To show the influence of coastal habitat degradation on the availability of food for green turtles (Chelonia mydas), we assessed the dietary preferences and macroalgae community at a feeding area in a highly urbanized region. The area showed low species richness and was classified as degraded. We examined stomach contents of 15 dead stranded turtles (CCL=44.0cm (SD 6.7cm)). The diet was compose...

Eutrophication is an increasingly occurring problem that causes degradation of coastal ecosystems worldwide. Traditional monitoring of dissolved nutrients in the water column can be complicated by short term fluctuations, especially when levels of nutrients are low and turnover rapid. A proposed alternative method is the use of macroalgal tissue nutrient concentrations for indication of ambient...

The impact of selenium (Se) on Ulva sp., a green macroalga naturally growing in the Venice Lagoon, was investigated. The alga was provided for 10 days with concentrations of selenate (Na(2)SeO(4)) ranging from 0 to 100 μM. Se accumulation in the algal biomass was linearly related to the selenate dose and this relationship was not affected by the high sulfate concentration measured in the seawat...

Oceanic dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is the precursor to dimethylsulfide (DMS), which plays a role in climate regulation through transformation to methanesulfonic acid (MSA) and non-seasalt sulfate (NSS-SO(4)(2-)) aerosols. Here, we report measurements of the abundance and sulfur isotope compositions of DMSP from one phytoplankton species (Prorocentrum minimum) and five intertidal macroalg...

We explored the use of an opportunistic green alga, Enteromorpha intestinalis (L. Link), as an indicator of N enrichment in a southern California salt marsh. In conjunction with N additions to cordgrass (Spartina foliosa, Trin) in April, June and August 1995, mesh bags containing N-starved algal tissue were placed within cordgrass patches, at their edges along islands, and in adjacent channels....

In species introductions, non-native are often confronted with new niches occupied by more specialized natives, and for introduced parasites this conflict can be amplified because they also face novel hosts. Despite these obstacles, invasions of occur frequently, but the mechanisms that facilitate parasite invasion success only rarely explored. Here, we investigated how parasitic copepod Mytili...

We compared the performance of the BD Max enteric parasite panel to routine microscopy and an in-house PCR for the detection of Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica, and Cryptosporidium spp. The enteric parasite panel showed good specificity for all targets and good sensitivity for E. histolytica and Cryptosporidium spp. Sensitivity for G. intestinalis with the BD Max enteric parasite pa...

In this study, nine organic sediment samples from a medieval archaeological site at Pineuilh, France, were examined for Giardia intestinalis using two commercially available immunological kits [enzyme-linked immuno sorbent and immunofluorescence (IFA) assays]. Both techniques detected G. intestinalis in one sample, dated to 1,000 Anno Domini. This is the first time IFA was successfully used to ...

the study aimed to come up with a list of specific macroalgae species, which could be used to biomonitor specific metal elements in the coastal waters of east africa. water extraction, edta, aqua regia extraction and optimized bcr 3-step sequential extracts were used to mimic bioavailable metals under various environmental conditions. the results indicated that ulva lactuca could be used as a ...

Sixteen strains of aerobic bacteria which contain bacteriochlorophyll a were isolated from the samples collected in aerobic marine environments: thalli of Enteromorpha linza, Porphyra sp., Sargussum horneri; beach sand; and the surface seawater from Aburatsubo Inlet. When they occurred, their proportions among the aerobic heterotrophic populations ranged from 0.9 to 1.1% in the seaweed samples ...