Mangrove trees, which develop along tropical coasts, are known to use saline water uptake. In French Guiana, the high salinity condition is the result of seawater evaporation on mud banks formed from the Amazon sediment flumes. In the back mangrove a few kilometres inland, groundwater, soil water and the xylem sap uptake in the trees remain highly salty, and only very tolerant plants like Avice...

Monitoring the variation of rivers and lakes is of great importance. Satellite radar altimetry is a promising technology to do this on a regional to global scale. Satellite radar altimetry data has been used successfully to observe water levels in lakes and (large) rivers, and has also been combined with hydrologic/hydrodynamic models. Except CryoSat-2, all radar altimetry missions have been op...

Novel markers of fecal pollution in tropical waters are needed since conventional methods recommended for other geographical regions may not apply. To address this, the prevalence of thermotolerant coliforms, enterococci, coliphages, and enterophages was determined by culture methods across a watershed. Additionally, human-, chicken-, and cattle-specific PCR assays were used to identify potenti...

In many aquatic environments elevated levels of trace elements occur due to anthropogenic activities. Water organisms can be precise indicators in estimating the status of pollution of water environments. Among them several species of fish have been widely used (Håkanson 1984, Chevreuil et al. 1995, Andres et al. 2000, Falandysz et al. 2000, Perkowska and Protasowicki 2000, Řehulka 2001, Wagner...

The seasonal variation in lower trophic level ecosystem of Hakata Bay, Japan is investigated using observed data from April 1993 to March 1994 and a numerical ecosystem model. Primary production was largest in September 1993 due to high DIP concentration but secondary production was largest in August 1993 due to high water temperature. Yearly averaged primary production in Hakata Bay is larger ...

The gap between airborne imaging spectroscopy and traditional multi spectral satellite sensors is decreasing thanks to a new generation of satellite sensors of which CHRIS mounted on the small and low-cost PROBA satellite is the prototype. Although image acquisition and analysis are still in a test phase, the high spatial and spectral resolution and pointability have proved their potential. Bec...

Wetlands are broadly defined as a variety of shallow water bodies and high ground water environments that are characterized by permanent or temporary inundation or, in other words, a terrestrial ecosystem which hydraulic condition is that of water saturated soils with plants and animals adapted to life in such an environment (Lewis, W.M., 1995). From a hydrological point of view, the Ibera wetl...

Mass populations of toxin-producing cyanobacteria are an increasingly common occurrence in inland and coastal waters used for recreational purposes. These mass populations pose serious risks to human and animal health and impose potentially significant economic costs on society. In this study, we used contingent valuation (CV) methods to elicit public willingness to pay (WTP) for reductions in ...