Ensis macha (Molina, 1782) en los principales bancos naturales de la Región Áncash, 2010

Se efectuó la evaluación de la navaja Ensis macha del 7 al 18 de setiembre 2010 en los principales bancos naturales del litoral de Áncash. La longitud valvar fluctuó entre 38 y 174 mm con estructura polimodal en todas las áreas evaluadas. En la mayor parte de los bancos evaluados la especie superó la talla mínima de extracción a excepción de Patillos (19,6%). En individuos mayores de 75 mm predominaron estadios madurantes y en recuperación. La especie se distribuyó formando parches, sus densidades medias estratificadas variaron entre 1,5 ind./m2 en Mar Brava y 17,4 ind./m2 en Patillos. La población y biomasa estimada fue 6,02 millones de individuos y 174 toneladas respectivamente. El 82,9% de la población correspondió a los bancos naturales de Playa Grande, Canaco y Patillos. En áreas costeras de Casma y Huarmey la temperatura superficial continuó con anomalías negativas, guardando relación con la presencia de procesos de afloramiento que influyeron en el oxígeno disuelto.

Evaluación técnica de la red de encierre activada por buzos o bolichito de fondo

La “red de encierre activada por buzos” o “bolichito de fondo” es un arte de pesca que por sus características técnicas y de operación es clasificado como no determinado y no reglamentado. Se realizó una evaluación técnica de este arte de pesca, que indica que su cobertura espacial está limitada a la capacidad de buceo, restringida a zonas muy someras, presenta baja respuesta de selectividad y alto poder de pesca al compararla con otras artes de pesca artesanales utilizadas en la misma área costera; tiene elevada extracción de juveniles y de fauna acompañante los que generalmente están en mayores porcentajes de estadios inmaduros (II) y maduración inicial (III). Se recomienda prohibir su uso.

A flood geodatabase and its climatological applications: the case of Catalonia for the last century

Floods are the natural hazards that produce the highest number of casualties and material damage in the Western Mediterranean. An improvement in flood risk assessment and study of a possible increase in flooding occurrence are therefore needed. To carry out these tasks it is important to have at our disposal extensive knowledge on historical floods and to find an efficient way to manage this geographical data. In this paper we present a complete flood database spanning the 20th century for the whole of Catalonia (NE Spain), which includes documentary information (affected areas and damage) and instrumental information (meteorological and hydrological records). This geodatabase, named Inungama, has been implemented on a GIS (Geographical Information System) in order to display all the information within a given geographical scenario, as well as to carry out an analysis thereof using queries, overlays and calculus. Following a description of the type and amount of information stored in the database and the structure of the information system, the first applications of Inungama are presented. The geographical distribution of floods shows the localities which are more likely to be flooded, confirming that the most affected municipalities are the most densely populated ones in coastal areas. Regarding the existence of an increase in flooding occurrence, a temporal analysis has been carried out, showing a steady increase over the last 30 years.

Tornadoes and waterspouts in Catalonia (1950-2009)

This paper presents a preliminary climatology of tornadoes and waterspouts in Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula). A database spanning 60 yr (1950-2009) has been developed on the basis of information collected from various sources such as weather reports, insurance companies, newspapers and damage surveys. This database has been subjected to a rigorous validation process, and the climatology describes its main features: timing, spatial pattern, and trends in the tornado and waterspout distribution. Results show the highest concentration of tornadoes from August to October, the highest density in the heavily populated coastal areas and a growing positive trend that is likely more closely linked to an increase in observation and perception rather than a real climatic trend.

Schmidtea mediterranea phylogeography: an old species surviving on a few mediterranean islands?

Schmidtea mediterranea (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Continenticola) is found in scattered localities on a few islands and in coastal areas of the western Mediterranean. Although S. mediterranea is the object of many regeneration studies, little is known about its evolutionary history. Its present distribution has been proposed to stem from the fragmentation and migration of the Corsica-Sardinia microplate during the formation of the western Mediterranean basin, which implies an ancient origin for the species. To test this hypothesis, we obtained a large number of samples from across its distribution area. Using known and new molecular markers and, for the first time in planarians, a molecular clock, we analysed the genetic variability and demographic parameters within the species and between its sexual and asexual populations to estimate when they diverged. Results: A total of 2 kb from three markers (COI, CYB and a nuclear intron N13) was amplified from ~200 specimens. Molecular data clustered the studied populations into three groups that correspond to the west, central and southeastern geographical locations of the current distribution of S. mediterranea. Mitochondrial genes show low haplotype and nucleotide diversity within populations but demonstrate higher values when all individuals are considered. The nuclear marker shows higher values of genetic diversity than the mitochondrial genes at the population level, but asexual populations present lower variability than the sexual ones. Neutrality tests are significant for some populations. Phylogenetic and dating analyses show the three groups to be monophyletic, with the west group being the basal group. The time when the diversification of the species occurred is between ~20 and ~4 mya, although the asexual nature of the western populations could have affected the dating analyses. Conclusions: S. mediterranea is an old species that is sparsely distributed in a harsh habitat, which is probably the consequence of the migration of the Corsica-Sardinia block. This species probably adapted to temperate climates in the middle of a changing Mediterranean climate that eventually became dry and hot. These data also suggest that in the mainland localities of Europe and Africa, sexual individuals of S. mediterranea are being replaced by asexual individuals that are either conspecific or are from other species that are better adapted to the Mediterranean climate.

