The elevated occurrence of hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and legacy organchlorine pesticides (e.g. chlordane and DDT) in estuarine sediments continues to poses challenges for maintaining the health of aquatic ecosystems. Current efforts to develop and apply protective, science-based sediment quality regulati...

Sewage effluent is a powerful agent of ecological change in estuaries. While the effects of sewage pollution on water quality are usually well documented, biological responses of exposed organisms are not. We quantified health impacts in the form of pathological tissue changes across multiple organs in estuarine fish exposed to elevated levels of treated wastewater. Structural pathologies were ...

Many aquatic ecosystems are sustained by detrital subsidies of leaf litter derived from exogenous sources. Although numerous studies have examined the effects of litter species richness and identity on decomposition processes, it remains unclear how these effects extend to associated invertebrate communities or how these effects vary spatially according to local environmental context. Using fie...

Vibrio parahaemolyticus organisms cause acute gastroenteritis in humans. These bacteria are natural inhabitants of both marine and estuarine ecosystems. In the present study, we investigated the effectiveness of a non-selective enrichment of sediment samples with sodium chloride prior to selective enrichment with alkaline peptone water for a better recovery of V. parahaemolyticus. Sediment samp...

Mixotrophic protists, which utilize a nutritional strategy that combines phototrophy and phagotrophy, are commonly found in fresh, estuarine, and oceanic waters at all latitudes. A number of different physiological types of mixotrophs are possible, including forms which are able to use both phototrophy and phagotrophy equally well, primarily phototrophic phagocytic ‘algae’, and predominantly he...

Small-scale fisheries of lagoon-estuarine complexes (LECs) in Northwest Mexico were investigated using official landings data. Species groups found in landings were clustered into three categories according to their life cycle and habitat distribution: Lagoon-estuarine (LE), Transition zone (TZ) and Coastal (CO). Average landings were highest for LE (19,606 t yr), followed by TZ (7,234 t yr), a...

The use of space by the resident population of estuarine dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) in Norte Bay, southern Brazil was studied by boat surveys between 2000 and 2003. Data such as the geographical position and group size was collected at 5-minute intervals using focal-group sampling. The distribution and seasonal and daily group home-ranges were estimated using a GIS (Geographic Information Sy...

Ichthyoplankton are a vital component in estuarine ecosystems, as a necessary prey source for higher trophic levels and as indicators of ecosystem health. However, little information is known about the abundance and distribution trends of ichthyoplankton in Barnegat Bay, the largest estuarine ecosystem in New Jersey. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of larval fish pop...