Hydrobiological service for observations and control of surface waters in the USSR

Technological progress, having reached in our time an unprecedented speed, is still increasing the rate of mineral extraction, industrial construction, and the mastering of new kinds of energy is growing. Correspondingly the anthropogenic load on the biosphere is increased and that requires the comprehensive development of monitoring the anthropogenic changes in the natural environment. Among problems resulting from the scientific-technological development, a noticeable place is given to the problem of pure water. Surface land waters proved to be a sensitive link in the natural environment. The hydrobiological service for observations and control of the surface waters is one of the subsystems of the State/Federal Service for Observations and Control of pollution levels in environmental objects, conducted by the USSR State Committee for Hydrometeor- ology and Control of the Natural Environment. This paper summarises the the main principles of the organisation and goals of the national system of monitoring of the state of the natural environment in the USSR.

Petroleum hydrocarbons in fresh waters: a preliminary desk study and bibliography

A literature survey was carried out into the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons in freshwater, from the toxicity, biodegradability and concentration aspects. It was supplemented by a selective search on hydrocarbons in the marine environment for comparison. The aim was to determine the major inputs of these hydrocarbons, their accumulation, effects and fate in freshwaters. The search was confined to the period 1965-1978. The bibliography contains 390 references, divided by subject.

Use of macroinvertebrate communities to detect environmental stress in running waters

This paper presents an account of some current uses of RIVPACS (River Invertebrate Prediction and Classification System), a software package developed by the Institute of Freshwater Ecology (UK). Background information is also given on the unique data-set on which the system is based. Before discussing RIVPACS, we consider the range of environmental stresses encountered in flowing-water systems and some of the ways in which stresses may affect macroinvertebrate communities. The wide application and relevance of the RIVPACS approach was recognised when it was chosen as the biological method for use throughout the UK in the 1990 River Quality Survey (RQS). In the concluding section we list some lessons learnt both from the 1990 survey and from our own testing exercise, and we outline current developments which will lead to a new version of RIVPACS for use in the 1995 RQS.

From the individual to the community and beyond: water quality, stress indicators and key species in coastal waters

This review examines water quality and stress indicators at levels of organisation from the individual to the community and beyond by means of three case studies concentrating on rocky shores within the north-east Atlantic. Responses of dogwhelks (Nucella) to tributyltin pollution from antifouling paints is examined as the main case study. There are effects at the individual level (development of male sexual characteristics in the female leading to effective sterility) and population level (reduction in juveniles, few females and eventual population disappearance of dogwhelks in badly contaminated areas) but information on community level effects of dogwhelk demise is sparse. Such effects were simulated by dogwhelk removal experiments on well studied, moderately exposed ledges on shores on the Isle of Man. The removal of dogwhelks reduced the size and longevity of newly established Fucus clumps that had escaped grazing. Removal of dogwhelks also increased the likelihood of algal escapes. In a factorial experiment dogwhelks were shown to be less important than limpets \{Patella) in structuring communities but still had a significant modifying effect by increasing the probability of algal escapes. Community level responses to stress on rocky shores are then explored by reference to catastrophic impacts such as oil spills, using the Torrey Canyon as a case study. Recovery of the system in response to this major perturbation took between 10-15 years through a series of damped oscillations. The final case study is that of indicators of ecosystem level change in response to climate fluctuations, using ratios of northern \{Semibalanus balanoides) and southern (Chthamalus spp.) barnacles. Indices derived from counts on the shore show good correlations with inshore sea-water temperatures after a 2-year lag phase. The use of barnacles to measure offshore changes is reviewed. The discussion considers the use of bioindicators at various levels of organisation.

