New Records of Freshwater Sponges (Porifera) for Southern Lake Michigan

Four species of freshwater sponge were identified in southern Lake Michigan: Spongilla lacustris (Linneaus), Eunapius fragilis (Leidy), Ephydatia fluviatilis (Linneaus), and Ephydatia muelleri (Lieberkuhn). Samples were collected from artificial substrates in Calumet (IL), Hammond (IN), and Michigan City (IN) harbors and represent the first reports of sponges in these waters. Numerical densities for all species combined were as high as 698 sponge colonies/m² on the iron hull of the permanently moored 110-m-long ship Milwaukee Clipper in Hammond Harbor. These densities were lowest at 1-m depth and greater at 2- and 3-m depths. A positive correlation (r² = 0.74) was found between the density of sponge colonies and the angle of the hull as it changed from near vertical at the water line to overhanging at greater depth (toward the keel). Ephydatia muelleri was the most common species based on frequency of occurrence and percent surface area covered. Observations of epizoic growth of sponges on live zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha Pallas) suggest that an ecological interaction exists between these two groups of organisms on these artificial substrates.     

Particle Mixing Rates of Freshwater Bivalves: Anodonta grandis (Unionidae) and Sphaerium striatinum (Pisidiidae)

Sediment mixing by freshwater suspension feeding bivalves Anodonta grandis (Unionidae) and Sphaerium striatinum (Pisidiidae) was studied by adding illite clay particles with adsorbed ^I37Cs as a submillimeter thick layer to the surface of silt clay sediments contained in clear rectangular cells maintained in a temperature regulated aquarium. A Nal gamma detector scanned the sediment column in each cell at 0.2 cm intervals five times over 22 days and recorded changes in ^I37Cs activity over time with depth in cells containing 3 A. grandis, 4 S. striatinum, and a control cell containing no bivalves. Sediment mixing by these organisms was diffusional. The diffusion coefficient in the control cell was 0.02 cm²/yr, consistent with molecular diffusion of¹³⁷Cs tracer. Whole cell biodiffusion coefficients (D_b)for A. grandis and S. striatinum were 0.81–2.11 cm²/yr and 0.53 cm²/yr, respectively. Adjusting to equal population densities, the 11-27× higher sediment mixing rate of A. grandis was likely due primarily to its larger size. When D_bfor similar sized organisms was compared, S. striatinum was found to mix sediments at about the same rate as the marine bivalve Nucula proxima but at a 5× lower rate than the freshwater amphipod Diporeia sp. A. grandis mixes sediments 5–14× more slowly than the similar sized conveyor belt deposit feeding marine bivalve, Yoldia limatula.. While deposit feeding organisms are the dominant sediment mixers in the Great Lakes, suspension feeding bivalves can be locally significant.     

Pathways of Food Uptake in Native (Unionidae) and Introduced (Corbiculidae and Dreissenidae) Freshwater Bivalves

Nineteen species of adult freshwater bivalves were able to use water currents generated from within the mantle cavity to move non-suspended algae into the shell through non-siphon areas such as the anterior shell valve edge and the mid-ventral point of the shell. This was in addition to, and not in replacement of, uptake of planktonic algae through the inhalant siphon. Algae obtained from both the non-inhalant siphon areas and the inhalant siphon were equally captured and transferred to the stomach. Pseudofecal release was also more complex than typically stated. Pseudofeces were released from the inhalant siphon (as expected), plus from the anterior shell margin, and at the mid-point along the ventral shell edge (non-dreissenids). Pseudofeces that settled near the ventral shell margin was accessible for future uptake back into the mantle cavity. There were no species or body size differences in ability to capture food from non-planktonic sources. The extent to which natural populations utilize benthic food resources remains to be determined. However, our study demonstrates that bivalve communities are very adaptable in accessing a variety of food resources from both suspended material in the water column, as well as organic material from the sediments.     

Hydric Restoration of the Agua Amarga Salt Marsh (SE Spain) Affected by Abstraction from the Underlying Coastal Aquifer

The Agua Amarga coastal aquifer, located in the southeast of Spain (Alicante province) has suffered a significant decrease in its piezometric levels due to its use to supply water to Alicante I and II desalination plants. In order to recover its natural levels and to preserve the salt marsh of ecological interest linked to the aquifer, whose origin is related to ancient saltworks, a pilot scheme based on depositing seawater over the salt marsh surface has been carried out from December 2009 to July 2010. As a result, piezometric levels have increased by around 2 and 3 m below the salt marsh and a general decrease in groundwater salinity of between 15 and 100 g/l has been measured. A flow-transport numerical model with SEAWAT is used to assess and evaluate the seawater depositing programme.     

