Southern Coast Of Spain Research Articles

Cestode parasitism in invasive and native brine shrimps (Artemia spp.) as a possible factor promoting the rapid invasion of A. franciscana in the Mediterranean region

Artemia franciscana is an invasive crustacean expanding its range in hypersaline wetlands in the Mediterranean region and replacing native Artemia parthenogenetica and Artemia salina. Native brine shrimps are known as intermediate hosts of cestodes; infected individuals exhibit changes in their behaviour and appearance, thus facilitating the parasite transmission to the avian hosts by predation. To assess whether invasive brine shrimps participate in the cestode life cycles to the same extent as the native species, we examined the natural infections in seven populations of Artemia spp. along the southern coast of Spain and Portugal: three populations of each A. franciscana and A. parthenogenetica and one population of A. salina. Ten cestode species were found in A. parthenogenetica, while only six were recorded in each of A. salina and A. franciscana. The overall infection was consistently higher in native than in invasive populations. For a particular cestode species, the prevalence or abundance was significantly higher in a native population for 54 pairwise comparisons and only higher for an invasive population for 4 pairwise comparisons. These results suggest that cestodes may influence competitive interactions between native and invasive brine shrimps, thus partly explaining the invasive success of A. franciscana.

A review of the Tripterygion tripteronotus (Risso, 1810) complex, with a description of a new species from the Mediterranean Sea (Teleostei: Tripterygiidae)

We compared specimens of Tripterygion tripteronotus from 52 localities of the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent waters, using four gene sequences (12S rRNA, tRNA-valine, 16S rRNA and COI) and morphological characters. Two well-differentiated clades with a mean genetic divergence of 6.89±0.73% were found with molecular data, indicating the existence of two different species. These two species have disjunctive geographic distribution areas without any molecular hybrid populations. Subtle but diagnostic morphological differences were also present between the two species. T. tripteronotus is restricted to the northern Mediterranean basin, from the NE coast of Spain to Greece and Turkey, including the islands of Malta and Cyprus. T. tartessicum n. sp. is geographically distributed along the southern coast of Spain, from Cape of La Nao to the Gulf of Cadiz, the Balearic Islands and northern Africa, from Morocco to Tunisia. According to molecular data, these two species could have diverged during the Pliocene glaciations 2.7-3.6 Mya.

Surface velocity field of the Ibero-Maghrebian segment of the Eurasia-Nubia plate boundary

SUMMARY We process continuous GPS data distributed over the Iberian Peninsula, complemented by a few stations in France and North Africa, to constrain the displacement field in the surrounding area. A surface velocity field is derived from the time-series of daily solutions for each station, whose observations span 3.5 yr or longer. We find that most of Iberia forms a stable block fixed relative to Eurasia in which residuals have a weighted rms value of 0.85 mm yr−1 and are all below the computed accuracy for each station. Stations in northern Morocco exhibit a motion close to what would be expected for stable Nubia, in which residuals have a weighted rms value of 0.70 mm yr−1 and are also all below computed accuracies. The most distinctive behaviour is found at stations along the southern coast of Spain and the northern coast of Morocco, where larger and more westward velocities are found. Three stations in southern Iberia show differences with respect to stable Eurasia that can reach 4.4 mm yr−1 and are distinctly larger than computed accuracies. We hypothesize that this peculiar behaviour is not only a consequence of the Nubian–Eurasian plate convergence, but also a result of a local lithospheric process, particularly the effect of the Gibraltar slab, as previously suggested by seismic tomography and geological modelling.

Physiological acclimation to gradients of solar irradiance within mats of the filamentous green macroalga Chaetomorpha linum from southern Spain

Chaetomorpha linum (Muller) Kutzing is a dominant mat-forming green macroalgal species within eutrophic systems. Its structure, comprising thick mats of interwoven filaments, requires acclimation to either high or low irradiance along a steep gradient of light arising from self- shading. Occurring in high-light environments, such as that along the southern coast of Spain, C. linum mats represent an excellent model system for studying spatial differences in photoacclimation and also the interactive effects of photosynthetically active and ultraviolet radiation on photoinhibi- tion. This study was conducted in eutrophic brine-pond systems along the Bay of Cadiz (southern Spain). For periods of up to 1 wk, C. linum mats were exposed to natural solar radiation under differ- ent cut-off filters to study the effects of different wavelength ranges on photosynthetic activity, pigment and protein composition, and the occurrence of oxidative stress and changes in enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). The results revealed a particularly high tolerance of C. linum photosynthesis to high light and UV exposure. Addition of the UV-B range (280 to 315 nm) to photo- synthetically active radiation, resulted in inhibition of non-photochemical quenching, a delay in recovery from photoinhibition, and an increase in both lipid peroxidation and SOD activity. In con- trast, pigment and protein data revealed acclimation to the high irradiances of photosynthetically active radiation, but no additional effect of UV radiation. The data suggest that even in a high- radiation environment such as southern Spain, UV-B radiation plays a minor role in photoacclimation of C. linum, but is effective in increasing both the generation and scavenging of oxidative stress. The UV-induced increase in SOD activity represents an important physiological acclimation mechanism of C. linum, enabling it to thrive under high UV radiation and high-light conditions.

