In this general, strongly pro-animal, and somewhat utopian and personal essay, I argue that we owe aquatic animals respect and moral consideration just as we owe respect and moral consideration to all other animal beings, regardless of the taxonomic group to which they belong. In many ways it is more difficult to convince some people of our ethical obligations to numerous aquatic animals becaus...

Water quality is largely influenced by the abundance and diversity of indigenous microbes present within an aquatic environment. Physical, chemical and biological contaminants from anthropogenic activities can accumulate in aquatic systems causing detrimental ecological consequences. Approaches exploiting microbial processes are now being utilized for the detection, and removal or reduction of ...

Contamination of water and sediment with arsenic (As) in a highly industrialized area of Pohang City, Korea was investigated, with emphasis on in situ bioaccumulation of arsenicals by various aquatic organisms. Species- and tissue-specific concentrations of arsenicals were determined by use of HPLC-ICP/MS and μ-X-ray absorption near-edge structure (μ-XANES). Concentrations of arsenic in aquatic...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of a 14-week aquatic exercise programme for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). DESIGN Non-randomized control trial. METHODS Twelve children participated in this pilot study with seven participants in the aquatic exercise group and five in the control group. The programme was held twice per week for 40 minutes per session. Swimming skills, ...

Fossil skeletons of Homo erectus and related specimens typically had heavy cranial and postcranial bones, and it has been hypothesised that these represent adaptations, or are responses, to various physical activities such as endurance running, heavy exertion, and/or aggressive behavior. According to the comparative biological data, however, skeletons that show a combination of disproportionall...

The purpose of this article is to present a contemporary picture of the Halliwick Concept– from Water Specific Therapy (WST) to the Ten-Point-Program (TPP) and to identify potential areas of further development by proposing a collaborative approach using the Halliwick Concept. The authors acknowledge differences in philosophies of both WST and TPP, and propose that the Halliwick Concept can ser...

Fishing Is one of the few activities left in which people harvest what they have not sown an anachronistic leftover from the times of hunters-gatherers. The transition from hunting and gathering to farming on land took place several thousand years .a90 in most cultures; with fisheries this transition is only now beginning to take place on a large scale, and may be completed only well into the n...

Humans have altered Earth's nitrogen cycle so dramatically that reactive nitrogen (Nr) has doubled. This has increased Nr in aquatic ecosystems, which can lead to reduced water quality and ecosystem health. Apportioning sources of Nr to specific ecosystems, however, continues to be challenging, despite this knowledge being critical for mitigation and protection of water resources. Here we use Δ...

Environmental constraints in aquatic habitats have become topics of concern to both the scientific community and the public at large. In particular, coastal and freshwater habitats are subject to dramatic variability in various environmental factors, as a result of both natural and anthropogenic processes. The protection and sustainable management of all aquatic habitats requires greater unders...

Zebra mussels clog water pipes of power plants in the Great Lakes region. Boaters on the Mississippi River are injured by jumping carp. Predatory and scary-looking snakeheads prowl the Potomac River. These are just a few examples of an issue that has become a global problem. Hundreds of aquatic species have been moved outside their native ranges by humans. Some species are moved incidentally as...