Water quality strategy for the Lockwoods Folly River: A partnership for an ailing river

As with a majority of the remaining undeveloped coastal areas in North Carolina, Brunswick County is not a hidden treasure any more. Since 1980 the county’s population has more than tripled to over 95,000 and another 30,000 or so residents are expected to make this last bastion of undeveloped southeastern NC their home by 2020, even with the current economic downturn. As the 29th fastest growing county in the nation this population explosion is resulting in rapid landscape scale land use changes within the watershed of the Lockwoods Folly River. Subdivisions, shopping centers, new highways and bridges, golf courses, and marinas are becoming significant land use activities. The surging development within this 150-square mile 88 thousand-acre watershed has had a severe effect on the health of the river. The portion of the river closed to shell fishing has more that tripled from 18 percent in 1980 to more than 55 percent today and 60% of the beds are considered impaired. For generations, locals have enjoyed the bounty of the Lockwoods Folly River and estuarine system famed for its rich and abundant shell fish beds and excellent coastal inshore fishing. This river system stretches from the Lockwoods Folly Inlet at the Atlantic Ocean inland where it makes the transformation from saltwater marshes to a winding blackwater river that snakes into hundreds of smaller tributaries and blackwater swamps. (PDF contains 4 pages)

San Francisco Bay regional sediment management strategy development

The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), in continued partnership with the San Francisco Bay Long Term Management Strategies (LTMS) Agencies, is undertaking the development of a Regional Sediment Management Plan for the San Francisco Bay estuary and its watershed (estuary). Regional sediment management (RSM) is the integrated management of littoral, estuarine, and riverine sediments to achieve balanced and sustainable solutions to sediment related needs. Regional sediment management recognizes sediment as a resource. Sediment processes are important components of coastal and riverine systems that are integral to environmental and economic vitality. It relies on the context of the sediment system and forecasting the long-range effects of management actions when making local project decisions. In the San Francisco Bay estuary, the sediment system includes the Sacramento and San Joaquin delta, the bay, its local tributaries and the near shore coastal littoral cell. Sediment flows from the top of the watershed, much like water, to the coast, passing through rivers, marshes, and embayments on its way to the ocean. Like water, sediment is vital to these habitats and their inhabitants, providing nutrients and the building material for the habitat itself. When sediment erodes excessively or is impounded behind structures, the sediment system becomes imbalanced, and rivers become clogged or conversely, shorelines, wetlands and subtidal habitats erode. The sediment system continues to change in response both to natural processes and human activities such as climate change and shoreline development. Human activities that influence the sediment system include flood protection programs, watershed management, navigational dredging, aggregate mining, shoreline development, terrestrial, riverine, wetland, and subtidal habitat restoration, and beach nourishment. As observed by recent scientific analysis, the San Francisco Bay estuary system is changing from one that was sediment rich to one that is erosional. Such changes, in conjunction with increasing sea level rise due to climate change, require that the estuary sediment and sediment transport system be managed as a single unit. To better manage the system, its components, and human uses of the system, additional research and knowledge of the system is needed. Fortunately, new sediment science and modeling tools provide opportunities for a vastly improved understanding of the sediment system, predictive capabilities and analysis of potential individual and cumulative impacts of projects. As science informs management decisions, human activities and management strategies may need to be modified to protect and provide for existing and future infrastructure and ecosystem needs. (PDF contains 3 pages)

