Salt Pans Research Articles

First biogeographical survey of Artemia in Tanzania

ABSTRACT In an Artemia survey conducted along the coast of Tanzania between March and July 2017, 32 salt pans in Tanga, Dar es salaam, Pwani, Lindi, and Mtwara were assessed. Of all visited salt pans, 16 (50%) had either Artemia biomass or cysts or both. Body length ranged from 4.0 mm to 9.5 mm, while the mean and modal lengths were 6.2 mm and 6.0 mm, respectively. Temperature ranged from 27.2°C to 48.7°C, salinity from 20 g L−1 to >140 g L−1, pH from 5.8 to 7.8, dissolved oxygen (DO) from 3.1 mg L−1 to 4.9 mg L−1, water depth from 10 cm to 75 cm and conductivity from 42.0 ms cm−1 to 176.6 ms cm−1. A bisexual population of Artemia franciscana is suggested. Observed cyst states included concave, biconcave, spherical and cracking cysts. This is the first to report on the occurrence of Artemia in Tanzania.

AN ASSESSMENT OF LAND COVER CHANGE DYNAMICS OF GAJA CYCLONE IN COASTAL TAMIL NADU, INDIA USING SENTINEL 1 SAR DATASET

Abstract. Land cover change is a dynamic phenomenon addressing environmental issues including natural calamities. Recent advancements in geospatial technology and availability of remote sensor data have fostered monitoring and mapping of land cover changes more precisely. Remote sensing is widely used where emerging research findings are focused mainly on coastal hazard studies. Tropical cyclones being an extreme weather event are more powerful and hazardous to southern parts of the Indian subcontinent. Aftermath of the cyclone is extreme causing land cover changes like defoliation, water logging, destruction of cultivable lands, plantations shrub vegetation, dissolving salt pans etc. The tropical cyclones are fierce to devastate the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu and make it a prey to these cyclones. In this paper, an attempt has been made to assess the pre and post cyclonic land cover change by utilizing potential microwave Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) dataset. The study portrays the occurrence of a severe cyclonic storm named Gaja that was formed over Bay of Bengal which hit Tamil Nadu on 15th of November 2018 causing high death toll and demolition. The study focuses on the pre and post damage assessment provoked by Gaja cyclone. For analysis, a methodical procedure was followed by utilizing the Sentinel 1 SAR dataset. Random Forest (RF) classifier approach was incorporated for mapping land cover types as it reduces the variance among the classes thus yielding accurate predictions. Results demonstrate that classified imagery using dual polarization SAR dataset outperforms well for RF classifier thus escalating the overall accuracy.

The first report of ants (Formicidae: Hymenoptera) in salt marshes and salt pans in central parts of Iran

The present study was conducted in Salt marshes and Salt pans in central parts of Iran. 121 specimens of ants were collected by trapping and hand during spring, summer and autumn 2017 to 2019. Nine species belong to two subfamilies of Myrmicinae and Formicinae were identified. The vegetation, physical and chemical parameters of soil such as salinity, Ph, and other factors were investigated. Darband Shoor Mountain station with five species had the highest diversity and vegetation density and the lowest salinity of soil (72.14 ds/m) whereas Salt Lake station had only one species, with no vegetation and the highest salinity of soil (153.15 ds/m). Cataglyphis lividus (André, 1881) was the dominant species in all the stations except in Darband Shoor Mountain station. All the species were reported for the first time from salt marshes and salt pans in the central parts of Iran and were approved by Prof. Brian Taylor, in Royal Entomological Society of London, England.

Winter highway maintenance strategies: Are all the sodium chloride salts the same?