Release rates for control of Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) biotype “Q” with Eretmocerus mundus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) in greenhouse tomato and pepper

Abstract Tomato and sweet pepper are the principal crops grown in protected culture on the southern coast of Spain. Augmentative biological control based on the parasitoid Eretmocerus mundus Mercet promises to be a useful component to manage Bemisia tabaci , the key pest of these and other horticultural crops. The present studies were undertaken with the objective of evaluating control obtained with different release rates under simulated commercial conditions. Experiments were conducted in an air-conditioned plastic greenhouse located on the southern Spanish coast during the two main horticultural cropping seasons of the region (fall-winter and spring). Host plant (tomato and sweet pepper) constituted the main plots and release rate of E. mundus (0, 1.5 and 6 m −2 ) the subplots in split plot design with four replicates. No other management practices were used against whitefly. Whitefly populations in fall reached over 80 nymphs/100 cm 2 leaf surface in pepper and twice this in tomato. Nevertheless, control using the high release rate in fall exceeded 90% in both crops, with no differences between rates in pepper, although the high rate was significantly better in tomato. Whitefly populations on pepper in spring reached densities five times greater than in fall, and yet control equalled or exceeded 95% with the high rate. Adult whiteflies on tomato were reduced by 92% in response to the high rate in spring, but nymphs were only reduced 69%. These experiments suggested that, although higher rates may be required in tomato to achieve the same level of control as in pepper, good suppression of B. tabaci could be achieved in both crops under most conditions using E. mundus without recourse to insecticides.

Augmentative biological control of Bemisia tabaci biotype “Q” in Spanish greenhouse pepper production using Eretmocerus spp.

Eretmocerus mundus Mercet is indigenous to the Mediterranean basin and the most abundant parasitoid attacking Bemisia tabaci Gennadius on the southern coast of Spain. However, E. mundus was not available commercially until 2002 and the North American Eretmocerus eremicus Rose and Zolnerowich had been used instead to control whiteflies in greenhouse vegetables, including sweet pepper in Campo de Cartagena (Murcia). The ability of these two Eretmocerus species to control B. tabaci on pepper by augmentation was compared with weekly releases of E. mundus and E. eremicus, alone, and in 1:1 combination (three treatments) initiated early in the winter crop cycle in 12 commercial greenhouses. E. mundus rapidly displaced E. eremicus in greenhouses where both were released, and eventually, even where only E. eremicus was released, indicating that a significant portion of the E. mundus population entered the greenhouses from outside. Nevertheless, parasitism rates were greater in greenhouses where E. mundus was released, especially early in the trial. Whitefly populations were lower compared to where E. eremicus was released alone, presumably in response to parasitism. Thus, higher incidence of parasitism and superior control of B. tabaci with E. mundus confirmed the value of early season augmentation with this parasitoid as opposed to E. eremicus under conditions of this test.

The Architecture of the Lost Temple of Hercules Gaditanus and Its Levantine Associations

The Temple of Hercules-Gaditanus or Melkart-Herakles, built perhaps in the eighth century B.C.E. outside the confines of the Phoenician city of Gadir on the southern coast of Spain, was, even during the Roman-period, one of the most important sanctuaries in the western provinces. The temple was the treasure of Gadir, the most important Phoenician city on the Iberian peninsula and one of the most significant sites in the far western Mediterranean. As such, it must have served as the model for other Phoenician temples and for native architectural experiments during the centuries after its establishment. Its significance is affirmed in the writings of several Roman-period authors whose works span from the first century B.C. to the fifth century A.D. Nothing of the sanctuary survives, and even its location is debated. Only the Roman authors provide some glimpse of the architectural form of the temple itself. Since it began as a Phoenician sanctuary dedicated to Melkart and never lost its Semitic associations, it is a major monument for understanding the nature of Levantine architectural forms and influences in the far western Mediterranean. Though twentieth-century scholars have referred to the temple, only Antonio García y Bellido attempted a thorough investigation by considering the sources and their possible associations with the archaeological findings from the Levantine region. His work was limited by the archaeological material available to him in 1963, and he concluded that the temple must have closely resembled that which Solomon built in Jerusalem, another structure known only from later literary sources. Forty years of archaeological investigations in the Levant have increased our knowledge of the possible sources on which the Temple of Melkart could have been based. It is also clear that the temple of Solomon could not have been one of them. The sanctuary must have begun as a small shrine, probably similar to the Phoenician shrine discovered at Kommos on southern Crete. As the city of Gadir developed, the sanctuary may well have been embellished and could have begun to assume an aspect more like that of the Phoenician Temple of Astarte at Kition. Later Arabic sources, which describe the ruined temple, refer to a tower in association with it. In its final form the temple may well have come to have a raised central unit, part of a tripartite holy of holies. It was in these various manifestations that the temple provided models for builders of temples and sanctuaries elsewhere in the far western Mediterranean world.