Biogeography of bacterioplankton in inland waters

Bacteria are among the most abundant groups of organisms. They mediate key ecological processes. Recent molecular advances have provided greater insight into bacterial diversity as well as allowing a more thorough examination of patterns in the spatial and temporal distribution of bacteria. Thus, the study of bacterial biodiversity and biogeographical distribution has stimulated considerable interest and dispute over the last decade. This review summarises the findings obtained from studies on the biogeography of bacterioplankton in inland waters. We examine factors and processes that may determine and maintain bacterial diversity and biogeography, and relate these to the theoretical metacommunity framework. We conclude that the importance of local environmental factors (such as lake character) for local bacterioplankton community compositions (BCC) is much more intensively studied than the importance of regional factors, such as dispersal. Further, few attempts have been made to evaluate simultaneously the relative importance of the two types of factors for BCC. Finally, we summarise gaps in knowledge, delineate challenges and put forward possible future research directions.

The diversity and ecological role of protozoa in fresh waters

Protozoa feed on and regulate the abundance of most types of aquatic microorganisms, and they are an integral part of all aquatic microbial food webs. Being so small, aerobic protozoa thrive at low oxygen tensions, where they feed (largely unaffected by metazoan grazing) on the abundance of other microorganisms. In anaerobic environments, they are the only phagotrophic organisms, and they live in unique symbiotic consortia with methanogens, sulphate reducers and non-sulphur purple bacteria. The number of extant species of protozoa may be quite modest (the global number of ciliate species is estimated at 3000), and most of them probably have cosmopolitan distributions. This will undoubtedly make it easier to carry out further tasks, e.g. understanding the role of protozoan species diversity in the natural environment.

Analysis of stream waters in the catchment of Lake Windermere (1975-1978), England [Dataset]

This dataset provides raw data of chemical analyses made during studies on seasonal variations of some major ions in the stream water of the catchment of Lake Windermere in Cumbria. Measurements of sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, chloride ions and pH were taken at 37 stations in the catchment between 1975 and 1978.

Activity patterns of Kemp's ridley turtles, Lepidochelys kempii, in the coastal waters of the Cedar Keys, Florida

Radio and sonic telemetry were used to investigate the tidal orientation, rate of movement (ROM), and surfacing behavior of nine Kemp's ridley turtles, Lepidochelys kempii, tracked east of the Cedar Keys, Florida. The mean of mean turtle bearings on incoming (48 ± 49 0) and falling (232 ± 41 0) tides was significantly oriented to the mean directions of tidal flow (37±9°, P<0.0025, and 234±9 0, P<0.005, respectively). Turtles had a mean ROM of 0.44±0.33 km/h (range: 0.004-1.758 km/h), a mean surface duration of 18± 15 s (range: 1-88 s), and a mean submergence duration of 8.4± 6.4 min (range: 0.2-60.0 min). ROM was negatively correlated with surface and submergence durations and positively correlated with the number of surfacings. Furthermore, ROMs were higher and surface and submergence durations were shorter during the day. Daily activities of turtles were attributed to food acquisition and bioenergetics.

Structure and residual stress in gamma-LiAlO2, layer fabricated by vapor transport equilibration on (0001)sapphire

gamma-LiAlO2 layers with a highly preferred (1 0 0) orientation were prepared by vapor transport equilibration (VTE) technique on (0 0 0 1) sapphire substrate. Microststructure of the gamma-LiAlO2 layers was studied by XRD and SEM. In the temperature range from 750 to 1100 degrees C, the residual stress in the gamma-LiAlO2 layers varied from tensile to compressive with the increase of VTE temperature, and the critical point of the change between tensile and compressive stress is around 975 degrees C. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental quality standards to protect identified uses of controlled waters: salmonid fisheries, cyprinid fisheries, migratory fisheries, commercial harvesting of marine fish for public consumption, commercial harvesting of shellfish for for public consumption

