Estudo de Mytella falcata (Mollusca, Bivalvia) como indicadora de efeitos genotóxicos e citotóxicos no estuário de Santos, SP

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The Role of Mucus in Mytella falcata (Orbigny 1842) Gills from Polluted Environments

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The significance of changes in Mytella falcata (Orbigny, 1842) gill filaments chronically exposed to polluted environments

The impact of pollutants in an organism can be observed by changes in functional complexity at different levels. Bivalve gills are suitable for histopathological analysis because of their structure and function. This study aimed at examining the morphology of Mytella falcata gill filaments from three sites in the Santos estuary (São Paulo, Brazil) with different levels of environmental degradation to identify possible changes in gill structure and discuss the significance of these alterations. For this purpose, histological, histochemical and ultrastructural techniques were used. The filaments of animals from site A (less impacted site) were intact, while in sites B and C, pathological changes were observed, such as: detachment of the epithelium in the intermediate zone, morphological changes of this epithelium, inflammatory process, increase in the number of mucous cells and cell turnover processes. These results suggest that the related changes are an attempt to prevent the entrance of pollutants through gill filaments into the entire organism and that cell turnover is the final way to compensate cell injury. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Tributyltin in Crustacean Tissues: Analytical Performance and Validation of Method

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Ecotoxicological assessment of sediments from the Santos and São Vicente estuarine system- Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Evaluation of solid residues removed from a mangrove swamp in the Sao Vicente Estuary, SP, Brazil

Mangrove swamps are found in estuaries along the coastal plains of tropical regions and have be subjected to heavy occupation and use pressure due to their privileged locations and abundance of biological resources. The present work evaluated the ecological characteristics and solid wastes accumulated in eight areas along the Santos - Sao Vicente Estuary Complex. The superficially deposited residues at each sampling site were collected and subsequently washed, drained, counted, weighed and separated into classes according to their composition and predominant use. The predominant litter type in terms of density was plastic (62.81%) and, by weight, wood (55.53%). The greatest deposition of residues was associated with areas that were less inclined and that had low plant density levels, indicating that the presence of obstacles was not critical for retaining floating residues in mangrove areas. The presence of the most frequently encountered types of solid waste residues could be explained by local activities. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Social organization of marine Tucuxi dolphins, Sotalia guianensis, in the Cananeia Estuary of southeastern Brazil

Social organization is an important component of the population biology of a species that influences gene flow, the spatial pattern and scale of movements, and the effects of predation or exploitation by humans. An important element of social structure in mammals is group fidelity, which can be quantified through association indices. To describe the social organization of marine tucuxi dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) found in the Cananeia estuary, southeastern Brazil, association indices were applied to photo-identification data to characterize the temporal stability of relationships among members of this population. Eighty-seven days of fieldwork were conducted from May 2000 to July 2003, resulting in direct observations of 374 distinct groups. A total of 138 dolphins were identified on 1-38 distinct field days. Lone dolphins were rarely seen, whereas groups were composed of up to 60 individuals (mean +/- 1 SD = 12.4 +/- 11.4 individuals per group). A total of 29,327 photographs were analyzed, of which 6,312 (21.5%) were considered useful for identifying individuals. Half-weight and simple ratio indices were used to investigate associations among S. guianensis as revealed by the entire data set, data from the core study site, and data from groups composed of <= 10 individuals. Monte Carlo methods indicated that only 3 (9.3%) of 32 association matrices differed significantly from expectations based on random association. Thus, our study suggests that stable associations are not characteristic of S. guianensis in the Cananeia estuary.

Skin diseases in Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) from the Paranagua estuary, Brazil: A possible indicator of a compromised marine environment

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Feeding associations between Guiana dolphins, Sotalia guianensis (Van Bénèden, 1864) and seabirds in the Lagamar estuary, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) displaying beach hunting behavior in the Cananéia Estuary, Brazil: social context and conservation issues

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Geoquímica e índice de geoacumulação de mercúrio em sedimentos de superfície do estuário de Santos - Cubatão (SP)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Comparative sediment quality assessment in different littoral ecosystems from Spain (Gulf of Cadiz) and Brazil (Santos and Sao Vicente estuarine system)

The goal of this work was to establish comparisons among environmental degradation in different areas from Southern Spain (Gulf of Cadiz) and Brazil (Santos and Sao Vicente estuary), by using principal component analyses (PCA) to integrate sediment toxicity (amphipods mortality) and chemical-physical data (Zn, Cd, Pb; Cu, Ni, Co, V, PCBs, PAHs concentrations, OC and fines contents). The results of PCA extraction of Spanish data showed that Bay of Cadiz, CA-1 did not present contamination or degradation; CA-2 exhibited contamination by PCBs, however it was not related to the amphipods mortality. Ria of Huelva was the most impacted site, showing contamination caused principally by hydrocarbons, in HV-1 and HV-2, but heavy metals were also important contaminants at HV-1, HV-2 and HV-3. Algeciras Bay was considered as not degraded in GR-3 and -4, but in GR-3' high contamination by PAHs was found. In the Brazilian area, the most degraded sediments were found in the stations situated at the inner parts of the estuary (SSV-2, SSV-3, and SSV-4), followed by SSV-6, which is close to the Submarine Sewage Outfall of Santos - SSOS. Sediments from SSV-1 and SSV-5 did not present chemical contamination, organic contamination or significant amphipod mortality. The results, of this investigation showed that both countries present environmental degradation related to PAHs: in Spain, at Ria of Huelva and Gudarranque river's estuary areas; and in Brasil, in the internal portion of the Santos and Sao Vicente estuary. The same situation is found for heavy metals, since all of the identified metals are related to toxicity in the studied areas, with few exceptions (V for both Brazil and Spain, and Cd and Co for Brazilian areas). The contamination by PCBs is more serious for Santos and Sao Vicente estuary than for the investigated areas in Gulf of Cadiz, where such compound did not relate to the toxicity. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mapeamento de sensibilidade ambiental a derramentos de petróleo do sistema estuarino de Santos, estado de São Paulo

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Home ranges of Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) (Cetacea: Delphinidae) in the Cananeia estuary, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)