Seasonal variations of RNA/DNA ratios and growth rates of the Alboran Sea sardine larvae (Sardina pilchardus)

RNA/DNA ratios and larval growth of winter and spring-spawned sardine larvae ( Sardina pilchardus ), from the southern coast of Spain were studied in 1997 and 1998. Seasonal variations of larval growth and RNA/DNA ratios were analysed in relation to environmental variables. Oceanographic features in the area of study are strongly influenced by the flow of nutrient-poor Atlantic water, which enters the Alboran Sea through the Gibraltar Strait. In 1997, the influence of Atlantic water was stronger in spring than in winter, leading to lower salinity in spring 1997. The predominance of Atlantic waters could cause lower chlorophyll-a concentration in spring 1997 than expected for this season. In addition, lower microzooplankton biomass was observed in spring 1997 than in winter 1997. In concordance with microzooplankton biomass, the RNA/DNA ratio of sardine larvae was higher in winter 1997 than in spring 1997. No seasonal differences in somatic or otolith growth rates were observed in 1997, which could be due to a time lag in the response of larval growth to changing environmental conditions. Unlike the previous year, during 1998, no seasonal changes were observed in the amount of incoming Atlantic waters, as evidenced by salinity values. In 1998, temperature and microzooplankton biomass were higher in spring than in winter, causing higher somatic and otolith growth rates in spring 1998. The higher temperatures observed in spring 1998 compared to winter 1998 could be responsible of a decline in the RNA/DNA ratio of spring-spawned sardine larvae in comparison to winter-spawned larvae. Larval growth and RNA/DNA ratios may show a different response to changes in the environment, particularly temperature. It its known that temperature has a positive effect on growth rates but it has a negative effect on the RNA/DNA ratio, then it is recommended to bear in mind these effects, particularly when joint analysis of larval growth and RNA/DNA ratios are carried out.

Seasonal variations of RNA/DNA ratios and growth rates of the Alboran Sea sardine larvae (Sardina pilchardus)

RNA/DNA ratios and larval growth of winter and spring-spawned sardine larvae (Sardina pilchardus), from the southern coast of Spain were studied in 1997 and 1998. Seasonal variations of larval growth and RNA/DNA ratios were analysed in relation to environmental variables. Oceanographic features in the area of study are strongly influenced by the flow of nutrient-poor Atlantic water, which enters the Alboran Sea through the Gibraltar Strait. In 1997, the influence of Atlantic water was stronger in spring than in winter, leading to lower salinity in spring 1997. The predominance of Atlantic waters could cause lower chlorophyll-a concentration in spring 1997 than expected for this season. In addition, lower microzooplankton biomass was observed in spring 1997 than in winter 1997. In concordance with microzooplankton biomass, the RNA/DNA ratio of sardine larvae was higher in winter 1997 than in spring 1997. No seasonal differences in somatic or otolith growth rates were observed in 1997, which could be due to a time lag in the response of larval growth to changing environmental conditions. Unlike the previous year, during 1998, no seasonal changes were observed in the amount of incoming Atlantic waters, as evidenced by salinity values. In 1998, temperature and microzooplankton biomass were higher in spring than in winter, causing higher somatic and otolith growth rates in spring 1998. The higher temperatures observed in spring 1998 compared to winter 1998 could be responsible of a decline in the RNA/DNA ratio of spring-spawned sardine larvae in comparison to winter-spawned larvae. Larval growth and RNA/DNA ratios may show a different response to changes in the environment, particularly temperature. It its known that temperature has a positive effect on growth rates but it has a negative effect on the RNA/DNA ratio, then it is recommended to bear in mind these effects, particularly when joint analysis of larval growth and RNA/DNA ratios are carried out.

