Changes in the lower trophic levels as a consequence of the level of fish manipulation in the ponds

Cyprinid fish of different mature age classes (3+ -4+) and stocks (100, 300 and 500 kg/ha) were introduced into each of three experimental ponds with area of 0.3 ha (average depth ca 1.7 m) while the fourth pond was left free of fish. Bream (Abramis brama L.), white bream (Blicca bjoerkna L.) and roach (Rutilus rutilus L.) made up 75% of the total cyprinid biomass, with wild carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) as the remaining 25%. The introduced fish spawned successfully. The high (above 300 kg/ha) planktivorous and benthivorous fish stocks resulted in several qualitative and quantitative alterations of the food chain structure in our simulation pond experiments. These alterations must primarily be assigned to changes caused by both the zooplanktivory and benthivory nature of the stocked fish populations. At the higher levels of fish biomass, Secchi depth was influenced significantly by chlorophyll-a concentration. Most of the variance in suspended solids concentration could be explained by the biomass ratio of the mature benthivorous fish. There was a clear shift in algal cell size in the ponds with the higher fish stocks: ponds with more fish had larger cells later in the summer. The relative influence of young cyprinid fish on crustaceans species composition and biomass, and mature populations on benthic fauna abundance and biomass, was sufficiently greater at higher (300–500 kg/ha) fish stock rates.     

Laboratory and field evaluations of industrial formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis serovar. israelensis against some mosquito species of central Italy

Two wettable powder formulations (Bactimos and Vectobac) and a flowable concentrate (Teknar) formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis serovar. israelensis were evaluated as larvicides of Culex pipiens, Aedes caspius, and Aedes detritus. In the laboratory, the levels of susceptibility of these species to the test formulations were essentially similar and corresponded to their relative potencies; the LC₉₀ values ranged from 0.042 to 0.37 ppm. C. pipiens, A. caspius, and A. detritus, in that order, were susceptible to the biocide. Under field conditions in central Italy. Bactimos at 0.5 kg/ha gave 98% control of C. pipiens in an irrigation canal. Teknar at 1.25 liters/ha gave 86–100%, and at 2.5 liters/ha gave 90–100% control of C. pipiens in two natural ponds. Against A. caspius in salt marsh habitats, Bactimos at 0.5 kg/ha and Teknar at 2.5 liters/ha yielded complete control of the larvae, while a lower rate (0.2 kg/ha) of Bactimos, and Vectobac at 0.5 kg/ha resulted in 82–94% and 67–91% control, respectively. Higher rates (0.75 and 1.0 kg/ha) of Vectobac gave 76–100% and 98–100% control of A. caspius. Bactimos at 0.15 kg/ha gave 93–98% control of A. detritus in two salt marsh ponds. B. thuringiensis serovar. israelensis is practically economical for the control of C. pipiens, A. caspius, and A. detritus in the various biotopes in central Italy.     

Evaluation of Econem™, a Formulated Pasteuria sp. Bionematicide, for Management of Belonolaimus longicaudatus on Golf Course Turf

In 2010, a turfgrass bionematicide containing in vitro produced Pasteuria sp. for management of Belonolaimus longicaudatus was launched under the tradename Econem^™. Greenhouse pot studies and field trials on golf course fairways and tee boxes evaluated Econem at varied rates and application frequencies. Trials on putting greens compared efficacy of three applications of Econem at 98 kg/ha to untreated controls and 1,3-dichloropropene at 53 kg a.i/ha. Further putting green trials evaluated the ability of three applications of Econem at 98 kg/ha to prevent resurgence of population densities of B. longicaudatus following treatment with 1,3-dichloropropene at 53 kg a.i./ha. None of the Econem treatments in pot studies were effective at reducing B. longicaudatus numbers (P ≤ 0.05). Econem was associated with reduction in population densities of B. longicaudatus (P ≤ 0.1) on only a single sampling date in one of the eight field trials and did not improve turf health in any of the trials (P > 0.1). These results did not indicate that Econem is an effective treatment for management of B. longicaudatus on golf course turf.     