Southeast White Oak River shellfish restoration project

The 42-mile-long White Oak River is one of the last relatively unblemished watery jewels of the N.C. coast. The predominantly black water river meanders through Jones, Carteret and Onslow counties along the central N.C. coast, gradually widening as it flows past Swansboro and into the Atlantic Ocean. It drains almost 12,000 acres of estuaries -- saltwater marshes lined with cordgrass, narrow and impenetrable hardwood swamps and rare stands of red cedar that are flooded with wind tides. The lower portion of the river was so renowned for fat oysters and clams that in times past competing watermen came to blows over its bounty at places that now bear names like Battleground Rock. The lower river is also a designated primary nursery area for such commercially important species as shrimp, spot, Atlantic croaker, blue crabs, weakfish and southern flounder. But the river has been discovered. The permanent population along the lower White Oak increased by almost a third since 1990, and the amount of developed land increased 82 percent during the same period. With the growth have come bacteria. Since the late 1990s, much of the lower White Oak has been added to North Carolina’s list of impaired waters because of bacterial pollution. Forty-two percent of the rivers’ oyster and clam beds are permanently closed to shellfishing because of high bacteria levels. Fully two-thirds of the river’s shellfish beds are now permanently off limits or close temporarily after a moderate rain. State monitoring indicates that increased runoff from urbanization is the probable cause of the bacterial pollution. (PDF contains 4 pages)

Deterioration and fragmentation of rivers in Malta

Malta, situated in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily, is a small island of less than 300 km2. Two hundred years ago Malta was a wet and sodden country. The limestone was like a sponge, with numerous perennial springs, great and small, and so full of water that most flat areas did not drain, but were marsh. Water from springs, rivers and marshes was in ample supply. In the space of two centuries, Malta's rivers have passed from being good, spring-regulated watercourses with a mixed community of clean limewater plants, to the present-day situation where many if not all are on the verge of extinction. This is the result of human impact, not climate change, and is set to continue and increase. Unfortunately the best wetland-type valley communities were scheduled to be destroyed in 1997 but, after a change of Government and vigorous representations, these may now be spared. However, there is at least a great opportunity to prevent further fragmentation of remaining rivers and to reclaim some of the fragmented portions.

The variations and climatic significance of D/H ratios in the carbon-bound hydrogen of cellulose in trees

The σD values of nitrated cellulose from a variety of trees covering a wide geographic range have been measured. These measurements have been used to ascertain which factors are likely to cause σD variations in cellulose C-H hydrogen.

It is found that a primary source of tree σD variation is the σD variation of the environmental precipitation. Superimposed on this are isotopic variations caused by the transpiration of the leaf water incorporated by the tree. The magnitude of this transpiration effect appears to be related to relative humidity.

Within a single tree, it is found that the hydrogen isotope variations which occur for a ring sequence in one radial direction may not be exactly the same as those which occur in a different direction. Such heterogeneities appear most likely to occur in trees with asymmetric ring patterns that contain reaction wood. In the absence of reaction wood such heterogeneities do not seem to occur. Thus, hydrogen isotope analyses of tree ring sequences should be performed on trees which do not contain reaction wood.

Comparisons of tree σD variations with variations in local climate are performed on two levels: spatial and temporal. It is found that the σD values of 20 North American trees from a wide geographic range are reasonably well-correlated with the corresponding average annual temperature. The correlation is similar to that observed for a comparison of the σD values of annual precipitation of 11 North American sites with annual temperature. However, it appears that this correlation is significantly disrupted by trees which grew on poorly drained sites such as those in stagnant marshes. Therefore, site selection may be important in choosing trees for climatic interpretation of σD values, although proper sites do not seem to be uncommon.

The measurement of σD values in 5-year samples from the tree ring sequences of 13 trees from 11 North American sites reveals a variety of relationships with local climate. As it was for the spatial σD vs climate comparison, site selection is also apparently important for temporal tree σD vs climate comparisons. Again, it seems that poorly-drained sites are to be avoided. For nine trees from different "well-behaved" sites, it was found that the local climatic variable best related to the σD variations was not the same for all sites.

Two of these trees showed a strong negative correlation with the amount of local summer precipitation. Consideration of factors likely to influence the isotopic composition of summer rain suggests that rainfall intensity may be important. The higher the intensity, the lower the σD value. Such an effect might explain the negative correlation of σD vs summer precipitation amount for these two trees. A third tree also exhibited a strong correlation with summer climate, but in this instance it was a positive correlation of σD with summer temperature.

