to investigate the trajectories of oil spill based on a real accident in the Java Sea. Tracking oil spills using satellite images is an efficient method that provides valuable information about trajectories, locations and the spread intensity. The objective of this study was to periodically track the trajectory of the oil spill from the Karawang incident using Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. Pre-processing of the images consisted of radiometric and geometric corrections. After the corrections, SAR images were mapped and plotted accordingly. To understand the oil spill trajectories in relation to the oceanic processes, the ocean current pattern map and surface wind roses were also analysed. The processed images from July to October 2019 show a trajectory dominated by the oil spill layers movement towards the west to northwest from the original location along with a decrease in the detected oil spill area over time. The identified trajectories of the oil spill followed the ocean current pattern and surface winds. Thus, these two parameters were considered to be the main factors responsible for the oil spill drift.

Amphipoda species (Suborders: Amphilochidea and Senticaudata) from Vasiliko Bay, Cyprus: New records, information on their biogeography and an annotated checklist from the coasts of Cyprus

Current information on soft-bottom benthic amphipod species of the south coasts of Cyprus is scarce. In the summer of 2013, a research survey was carried out, targeting the Vasiliko Bay and the nearby coastal area which is influenced by multiple human-induced stressors. Analysis of 126 samples revealed the presence of 2,122 individual amphipods (Amphilochidea and Senticaudata) belonging to 25 families and 52 species. Twenty-four species are new records for Cyprus increasing the number of amphipods to 141 species. In Vasiliko Bay, two amphipod species presented the highest abundances and were found to be constant (Microdeutopus periergos, Perioculodes longimanus), while seven are common species (Ampelisca brevicornis, Ampelisca typica, Apherusa chiereghinii, Dexamine spinosa, Harpinia crenulata, Leptocheirus pectinatus, Leucothoe incisa) and the remaining 43 species are rare. The highest amphipod total abundances and number of species were recorded in stations with dense Posidonia oceanica meadows and aquaculture units in the vicinity. Brief distributional and ecological characteristics of the identified amphipod species are given and an annotated checklist for the coasts of Cyprus is provided.

Taphonomy of a skeleton of Arctocephalus australis (Carnivora: Pinnipeda: Otariidae) from the Holocene of Miramar locality (southern Buenos Aires, Argentina)

The taphonomy of a partial skeleton of the fur seal Arctocephalus australis from the mid-Holocene of Miramar (southern Buenos Aires province, Argentina) comprising most of both hindlimbs and some vertebral elements is herein described and discussed. The main axis of the long bones is oriented perpendicular to the coastline, flexed and slightly disarticulated, while the vertebrae are somewhat arched, possibly suggesting rigor mortis. The specimen was probably transported from a nearby coastal area, and possibly died from starvation with subsequent stranding. Short weathering times, fragmentation and possible rotation of the pelvic region are the main factors affecting the remains. The material corresponds to a subadult individual, determined by the pattern of fusion of the epiphysis and size of long bones. This study adds important information on the taphonomy of Holocene marine mammals and paleoenvironmental conditions influencing the preservation of these pelagic pinnipeds along the Atlantic Ocean compared with the populations of the Pacific Ocean.

Microplastics distribution and contamination from the Cochin coastal zone, India

Microplastics are small plastic fragments less than 5 mm in diameter, and microplastic pollution is an emerging threat in our day to day life. Microplastic pollution was estimated in water, sediment and fish samples from selected stations along the Cochin estuary and nearby coastal areas in Kochi. The estuarine water and sediment samples recorded a larger number of microplastics than in beach samples with a mean abundance of 751.7 ± 452.21 particles/m3 and 1340 ± 575.22 particles/kg, respectively. Study stations near to the busiest city locations showed significantly high levels of microplastic pollution (p < 0.001). A total number of 46 fishes belonging to five species were dissected, from which nine microplastics were isolated. All of the isolated plastic materials were identified as secondary microplastics. Among different types, fibres were abundant in all the sampling sites. Selected particles were identified with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis as cellophane, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, and nylon. The study found that the water and sediment samples from the Cochin estuary are seriously polluted with microplastics, and this is the first attempt to compare the microplastic pollution status of the Cochin estuary with the associated beaches.