Winter road maintenance is a critical function of public works and transportation agencies in states with harsh winter climate or in cold regions. The use of salts represents a cost-effective snowfighting technique, having beneficial impact on public safety, essential mobility and travel costs. Nowadays, sodium chloride (NaCl), in its three available variants (rock, solar and vacuum pan salt), is by far the most widely used chemical for snow and ice control due to its abundance and low cost. There is a worldwide large variation in the actual price of NaCl due to several factors, but often the purchase cost, at the same logistical constraints, is mostly influenced by the origin of the extracted salt and by the demand for better performance expectations. The authors decided to analyze the emblematic case of Italy, a region where supplies from salt pans or port landings are equally widespread sales channels compared to salts from underground mines. Thus, the paper evaluated some fundamental properties of different rock salts, solar sea salts and vacuum pan salt directly supplied by salt storage sites of different Italian highway agencies, which manage comparable road networks (extension and traffic volume) exposed to similar harsh winter climates, following standardized and non-conventional testing procedures related to deicing performances and to engineering characteristics (hygroscopicity, spreading behavior, caking tendency).

Geomorphological imprints of episodic surface runoff in deserts

Flash floods in desert, however they are rare, have significant geomorphic effects. The present paper reports the 4th November 2015 flash flood that occurred in the Western Desert of Egypt. Satellite images processing, field survey, close range photogrammetry and sediment analyses allow the quantification of flood geomorphologic impacts at different size scales. At Wadi An-Natrun depression, lake size doubled, hundreds of new ephemeral ponds appear. All ponds were dry by the next summer and lake margins were transformed into salt pans. At a local scale, four detailed case studies show how much geomorphic impacts of the same flash flood event vary in terms of gully morphology, sediment failure or stability, sediment size transport from clays to blocks and fan extension. This variability depends on local soil erodibility, including bedrock heterogeneity, soil cohesion and permeability, vegetation cover and inherited topography. Organic muds formed into ephemeral ponds and playa may provide a relevant sedimentary proxy for past flood events in the Western Desert of Egypt.

Characterization of extremely halophilic archaeal isolates from Indian salt pans and their screening for production of hydrolytic enzymes

Halophilic archaea are multi-stress resistant organisms and their enzymes are of special interest as they are generally stable and functional under extreme conditions of temperature and low water activity. The search for novel extremozymes is an ongoing one because of their superior functionality in extreme conditions encountered in various industries. In this study, extremely halophilic archaea were isolated from two salterns (Marakkanam and Vedaranyam) in Tamil Nadu and from three salterns (Sinquetim, Siridao and Ribandar) in Goa, India. All isolates were Gram negative and their pigmentation ranged from light pink to bright orange. Characterization of the ten halophilic archaeal isolates was carried out by morphological, biochemical and molecular techniques. They spanned 6 different genera; Haloferax, Halorubrum, Halococcus, Haloarcula, Halogeometricum, and Haloterrigena. These extremely halophilic archaeal strains were screened for production of hydrolytic enzymes like amylase, esterase, lipase, protease, pectinase and cellulase. Amylase production by Halogeometricum sp. is being reported for the first time. All isolates showed at least one enzyme activity. Halococcus sp., Haloarcula sp., and Haloferax sp. were capable of producing three extracellular enzymes each. Cellulolytic activity was not observed in any of the isolates. Since these enzymes are inherently salt tolerant, they are very promising from the industrial point of view.

Formation of Rhodochrosite by Haloferax alexandrinus GUSF-1

Bacterially mediated Mn(II) oxidation and reduction are reported from different econiches. With increase in manganese concentration in coastal regions due to anthropogenic activities, we envisage the interaction of halophilic microbes with the metal. As Haloarchaea, the extremely halophilic archaea, dominate the coastal intertidal crude salt production regions, we selected the Haloferax alexandrinus GUSF-1, an isolate from a salt pan of Goa, India to unveil the involvement of haloarchaea in Mn(II) conversions. Our study is a first report indicating the formation of rhodochrosite by the haloarchaeon Haloferax alexandrinus GUSF-1, during its growth with sodium acetate, wherein Mn(II) is accumulated intracellularly with the formation of extracellular dark brown MnO2 that turned pinkish brown as the culture attained its stationary phase. The XRD, TEM and SEM–EDX analysis exhibited, nanometer sized electron dense regions, with cubic shaped particles characteristic to that of the mineral rhodochrosite. This biogenic formation of nano sized rhodochrosite is cost effective in comparison to that formed by oxygenic eubacteria and anoxygenic hyperthermophilic archaea, Haloarchaeon Haloferax alexandrinus GUSF-1, therefore attracts commercial prospect.

