Search results for "Environmental engineering"
showing 10 items of 2674 documents
Small-scale patches of detritus as habitat for invertebrates within a Zostera noltei meadow
2021
Abstract Seagrass detritus can attract numerous invertebrates as it provides food and substrate within the meadow or in adjacent environments. Nonetheless, several factors could modify the invertebrate response to this habitat. In this study, we tested if epifaunal colonisation of Zostera noltei detritus was related to substrate availability rather than food and whether colonising assemblages were similar according to the meadow structural complexity. Litterbags filled with natural or artificial detritus were deployed within an eelgrass meadow in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Thau lagoon, France). Colonisation appeared to be driven by the presence of detritus, with similar assemblages in …
Predicting the effectiveness of oil recovery strategies in the marine polluted environment
2018
Abstract Many recent studies have focused their attention on the physiological stress experienced by marine organisms in measuring ecotoxicological responses. Here we suggest a new approach for investigating the effects of an anthropogenic pollutant on Life-History (LH) traits of marine organisms, to provide stakeholders and policy makers an effective tool to evaluate the best environmental recovery strategies and plans. A Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB), coupled with a biophysical model was used to predict the effects of a six-month oil spill on Mytilus galloprovincialis' LH traits and to test two potential recovery strategies in the central Mediterranean Sea. Oxygen consumption rates were use…
Ecological effects of aquaculture on living and non-living suspended fractions of the water column: a meta-analysis.
2006
The effects of aquaculture on the ecology of the water column have been extensively studied in the last two decades. However, to date, it has not been possible to extrapolate homogeneous information from the peer-reviewed literature. In the present study, 68 peer-reviewed articles were analysed and about 1087 study cases were used to test whether worldwide cultivations of aquatic organisms (shrimps, fish, bivalves and polyculture) have a differential effect on living and non-living fractions of the water column (suspended matter, chlorophyll-a, particulate organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, bacteria and plankton). Meta-analysis feasibility depends on obtaining an estimate of the effec…
The author's reply to N.R. Haddaway.
2017
Abstract In this reply we respond to the commentary of Dr. Haddaway addressed in searching for pitfalls in our systematic mapping exercise “Collating science-based evidence to inform public opinion on the environmental effects of marine drilling platforms in the Mediterranean Sea” recently published in Journal of Environmental Management (Mangano, M.C. and Sara, G. 2017. Journal of Environmental Management 188: 195–202). We discussed each so called “pitfalls” and, in our opinion, the main cornerstones of systematic map – SM (repeatability, comprehensiveness, transparency, traceability, quality, generalizability) are safe guaranteeing the “gold standard” required by this technique. Where nee…
The trophic position of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun 1896 in the food web of Parila Lagoon (South Eastern Adriatic, Croatia): A…
2016
The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus is to date widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea, where is recognized as an Invasive Alien Species. Noticeably, while records of its occurrence are increasing, quantitative information on its functional role in the benthic food webs of invaded coastal habitats are scarce. Here, carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures were measured in C. sapidus and other representative taxa of the benthic flora and fauna sampled in summer in the Parila Lagoon, a coastal basin located in the Neretva River estuary area (Croatia). d 15 N values of individual blue crab specimens were used to calculate their trophic position (TP) , using the filter feeder mussel M…
Effectiveness of Posidonia oceanica biotic indices for assessing the ecological status of coastal waters in the Saronikos Gulf (Aegean Sea, Eastern M…
2017
Biotic indices are considered key assessment tools in most national and European policies aimed at improving the quality of coastal waters. At present, several Water Framework Directive (WFD)-compliant biotic indices based on the marine angiosperm Posidonia oceanica have been developed and applied in the Mediterranean Sea. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of four different P. oceanica indices (POMI, PREI, Valencian CS, and BiPo) in evaluating the ecological status of coastal waters in a case study area of Greece. The evaluation, comparison, and validation of the Ecological Status Class (ESC) assessments obtained by each index were based on a set of eight common sites that en…
Conifer Needles as Thermoplastic Composite Fillers: Structure and Properties
2016
This study describes the properties of thermoplastic polymer composites based on polyethylene (of low and high density) and ethylene-propylene copolymers using various types of conifer needles (pine, spruce, fir, and cedar) as fillers. For the needles, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and TGA/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TGA/FTIR) were performed to investigate their structures and thermal resistance, as required for the composite processing methods. Moreover, structural differences were studied for the analyzed fillers and composite materials (FTIR). The results were compared with the values obtained for composites with conifer wood flour. Composites with conifer needles (pine) …
Characterization of the biodegradation, bioremediation and detoxification capacity of a bacterial consortium able to degrade the fungicide thiabendaz…
2017
Thiabendazole (TBZ) is a persistent fungicide used in the post-harvest treatment of fruits. Its application results in the production of contaminated effluents which should be treated before their environmental discharge. In the absence of efficient treatment methods in place, biological systems based on microbial inocula with specialized degrading capacities against TBZ could be a feasible treatment approach. Only recently the first bacterial consortium able to rapidly transform TBZ was isolated. This study aimed to characterize its biodegradation, bioremediation and detoxification potential. The capacity of the consortium to mineralize 14C-benzyl-ring labelled TBZ was initially assessed. …
New challenges and opportunities of food fermentation processes: Application of conventional and innovative techniques.
2019
International audience
Sustainable production of fennel and dill by intercropping
2008
Intercropping is claimed to be one of the most significant cropping techniques in sustainable agriculture, and much research and many reviews attribute to its utilization a number of environmental benefits, from promoting land biodiversity to diversifying agricultural outcome. In this sense, intercropping is thought to be a useful means of minimizing the risks of agricultural production in many environments, including those typical of under-developed or marginal areas. In order to validate this hypothesis in a representative area of the semiarid Mediterranean environment, we evaluated the possibility of growing dill and fennel, both belonging to the family Apiaceae, in temporary intercroppi…