Bioturbation activity of sediment-dwelling organisms promotes the release of contaminants across the benthic-pelagic ecosystem boundary, thereby affecting the exposure to and uptake of sediment associated contaminants at the sediment-water interface by themselves and the entire community around them. This way, bioturbation activity may contribute to species specific sensitivities to sediment as...

A methodology for reoxygenation of in situ benthic chamber systems by enzymatic catalysis of hydrogen peroxide with catalase was developed. For a 10-liter benthic chamber, the injection of 1 ml of catalase suspension (26,000 U ml) followed by 10 ml of 0.5 M hydrogen peroxide solution resulted in complete reoxygenation within 2.5 min at 25 degrees C.

Oxygen and carbon isotope ratios of benthic foraminifers were measured on the continuous middle to lower bathyal sedimentary sequence dated from the upper Maestrichtian to lower Eocene which was recovered at Site 752 in the eastern Indian Ocean. The changes in the carbon isotope values can be correlated with the faunal changes of the benthic foraminifers.

One of the most pervasive human impacts to salt marshes around the world is the introduction of nonnative species. Plant introductions to salt marsh systems have resulted in significant changes ranging from species replacement to broad-scale alteration of ecosystem properties. In this chapter, we examine the changes produced by the invasive Atlantic smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora in two...

Aquaculture is an expanding activity worldwide. However its rapid growth can affect the aquatic environment through release of large amounts of chemicals, including antibiotics. Moreover, the presence of organic matter and bacteria of different origin can favor gene transfer and recombination. Whereas the consequences of such activities on environmental microbiota are well explored, little is k...

We summarized studies on the impacts and scale effects of negative (competition, predation, parasitism, herbivory) and positive (mutualism, commensalism, indirect facilitation) species interactions in freshwater benthic habitats since ,1986 and focused on organisms with mainly or entirely aquatic life cycles. Benthologists publishing in J-NABS have contributed robustly to our overall knowledge ...

The marine sediment hosts a mosaic of microhabitats. Recently it has been demonstrated that the settlement of phycodetrital aggregates can induce local changes in the benthic O2 distribution due to confined enrichment of organic material and alteration of the diffusional transport. Here, we show how this microscale O2 shift substantially affects benthic nitrogen cycling. In sediment incubations...

this research summarizes the data on benthic macro invertebrates collected from 25 points in the urmia lake wetlands during november 2008 to february 2009. the purpose of the study was to assess the effects of elevated salinity and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) levels on macro invertebrate abundance and composition. a total of 32 taxa were collected, and the common taxa, including chirono...

ABSTRACT: Regular consumption of seafood has been widely recommended by the authorities. However, some species especially benthic crustaceans accumulate heavy metals. In addition, the health risks associated to the consumption of such seafood might increase if the consumers use cooking methods that enhance the concentration of heavy metals. In this study, the effects of different cooking method...

Khuzestan coastal waters have high fisheries potential and ecological importance. Since different sources of stress exist in this area, the present study was conducted to evaluate ecological quality and to determine health status in Khuzestan coastal sediments based on benthic communities and their biological parameters. Seasonal sampling was done from 20 creeks of Khur-e-Mussa area in Khuzesta...