Diet and Foraging Range of Slender-Billed Gulls Chroicocephalus genei Breeding in the Saloum Delta, Senegal

West African Slender-billed Gulls Chroicocephalus genei are considered vulnerable due to a very restricted breeding range. However, little information on their ecology is available to support conservation action. We describe diet and foraging range of Slender-billed Gulls breeding in the Saloum Delta National Park in Senegal. Diet was analysed on the basis of fish otoliths in excretion (mixture of pellets and faeces) collected near nests at the end of the incubation period between 2000 and 2015. Gulls mainly consumed fish of the families Cichlidae (25–93%), Clupeidae (0–54%) and Mugilidae (0–34%). The log-ratio proportion of Mugilidae increased significantly between 2000 and 2015, but there was no significant trend for other prey taxa. In 2014, UvA-BiTS GPS-trackers were fitted to three Slender-billed Gulls to study movement and foraging range. During daytime, these gulls spent 27% of their time incubating the eggs, 10% elsewhere in the colony and 63% outside the colony on foraging trips. Foraging trips lasted on average 18 ± 9.5 (±SD) hours. Total distance covered was on average 96 ± 39 km with a maximum distance to the colony of 37 ± 13 km. There were marked and consistent individual differences in the flight paths of the gulls. In two birds, foraging mainly took place in mangrove-bordered lagoons, salt pans, creeks, rivers and a complex of abandoned rice fields. The third bird almost exclusively explored the Atlantic coast near a fishing village in The Gambia. The home range and the foraging area of the three birds together measured 2400 and 1800 km2, respectively. The diet components found near the nests of the three birds could only partly be related to their foraging areas.

Seasonal variations in culturable archaea and their plant growth promoting attributes to predict their role in establishment of vegetation in Rann of Kutch

Archaea are unique microorganisms that are present in ecological niches of high temperature, pH and high salinity. Archaea may be present freely or associated with plant rhizosphere. The plant-microbe interactions may be implicit to plants adaptation to abiotic stress of hypersalinity. With an aim to look for population dynamics of archaea at different seasons of the year in hypersaline environments of Rann of Kutch, the rhizospheric, non-rhizospheric, water and sediment samples were collected during autumn, winter and summer. Sampling sites were selected on the basis of topography and vegetation which included barren land, salt pan and rhizosphere of monocot and dicot plants. Soil pH and salinity (mS cm−1) varied from 7.4–10.15 and 1.19–106.7 respectively. A total of 157 halophilic archaea were isolated using seven different selective media. The isolated archaeal were screened for abiotic stress and it has been found they show the wide range of in the tolerance to temperatures (25–65 °C), NaCl concentrations (0.86–5.48 M), water stresses (upto −0.75Mpa) and pH (4–10). The profiling of archaeal community using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed that all archaeal isolates belonged to a family halobacteriaceae of phylum euryarchaeota. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing the cultures were identified and belonged to twenty eight distinct species of 16 genera namely Haladaptatus, Haloarcula, Halobacterium, Halococcus, Haloferax, Halogeometricum, Halolamina, Halopenitus, Halorubrum, Halosarcina, Halostagnicola, Haloterrigena, Natrialba, Natrinema, Natronoarchaeum and Natronomonas. In the present study, seasonal and niche-specific archaea were reported and characterized from hypersaline environments. The haloarchaea with multifunctional plant growth promoting attributes, prevalent in the hypersaline environments must be colonizing the rhizosphere of plants and contributing to the growth and sustenance of plants.