Application of the MELPUFF model to air quality assessment in the industrial area of Huelva (Spain)

The mesoscale Lagrangian puff dispersion model (MELPUFF) has been used in air quality assessment in the area of Huelva. The Huelva area is highly industrialised and it is located on the Atlantic coast of southern Spain. The MELPUFF model was applied to obtain monthly-averaged distributions of SO2 and number of probable exceedances per month of the EU air quality standards. The study period corresponds to one year from March 1999 to February 2000. Results of monthly averaged concentrations of pollutants computed by the model were compared with the measured data at the air quality network stations.

Origins, Management, and Measurement of Stress on the Coast of Southern Spain

For political reasons Spain?s Costa del Sol had until recently presented a classic example of reactive coastal management. The 1988 Coasts Act introduced a more proactive approach, but its management still lacks a scientific classification of the coastline upon which to base coastal policy. Such an overgeneralized delineation of the coastal domain generally ignores the variations in physical and socioeconomic variables and is likely to lead to oversimplified management practices. Against the background of the policies adopted over the past 50 years, this article presents an index that delineates different degrees of sensitivity of the coastline of the Costa del Sol. A geographical information system (GIS) approach is adopted in the construction of the index that recognizes that coastal vulnerability is equally a function of physical processes and human activities. Four physical (lithology, landforms, river discharge, marine processes) and two anthropomorphic (population growth, urbanization) components are incorporated, and the results are applied to produce a broadly based measure for policy making in southern Spain that also has applicability in other coastal situations.

Pulse amplitude modulated fluorescence in the green macrophytes, Codium adherens, Enteromorpha muscoides, Ulva gigantea and Ulva rigida, from the Atlantic coast of Southern Spain

The effect of ambient and enhanced solar radiation on the photosynthetic apparatus in four marine green macroalgae on the Southern coast of Spain (Strait of Gibraltar) was investigated using pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) fluorescence. The dependence of the fluorescence parameters on the irradiance of the actinic light was determined for all four species. It showed that maximal fluorescence after light adaptation ( F m′), photochemical quenching ( q P) and the photosynthetic quantum yield decreased in Enteromorpha muscoides with irradiance while non-photochemical quenching ( q N) rose continuously. In Ulva rigida the photosynthetic quantum yield dropped at irradiances above 4 W m −2 but q P did not decrease with increasing light. q N quenching rose sharply above 37 W m −2, and maximal fluorescence dropped above 1 W m −2. In Ulva gigantea the yield dropped to zero at irradiances of 37 W m −2, as did q P at 53 W m −2. q N started from an intermediate level and increased to a maximum at the highest irradiances. In Codium adherens, the yield and q P behaved similarly as in U. rigida, while q N rose at much lower irradiances. All investigated algae suffered from photoinhibition even at their natural sites of growth when the sun is at high angles. The hypothesis that algae with flat thalli suffer more than those with massive ones was confirmed. Photoinhibition was less pronounced in U. rigida and C. adherens than in the other two species. After 1 h of exposure to solar radiation at the surface, the photosynthetic quantum yield decreased substantially in the surface algae E. muscoides and U. rigida. In both macroalgae, recovery of the photosynthetic quantum yield was almost complete after 2–3 h in the shade. Two other green algae from shaded habitats ( U. gigantea and C. adherens) did not show complete recovery of the yield from photoinhibition. This confirms the second hypothesis that sun-adapted algae recover faster from photoinhibition than those adapted to shaded sites.

The Matador, 1970

His glands are tattooed with coconut leaves, but don't tell him that. He dips his garlic braids in wax each morning. He wants to preserve or burn them, votive talismans to ward off superstition. He can tell six different lies at once without ever contradicting himself. His lies all contradict each other; he uses them to make up true stories about his life as a boy in Malaga. There, on the southern coast of Spain, among volcanoes, he grew up idolizing the great bullfighters Hernandez, Vallejo, de la Cruz. He would surpass their splendor. Don't look at his sombrero. He uses it to mesmerize victims. His victims, before he kills them, are mesmerized by looking at his sombrero. He has eyes on every side of his head. Don't look into them.

