Levels of Arsenic and Other Trace Elements in Southern Libyan Agricultural Irrigated Soil and Non-irrigated Soil Projects

The levels of As and various other trace elements found in the irrigated agricultural soil (Tsoil) of southern Libya were compared with non-irrigated soil (Csoil) from the same sampling campaign collected between April and May 2008. The soil samples represented agronomic practice in the southern Libyan regions of Maknwessa (MAK), Aril (ARL) and Taswaa (TAS), and were analyzed by Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for Co, Ni, Cu, Se, Mo, Zn, As, Pb, Cd and P. Concentrations of P and As in TAS and MAK were found to be higher in Tsoil compared to Csoil, while the opposite was true for ARL. In general, As concentrations in these areas were 2-3 times lower than the global average. In ARL, the average P concentrations of the Csoil samples were significantly higher than those of Tsoil samples: this site is composed mainly of pasture for animal production, where phosphate fertilizers are used regularly. Distance from the source of irrigation was found to be of an important influence on the heavy metal concentration of the soil, with greater concentrations found closer to the irrigation source. It can be concluded from the results that irrigation water contains elevated levels of As, which finds its way into the soil profile and can lead to accumulation of As in the soil over time.

Stock structure of Atlantic herring Clupea harengus in the Norwegian Sea and adjacent waters

The genetic structure of Atlantic herring Clupea harengus L. was investigated in its north-easterly distribution in the Norwegian Sea and adjacent waters, using 23 neutral and one non-neutral (Cpa111) microsatellite loci. Fish from the suspected 2 main populations - the Norwegian spring-spawning herring (NSSH) and the Icelandic summer-spawning herring (ISSH) - were collected at spawning locations in their respective spawning seasons from 2009 to 2012. Samples were also collected from Norwegian autumn spawning locations, from different local Norwegian fjords such as the inner part of Trondheimsfjorden, Lindås pollene, Landvikvannet and Lusterfjorden, as well as from suspected Faroese spawning components. The observed level of genetic differentiation was significant but low (F_ST = 0.007) and mostly attributable to the differentiation of the local Norwegian fjord populations. The locus Cpa111, which was detected to putatively be under positive selection, exhibited the highest FST value (0.044). The observed genetic patterns were robust to exclusion of this locus. Landvikvannet herring was also genetically distinguishable from the 3 other fjord populations. In addition, the present study does not support genetic structuring among the ISSH and the NSSH.