Saltmarsh conservation through inventory, biogeographic analysis and predictions of change: Case of Tasmania, south‐eastern Australia

Abstract Effective conservation of saltmarshes involves detailed and accurate mapping of their range, area of occupancy and plant community composition as part of region‐wide inventories. There is also a need to identify the major mesoscale influences on the distributions of types of saltmarsh, obligate saltmarsh plants and salt pans, and evaluate possible responses to macroclimatic changes. Tidal saltmarshes of Tasmania and its offshore islands (coastline of 4,882 km, spanning latitudes 39°40′ to 43°40′S), off south‐eastern Australia, were mapped at a high spatial resolution of 1 : 500–1 : 3,000. The distributions of types of saltmarsh, obligate plant taxa and salt pans were related to climatic, geomorphic and land‐use variation. The future distribution of climatically controlled species and communities was determined for two climate change scenarios. There was 58.6 km2 of tidal saltmarsh in Tasmania in 61 mesoscale complexes. The complexes were classified into three broad saltmarsh groups, which together offer a more ecologically relevant planning unit for saltmarsh conservation than macroscale bioregions. The small median patch size of 0.2 ha demonstrates the effectiveness of the manual interpretation and mapping with extensive field checking. Mapping of these smaller saltmarshes provides them recognition within the land use planning and approvals process. Climatic, but not geomorphic and land‐use, factors have strong effects on the distribution of saltmarsh plant communities, species and salt pans in Tasmania. Mean annual rainfall was most significant in predicting saltmarsh extent, range, plant community composition, salt pans and the three saltmarsh groups. Mean annual daily minimum temperature and saltmarsh area best predicted obligate plant distributions. Projected wetter and drier climatic change by 2100 is not expected to substantially alter macroscale plant community patterns but may reduce the range of the rare herb Wilsonia humilis R.Br. However, stochastic disturbances may continue to play an important role at local scales.

Evaporitic carbonates in the pre-salt of Santos Basin – Genesis and tectonic implications

Abstract Since the first discoveries of oil accumulations in the carbonate reservoirs of the Lower Cretaceous Barra Velha Formation of the Santos Basin, their genesis has been the subject of intense discussion. Different depositional models have been proposed, with some authors advocating a microbial origin, while others an abiotic origin as travertines or travertine-like rocks. This search for a modern carbonate analogue for these unusual rocks may have disregarded an intriguing alternative: an evaporative model supported by our petrographical and geochemical data. Evaporitic sediment patterns in endorheic basins, in a depositional framework of brine drawdown, are dominated by ephemeral salt pan hydrology. Bedded salt crusts form a stack of subaqueous aligned crystal beds at the sediment-water interface; salt grows diagenetically within saline and mud layers beneath the dry pan surface; finally laminated sediments are deposited. We observe a similar cyclic pattern in the pre-salt core we described: beds of shrub-like crystals and diagenetic spherulites growing in magnesium clay matrix are followed by laminites. The model we propose attempts to contribute solving the puzzle of Pre-Salt carbonate deposition by integrating sedimentology and geochemistry with basin tectonics. Our observations and basin tectonics point to the exciting possibility that the sag phase carbonates of the Santos-Campos basin were deposited as the initial/transitional stage of a closed sub-sea-level evaporite basin whose rising salinities culminated in the deposition of halite and bittern salts (carnallite, sylvite, tachyhydrite). Basinwide evaporites are singular events in the geological record. They form when a giant sub-sea-level basin becomes a sump of continental, marine and hydrothermal fluids, producing unexpected brine compositions in unusual depositional settings present in ancient evaporitic basins but absent from most modern ones. The novelty in this paper is that we apply to pre-salt carbonate deposition the sedimentology, hydrology and geochemistry of ancient evaporitic basins. With this concept in mind, we propose a geochemical model for the unusual pre-salt carbonate precipitation of the Santos Basin. Regarding the Walvis-Rio Grande volcanic high as a topographic barrier during the Aptian, we suggest that the main sources of calcium to the Barra Velha paleolake were hydrothermal brines, mostly from infiltrating seawater that reacted at depth with the basalts of the volcanic barrier. Hyperextension of the lithosphere, with a shallow Moho, increased geothermal gradients to levels favorable for the generation of hydrothermal CaCl2 brines, a process facilitated by the already elevated Ca++ ion and low sulfate concentration of the Cretaceous ocean. These CaCl2-rich fluids would pass through the volcanic barrier into a sub-sea-level paleolake in the rift basin. The high salinity paleolake would become saturated in calcium bicarbonate/carbonate as internally drained NaHCO3-bearing alkaline waters, formed by physical/chemical weathering of penecontemporaneous basaltic rocks, mix with the CaCl2-bearing hot brines percolating through the barrier, producing a hybrid brine (2NaHCO3 + CaCl2 = Ca(HCO3)2 + 2NaCl). Such a depositional system, integrating the geochemical-depositional controls of sag phase carbonates with those of the South Atlantic evaporites, has important implications for unravelling the genesis of these exotic deposits.