Longevity of simultaneous operation of aquaculture and mangrove forestry as explained in terms of water and sediment qualities

A silvofishery system (SFS) of 5.2 ha, simultaneously combining aquaculture (shrimp, crab, and fish) and forestry, was studied to understand how the water/sediment qualities had remained viable for 30 years. The long life of this SFS pond contrasts sharply with a short life of many conventional, intensively managed shrimp ponds (5 years on average). Total ammonia nitrogen in the SFS water (0.06 mg l^?1) was much lower than the Thai environmental safety standard for shrimp ponds (1.0 mg l^?1) and approximately 0.05 % of an average conventional, intensively managed shrimp pond. Total organic nitrogen of the pond sediment was 1.47 mg g^?1 which was almost half of conventional, intensively managed shrimp ponds. The flux study revealed that NH₄–N was the dominant form of nitrogen, with lesser amounts of NO₂–N and NO₃–N, and that NH₄–N was being released from the sediment into the water. Nitrogen loss from the pond, which was regarded as the denitrification rate, was estimated to be 71.5 mgN m^?2 d^?1, corresponded to 55 % of the total nitrogen input. As the average denitrification rate in a conventional, intensively managed shrimp pond is 13.4 %, the SFS was shown to be relatively efficient in removing accumulated nitrogen from the pond. Assuming accepted feed conversion rates, 3,340 kg of feed would have been necessary for the amount of fishery production recorded during 5 May 2005 and 22 March 2006. However, only 380 kg of trash fish was added, representing a saving of 2,960 kg of feed. Such a saving could be attributed to detritus from the mangrove trees that have been growing within the pond and algae encouraged to bloom by the shallow water depth. Therefore, it is suggested that the efficient nitrogen removal due to the high denitrification rate as well as the reduced feed input from mangrove detritus substitution, have contributed to maintaining favourable water and sediment qualities, resulting in the longevity of SFS pond.     

Occurrence and removal of parasites, enteric bacteria and faecal contamination indicators in wastewater natural reclamation systems in Tenerife-Canary Islands, Spain

Two wastewater natural reclamation systems (WWNRS) have been compared regarding their efficiencies on faecal bacteria removal and the persistence of enteric pathogens. These WWNRS are constituted of a combination of anaerobic treatment, small sub-surface flow constructed wetland refilled of volcanic ashes and a final pond as water reservoir. Faecal coliforms, enterococci, Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, somatic coliphages, Salmonella sp., Campylobacter sp., Cryptosporidium sp., Giardia sp. and helminth eggs were analyzed in constructed wetlands inlet and outlet and storage pond effluent. Low numbers of protozoan positive samples (4.54% in Albergue de Bolico for both protozoa, and 19.05% in Carrizal Alto for Giardia sp.) and absence of helminth eggs were found. Both systems demonstrated efficient reduction of faecal contamination indicators in the wastewaters (removal rates values of 2 log₁₀). The natural systems for wastewater treatment used to be efficient in Salmonella abatement, this fact was confirmed in the reported systems, since enterobacteriaceae were found in only one of the effluents. Campylobacter species associated with the access of animals to storage ponds were detected in the reclaimed water.     

Stability of toxigenic Microcystis blooms

This is the first detailed study on the occurrence of cyanobacterial toxins in India, where we studied five eutrophic, temple ponds in the vicinity of Varanasi city, Uttar Pradesh, which continuously supported blooms of Microcystis sp. for several years. Bloom material from all five ponds was sampled bi-monthly from September 2003 to August 2004. Analysis of extracts by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) indicated that microcystin-RR (MC-RR) was present all year round at high concentrations (311–1540 μg/g, dry weight), posing a significant health hazard especially since all five ponds are widely used for bathing, washing, cattle drinking supply, irrigation and recreation. In addition, there was unusually low temporal variation in concentration of MC-RR in each pond, <20% variation in four out of five ponds throughout the year.Characterization of microcystin composition of several bloom samples from this study by HPLC–PDA/MS confirmed that additional microcystins were present in many of the samples. The rarely reported, MC-AR was frequently detected in bloom samples from three of the ponds (Adityanagar, Durgakund and Sankuldhara), where it typically represented 20% of the microcystin pool. MC-WR was frequently found in samples from Adityanagar and Sankuldhara, representing 5–10% of the microcystin pool. MC-LR, along with the previously unreported MC-AHar, each represented approximately 5% of the microcystin pool when present. Bloom samples from each pond had a characteristic microcystin profile, when sampled from 2003 to 2006, suggesting persistent species/strain domination.The perennial and consistent nature of the toxic Microcystis blooms in these ponds is highly unusual, in contrast to the commonly encountered temporal and spatial variation of toxigenic and non-toxigenic species. Laboratory isolates from several ponds were shown to produce microcystins, showing similar microcystin composition to the original bloom material.     