Effects of geology and human activity on the dynamics of salt-water intrusion in three coastal aquifers in southern Spain

Mathematical modelling of salt-water intrusion processes in three aquifers on the southern coast of Spain (Rio Verde, Rio Velez and Castell de Ferro) reveals that, although all three systems are subject to the same climate and seasonal over-exploitation, geological and human factors have very different effects on the dynamics of contamination. In the Rio Verde aquifer, the most important influence is the high volume of extractions occurring during the dry season; in Rio Velez, the intrusion is strongly controlled by infiltration of water from the river to the aquifer, and, in the Castell de Ferro system, an intensely karstified carbonate massif lying in contact with both the sea water and the detrital aquifer represents the main entrance point for influx of sea water and subsequent washing of the aquifer. We have undertaken a mathematical simulation of various possible measures to counteract intrusion, according to the specific characteristics of the process in each aquifer. These measures include artificial recharge, use of natural recharge from the river as a hydraulic barrier, and the construction of a low-permeability barrier.

Alkaline phosphatase activity in marine macrophytes: histochemical localization in some widespread species in southern Spain

Alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) was determined in 44 species of marine macrophytes collected throughout 1991 and 1992 along the southern coast of Spain. Activity varied between 0.83 μmol paranitrophenol (pNP) released g-1 dry wt h-1 in Ulva rigida var. gigantea and 238.8 μmol pNP g-1 dry wt h-1 in Bangia fuscopurpurea. Using a histochemical method, APA sites were located in five of these species: Corallina elongata Ellis et Soland, Gelidium latifolium (Grev.) Thur. et Born., G. sesquipedale (Clem.) Born. et Thur., Porphyra umbilicalis (L.) Kutzing and Zostera noltii Hornem. Enzymatic activity was found in the outer part of the thallus, either on the cell wall or in the cortical cells. In the marine phanerogam Z. noltii activity was also located in the vascular bundle. The results suggest that APA is present in many, if not all, marine macrophytes from southern Spain, and plays a relevant role in the utilization of dissolved organic phosphorus compounds.

Mercury and methylmercury in population risk groups on the Atlantic coast of Southern Spain

The presence of methylmercury and total mercury in the hair of high risk groups residing in the highly industralized South Atlantic coastal area of Spain were studied. In fishermen, total mercury and methylmercury content showed slight non-statistically significant differences among groups from two different coastal areas (geometric means: 10.41 and 8.36 μg/g for total mercury; 8.28 and 6.72 μg/g methylmercury). Mercury content in both groups differed significantly from controls (geometric mean 2.5 μg/g total mercury, 4.50 μg/g for methylmercury; p<0.05). In pregnant women, statistically significant differences were found in the three groups (two coastal areas and controls). Geometric means were 2.40, 5.94, and 0.94 μg/g for total mercury and 1.93, 4.78, and 0.82 μg/g for methylmercury. Results were compared with those obtained in other European countries in the Mediterranean area. Simultaneously, the same compounds were analyzed in fish and molluscs from those most consumed by people in the above-mentioned groups. The following results were obtained: sword fish, 1.57±1.27 μg/g and 1.20±0.94 μg/g for total mercury and methylmercury respectively; Scrobicularia plana, 0.07±0.052 and 0.053±0.039 μg/g; Tapes decussatus, 0.046±0.20 and 0.039±0.018 μg/g.

The situation of penduline tit (Remiz pendulins) in southern Europe: A new stage of its expansion

The present status ofRemiz pendulinus in the Iberian Peninsula is updated after a new expansive stage, so that we can distinguish four expansive waves. The recent spreading resulted in an extension by ca. 200 km of the breeding area following the river Tajo and by ca. 300 km following the Guadiana. Likewise,Remiz pendulinus has colonized the only remaining great river in the Iberian Peninsula, the Guadalquivir, at least along 170 km. This range extention is considerable and compares with a similar development in Central Europe. A factor possibly supporting the expansion may have been the artificial creation of wetlands (reservoirs), improving existing and creating new habitats suitable for the species. At present,Remiz pendulinus breeds discontinuously from the southern coast of Finland to the southern coast of Spain.

Recent observations of the Alboran Sea frontal system

Past studies in the Alboran Sea have shown the existence of a strong oceanic front during summer, yet few observations have been made in other seasons. This note presents two sets of XBT data obtained in the Alboran Sea in fall and winter, 1976–1977. These data indicate that the Alboran Sea Front persists throughout the year. It meanders from Gibraltar eastward through the basin, sometimes establishing a series of alternating anticyclonic and cyclonic gyres. The front is confined to the upper 200 m and has a typical width of 35 km. A horizontal temperature difference of 2–4°C is maintained across the front at a depth of 100 m. The Alboran Sea Front forms the northern half of an anticyclonic gyre in the western basin. This gyre has a diameter of 75–100 km and appears to be a normal feature of the circulation pattern. When cold surface water along the southern coast of Spain is entrained into the gyre, the main features of the Alboran Sea circulation are enhanced and can be seen clearly on satellite infrared imagery.