The remaining six trees exhibited the best correlation between σD values and local annual climate. However, in none of these six cases was it annual temperature that was the most important variable. In fact annual temperature commonly showed no relationship at all with tree σD values. Instead, it was found that a simple mass balance model incorporating two basic assumptions yielded parameters which produced the best relationships with tree σD values. First, it was assumed that the σD values of these six trees reflected the σD values of annual precipitation incorporated by these trees. Second, it was assumed that the σD value of the annual precipitation was a weighted average of two seasonal isotopic components: summer and winter. Mass balance equations derived from these assumptions yielded combinations of variables that commonly showed a relationship with tree σD values where none had previously been discerned.

It was found for these "well-behaved" trees that not all sample intervals in a σD vs local climate plot fell along a well-defined trend. These departures from the local σD VS climate norm were defined as "anomalous". Some of these anomalous intervals were common to trees from different locales. When such widespread commonalty of an anomalous interval occurred, it was observed that the interval corresponded to an interval in which drought had existed in the North American Great Plains.

Consequently, there appears to be a combination of both local and large scale climatic information in the σD variations of tree cellulose C-H hydrogen.

Avaliação do potencial antimalárico de Norantea brasiliensis Choisy (Marcgraviaceae) cultivada in vitro e in vivo

A malária é uma doença infecciosa causada por protozoários do gênero Plasmodium, transmitidos ao homem, principalmente, através da picada do mosquito infectado. O tratamento é realizado por meio do uso de drogas, como a cloroquina, uma vez que não há vacina eficiente contra a doença. Porém, a resistência dos parasitos aos medicamentos tem levado à busca por novas substâncias com atividade antimalárica, inclusive de origem vegetal. Nesse contexto, o presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a atividade antimalárica de extratos metanólicos de Norantea brasiliensis cultivada sob condições in vivo e in vitro, espécie nativa ocorrente em restingas, com potencial medicinal já comprovado para várias atividades. Foram desenvolvidos protocolos de calogênese e cultura de raízes da espécie visando à definição de um sistema de produção de metabólitos. Para a cultura in vitro, explantes foram inoculados em meio líquido e sólido contendo diferentes fitorreguladores e concentrações. A partir da cultura de tecidos, foram testados extratos do material produzido biotecnologicamente para comparação com o material botânico cultivado no campo. Os testes sobre o potencial antimalárico foram realizados in vivo, utilizando-se camundongos infectados pelo Plasmodium berghei ANKA, e in vitro utilizando o Plasmodium falciparum. Em seguida foram administrados a cloroquina e os extratos vegetais. A parasitemia foi observada seguindo os protocolos já estabelecidos pelo Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC). Resultados mostraram que explantes foliares e caulinares de plantas germinadas in vitro, inoculados em meio sólido B5 suplementado com 2,0 mg.mL-1 de ANA, são as melhores fontes para a produção de raízes, apresentando maiores valores de peso fresco e peso seco, mostrando-se um sistema promissor para a produção in vitro de metabólitos da espécie. A avaliação da atividade antimalárica in vivo revelou seu potencial a partir de extrato de raízes de planta cultivada in vivo, na concentração de 50 mg/kg apresentando redução significativa da parasitemia quando comparada com o controle não tratado. Paralelamente, nos testes in vitro a concentração de 100 μg/kg do extrato de raízes de planta cultivada in vivo apresentou diferença significativa quando comparada com as outras concentrações testadas e o controle negativo. Além disso, há uma tendência de aumento do efeito inibitório conforme o aumento da concentração do extrato. Os resultados indicam o potencial de atividade antimalárica em raízes de N. brasiliensis, sendo este estudo o primeiro realizado para a espécie

Mississippi River sustenance of brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus) in Louisiana coastal waters

Brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus) are abundant along the Louisiana coast, a coastline that is heavily influenced by one of the world’s largest rivers, the Mississippi River. Stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur (CNS) isotopes of shrimp and their proventriculus (stomach) contents were assayed to trace riverine support of estuarine-dependent brown shrimp. Extensive inshore and of fshore collections were made in the Louisiana coastal zone during 1999–2006 to document shrimp movement patterns across the bay and shelf region. Results showed an unexpectedly strong role for nursery areas in the river delta in supporting the offshore fishery, with about 46% of immigrants to offshore regions arriving from riverine marshes. Strong river influences also were evident offshore, where cluster analysis of combined CNS isotope data showed three regional station groups related to river inputs. Two nearer-river mid-shelf station groups showed isotope values indicating river fertilization and productivity responses in the benthic shrimp food web, and a deeper offshore station group to the south and west showed much less river inf luence. At several mid-shelf stations where hypoxia is common, shrimp were anomalously 15N depleted versus their diets, and this d15N difference or mismatch may be useful in monitoring shrimp movement responses to hypoxia.

A bacia hidrográfica Lagos-São João pós década de 1960: um estudo das transformações espaciais da região e suas influências sobre a qualidade ambiental

A Bacia Hidrográfica Lagos São João, localizada no sudoeste do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, abrange 13 municípios que abrigam cerca de 520 mil habitantes. Na temporada de férias esse número sobe para mais de 1 milhão de pessoas. A pastagem constitui o principal tipo de uso do solo, em seguida vem as áreas urbanas e as salinas. A partir da década de 1960 essa região passou a receber maior contingente populacional, tanto de veranistas quanto de moradores fixos, beneficiados pela implantação de novas vias de acesso, como a Ponte Rio-Niteroi e pela construção da represa de Juturnaíba, que ampliou o abastecimento de água dos municípios. Surge neste contexto a especulação imobiliária, que acelera a ocupação das terras próximas a Lagoa de Araruama. Rapidamente essas terras foram loteadas e o setor da construção civil foi ganhando força. Entretanto, a região não contou com adequado planejamento, e os investimentos em saneamento básico e outras infraestruturas urbanas não acompanharam o ritmo da construção civil, que cada vez mais investia em casas, prédios e condomínios, que ampliaram consideravelmente a área urbana e a ocupação da zona costeira. Sendo assim, ficou visível o aumento da malha urbana e a ocupação de áreas impróprias, como as margens dos corpos hídricos, os manguezais, dunas e restingas, além da redução da cobertura vegetal. Dessa forma, foi substancial a perda de qualidade ambiental na região, sobretudo, com relação a água da lagoa e dos rios, que passaram a receber maior volume de efluentes sem tratamento. O potencial turístico da região tem sido explorado e provocado altos investimentos dos agentes de especulação imobiliária, entretanto além de promover a ocupação em áreas irregulares, leva a privatização de espaços públicos e incentiva o fenômeno da segunda residência. A chegada de novos turistas iniciou o processo de desenvolvimento do turismo e, consequentemente, a redução da produção salineira. Com isso, o espaço local ganhou novos significados, inseridos pela lógica da urbanização turística. Foi essa nova lógica transformadora que, gradativamente, valorizou a paisagem local, ampliando e encarecendo o seu consumo. Além de ampliar as transformações espaciais, tendo em vista a expansão da malha urbana verificada nas imagens de satélites, atuais, que foram comparadas com fotografias aéreas de décadas anteriores. Todas as transformações ocorridas na região apresentam alguma relação com o desencadeamento de novos problemas ambientais identificados nos seus ecossistemas, sobretudo a Lagoa de Araruama, ou a ampliação de problemas anteriormente existentes.