Fate of radiocesium in freshwater aquatic plants and algae in the vicinity of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant

The behavior of radiocesium (¹³⁷Cs) in aquatic plants (five species) and algae (three genera) grown in either a river (one sampling point) or pond (four sampling points) in the vicinity of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was investigated. The ¹³⁷Cs concentration of <0.45-μm fractions of water taken from the river and ponds was between 5.01 × 10^?1 and 2.98 Bq/L, while that of sediment was between 4.85 × 10³ and 5.72 × 10⁴ Bq/kg dry weight. The ratio of ¹³⁷Cs concentration of sediment/water in ponds was ~10⁴. The sediment-to-plant transfer factor (TF) [(¹³⁷Cs concentration Bq/kg dry weight_plant) × (¹³⁷Cs concentration Bq/kg dry weight_sediment)^?1] was also measured. For aquatic plants, the highest value was 5.55 for Potamogeton crispus from the river, while the lowest was 3.34 × 10^?2 for P. distinctus from a pond. There were significant differences in values between aquatic plants belonging to the same genus. The water-to-plant TF [(¹³⁷Cs concentration Bq/kg dry weight_plant) × (¹³⁷Cs concentration Bq/L_water)^?1] of filamentous algae (Spirogyra sp.) and cyanobacteria (coexisting Anabaena sp. and Microcystis sp.) were 2.39 × 10³ and 1.26 × 10³, respectively. The ¹³⁷Cs concentration of cyanobacteria in pond water was 4.87 × 10^?1 Bq/L, which was the same order of magnitude as the ¹³⁷Cs concentration of pond water. Enrichment of ¹³⁷Cs in cyanobacteria was not observed.     

Microbial diversity and composition in acidic sediments of freshwater finfish culture ponds fed with two types of feed: a metagenomic approach

Microbial community profile associated with acidic pond sediments (APS) (pH = 3·0–4·5) of freshwater finfish aquaculture ponds (n = 8) was investigated. Sediment DNA extracted from the eight APS were subjected to high-throughput sequencing of V3 and V4 regions which yielded 7236 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) at a similarity of 97%. Overall results showed higher proportion of bacterial OTUs than archaeal OTUs in all the APS. Euryarchaeota (23%), Proteobacteria (19%), Chloroflexi (17%), Crenarchaeota (5·3%), Bacteroidetes (4·8%), Nitrospirae (3·2%), Nanoarchaeaeota (3%) which together constituted 75% of the microbial diversity. At the genus level, there was high preponderance of methanogens namely Methanolinea (5·4%), Methanosaeta (4·5%) and methanotrops, Bathyarchaeota (5%) in APS. Moreover, the abundant phyla in the APS were not drastically affected by the administration of chicken slaughter waste (R-group ponds) and commercial fish feed (C-group ponds), since 67% of the OTUs generated remained common in the APS of both the groups of ponds. There was a minimal difference of 24–26% of OTUs between C-group and R-group ponds, suggesting the existence of a core microbial community in these ponds driven by acidic pH over the years. This study concludes that microbial diversity in pond sediment was influenced to a lesser extent by the addition of chicken slaughter waste but was majorly driven by acidic nature of the pond.     

