In order to determine whether certain fish species or groups of species are associated with the different habitat types occurring in the inland waterbodies of south-western Australia, 239 sites sampled between Margaret River and Broke Inlet were assigned to appropriate Ramsar wetland categories and their fish assemblages then subjected to classification, Each of the sample sites fell into one o...

The possible occurrence of a functional ornithine-urea cycle (OUC) and changes of activity of key amino acid metabolism-related enzymes were studied in the amphihaline shad hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) that were collected from estuarine water of Kakdwip and from freshwater river basin of Bhrahmaputra during the breeding season. Very high concentration of urea was detected in different tissues and p...

The estuarine nitrogen cycle can be substantially altered due to anthropogenic activities resulting in increased amounts of inorganic nitrogen (mainly nitrate). In the past, denitrification was considered to be the main ecosystem process removing reactive nitrogen from the estuarine ecosystem. However, recent reports on the contribution of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) to n...

BACKGROUND Biological invasions have become the focus of considerable concern and ecological research, yet the relative importance of abiotic and biotic factors in controlling the invasibility of habitats to exotic species is not well understood. Spartina species are highly invasive plants in coastal wetlands; however, studies on the factors that control the success or failure of Spartina invas...

Sterols and triterpenols present in sedimentary cores from 12 stations along the Cananéia-Iguape estuarine-lagoonal system were investigated by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Ten sterols and three triterpenols were identified and quantified, indicating both natural and anthropogenic sources. The relative distributions of sterol and triterpen...

A simple model of estuarine eutrophication is built on biomechanical (or mechanistic) descriptions of a number of the key ecological processes in estuaries. Mechanistically described processes include the nutrient uptake and light capture of planktonic and benthic autotrophs, and the encounter rates of planktonic predators and prey. Other more complex processes, such as sediment biogeochemistry...

Hypoxia, or low dissolved oxygen, remains a common occurrence in estuarine waters as human activity in coastal areas expands. Fish kills, probably the most recognized indicator of these and other water quality problems, have significantly increased in recent years in many Southeastern United States estuaries. While entire aquatic communities are impacted by changes in available oxygen, estuarin...

Resistance to tributyltin (TBT) was examined in populations from TBT-polluted sediments and nonpolluted sediments from an estuary and from fresh water as well as in pure cultures isolated from those sediments. The 50% effective concentrations (EC50s) for populations were higher at a TBT-polluted freshwater site than at a site without TBT, suggesting that TBT selected for a TBT-resistant populat...

Historically, coastal fisheries biology has focused on the theme of estuarine dependency with emphasis on microhabitat use. Ironically, however, few fishes that we associate with estuaries are in fact obligatory users. What then are the causes and consequences of estuarine habitat use? At the Estuarine Research Federation 2003 Seattle Meeting, we explored ‘‘connectivity’’ in the life cycles of ...

Estuarine ecosystems are being rapidly degraded by environmental toxicants from municipal and industrial wastes, agricultural runoff, recreational boating, shipping, and coastal development, ranking them as the most anthropogenically degraded habitat types on earth. Toxicity tests are used to establish links between adverse ecological effects and the toxicity of environmental chemicals. However...