During the past two decades, the round goby Apollonia melanostoma (=Neogobius melanostomus) has expanded its range via shipping transport and canals, extending north and west from the Ponto-Caspian region of Eurasia and to the North American Great Lakes. Exotic populations of the round goby have been very successful in the Baltic Sea and the Great Lakes regions, exerting significant ecological ...

The present study evaluated Se bioaccumulation in four waterbird species (n=206 birds) that breed within San Francisco Bay, California, U.S.A.: American avocets (Recurvirostra americana), black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus), Forster's terns (Sterna forsteri), and Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia). Selenium concentrations were variable and influenced by several factors, including species...

the authors state that " Religious groups have gone so far as to state that the VeriChip may be a realization of the Mark of the Beast as described in the New Testament. " The authors support this statement with an endnote referenc-ing a book of which I am the co-author. The statement is wrong on several counts. First, neither I nor my co-author, Liz McIntyre, head up or have formed any " relig...

Aggregations of the Ponto-Caspian invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) constitute a suitable habitat for macroinvertebrates, considerably increasing their abundance and providing effective antipredator protection. Thus, the overall effect of a mussel bed on particular predator species may vary from positive to negative, depending on both prey density increase and predator ability to pre...

this study was carried out to determine the appropriate size of caspian trout ( salmo caspius kessler, 1877) juveniles for releasing into the rivers that enter south of the caspian sea for stock enhancement, or possibility of cage culture in the caspian sea. a total of 1611 specimens in 4 weight groups of 5, 10, 15 and 20g were exposed to 3 salinity trials which include caspian sea water (11- 1...

Feeding habits of Caspian marine shad Alosa braschnikowii (Borodin, 1904), inhabiting in the western part of Caspian Sea such as prey spectrum and seasonal dynamics have been studied. As in other parts of Caspian Sea, throughout the year, the main hunt of Caspian marine shad constituted kilkas, gobies and shrimps while other groups of zoobenthos were represented in a lesser extent. Importance o...

Persistent organic pollutants are a concern for species occupying high trophic levels since they can cause immunosuppression and impair reproduction. Mass mortalities due to canine distemper virus (CDV) occurred in Caspian seals (Pusa caspica), in spring of 1997, 2000 and 2001, but the potential role of organochlorine exposure in these epizootics remains undetermined. Here we integrate Caspian ...

Economic expansion in developed countries coupled with dramatically growing economies in countries such as China and India have precipitated a steady increase in demand for oil and natural gas. The Caspian Sea region holds large quantities of both oil and natural gas. Because the Caspian Sea is landlocked and the region’s nations are distant from the largest energy markets, transportation must ...

Fipronil is an effective insecticide widely used in agriculture with potential ecotoxicological consequences. The median lethal dose (LD50) and concentration (LC50) of fipronil in 16.3 g Caspian white fish, Rutilus frisii kutum fingerlings were determined. To determine the LD50, a total of 133 fish were assigned to 19 tanks (7 fish/tank) including one control and 6 treatment groups (300, 450, 5...

springs are the important water resources, which thier study is necessary in terms of their management and exploitation. in northern iran, the karst springs locate in the central alborz highlands and alluvial springs on the caspian southern coasts.the karst and alluvial springs discharge is variable because of different conditions in terms of aquifer, topography and precipitation .this study ha...