Proposal of three thermodynamic variables to discriminate between storms associated with hail and storms with intense rainfall in Catalonia (Proposta de tres variables termodinàmiques per discriminar entre tempestes amb pedregades i tempestes amb pluges intenses)

Between late spring and early fall, the development of storms is common in Catalonia. Despite the fact that they usually produce heavy showers of short duration, they can also involve severe weather with ice pellets or hail. While the latter usually affect inland regions, and there are numerous publications on these cases; the analysis of events affecting the coast and causing damage to public and private properties is not so well developed. The aim of this study is to provide additional thermodynamic indicators that help differentiate storms with hail from storms without hail, considering cases that have affected various regions of Catalonia, mainly coastal areas. The aim is to give more information to improve prognosis and the ability to detail information in these situations. The procedure developed involved the study of several episodes of heavy rainfall and hail that hit Catalonia during the 2003-2009 period, mainly in the province of Girona, and validated the proposal during the campaign of late summer and fall of 2009, as well as 2012. For each case, several variables related to temperature, humidity and wind were analyzed at different levels of the atmosphere, while the information provided by the radio sounding in Barcelona was also taken into account. From this study, it can be concluded that the temperature difference between 500 hPa and 850 hPa, the humidity in the lower layers of the atmosphere and the LI index are good indicators for the detection of storms with associated hail.

Dugesia sicula (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida): the colonizing success of an asexual Planarian

Background Dugesia sicula is the only species of its genus not presenting an endemic or restricted distribution within the Mediterranean area. It mostly comprises fissiparous populations (asexual reproduction by body division and regeneration), most likely sexually sterile, and characterized by an extremely low genetic diversity interpreted as the consequence of a recent anthropic expansion. However, its fissiparous reproduction can result in an apparent lack of diversity within the species, since genetic variation within individuals can be as large as between them because most individuals within a population are clones. We have estimated haplotype and nucleotide diversity of cytochrome oxidase I within and among individuals along the species distribution of a broad sample of D. sicula, including asexual and the two only sexual populations known today; and predicted its potential distribution based on climatic variables. Our aim was to determine the centre of colonisation origin, whether the populations are recent, and whether the species is expanding. Results The species presents 3 most frequent haplotypes, differing in a maximum of 11 base pairs. As expected from their fissiparous mode of reproduction, in half of all the analysed localities many individuals have multiple heteroplasmic haplotypes. The distribution of haplotypes is not geographically structured; however, the distribution of haplotypes and heteroplasmic populations shows higher diversity in the central Mediterranean region. The potential distribution predicted by climatic variables based modelling shows a preference for coastal areas and fits well with the observed data. Conclusions The distribution and frequency of the most frequent haplotypes and the presence of heteroplasmic individuals allow us to gain an understanding of the recent history of the species, together with previous knowledge on its phylogenetic relationships and age: The species most probably originated in Africa and dispersed through the central Mediterranean. After one or multiple populations became triploid and fissiparous, the species colonized the Mediterranean basin, likely both by its own means and helped by human activities. Its present distribution practically fulfils its potential distribution as modelled with climatic variables. Its prevalence in coastal regions with higher water temperatures predicts a likely future expansion to northern and more interior areas following the increase in temperatures due to climate change.

Expansión de Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson) (Hym., Braconidae, Aphidiinae) en el Noreste de la Península Ibérica

Lysyphlebus testaceipes (Cresson), un parasitoide exótico de pulgones establecido en la costa mediterránea, se ha encontrado regularmente en Lleida y en los Pirineos parasitando varias especies de pulgones, lo que demuestra su expansión desde las zonas costeras hacia el interior y zonas de montaña. Las especies de pulgón Aphis ruborum Börner, específica de Rubus sp., Aphis fabae Scopoli, polífaga, Brachycaudus cardui L., típica de cardos y Aphis urticata J.F. Gmelin, específica de Urtica sp., fueron hospedantes comunes de L. testaceipes en las zonas de estudio. La existencia de biocorredores transzonales, junto con el rango oligófago de hospedantes de L. testaceipes y su capacidad de alternar entre las especies de pulgones disponibles ha contribuido a la positiva expansión del parasitoide hacia zonas interiores o de montaña.

