Water quality assessment in shrimp culture using an analytical hierarchical process

Water quality assessment is an important activity for controlling harmful crisis in aquaculture systems. The objective of our study was to develop a new Water Quality Index focused on monitoring of shrimp farms; detecting poor water quality and preventing negative effects in the ecosystem. Usually, several water quality parameters are monitored and measured in a shrimp farm during a farming period. Those parameters are classified according to their negative effects in the ecosystem and their respective allowed limits are also defined. The proposed Water Quality Index assigns a priority level to each water parameter through a new analytical hierarchical process (AHP), which allows an accurate assessment of the water quality. Our proposed index was applied to assess the water quality condition in extensive shrimp farms in Mexico. A comparison between our approach and those proposed in the literature shows its good performance when real environments are assessed.     

Restoration of a Mine Pit Lake from Aquacultural Nutrient Enrichment

Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, also has more than 4000 abandoned quarry pits and over 200 deep, exhausted iron ore pits. In the past 25 years the iron ore pits have gradually filled with groundwater and surface water, forming lakes on the Cuyuna, Mesabi, and Vermillion Iron Ranges in northeastern Minnesota. Most remain abandoned, but besides creating a small number of recreational parks and fisheries, the regional economic development agency promoted approximately 20 of the pit lakes for economic reclamation by using them for salmonid aquaculture. Intensive net-pen aquaculture was carried out from 1988 to 1995 in the Twin City–South and Sherman pit lakes on the Mesabi Range. A water quality controversy resulted over the potential for long-term degradation of the lakes and regional aquifer. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency then mandated that aquaculture be terminated in Twin City–South in May 1993 and the lake restored to preaquaculture conditions by 1996. With no management other than artificial aeration for one summer, the lake rapidly recovered to near baseline water quality and returned to an oligomesotrophic (unproductive) status. Within 18 months the phosphorus budget was typical of reference pit lakes in the area and dissolved oxygen in bottom water remained above ～4 mg O₂/L without artificial aeration. Algal growth was low in 1993, due to light limitation from artificial mixing, but it remained low in 1994 without any management due to renewed phosphorus limitation. Inorganic nitrogen initially decreased faster than expected, at a rate similar to its increase during intensive aquaculture. More rapid reductions in water column nutrients might have occurred in 1993 by reducing aeration to allow anoxia in the lower hypolimnion, promoting denitrification and minimizing sediment resuspension, but this was precluded by water quality standards. The “natural” burial of solid wastes under inorganic sediment eroded from the basin walls effectively minimized transport of sediment nutrients to the overlying water. Fallowing for several years provided a simple, effective method for restoration of these pit lakes from aquacultural impacts. No change attributable to aquaculture was observed in the water quality of three nearby pit lakes, including a drinking water source. This fact suggests that there were few or no impacts from off-site migration of aquaculturally enriched water into the regional aquifer.     

基于GIS的虾夷扇贝养殖适宜性综合评价——以北黄海大小长山岛为例

由于水产养殖缺乏科学空间规划,近年来中国最大的虾夷扇贝(Patinopecten yessoensis)养殖基地长山群岛发生了扇贝大规模死亡现象。当地渔业主管部门急需水产养殖空间格局优化的技术手段和科学依据。采用叶绿素a浓度、海水表面温度、水深、透明度以及评价单元到渔港、城镇、旅游区和自然保护区的距离等指标,构建了虾夷扇贝养殖适宜性评价模型,并以大小长山岛海域为示范区,对该海域的虾夷扇贝的养殖适宜性进行了空间分析。结果表明:大小长山岛海域虾夷扇贝养殖适宜性较高且具有较大的空间变异,在不考虑海域使用冲突情形下,养殖适宜性指数在6.0—7.0以及7.0以上的海域占示范区的面积比例分别为26.04%(167.75 km2)和4.73%(44.06 km2),且高适宜性(SSI7.0)区主要分布在大长山岛西北和西南海域;而由于航道和水产养殖存在海域使用冲突,高适宜区面积大幅下降为19.56 km2。在此基础上对大小长山岛海域虾夷扇贝养殖空间格局优化提出了建议。利用一些简单的距离指标反映了陆地基础设施因素对水产养殖选址的影响,体现了海陆统筹的理念并可为海陆统筹技术方法研究提供重要借鉴。     

The use of probiotics in aquaculture

This study aims to present comprehensive notes for the use of probiotics in aquaculture. Probiotics have been proven to be positive promoters of aquatic animal growth, survival and health. In aquaculture, intestines, gills, the skin mucus of aquatic animals, and habitats or even culture collections and commercial products, can be sources for acquiring appropriate probiotics, which have been identified as bacteria (Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative) and nonbacteria (bacteriophages, microalgae and yeasts). While a bacterium is a pathogen to one aquatic animal, it can bring benefits to another fish species; a screening process plays a significant role in making a probiotic species specific. The administration of probiotics varies from oral/water routine to feed additives, of which the latter is commonly used in aquaculture. Probiotic applications can be either mono or multiple strains, or even in combination with prebiotic, immunostimulants such as synbiotics and synbiotism, and in live or dead forms. Encapsulating probiotics with live feed is a suitable approach to convey probiotics to aquatic animals. Dosage and duration of time are significant factors in providing desired results. Several modes of actions of probiotics are presented, while some others are not fully understood. Suggestions for further studies on the effects of probiotics in aquaculture are proposed.     