Geometry and late Mesozoic-Cenozoic evolution of the Salar de Atacama Basin (22°30′-24°30′S) in the northern Central Andes: New constraints from geophysical, geochronological and field data

The late Mesozoic-Cenozoic evolution of the Central Andes of northern Chile consists of a series of events related to changing conditions along the plate margin, leading to different episodes of compression and extension. A long-lasting basin which records these changes corresponds to the Salar de Atacama Basin. Its tectonic history has been blurred by several interpretations of seismic reflection lines and multiple chronostratigraphic correlations between subsurface-surface units. As such, many aspects of its tectonic evolution are still unclear. In this study, we performed an E-W gravimetric profile across the Barros Arana Syncline and the basin. We analyzed interval velocities obtained from seismic reflection studies and reviewed the profiles closest to the gravity survey. Four U-Pb samples for detrital zircon analysis were obtained from Late Cretaceous-Paleogene units. Geophysical data show a segmentation of physical properties within the basin, with denser units and faster interval velocities around the late Mesozoic-early Cenozoic units, and lighter, slower units in the actual salt pan. The main contrast in physical properties is observed in the evaporitic and fine-grained continental deposits of the San Pedro Formation. Geophysical and geological constraints show that its thickness varies between 800 and 1200 m, and that it was deformed during later events. The U-Pb data show that the rocks within the Barros Arana Syncline reach well into the Paleogene, and that they were mainly deformed during the late Eocene Incaic Event, where an east-verging thrust system also involving Permo-Triassic units was developed, establishing the actual structural configuration. The late Oligocene-early Miocene units were then deposited in a post-orogenic setting, with minor compression. A stronger phase around the late Miocene reactivated previous structures and folded these deposits. This continuous, compressive history of the basin, which is mostly a result of the Incaic Event, is in agreement with the regional evolution of the Central Andes.

Embryological development of the high-altitude killifish Orestias ascotanensis Parenti 1984 (Teleostei: Cyprinodontidae)

Orestias ascotanensis Parenti is a critically-endangered fish species endemic to the Ascotan salt pan springs. Given the importance of reproduction and early development in effective conservation of fish populations, this study describes the embryonic development of O. ascotanensis under laboratory conditions. Between 2014 and 2015, 50 individuals were captured and maintained under controlled conditions, including temperature, photoperiod and feeding regimen, to induce spawning for artificial fertilization. Females were subjected to hormone therapy with Ovaprim®. Water temperature was maintained at 20 °C (± 1 °C), conductivity at 2800–3600 μS·cm−1 and photoperiod at 16:8 (light hours: dark hours). Males showed changes in color and courtship behavior, and females developed a slightly bulging belly. Eggs were 1.55–2.5 mm in diameter, with abundant yolk and dozens of adhesion filaments. Embryonic development lasted 14–18 days; it was divided into five periods, which can be sub-divided into 21 stages, from fertilization to hatching. O. ascotanensis showed indications of partial spawning species, including oocytes at different stages of development, relatively large eggs as compared to adult fish length and low batch spawning. Characteristics such as partial spawning, highly-pigmented eggs and larvae and advanced larval development at hatching could be adaptations to the extreme conditions of the salt pan springs, including high levels of ultraviolet radiation and salinity as well as significant daily temperature changes.