Evaluation of a GIS-Based Integrated Vulnerability Risk Assessment for the Mancha Oriental System (SE Spain)

It is widely recognized that groundwater-vulnerability maps are a useful tool for making decisions on designating pollution-vulnerable areas, in addition to being a requirement of European Directive 91/676/EEC. This study addressed the vulnerability of the Mancha Oriental System (MOS) to groundwater contamination with an integrated Generic and Agricultural DRASTIC model approach. In the MOS, groundwater is the sole water resource for a total population of about 275,000 inhabitants and for 1,000 km² of irrigated crops. DRASTIC vulnerability maps have been drawn up for two different years (1975 and 2002) in which the potentiometric surface has dropped dramatically (80 m in some areas) due to the considerable expansion of irrigated croplands. The quality of available resources has also deteriorated due to the agricultural practices and the discharge of wastewater effluents. Vulnerability maps are used to test the data on nitrate, sulphate, and chloride contents in groundwater in the Central and El Salobral-Los Llanos hydrogeologic domains of the MOS for 2002. Regardless of the method applied, the dramatic alteration in land use leads to a change in the DRASTIC index and vulnerability to groundwater contamination decreases for the study period. Vulnerability in the MOS increases in areas where the irrigation return flow is notable. The lack of a statistical correspondence between the DRASTIC index and the spatial distribution of nitrate, chloride, and sulphate contents and the distribution of the pollution load suggest that this method does not accurately assess the risk of the MOS to groundwater pollution.     

Modern state of the Small (Northern) Aral Sea fauna

The Aral Sea is a terminal lake lying within the deserts of Central Asia in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, draining the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. Before the 1960s, it was a large brackish water lake with an average salinity of 10.3 g L^?1. The anthropogenic regression and salinization of the Aral Sea at that time resulted from increasing water withdrawals from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya for irrigation purposes. The salinization resulted in the disappearance of most of its invertebrates and all freshwater fish. As a result of the water level decrease, the Aral Sea divided into a northern Small Aral and a southern Large Aral at the end of the 1980s, with the two having different hydrological regimes. After construction the first Kokaral Dam in 1992, the water level of the Small Aral Sea increased by >1 m, with a gradual decline in the salinity beginning. To date, the Small Aral has again become brackish. Its average salinity reached 5.3 g L^?1 by April–May 2013, with the highest salinity of 9.9 g L^?1 in Butakov Bay, whereas the salinity was very low at 1.2–2.0 g L^?1 in the estuary zone of the Syr Darya. There is an ongoing process of restoration of the former biodiversity, with many fresh water and brackish water invertebrate species reappearing due to the decreasing salinity. Freshwater fish species (bream, roach, carp, asp, zander, wels, etc.) returned into the Small Aral from the Syr Darya River and lakes in its lower reaches where they survived. Fisheries are recovering and catches are growing. Continuing salinity decreases, however, may cause decreases in the numbers, or even disappearance, of marine and halophilic invertebrate species. This study summarizes the results of studies of the Small Aral zooplankton, zoobenthos and ichthyofauna carried out in the spring of 2013. An historical review of changes in the Aral Sea and its fauna also is presented.     

Responses of Chironomid larvae (insecta,Diptera) to ecological quality in Mediterranean river mesohabitats (South Italy)

Chironomid larvae and pupae were studied in selected Mediterranean rivers with the aim of identifying pool and riffle taxa assemblages and of analysing their response to ecological quality gradients. Macroinvertebrate samples were collected in six Italian rivers along a pool‐riffle sequence in three seasons following a multihabitat sampling technique. Chironomids were identified as genus/species, other macroinvertebrates as family/genus. The main physico‐chemical, hydromorphological and geographical data were collected. Samples were ascribed to five quality classes according to the STAR_ICM index. Based on Chironomid taxa, principal component analysis (PCA) axis 1 represented an organic pollution gradient, axis 2 represented seasonality. Pool and riffle samples were significantly different according to taxa assemblages. Similar results were obtained with PCA based on the whole macrobenthic community. Indicator value (IndVal) analysis facilitated the detection of the Chironomid indicators of high/good quality pools (e.g. Conchapelopia pallidula, Rheopelopia ornata, Epoicocladius ephemerae) and riffles (Tvetenia calvescens, Eukiefferiella gracei). The Berger–Parker dominance index based on Chironomid assemblages in pools was correlated to PCA axis 1 and performed well in discriminating between quality classes. In riffles, no correlations to PCA axes were detected and a wide overlap between quality classes was present. Thus, assessment in the analysed river type may focus on pool mesohabitat as this seems to represent best the ecological gradient of sites. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Freshwater biogeography in Wallacea: The case of sphaeriid bivalves in the Malili lake system (Sulawesi,Indonesia)