Management of wetland resources in the lower Mekong Basin: issues and future directions

The Lower Mekong Basin has extensive wetlands and these are being threatened by numerous problems. Most of these problems are interdependent and interact with one another. The lack of an appropriate definition of wetlands applicable to the region, pervasive inefficiencies and chronic lack of funds among riparian governments, and the poor appreciation of the true economic importance of wetlands and its resources are among the most prominent. The current definition, based on the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971), is too broad when compared to the understanding of wetlands as being swamps, marshes and the like, and was developed specifically for wetlands with international importance as waterfowl habitats. Furthermore, wetlands are composed of different types of resources, which require different modes of management. Often, institutional competition, overlapping mandates and sometimes jealousies occur between government departments when they try to assert their authority on a particular wetland resource and use, and put forward their development plans without considering how these may conflict with other wetlands uses. Finally, effective wetland management requires reliable statistics or information on rate of harvest of natural resources such as fish and others, fishing/harvesting methods over time in order to determine the level of exploitation, and the status of the natural resources. This information is needed to identify opportunities for expansion, to establish historical trends, and to determine when management interventions are necessary to protect the resources from being overused by other developments. In order to address these issues, ICLARM - The World Fish Center has launched a project, the aim of objectives of which are described in this paper.

Um olhar sobre a questão dos resíduos da construção civil no Município do Rio de Janeiro.

Os RCC são originados dos diversos processos da construção civil, com características bastante particulares pela variedade dos métodos construtivos empregados. Suas deposições em locais inadequados causam vários impactos com diferentes tempos de reação e de degradação do meio ambiente. Para impedi-los foi aprovada a Resolução 307 do CONAMA, que estabelece critérios e normas de caráter protetor ao meio ambiente, porém as administrações públicas possuem inúmeras dificuldades técnicas e financeiras para sua implementação. Para auxiliar os municípios, a CEF elaborou dois manuais de orientações para o manejo e gestão dos RCC, direcionando o sistema gestor. Uma opção para a gestão de RCC é a reciclagem. O Município do Rio de Janeiro com seu relevo original formado por mangues e morros, sofreu grandes aterros e sofre até os dias atuais, utilizando para isso os RCC e o desmonte de antigos morros. Os RCC, após coletados, são destinados a uma única Área de Transbordo e Triagem, com capacidade insuficiente para recebê-los. A ausência de controle do órgão gestor sobre os RCC, seus dados de produção e de destinação, exige uma estimativa dos RCC gerados no Município e uma observação global sobre seus destinos, considerando os aterros autorizados pela SMAC. Foi realizada uma análise crítica da gestão corretiva adotada pelo sistema gestor, suas particularidades e dificuldades, e o perfil atual sobre a reciclagem de RCC no Rio de Janeiro. Algumas propostas para a melhoria do sistema gestor foram apresentadas e sugerida a necessidade de um estudo mais aprofundado e de um levantamento mais completo da realidade dos RCC no Município do Rio de Janeiro.

National Marine Fisheries Service Habitat Conservation Efforts in the Southeastern United States for 1988

Dataq uantifying the area of habitat affected by Federal programs that regulate development in coastal zones of the southeastern United States are provided for 1988. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) made recommendations on 3,935 proposals requiring Federal permits or licenses to alter wetlands. A survey of 977 of these activities revealed that 359,876 acres of wetlands that support fishery resources under NMFS purview were proposed for some type of alteration or manipulation. Almost 95 percent of this acreage was for impounding andl/or manipulation of water levels in Louisiana marshes. The NMFS did not object to alteration of 173,284 acres and recommended the conservation of 186,592 acres. To offset habitat losses, 1,827 acres of mitigation were recommended by the NMFS or proposed by applicants and/or the Corps of Engineers (COE). From 1981 to 1988 the NMFS has provided in depth analyses on 8,385 projects proposing the alteration of at least 656,377 acres of wetlands. A follow-up survey on the disposition of 339 permits handled by the COE during 1988 revealed that the COE accepted NMFS recommendations on 68 percent. On a permit-by-permit basis, 13 percent of NMFS recommendations were partially accepted, 17 percent were completely rejected, and 2 percent were withdrawn. The permit requests tracked by the NMFS proposed the alteration of 2,674 acres of wetlands. The COE issued permits to alter 847 acres or 32 percent of the amount proposed.