Summer algal communities and primary productivity in fish ponds

The paper presents data on primary productivity and phytoplankton communities in new experimental ponds which received the following treatments; ammonium nitrate and triplesuperphosphate, triplesuperphosphate, cracked corn (10% crude protein) and Auburn No. 3 fish feed (36% crude protein). Comparative data on algal communities were also obtained from production ponds which received feeds or fertilizers. Basic ecological data on macro-algae are also presented.

1. All nutrient additions to experimental ponds resulted in higher levels of gross photosynthesis and greater concentrations of chlorophyll a than were found in the control treatments. Fertilization with both nitrogen and phosphorus gave the highest values. Chlorophyll a and gross photosynthesis were higher in ponds receiving high protein content feed (Auburn No. 3) than in ponds to which low protein content feed (corn) was applied.
2. Persistent blooms of blue-green algae occurred in ponds receiving nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization. Phosphorus only fertilization produced blooms of blue-greens, but these blooms did not persist as in the ponds to which nitrogen was also added. Control ponds were dominated by green algae. Blue-green algae were seldom abundant in feed treatments.
3. Production ponds had high level of gross photosynthesis and large concentrations of chlorophyll a.
4. Many of the production ponds which received feed applications developed heavy blooms of blue-green algae.
5. The major species of blue-green algae observed in the present study were Oscillatoria sp., Raphidiopsis curvata, Anacystis nidulans, A. aeruginosa, Spirulina sp., and Anabaena circinalis. Heterocyst bearing forms, which can presumably fix nitrogen, were seldom noted in ponds that received continuous additions of nitrogen from fish feeds.
6. Macro-algae are abundant in many fish ponds. Data illustrating the competition of macro-algae with phytoplankton are presented.

     

Biomass and nutrient concentrations of sporocarps produced by mycorrhizal and decomposer fungi in Abies amabilis stands

Summary Sporocarps and sclerotia were collected for a one-year period in 23- and 180-year-old Abies amabilis stands in western Washington. All sporocarps were classified and chemically analyzed for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na and Fe. Lactarius sp. and Cortinarius sp. contributed the largest proportion of the total annual epigeous sporocarp production in both stands. Annual epigeous production was 34 kg/ha in the young stand and 27 kg/ha in the mature stand. Hypogeous sporocarp production increased from 1 kg ha^-1 yr^-1 to 380 kg ha^-1 yr^-1 with increasing stand age. High sclerotia biomass occurred in the young (2,300 kg/ha) and mature (3,000 kg/ha) stands. Peak sclerotia and epigeous sporocarp biomass in the young stand and epigeous and hypogeous sporocarp biomass in the mature stand coincided with the fall peak of mycorrhizal root biomass.In the young stand, sporocarps produced by decomposer fungi concentrated higher levels of Ca and Mn than those produced by mycorrhizal fungi. In the mature stand, sporocarps of decomposer fungi concentrated higher levels of N, P, Mn, Ca and Fe than sporocarps of mycorrhizal fungi. Epigeous and hypogeous sporocarps concentrated higher levels of N, P, and K than sclerotia or mycelium. The highest concentration of N (4.36%), P (0.76%), K (3.22%) and Na (1,678 ppm) occurred in epigeous sporocarps. Highest Mn (740 ppm) and Ca (20,600 ppm) concentrations occurred in mycelium, while highest Mg (1,929 ppm) concentrations were in hypogeous sporocarps and highest Fe (4,153 ppm) concentrations were in sclerotia.     

综合养鱼高产池塘的溶氧变化周期

根据1979—1984年对主养鲢、鳙、非鲫,主养青、草鱼,主养青鱼3种养殖结构类型高产鱼池溶氧变化周期的系统研究,揭示了高产养鱼池塘溶氧的昼夜、垂直、水平变化及季节变化周期,分析了光合作用、呼吸作用、扩散作用在高产养鱼池塘溶氧动力学上的地位和作用。对高产养鱼池塘的溶氧收入、支出及平衡情况进行了定量研究,在主要饲养季节,测得晴到多云天、晴天的溶氧来源分别为:浮游植物光合产氧占86.0和95.3%,大气扩散溶入占14.0和4.7%;氧的消耗分别为:“水呼吸”消耗氧占72.0和72.0%,鱼类呼吸消耗氧占22.0和13.1%,淤泥中生物呼吸消耗氧占2.9、5.5%,扩散逸出占3.1、8.8%。文中还对溶氧变化周期与养鱼池塘管理的环境控制、结构控制之间的关系进行了分析。       