Ancient lakes are renowned as freshwater hotspots of biodiversity and endemism. However, some of these water bodies are poorly studied with the minute pill clams in the genus Pisidium (family Sphaeriidae) being particularly overlooked. The Malili lake system is located on Sulawesi, which is the largest and possibly biologically most diverse Indonesian island within the biodiversity hotspot region of Wallacea. This lake system consists of 5 interconnected lakes that harbour a unique freshwater fauna including 42 mostly endemic mollusc species described to date. The only bivalves recognized in this lake system have been in the widespread genus Corbicula. We present new insights into the sphaeriid biodiversity of the ancient Malili lakes and provide the first fossil-calibrated phylogeny for this family to discuss the biogeographical history of the Wallacean Pisidium fauna including the dating of speciation events. Both morphological and molecular data suggest that the Malili lake system is inhabited by at least three Pisidium species, two of which are potentially endemic to these lakes. This diversity is probably derived from a single colonization event from the Oriental region. The fossil-calibrated phylogeny further indicates that intra-island diversification occurred well after the island was fully formed. Our study improves understanding of the overall sphaeriid biodiversity in Indonesia as well as the endemic fauna of the ancient lakes.     

田坪水库重力坝坝基（增设）防渗帷幕效果评议

田坪水库是一座规模较大的中型水库,其大坝为浆砌石重力坝,原设计坝基只设置了标准廊道上游侧的深孔排水和建基面纵、横排水。2003年,在大坝处险工程中,增设了防渗帷幕和排水孔。文章对此进行考证和分析,其结果为：处险前坝基的实际扬压力明显低于原设计拟定的坝基扬压力;而增设的防渗帷幕和排水后,对降低坝基渗压、减小坝基渗量的效果值得商讨。     

GM（1，1）在软基海堤沉降预测中的应用

结合工程实例,以灰色理论为基础,建立GM（1,1）模型,利用前期较少的观测样本建立了数列,进行海堤沉降预测,并与实测数据进行比较。结果表明,当样本选取合适且数量足够时,GM（1,1）模型可获得较精确的预测结果。     

Spatial Dynamics of Fouling Phytomass on Hydraulic Structures in the Black Sea (Crimea)

Power Technology and Engineering - The paper presents research findings on the production potential of phyto-fouling occurring on onshore hydraulic structures (HS) along with characteristics of the...     

Observations on Diet Composition of Neogobius melanostomus Pallas 1811 (Gobiidae,Pisces) in the Gulf of Gdansk (Baltic Sea)

This study documents the diet of Neogobius melanostomus (round goby) from three different habitats within the Gulf of Gdansk. Diet composition of the round goby in the Gulf of Gdansk appears similar to that in its natural environment within the Ponto-Caspian Basin. In its native habitat, the round goby feeds mainly on epibenthic organisms and opportunistically forages on seasonally abundant components of the benthic community. A natural mollusk-feeder, the round goby feeds mainly on the mussel Mytilus trossulus in the Gulf of Gdansk. This food preference most likely is due to the fact that M. trossulus is commonly distributed throughout most of the gulf and dominates the benthic biomass. The adult round goby prefers an environment full of hiding places that also can be used for nests. Thus, submerged stones or concrete structures covered with colonies of M. trossulus are its preferred habitat. Younger gobies are more abundant in the frontal areas of underwater concrete structures where the substrate is characterized by loose stones and the presence of Mya arenaria. These habitats have different faunal structures and, therefore, different trophic relations. The round goby, which is well suited for ecological expansion, has great potential to dominate the majority of the coastal zone of the Baltic Sea. Puck Lagoon, devoid of predatory fish and rich in mussel beds, is an ideal habitat for this gobiid species.     