Merituulivoiman kannattavuus Kokkolan seudun rannikolla

Tässä diplomityössä selvitetään teollisen mittakaavan merituulipuistojen taloudellisia ja osin myös teknisiä rakentamisedellytyksiä Kokkolan seudun rannikolla. Lisäksi työssä tarkastellaan erilaisten tukitoimien vaikutusta tuulivoiman kannattavuuteen sekä selvitetään lyhyesti merituulivoiman hallinnollisia ja oikeudellisia edellytyksiä. Esimerkkikohteina tarkastellaan viittä Kokkolan edustalle suunniteltua merituulipuistoa, joiden tehot ovat 20 – 100 MW ja yksikkökoot 1,8 – 5 MW. Tuulipuistojen tuuliolot on arvioitu läheisten mittauspisteiden tietojen perusteella ja niiden pohjalta on laskettu puistojen energiantuotto. Tuulivoimaloiden huipunkäyttöajoiksi on saatu noin 2400 – 2500 h/a. Puistojen investointikustannukset ovat noin 6 500 –10 200 mk/kW: itse turbiinin lisäksi suurimpia kustannuseriä ovat perustukset ja sähköverkkoliitäntä. Vuosittaisten käyttö- ja kunnossapitokustannusten suuruudeksi on arvioitu noin 3 % investointikustannuksista. Kannattavuustarkastelut on suoritettu 5 % laskentakorolla ja 25 vuoden pitoajalle. Tuotantokustannukset ovat ilman tukia noin 27 – 38 p/kWh. Kun sähkön hintana on 150 mk/MWh, ei taloudellista kannattavuutta voida saavuttaa edes nykyisin käytössä olevan investointi- ja tuotantotuen avulla. Tuulisähköstä saatava mahdollinen ”vihreän sähkön lisä” tai päästökaupan aloittaminen voisivat mahdollistaa tuulivoiman taloudellisen kannattavuuden myös silloin, kun sähkön hintataso on matala. Kannattavuutta voitaisiin parantaa myös tukijärjestelmällä, joka painottaa nykyistä enemmän tuotantoa.

Historical trends of organochlorine pesticides in a sediment core from the Gulf of Batabanó, Cuba.

Sediments can be natural archives to reconstruct the history of pollutant inputs into coastal areas. This is important to improve management strategies and evaluate the success of pollution control measurements. In this work, the vertical distribution of organochlorine pesticides (DDTs, Lindane, HCB, Heptachlor, Aldrin and Mirex) was determined in a sediment core collected from the Gulf of Batabanó, Cuba, which was dated by using the (210)Pb dating method and validated with the (239,240)Pu fallout peak. Results showed significant changes in sediment accumulation during the last 40 years: recent mass accumulation rates (0.321 g cm(-2) yr(-1)) double those estimated before 1970 (0.15 g cm(-2) yr(-1)). This change matches closely land use change in the region (intense deforestation and regulation of the Colon River in the late 1970s). Among pesticides, only DDTs isomers, Lindane and HCB were detected, and ranged from 0.029 to 0.374 ng g(-1) dw for DDTs, from<0.006 to 0.05 ng g(-1) dw for Lindane and from<0.04 to 0.134 ng g(-1) dw for HCB. Heptachlor, Aldrin and Mirex were below the detection limits (∼0.003 ng g(-1)), indicating that these compounds had a limited application in the Coloma watershed. Pesticide contamination was evident since the 1970s. DDTs and HCB records showed that management strategies, namely the banning the use of organochlorine contaminants, led to a concentration decline. However, Lindane, which was restricted in 1990, can still be found in the watershed. According to NOAA guidelines, pesticides concentrations encountered in these sediments are low and probably not having an adverse effect on sediment dwelling organisms.

Cenozoic evolution of eastern Iberia: structural data and dynamic model.

Iberia underwent intraplate deformation during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. In eastem Ibena, compression took place during the Palaeogene and early Miocene, giving rise to the Iberian Chain, and extension started during the early Miocene in the coastal areas and the Valencia trough; during early Miocene compression continued in the western Iberian Chain whereas extension had started in the eastern Iberian Chain. From the kinematic data obtained from the major compressional and extensional structures formed dunng the Cenozoic, a simple dynamic model using Bott's (1959) formula is presented. The results show that both extension and compression may have been produced assuming a main horizontal stress-axis approximately N-S, in a similar direction that the convergence between Europe, Ibena and Afnca dunng the Cenozoic.