Biodiversity patterns of nutrient-rich fish ponds and implications for conservation

Nutrient-rich water bodies are usually expected to host low species richness at the local scale (water body). Nevertheless, they can support a diverse and sometimes unique biodiversity when diversity is considered at a regional scale. This discrepancy between the two scales is well documented for natural water bodies, but little is known about biodiversity of artificial water bodies, like fish ponds. We hypothesise that nutrient-rich water bodies can collectively host high species richness at the regional scale. Thus, these are important ecosystems for the regional conservation of biodiversity. We investigated 84 fish ponds in the Dombes region, France, with five taxonomic groups: macrophytes, phytoplankton, macroinvertebrates, dragonflies, and amphibians. Species richness patterns were determined for α- (single pond), β- (between ponds), and γ- (regional pond network) levels. For most studied species groups, richness per fish pond and at the regional level proved to be relatively high in comparison with natural ponds in other landscapes. Contribution of α-diversity to regional diversity was highest for dragonflies with 41 %, and lowest for amphibians and macrophytes with 16 and 18 %, respectively. For macroinvertebrate families and phytoplankton genera it was intermediate. Contribution of β-diversity to regional diversity was similar for all species groups with 22–25 %. Furthermore, some ponds hosted a large number of less frequent species and some endangered species, indicating that the conservation of biodiversity of fish ponds must be established at a regional scale.     

Impacts of cadmium contamination and fish presence on wetland invertebrate communities: An application of population measures and multi-metric tests

Wetlands are extensively used in heavy metal bioremediation, and it is important to know how biota are impacted by such toxins. I examined invertebrate communities in six experimental wetland ponds in Ithaca, NY, USA to assess the effects of residual cadmium. Three ponds had been treated with cadmium in 1983, and still had average levels of 3.6 mg/kg in the sediment in 2001. Also, two of the cadmium ponds and one non-cadmium pond had predatory fish populations. I quantified the variable effects on invertebrate communities using non-parametric statistics, CCA (canonical correspondence analysis), and three published multi-metric tests (Burton et al., 1999, Apfelbeck, 2001, Helgen and Gernes, 2001). Cadmium effects could not be seen in ponds with fish because invertebrate abundance in these ponds was low. In ponds without fish, cadmium appeared to have significant influence on invertebrate abundance, but not on diversity. None of the multi-metric tests detected a cadmium impact. This study suggests that trophic interactions between fish and invertebrates should be considered in wetland index development and implementation.     

Significant Arsenic Reduction by Pond Sediment Microflora in the Arsenic-Affected Bengal Delta

Biogeochemical reduction and mobilization of sediment-bound arsenic have triggered widespread groundwater arsenic contamination and public health emergency in Bengal Delta. The present study examines arsenic reduction ability of pond sediment microbiota and their diversity from arsenic-affected villages. Arsenic reduction ability of pond sediment microbiota and individual bacterial isolates were studied in sediment microcosm and in culture medium. Arsenic-reducing strains were identified from 16S rDNA sequences. Pond sediment microflora caused profuse arsenic reduction under anoxic and partial anoxic conditions, and under the influence of labile organic matter. Prominent arsenic-reducing strains were identified as Chryseobacterium sp., Pseudomonas sp., Acinetobacter sp., and Comamonas aquatica. The presence of partial-to-true anoxic conditions, typical of pond ecosystems in this region and labile organic matter, as well as organic manure applications in ponds for aquaculture, strongly favored arsenic reduction by sediment microflora. The Bengal Delta plain is bestowed with thousands of aquaculture ponds and floodplain wetlands which might act as important sites for microbial reduction and mobilization of arsenic to the groundwater hydrologic system in the region.     