Response of Larval Sea Lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) to Pulsed DC Electrical Stimuli in Laboratory Experiments

Four electrical factors that are used in pulsed DC electrofishing for larval sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) were evaluated in two laboratory studies to determine the optimal values to induce larval emergence over a range of water temperatures and conductivities. Burrowed larvae were exposed to combinations of pulsed DC electrical factors including five pulse frequencies, three pulse patterns, and two levels of duty cycle over a range of seven voltage gradients in two separate studies conducted at water temperatures of 10, 15, and 20°C and water conductivities of 25, 200, and 900 μS/cm. A four-way analysis of variance was used to determine significant (α = 0.05) influences of each electrical factor on larval emergence. Multiple comparison tests with Bonferroni adjustments were used to determine which values of each factor resulted in significantly higher emergence at each temperature and conductivity. Voltage gradient and pulse frequency significantly affected emergence according to the ANOVA model at each temperature and conductivity tested. Duty cycle and pulse pattern generally did not significantly influence the model. Findings suggest that a setting of 2.0 V/cm, 3 pulses/sec, 10% duty, and 2:2 pulse pattern seems the most promising in waters of medium conductivity and across a variety of temperatures. This information provides a basis for understanding larval response to pulsed DC electrofishing gear factors and identifies electrofisher settings that show promise to increase the efficiency of the gear during assessments for burrowed sea lamprey larvae.     

Discharge pulses of hydroelectric dams and their effects in the downstream limnological conditions: a case study in a large tropical river (SE Brazil)

To address daily fluctuations in electricity demands, the quantities of water passing through the turbines of hydropower plants can vary significantly (up to fourfold) during a 24‐h cycle. This study evaluates the effects of hourly variations in water discharges on the limnological conditions observed in two below‐dam river stretches. The study reservoirs, Capivara and Taquaruçu, are the 9th and 10th reservoirs in a cascade of dams in the Paranapanema River in south‐east Brazil. The reservoirs exhibit different trophic conditions, water retention times, thermal regimes and spillway positions. Capivara Reservoir is deeper, meso‐eutrophic, with a high water retention time and hypolimnetic discharges (32 m) varying between 500 and 1400 m³ s^?1. In contrast, Taquaruçu Reservoir is relatively shallow, oligo‐mesotrophic, and has a low retention time, with water discharges varying between 500 and 2000 m³ s^?1. Its turbine water intake zone also is more superficial (7 m). For two periods of the year, winter and summer, profiles of limnological measurements were developed in the lacustrine (above‐dam site) zones of the reservoirs, as well as in the downstream river stretches (below‐dam site). In both cases, the sampling was carried out at 4‐h intervals over a complete nictemeral cycle. The results demonstrated that the reservoir operating regime (water discharge variations) promoted significant differences in the conditions of the river below the dams, especially for water velocity, turbidity, and nutrient and suspended solids concentrations. The reservoir physical characteristics, including depth, thermal stratification and outlet structure, are also key factors influencing the limnology and water quality at the below‐dam sampling sites. In the case of Capivara Reservoir, for example, the low dissolved oxygen concentration (<5.0 mg L^?1) in its bottom water layer was transferred to the downstream river stretches during the summer. These study results demonstrated that it is important to continue such investigations as a means of verifying whether or not these high‐amplitude/low‐frequency variations could negatively affect the downstream river biota.     

The effect of marine and Aral Sea water on the salinity tolerance of three Paramecium species (Ciliophora)

The shift of salinity tolerant ranges in three species of ciliates Paramecium caudatum, P. primaurelia and P. jenningsi was studied in waters containing a composition of salts resembling those in the Aral Sea, in comparison with composition of salts in marine waters. The results indicate that the salt values of tolerant ranges are increasing in water with the Aral Sea composition. The ratio among values of tolerant ranges is described by a linear function. A similar ratio connecting the same tolerant ranges exists in ciliates, but leads to reliable values of tolerant ranges when expressed in terms of chlorine concentration. Thus, the connection between the tolerances of aquatic organisms obtained for water of marine composition and water of continental composition might be described by the equation , where S_m = tolerance of organisms in marine water, whereas S_k = tolerance of organisms in continental saline water. The term α indicates the portion of chlorine ion continental saline water, while β indicates the portion in marine water.     

Effectiveness of Using Backpack Electrofishing Gear for Collecting Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) Larvae in Great Lakes Tributaries

The effects of water depth, larval density, stream conductance, temperature, lamprey length, and larval escapement were examined to determine the efficiency of sampling sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) larvae using direct current (DC) backpack electrofishing gear. A higher proportion of larvae of all sizes were collected per unit sampling effort when sample sites were shallower, contained fewer larvae, or were in streams of lower specific conductance (P < 0.001). Temperature did not affect the efficiency of sampling lamprey larvae in this study. The investigation of the effect of larval escapement on observed catch was inconclusive. Similar length distributions were found between lamprey larvae collected using electrofishing gear and those collected using either a suction dredge or collected during a lampricide treatment. These results have implications for the development of a sampling protocol that uses a single-pass electrofishing technique to estimate the overall abundance of sea lamprey larvae in a stream. This estimate is critical to determining the number of larvae with the potential to metamorphose as parasitic lamprey the following year, and consequently, the prioritization of streams for lampricide treatment.     