This report considers the development of environmental quality standards (EQSs) for the salmonid fishery, cyprinid fishery, migratory fishery, commercial harvesting of marine fish for public consumption and commercial harvesting of shellfish for public consumption uses of controlled surface waters. Previous reports have been used to identify those parameters necessary for the maintenance of these five uses. Each water use is considered in a separate section within which identified parameters are discussed and standards proposed, a summary of the proposed standards is presented at the beginning of the relevant section. For salmonid, cyprinid and migratory fisheries, EQSs for substances in water have been proposed for the protection of these fisheries. For the commercial harvesting of marine fish and shellfish for public consumption uses 'Warning Levels' of substances in waters have been proposed. These 'Warning Levels' have been proposed by considering data on bioaccumulation and food standards and aim to prevent acceptable intake values and concentrations in fish/shellfish flesh exceeding statutory or recommended levels. For the commercial harvesting of marine fish for public consumption it has been concluded that the current EQSs for most List II substances for the protection of salt water life should be adequately stringent to protect this use, however for the commercial harvesting of shellfish for public consumption, these List II EQSs do not appear adequate to protect this use and more stringent 'Warning Levels' have been proposed. For all five uses considered in this report there has been found to be limited information on a number of the parameters considered and in general for indigenous species, this has been found to be especially so when considering migratory fisheries and the commercial harvesting of marine fish and shellfish.

1981 fisheries statistics, Lake Kariba - Zimbabwe waters

The 1981 statistics of the open water fishery (sardine, Limnothrissa miodon , and tigerfish, Hydrocynus vittatus) and inshore fishery (cichlids, labeoa, mainly L. altivelis , distichoclids, mainly Distichodus schenga , tigerfish, H. vittatus , mormyrids, mainly Mormyrus longirostris and M. deliciosus , and catfish, Clarias gariepinus) in Lake Kariba are presented.

Influences of annealing on residual stress and structure of HfO2 films

HfO2 Elms are deposited on BK7 glass substrates by electron beam evaporation. The influences of annealing between 100 degrees C and 400 degrees C on residual stresses and structures of HfO2 films are studied. It is found that little differences of spectra, residual stresses and structures are obtained after annealing at lower temperatures. After annealing at higher temperatures, the spectra shift to short wavelength, the residual stress increases with the increasing annealing temperature. At the same time, the crystallite size increases and interplanar distance decreases. The variations of optical spectra and residual stress correspond to the evolutions of structures induced by annealing.

Influence of ytterbia content on residual stress and microstructure of Y2O3-ZrO2 thin films prepared by EB-PVD

Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) thin films with different Y2O3 molar contents (0, 3, 7, and 12 mol%) are deposited on BK7 substrates by electron-beam evaporation technique. The effects of different Y2O3 contents on residual stresses and structures of YSZ thin films are studied. Residual stresses are investigated by means of two different techniques: the curvature measurement and x- ray diffraction method. It is found that the evolution of residual stresses of YSZ thin films by the two different methods is consistent. Residual stresses of films transform from compressive stress into tensile stress and the tensile stress increases monotonically with the increase of Y2O3 content. At the same time, the structures of these films change from the mixture of amorphous and monoclinic phases into high temperature cubic phase. The variations of residual stress correspond to the evolution of structures induced by adding of Y2O3 content.

Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 thin films deposited by electron-beam evaporation: Optical properties, structure and residual stresses

This paper describes the preparation and the characterization Of Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 thin films produced by electric-beam evaporation method. The optical properties, microstructure, surface morphology and the residual stress of the deposited films were investigated by optical spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning probe microscope and optical interferometer. It is shown that the optical transmission spectra of all the YSZ thin films are similar with those of ZrO2 thin film, possessing high transparency in the visible and near-infrared regions. The refractive index of the samples decreases with increasing of Y2O3 content. The crystalline structure of pure ZrO2 films is a mixture of tetragonal phase and monoclinic phase, however, Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 thin films only exhibit the cubic phase independently of how much the added Y2O3 content is. The surface morphology spectrum indicates that all thin films present a crystalline columnar texture with columnar grains perpendicular to the substrate and with a predominantly open microporosity. The residual stress of films transforms tensile from compressive with the increasing Of Y2O3 molar content, which corresponds to the evolutions of the structure and packing densities. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.