Seasonal patterns of activity and community structure in an amphibian assemblage at a pond network with variable hydrology

We studied community structure and seasonal activity patterns in a system of four ponds with seasonally-variable hydrology at a Mediterranean area in central Italy. We used a set of field methods to assess species presence and relative frequency of observation. The network of ponds was inhabited by six species of amphibians, two salamanders and four frogs. The breeding phenology of the six species did not vary remarkably among ponds, but there were significant differences among species in use of ponds. Factorial analysis of pond similarity drawn from percentage composition of the amphibian fauna, revealed that each of the four ponds was treatable as independent units, with no influence of relative inter-pond distance. PCA analysis allowed us to spatially arrange the amphibian species into three main groups: two were monospecific groups (i.e., Triturus vulgaris and Bufo bufo) and the third consisted of those species that selected not only the largest-deepest ponds, but also the ephemeral ones (i.e., Triturus carnifex, Hyla intermedia, the green frogs and Rana dalmatina). Our results suggest that the inter-pond differences in riparian vegetation, water depth, aquatic vegetation structure/abundance, and soil composition may produce differences among pond ecological characteristics (i.e., water turbidity and temperature, shelter availability, abundance of oviposition micro-sites), which may in turn influence different patterns of use by amphibians. To our knowledge, this is the first study emphasizing the potential role of heterochrony in the maintenance of a high species richness in Mediterranean amphibian communities. Preservation of freshwater vertebrate biodiversity requires management and protection not only of the main ponds and water bodies but also the temporary and ephemeral shallow ponds.     

Potential use of environmental cyanobacterial species in bioremediation of lindane-contaminated effluents

This study investigated the potential degradation of lindane [γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH)], resulting from agricultural runoff, by environmental species of cyanobacteria. Cyanobacterial species isolated from the Egyptian Lakes Qaroun and Mariut were exposed, either individually or as mixtures, to 5 and 10 ppm lindane for 7 days. Growth inhibition or stimulation percentage, as well as the percentage of lindane removal efficiency (RE), were calculated, and factors controlling both were discussed. Lindane exhibited different degrees of toxicity or stimulation for the selected cyanobacteria. Stimulation of growth ranged between 0.0- and 13.16-fold higher than controls, while inhibition ranged between 0.0% and 100%. Results also proved that Mariut species were more resistant to lindane toxicity than were Qaroun species. Resistance to lindane among Qaroun spp. was in the order Oscillatoria sp. 12>Oscillatoria sp. 13>Synechococcus sp.>Nodularia sp.>Nostoc sp.>Cyanothece sp.>Synechococcus sp. Among Mariut spp., it was Microcystis aeruginosa MA1>Anabaena cylindrica>Microcystis aeruginosa MA15>A. spiroides>A. flos-aquae. Mixed cultures showed varying sensitivity. Lindane was removed by all the species, either as individuals or mixtures, at both concentrations. The lindane RE percentage of Qaroun species ranged between 71.6% and 99.6% with a maximum of 98.0–99.6% at 5 ppm, 83.9% and 99.7% at 10 ppm, and maximum between 95.5% and 99.7%. Mariut species showed an RE percentage of 45.23–100.0% with maximum between 99.23% and 100.0% at 5 ppm and 43.15% and 100.0% at 10 ppm with maximal RE percentage between 99.67% and 100.0%. Mixed culture RE percentages ranged between 91.6% and 100% at 5 ppm with a maximum range of 99.3–100%, while at 10 ppm, the RE percentage ranged between 90.4% and 100%, with a maximum range of 96.0–100%. Results indicate the potential of natural resources as efficient agents for pollution control.     