Salt pan brine water as a sustainable source of sulphated polysaccharides with immunostimulatory activity.

Marine environments are an enormous source of materials with biological interest, such as sulphated polysaccharides, which have relevant biological activities. In this study the potential of salt pan brine water as an easily accessible source of sulphated polysaccharides was evaluated. This water revealed to have a high quantity of polymeric material, five times more than sea water, mainly composed by highly sulphated polysaccharides. Structural analysis identified a diversity of polysaccharides, namely rhamnans, fucans, mannans, xylomannans, glucuronomannans, galactans, and glucans. All these structures seem to form complexes that are resistant to the salt pan conditions along salt production. These polysaccharides showed in vitro stimulatory activity for B cells, suggesting their potential application in nutraceutical and biomedical fields. Salt pan brine water is a valuable source of environmentally friendly and low-cost available bioactive compounds prone to be exploited.

Islet Creation Increases Nesting Opportunities of the Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) in a Managed Salt Pan Area

The effectiveness of islet creation and restoration on Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) nesting was assessed in 14 ponds (six managed islets of 140 m2 on average per managed pond) from a salt pan complex located on the coast of the Loire-Atlantique department in northwest France. A Before-After-Control-Impact design using the two years before and the two years following management was used. No nesting occurred in the control ponds that lacked suitable islets. In the managed ponds, the mean number of nests built per year in the two years following management was seven, whereas no nesting occurred in the two years before management (P = 0.002). On the basis of the number of nests built in the study site, the mean proportion of nests built each year in the managed ponds was 27%. The mean age of banded birds nesting for the first time in the managed ponds in the two years following management was 4 years, and 58% of these birds were born in the study site. These results support the hypothesis that such management actions can increase nesting opportunities in artificial habitats. These actions may provide important alternatives to birds when conditions change in previously suitable breeding grounds.

'That's the problem with that lake; it changes sides': mapping extraction and ecological exhaustion in the Atacama

<p>Multiple dynamics produce the ecological present. For the past 30 years or more, in the southern Atacama salt pan (Salar) in northern Chile, extractive industries have been accumulating minerals and water in exhaustive quantities, taking ever more than may be regenerated. However, the exhaustion of the Salar de Atacama involves a more complex set of symptoms than demonstrable environmental depletion. Fragmented scientific knowledge of the salt pan due to the privatization of water and under-regulation of mining provides a partial explanation for this complexity. In this article, we discuss these political conditions of environmental knowledge and, using a range of methodologies, we show that the scale of resource extraction threatens social and environmental harm and exhaustion may manifest in unexpected ways. We used remote sensing data to elaborate maps that reflect environmental change (1985-2017), relative to the intensification of extractive activity for copper and lithium salts in the area. Using these data, we undertook ethnographic and participatory mapping work to discuss with people from the Peine Indigenous community how they have experienced ecological change related to mineral and water extraction in the southern Salar. A review of the historical and archaeological material helps us to show the depth of Indigenous people's relationships to and knowledge of the salt pan and surrounds, and how social memory may be ecological. Combining the different results of our research, we argue that ecological exhaustion emerges from social, environmental and political conditions driven by both tangible and uncertain impacts of industrial extraction. Revealing these conditions of exhaustion raises key questions about the complexity of the effects of extraction.</p><p><strong>Keywords</strong>: Indigenous peoples; Salar de Atacama; participatory mapping; mining; water rights</p>

Probiotic Role of Salt Pan Bacteria in Enhancing the Growth of Whiteleg Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei.