Projeccions de canvi climatic per a Catalunya (NE Península Ibèrica). Part II: sintetitzant diverses metodologies = Climate change projections for Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula). Part II: Integrating several methodologies

The publication of the fourth IPCC report, as well as the number of research results reported in recent years about the regionalization of climate projections, were the driving forces to justify the update of the report on climate change in Catalonia. Specifically, the new IPCC report contains new climate projections at global and continental scales, while several international projects (especially European projects PRUDENCE and ENSEMBLES) have produced continental-scale climate projections, which allow for distinguishing between European regions. For Spain, some of these results have been included in a document commissioned by the“State Agency of Meteorology”. In addition, initiatives are being developed within Catalonia (in particular, by the Meteorological Service of Catalonia) to downscale climate projections in this area. The present paper synthesizes results of these and other previously published studies, as well as our own analysis of results of the ENSEMBLES project. The aim is to propose scenarios of variation in temperature and rainfall in Catalonia during the 21st Century. Thus, by the middle of this century temperatures could rise up to 2 C compared with that of the late 20th Century. These increases would probably be higher in summer than in winter, generalized across the territory but less pronounced in coastal areas. Rainfall, however, would not change much, but it could slightly decrease. Towards the end of the 21st Century, temperatures could rise to about 5 C above that of the last century, while the average rainfall could decrease by more than 10%. Increases in temperature would be higher in summer and in areas further from the coast. Rainfall would decrease especially during the summer, while it could even increase in winter in mountainous areas such as the Pyrenees.

Aspectos físico-químicos e biológicos relacionados à ocorrência de Biomphalaria glabrata em focos litorâneos da esquistossomose em Pernambuco

This study analyzes the physico-chemical and biological parameters of freshwater aquatic environments in coastal areas of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, where snail vector foci and cases of schistosomiasis have been recorded. The tests were carried out using standard methods and sediments were analyzed using the X-ray fluorescence technique. The micro-algae were analyzed using conventional microscopy. The most abundant chemical elements in the sediments were Fe, Ca, Si and Al and there were high concentrations of electrolytes in comparison with data published in the literature. The mean values for salinity (7.7 g/L) and sulfate (489 mg/L) were much higher than normal for freshwater environments. The micro-algae identified are those that inhabit environments with higher levels of salinity. The snail Biomphalaria glabrata seems, therefore, to be more tolerant to salty environments and this constitutes a risk of spread of schistosomiasis.

Natural Science in the Bothnian Sea During 1975-2008: A Review

The Baltic Sea is one of the most studied areas in the world. However, parts of its northernmost reach, the Bothnian Sea, seem to be under represented in the natural scientific literature compared to other parts of the Baltic. The Bothnian Sea represents a unique inland sea environment for the scientific community to study due to its shallowness and low salinity. The natural sciences research carried out on the Bothnian Sea has been reviewed between 1975 and 2008. This time period was chosen to continue on from an earlier review paper ending in 1974. Along with the number of papers published the goal was also to review the content of the papers, indentifying dominating themes to evaluate gaps in the current knowledge on the Bothnian Sea and provide recommendations for topics of future research focus. In a classification into specific research topics biodiversity was the leading research focus followed by chemical and physical oceanography, pollution and toxins, and fish biology and fisheries. The current good condition of the Bothnian Sea is highly valued with its historically less eutrophic and clearer waters when compared to the Baltic. However, today the Bothnian Sea is facing eutrophication resulting from nutrient-rich water transported by the many rivers draining into it from Sweden and Finland making it an area in need of protection and preservation. More human activity will also concentrate on the Bothnian Sea in the future. Therefore the use of the sea and its coastal areas must be planned carefully to minimize the harmful effects of this increasing human activity. To achieve this more information is needed for the basis of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and maritime spatial planning (MSP). For example, for the Bothnian Sea the information on the underwater nature which is essential for ICZM is so far missing to a large extent. Specific biological, chemical and physical oceanographic information is needed to combine with economic analyses and environmental policies regarding this region. More research of a multidisciplinary nature is required on the unique Bothnian Sea environment and this we feel is best achieved through a joint Finnish-Swedish research strategy.

Marcadores orgânicos de contaminação por esgotos sanitários em sedimentos superficiais da baía de Santos, São Paulo

Organic markers, such as sterols and ketones, were used to assess sewage contamination in sediments from the Santos Bay, SP, and its continental shelf. These compounds were analyzed by GC/FID after soxhlet extraction, clean up and derivatization. The concentration of coprostanol and ratios between selected sterols were used to evaluate fecal contamination. The stations located in the mid-western part of the Santos Bay presented organic matter from sewage due to the input of fecal material from the city of Santos by submarine sewage outfall. Stations located at the continental shelf did not present fecal contamination. Coprostanol levels in sewage outfall stations were higher in comparison to other Brazilian coastal areas, except Guanabara Bay/RJ, and could be related to the fraction of the population without sewage treatment.