Salamander Dispersal Across a Forested Landscape Fragmented by a Golf Course

Abstract: We assessed dispersal behavior of 78 radiotagged adult spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) at a 36-hole golf course in southeastern Connecticut, USA. Lake of Isles Golf Course is atypical of most golf courses in North America because it is much larger (461 ha) than average 18-hole golf courses (54 ha) and deciduous forests accounted for 70% landscape composition on the course. We tracked individuals an average of 164 days as they emigrated from 3 seasonal pools surrounded by golf course fairways and one pool located in contiguous forest (control pool) from March through December 2004. Males and females dispersed similar distances at the control pool, averaging 71 ± 10 m. However, females migrating across the golf course dispersed twice as far (214 ± 25 m) as males on the golf course (102 ± 15 m) and both genders at the control pool. Over 40% the salamanders at the golf course crossed fairways; thus, fairways were not a dispersal barrier to adult spotted salamanders. Previous researchers have suggested establishing a 164-m life zone around breeding ponds to protect pond-breeding amphibian populations. Our results suggest that strategies that protect core upland habitat within 164 m of wetland boundaries would include 82% of adult males and only 50% of adult females. Empirical estimates based on our telemetry study suggest that core terrestrial habitat would have to extend 370 m to protect 95% of adult females, which is much farther than previous estimates.     

Determinant landscape‐scale factors on pond odonate assemblages

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Microbial Flora of Pond-Reared Brown Shrimp (Penaeus aztecus)

Agar plate counts and microbial types are reported for brown shrimp reared in 2-acre natural marshland and in 0.5-acre artificial ponds during June to October 1970. Bacterial counts of pond-reared shrimp ranged from 5 × 10⁴ to 5.5 × 10⁶ per g. At final harvest in October, bacterial counts ranged from 2 × 10⁵ to 5.5 × 10⁶ per g. In marsh ponds, bacterial counts of shrimp and pond water were lowest in August when both water temperature and salinity were high. Coryneform bacteria and to a lesser extent Vibrio were the predominant isolates from fresh pond shrimp. Shrimp stored at 3 to 5 C for 7 days were acceptable as judged by appearance and odor. Between 7 and 14 days of refrigerated storage, bacterial counts increased sharply and about 50% of the samples became unacceptable. Refrigerated storage of pond shrimp caused increases in coryneform bacteria and micrococci and decreases in Vibrio, Flavobacterium, Moraxella, and Bacillus species. Pseudomonas species were not significant in fresh or stored pond shrimp. The microbial flora of pond water usually was dominated by coryneform bacteria, Flavobacterium, Moraxella, and Bacillus species.     

The restoration of fish ponds in agricultural landscapes

Fish ponds in central and eastern Europe are artificial lakes of less than 1 ha to several 100 ha in size. Some of them were created around 900 years ago. These fish ponds form an important part of the hydrological system in the landscape; they also serve as water purification systems and sediment traps, provide habitat for many plant and animal species, as well as being used for recreation purposes—but above all, they are dedicated to fish production. The original oligo- or mesotrophic character of these fish ponds has been altered to one of eutrophic or even hypertrophic conditions due to the nature of the intensive management for high fish production, as well as agriculture practices within the catchment area. It can also be due to other uses of fish ponds, such as wastewater recipients. A thick layer of black anaerobic sediment invariably develops and serves as an uncontrolled internal source of nutrients. In order to stop the development of water blooms and restore the lake to reasonable healthy conditions, both the external and internal loading has to be reduced. An example of such a fish pond restoration within the Czech Republic is described. The phosphorus budget of the Vajgar fish pond (40 ha, S Bohemia) was evaluated and the dry matter, organic matter, nutrients, heavy metals and other metals content were estimated in the vertical profile of the fish pond's sediment. A precision suction dredger was designed, constructed, and used for the selective removal of 330 000 m³ black sediment from the Vajgar fish pond. The sediment was pumped to settling ponds at a distance of 2.5 km. Later, the suction dredger was used for sediment removal from other fish ponds. In one case, 40 000 m³ of eutrophic sediment was directly applied on an agriculture field. In another case, sediment containing oil products was decontaminated by using a biocatalyst and bacterial culture. Sediment removal from Vajgar fish pond resulted in a temporary negative phosphorus budget (lower concentrations in the outflow than the inflow). The temporary absence of cyanobacteria (Microcystis sp.) blooms was the result of the removal of the black sediment layer. The improvement of water quality after sediment removal was, however, temporary. A more holistic approach, aimed at the reduction of matter losses from the fish pond's catchment area, is therefore being adopted. The principles of such an holistic approach are described.