Entre a lagoa e o mar: ordenamento territorial e impactos ambientais na restinga de Massambaba, Estado do Rio de Janeiro.

O objetivo desse trabalho é o ordenamento territorial em área de proteção ambiental, analisando o processo de ocupação a partir da ação de promotores imobiliários numa área natural protegida por lei. Nos últimos 20 anos, observamos o crescimento irregular e desordenado de empreendimentos imobiliários, dinamizado pelo turismo. A procura por locações para veraneio provocou rápida expansão de loteamentos habitacionais e estabelecimentos comerciais sobre longa faixa de restinga, entre 26 km de praia e complexo sistema lagunar, localizada nos municípios de Saquarema, Araruama e Arraial do Cabo, Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Essa ocupação ameaça ecossistemas remanescentes como: brejos, lagoas costeiras, manguezais e restingas que deveriam ser preservados segundo leis ambientais. Nesse universo, responderemos as seguintes questões: Como atuam os agentes sociais presentes no conflito? Qual o papel do Estado nesse processo? As leis que regem as políticas de conservação ambiental são interdependentes? Há conflitos de competências? A coleta de informações ocorreu através de análise documental, de imagens de satélite, trabalhos de campo, visitas técnicas e entrevistas com agentes sociais. Os resultados possibilitaram um mapeamento da ação desses agentes na área em estudo, suas competências e geração de mapa de uso do solo.

Faixa marginal de proteção de lagoas costeiras - O estudo de caso da Lagoa de Araruama.

A Lagoa de Araruama é reconhecida como a maior laguna hipersalina do mundo, cercada por dunas e vegetação de restinga que, emoldurando a sua decantada beleza natural, configura uma condição de cartão postal internacional. Isso associado à sua grande importância ecológica, faz com que ela se caracterize como um ambiente ímpar, dentro do contexto ambiental. Todavia a degradação de suas margens, ensejada pela sua ocupação desordenada, inclusive através da implantação de salinas, que vem ocorrendo há mais de um século, teve como consequência o desmatamento dessas áreas de preservação permanente, que se constituem na Faixa Marginal de Proteção (FMP). A fundamentação dessa proposta se pauta no fato de que a FMP vigente da lagoa, demarcada e aprovada através de Decreto n 42.694, de 11de novembro de 2010, não levou em conta esse aspecto de extrema relevância ambiental. Nessas condições, faz-se necessária a implementação de política voltada para ações com o objetivo de revitalizar o entorno da lagoa, de sorte a assegurar a preservação desse ecossistema localizado nas áreas limítrofes à orla da Lagoa de Araruama e garantir a sustentabilidade ambiental. O presente estudo se ateve ao levantamento das áreas em que se verificou a ocorrência de vegetação, com o intuito de ordenar a sua classificação, precipuamente com interesse em delimitar as áreas de restinga, que são consideradas Áreas de Preservação Permanente pela Resolução CONAMA 303/2002 e como parte integrante da FMP pelo Código Florestal, quando fixadoras de dunas e estabilizadoras de mangue. Em função dos resultados desse levantamento, propôs-se a inclusão, na Faixa Marginal de Proteção (FMP), das áreas em que ocorre a presença de vegetação de restinga, com respaldo no Código Florestal (Lei Federal n 4771/65) que, atualmente, disciplina o assunto, de sorte a preservar o corpo hídrico como um todo e garantir a sustentabilidade ambiental.