Risk assessment of trace elements bioaccumulated in golden gray mullet (Liza aurata) harvested from the southern Caspian Sea

Determination of trace element levels (arsenic, As; cadmium, Cd; cobalt, Co; chromium, Cr; copper, Cu; iron, Fe; lead, Pb; manganese, Mn; nickel, Ni; selenium, Se; and zinc, Zn) in the edible part (muscle) of golden gray mullet (Liza aurata: Mugilidae) and the potential health risk from consuming this fish were assessed. Sixty fish were caught by beach seine along the south-central shoreline of the Caspian Sea (Mazandaran province). Concentrations of trace elements were determined by ICP-AES. The mean concentration of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn in the muscle of golden gray mullet were 1.39, 0.036, 0.260, 0.514, 1.87, 5.66, 1.29, 0.181, 0.971, 2.01 and 7.41 mg kg^?1 wet weight, respectively. Although the higher concentrations of Cr and Cu were recorded in this study in comparison to previous studies, maximum levels of trace elements, except for As and Ni, were lower than the international standards proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food of the United Kingdom (MAFF), and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Daily intakes of these trace elements through fish consumption were compared with the established values. The hazard quotients calculated for all trace elements showed that the examined fish are considered safe for human consumption.     

Removal of dissolved copper(II) and zinc(II) by aerobic granular sludge.

This study investigated the adsorption kinetics of dissolved copper(II) and zinc(II) by aerobic granular sludge. Two series of batch experiments were conducted at different initial copper(II), zinc(II) concentrations (Co) and initial granule concentrations (Xo). Results showed that the biosorption kinetics of individual copper(II) and zinc(II) by aerobic granules were closely related to Co and Xo. The maximum biosorption capacity of individual copper(II) and zinc(II) by aerobic granules was 246.1 mg g(-1) and 180 mg g(-1), respectively. In order to theoretically interpret the results obtained, two kinetic models previously developed for biosorption were employed and compared in this study. It was found that the model proposed by Liu et al. (2003) could fit the experimental data very well, but the second-order model failed to fit the data in some cases. It appears that aerobic granules would be potential biosorbent with high efficiency for the removal of dissolved copper(II) and zinc(II) from wastewater.     

Survival of Migrating Sea Trout (Salmo trutta) Smolts During Their Passage of an Artificial Lake in a Danish Lowland Stream

Artificial lake development is often used as a management tool to reduce nutrient runoff to coastal waters. Denmark has restored more than 10 000 ha of wetlands and lakes in the last 14 years as a consequence of ‘Action Plans for the Aquatic Environment’, which aim to meet the demands of the European Union's Water Framework Directive. Juvenile, seaward migrating salmonids are highly affected by impounded waterbodies, as they are subjected to extraordinary high mortalities due to predation and altered habitat. From 2005 to 2015, survival and migration patterns of wild brown trout (Salmo trutta) smolts were investigated by using radio, acoustic and Passive Integrated Transponder telemetry both before and after the development of an artificial lake in a small Danish lowland stream. In 2005 and 2006, before the lake developed, survival was estimated to be 100% in the river stretch where the lake later developed. In 2007 and in the period between 2009 and 2015, mean yearly survival decreased to 26%. Mean time for passing the area increased significantly after the development of the lake from 0.42 to 5.95 days. Generalized additive models were used to model the probability of a successful passage. Water temperature and discharge were key environmental factors affecting survival of the smolts during the passage of the lake. Furthermore, smolt survival was negatively correlated with condition factor. This elevated level of smolt mortality may seriously compromise self‐sustaining anadromous salmonid populations when artificial lakes are developed in connection with rivers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

射流冲刷试验研究(之二)

根据室内试验结果 ,建立了一个能够统一表达圆形喷嘴和矩形喷嘴射流强度的公式 ,建立了由射流产生的冲刷坑的几何尺度与射流强度间的关系。对试验中发生的喷嘴临界提升高度从理论上分析了存在的合理性。依据分析建立的喷嘴在临界提升高度和最大提升高度之间的冲刷坑尺度与射流强度、倾角和提升高度间的关系能够较好地描述试验结果。