Executive Summary Bioassessment is the science of using aquatic organisms as indicators of ecological condition in streams in rivers. Many types of organisms can be used as indicators, for example fish or algae, but bioassessment is most frequently based on benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs), which are small but visible bottom-dwelling organisms such as insects. BMI data sets typically consist o...

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN To assess the role of alcohol in drowning associated with recreational aquatic activity by reviewing the English language literature published up to October 2003. RESULTS Alcohol is widely used in association with recreational aquatic activity in the United States, but there is minimal information regarding the extent of use elsewhere. A priori and anecdotal evidence sugg...

Objective and design: To assess the role of alcohol in drowning associated with recreational aquatic activity by reviewing the English language literature published up to October 2003. Results: Alcohol is widely used in association with recreational aquatic activity in the United States, but there is minimal information regarding the extent of use elsewhere. A priori and anecdotal evidence sugg...

Selenium pollution is a worldwide phenomenon and is associated with a broad spectrum of human activities, ranging from the most basic agricultural practices to the most high-tech industrial processes. Consequently, selenium contamination of aquatic habitats can take place in urban, suburban, and rural settings alike--from mountains to plains, from deserts to rainforests, and from the Arctic to ...

Aquatic ecosystems are an essential component of the biogeochemical cycle of mercury (Hg), as inorganic Hg can be converted to toxic methylmercury (MeHg) in these environments and reemissions of elemental Hg rival anthropogenic Hg releases on a global scale. Quantification of effluent Hg releases to aquatic systems globally has focused on discharges to the global oceans, rather than contributio...

Although caviar is the most significant and famous fishery product of Iran, in recent years the country has gained a lot of experience and had some significant success with other fishery and aquaculture products. Iranian fisheries and aquaculture production reached 522,000 metric tons in 2005, of which 75% originated from capture fishery and 25% from aquaculture activities. Various fishery and ...

As populations and human activities increase in coastal watersheds, an understanding of the connections of aquatic ecosystems to the adjacent terrestrial landscape is necessary to identify, monitor, and protect vulnerable coastal habitats. This study investigates the relationships between land-use patterns and δ 15N values of aquatic organisms in coastal ecosystems, across a defined watershed g...

This study investigated the potential local CH4 sink in various plant parts as a boundary environment of CH4 emission and consumption. By comparing CH4 consumption activities in cultures inoculated with parts from 39 plant species, we observed significantly higher consumption of CH4 associated with aquatic plants than other emergent plant parts such as woody plant leaves, macrophytic marine alg...

Enzymatic activity during decomposition is extremely important to hydrolyze molecules that are assimilated by microorganisms. During aquatic macrophytes decomposition, enzymes act mainly in the breakdown of lignocellulolytic matrix fibers (i.e. cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) that encompass the refractory fraction from organic matter. Considering the importance of enzymatic activities role...

Populations of native fish and aquatic ecosystems have been negatively affected by the contamination of ground and surface waters as a result of various activities. Due to the ferrous chloride (FeCl2), which is used as the reducing agent for the organic synthesis reactions in the contamination of water column and sediment, iron salts may be very toxic for some aquatic organism. In order to mini...