Development of probiotics to improve the growth of cultured species is a key to sustainable aquaculture. The present study investigates the potential of salt pan bacteria as probiotics for Litopenaeus vannamei. Halotolerant bacteria (100)were screened for enzyme production and mucus adhesion in vitro. The bacteria (SK07, SK27, ABSK55, FSK444, TSK17, TSK71) exhibiting promising enzyme activity and adhesive property in vitro were selected to study their effect on the growth and metabolism of L. vannamei in vivo. When administered to shrimps individually as a water additive in experiment I, SK07, SK27 and TSK71 significantly (p < 0.05) increased shrimp weight as compared to the control. In experiment II, a lyophilized bacterial consortium (test) prepared with the four best isolates (SK07, SK27, ABSK55, TSK71), exhibited significantly higher weight gain of shrimps, better feed efficiency and final yield as compared to control. Total enzyme activity (amylase, protease, lipase) in the shrimp gut was significantly higher in the test than the control. The four isolates showed 99% nBLAST similarity with Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus licheniformis and Pseudomonas sp. Presence of these bacteria in the shrimp gut was confirmed by using specific PCR-based molecular probes and 16S rDNA sequencing. Safety evaluation by antibiotic susceptibility test and hemolytic activity test indicated that the bacteria are safe as bioinoculants. The increased enzyme activity by colonisation of the isolates in the shrimp gut, along with improved growth and feed utilisation efficiency, strongly confirms that these salt pan bacteria are prospective probiotics in shrimp aquaculture.

Production of &lt;i&gt;Artemia&lt;/i&gt; Biomass in Indoor Culture Tank in Bangladesh

Artemia known as brine shrimp that rich in essential amino acids. An excellent food for newly hatched fish and shrimp larvae gained a unique position in the aquaculture system and is given as live feed. The study was carried out to develop an easiest and cheapest technology for the production of Artemia biomass and cyst in the coastal area. Crude salt collected from the salt pan was used to biomass culture of Artemia species. Agricultural by-products (e.g. rice bran, oil-cake, and cod liver oil) were used as food. Adult Artemia sp. was harvested at the age of 15 days after the inoculation of cyst in a hatching tank. From hatching tank, newly hatched nauplii were transferred to larval rearing tank. 63.06 gm (wet weight) of Artemia sp. were collected from each tank and the weight of each Artemia was found 0.0036 g. At the end of the experiment, the survival rate was found 46.12% based on first observation. A sharp growth rate of Artemia sp. was observed on day 11 and it was continued to day 13. At day 14 and onwards the growth of Artemia sp. became almost uniform.

Nature’s Indifference

Contrary to what writers such as Hans Jonas and Val Plumwood suggest, much of nature is indifferent to human interests. Mountains, glaciers, sun-baked salt pans—such entities care neither about what interests us humans nor about what is objectively in our interests. It might be hard to see how the property of being indifferent, in this sense, could add value. But it can. For those of us who inhabit highly technological, user-friendly environments, entities such as mountains can have therapeutic value precisely because they so obviously do not care about what matters to us.

Hot spots of ecoacoustics in Greece and the issue of background noise

Biodiversity monitoring and assessment across a variety of gradients, could be achieved with the aid of the ecoacoustics discipline. Acoustic monitoring approaches can provide results regarding the species richness of birds, bats, frogs and insects including cicadas (Cicadoidea) and katydids (Tettigoniidae) with results similar to the ones provided by classical ecological methods (e.g. visual point count methods). The risk of extinction of several species has led to the creation of the Natura 2000 Network in the European Union’s territory. Greece provides a number of 202 Special Protection Areas (SPA’s) and 241 Sites of Community Importance (SCI), 239 of which are considered as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC). The specific areas provide both, an opportunity for ecoacoustics practice and an opportunity for ecoacoustic research. Even though the specific field of ecology has proven to be a valuable biodiversity assessment tool, areas that provide a variety of ecoacoustic events are yet to be documented. The goal of the specific article is to highlight these special conservation areas and propose a monitoring network using the non-invasive approach of ecoacoustics. For the specific research, the Greek protected areas were visualized in order to highlight sonotopes and soundtopes worthy of future research. Finally, in order to highlight the neglected issue of background noise regarding conservation efforts, the Kalloni’s salt pans were selected as a case study area. Noise measurements and sound recordings were conducted. Furthermore, noise and sound maps were created, in order to visualize the effects of noise.