Support for integrated ecosystem assessments of NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS): assessment of ecological condition and stressor impacts in subtidal waters of the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve

A study was conducted in June 2009 to assess the current status of ecological condition and potential human-health risks throughout subtidal estuarine waters of the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR) along the coast of Georgia. Samples were collected for multiple indicators of ecosystem condition, including water quality (dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, pH, nutrients and chlorophyll, suspended solids, fecal coliform bacteria and coliphages), sediment quality (granulometry, organic matter content, chemical contaminant concentrations), biological condition (diversity and abundance of benthic fauna, fish tissue contaminant levels and pathologies), and human dimensions (fish-tissue contaminant levels relative to human-health consumption limits, various aesthetic properties). Use of a probabilistic sampling design facilitated the calculation of statistics to estimate the spatial extent of the Reserve classified according to various categories (i.e., Good, Fair, Poor) of ecological condition relative to established thresholds of these indicators, where available. Overall, the majority of subtidal habitat in the SINERR appeared to be healthy, with over half (56.7 %) of the Reserve area having water quality, sediment quality, and benthic biological condition indicators rated in the healthy to intermediate range of corresponding guideline thresholds. None of the stations sampled had one or more indicators in all three categories rated as poor/degraded. While these results are encouraging, it should be noted that one or more indicators were rated as poor/degraded in at least one of the three categories over 40% of the Reserve study area, represented by 12 of the 30 stations sampled. Although measures of fish tissue chemical contamination were not included in any of the above estimates, a number of trace metals, pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were found at low yet detectable levels in some fish at stations where fish were caught. Levels of mercury and total PCBs in some fish specimens fell within EPA guideline values considered safe, given a consumption rate of no more than four fish meals per month. Moreover, PCB congener profiles in sediments and fish in the SINERR exhibit a relative abundance of higher-chlorinated homologs which are uniquely characteristic of Aroclor 1268. It has been well-documented that sediments and fish in the creeks and marshes near the LCP Chemicals Superfund site, near Brunswick, Georgia, also display this congener pattern associated with Aroclor 1268, a highly chlorinated mixture of PCBs used extensively at a chlor-alkali plant that was in operation at the LCP site from 1955-1994. This report provides results suggesting that the protected habitats lying within the boundaries of the SINERR may be experiencing the effects of a legacy of chemical contamination at a site over 40km away. These effects, as well as other potential stressors associated with increased development of nearby coastal areas, underscore the importance of establishing baseline ecological conditions that can be used to track potential changes in the future and to guide management and stewardship of the otherwise relatively unspoiled ecosystems of the SINERR.

Effects of land use and physicochemical water quality on grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, and its parasitic isopod, Probopyrus pandalicola, in South Carolina, USA tidal creeks

Grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, are a common inhabitant of US East and Gulf coast salt marshes and are a food source for recreationally and economically important fish and crustacean species. Due to the relationship of grass shrimp with their ecosystem, any significant changes in grass shrimp population may have the potential to affect the estuarine system. Land use is a crucial concern in coastal areas where increasing development impacts the surrounding estuaries and salt marshes and has made grass shrimp population studies a logical choice to investigate urbanization effects. Any impact on tidal creeks will be an impact on grass shrimp populations and their associated micro-environment whether predator, prey or parasitic symbiont. Anthropogenic stressors introduced into the grass shrimp ecosystem may even change the intensity of infections from parasitic symbionts. An ectoparasite found on P. pugio is the bopyrid isopod Probopyrus pandalicola. Little is known about factors that may affect the occurrence of this isopod in grass shrimp populations. The goal was to analyze the prevalence of P. pandalicola in grass shrimp in relation to land use classifications, water quality parameters, and grass shrimp population metrics. Eight tidal creeks in coastal South Carolina were sampled monthly over a three year period. The occurrence of P. pandalicola ranged from 1.2% to 5.7%. Analysis indicated that greater percent water and marsh coverage resulted in a higher incidence of bopyrid occurrence. Analysis also indicated that higher bopyrid incidence occurred in creeks with higher salinity, temperature, and pH but lower dissolved oxygen. The land use characteristics found to limit bopyrid incidence were limiting to grass shrimp (definitive host) populations and probably copepod (intermediate host) populations as well.