River quality analysis using fuzzy water quality index: Ribeira do Iguape river watershed, Brazil

Intrinsic uncertainties and subjectivities of environmental problems have been increasingly dealt by using computation methods based on artificial intelligence. In order to evaluate this tool's applicability, this study proposed the creation of a new water quality index based on fuzzy logic, the fuzzy water quality index (FWQI). The performance of the index proposed in the present work is assessed through a comparison with several water quality indices (WQIs) suggested in the literature, using data from hydrographic surveys of the Ribeira de Iguape River, in the southwestern part do São Paulo State, Brazil, from 2004 to 2006. The index was reasonably close to the other indices and showed a good correlation with the WQI traditionally calculated in Brazil. This new index may also be used as an alternative tool for decision-making in environmental management.     

瓯江干流丽水段水体富营养化评价

2009年3月、5月、8月、11月在全长41.7 Km的瓯江干流丽水段设10个站点,对DO、CODMn、NH3-N、TN、TP等5项水质指标进行了测定,并运用营养状态指数对水体水质进行了分析和评价。结果显示,2个站点水体水质达到地表水环境质量Ⅲ类标准,5个站点水体水质为Ⅳ类标准,3个站点为Ⅴ类标准。评价结果显示2009年全江段水体水质的营养水平全部为中营养水平。     

三峡库区甘井河水域牧场浮游植物群落结构及水质评价

为了解三峡库区的忠县甘井河段水域牧场生态渔业对水环境的影响, 于2013 年3、6、9 及12 月按季度对该河段4 个站点进行了浮游植物群落结构及水体理化因子的监测, 并采用生物多样性指数法和综合营养状态指数法对水体营养状况进行了评价。结果表明, 该河段浮游植物有7 门93 个属种, 其中绿藻门的物种数最多, 有37 种, 占浮游植物群落总数的39.79%, 其次为硅藻门和蓝藻门, 物种数分别为26 种和13 种,分别占浮游植物群落总数的27.96%和13.98%;浮游植物的年均丰度为757.67104 ind./L, 变化范围(3.065743.99)104 ind./L, 年均生物量为4.40 mg/L, 变化范围0.0317.67 mg/L;水体的年平均透明度为1.18 m, 叶绿素a、总磷、总氮含量分别为8.54 g/L、0.13 mg/L、1.95 mg/L;浮游植物香农多样性指数(H')、均匀度指数(J)年均值分别为2.90 和0.88, 全年综合营养状态指数值为37.5971.86, 由此推断, 甘井河水质属于中污染轻污染状态、中营养型富营养型。在鱼类生长旺季的6 月, 甘井河段养殖区内的水质优于非养殖区, 这可能与养殖区内放养滤食性鱼类有关, 证实了水域牧场没有带来水环境的污染, 反而能提高生物多样性, 在一定程度上改善了水体。       

罗氏沼虾亲虾越冬池中不同基质上微生物群落多样性分析

【目的】了解罗氏沼虾亲虾越冬时循环养殖系统对水质的调控效果,探明其中微生物群落的作用。【方法】采集循环养殖系统运行88 d后的越冬池池水、池中人工水草(普通纤维膜)以及外置式生物滤器中的纳米纤维膜等3种不同基质上的微生物,利用DNA抽提、PCR扩增和定量以及高通量Mi Seq测序技术等对3种不同基质上的微生物进行16S r RNA基因序列V4-V5区的测定和分析,并根据测序得到的双端测序读长(Pair-end reads)进行质量控制和过滤,之后进行操作分类单元(OTU)聚类分析,并基于OTU对微生物群落的多样性指数和群落结构进行分析;每3-4 d对越冬池池水水质进行监测。【结果】养殖池塘的水质保持在良好的状态,其中氨氮和亚硝氮浓度控制在0.17±0.08 mg/L和0.28±0.15 mg/L;不同基质上的微生物组成和多样性都不相同。在3种基质上共检测并鉴定出细菌64种,隶属于9门64属,包括变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)、绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、浮霉菌门(Planctomycetes)、硝化螺旋菌门(Nitrospirae)、酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)和绿菌门(Chlorobi)。从属水平上对3种基质上的细菌进行分析,发现养殖池水中含量最高的为丛毛单菌科下的一个未分类类群(Comamonadaceae_unclassified),其也是3种基质的共有优势类群;普通纤维膜上为Inhella,纳米纤维膜上则是小纺锤状菌属(Fusibacter)。3种基质上细菌群落多样性顺序为:纳米纤维膜普通纤维膜养殖池水。通过对亲虾越冬养殖全过程的水质监测,发现越冬期间亲虾池水质始终保持在良好状态,并且在循环水系统开启约40 d后水质达到了相对稳定的状态。【结论】通过在育苗池中悬挂人工水草,配合内含纳米纤维膜的外置式生物滤器,可使罗氏沼虾越冬亲虾池保持良好的水质。随着新型材料科学的发展,开发出适用于水产养殖业的滤料很有必要。     

Oogenesis and plasma levels of sex steroids in cultured females of brown trout (Salmo trutta linnaeus, 1758) in Chile

Naturalized brown trout populations in Chile are a valuable genetic resource with aquaculture potential. The oogenesis of a three-year-old brown trout cultured population was studied in southern Chile. Gonadosomatic index (GSI), oocyte growth, gonadal microscopic characteristics, and plasma levels of estradiol-17beta (E2), testosterone (T), and 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17alpha-HP) were measured bimonthly for a nine-month period before spawning. The maximum GSI level (22%) was similar to that described for other salmonids, although it was reached in May, more than one month before the population started spawning. Oocyte growth increases strongly from January when diameter reaches more than 1 mm. The vitellogenic period (six-seven months) is consistent with the long vitellogenesis, described for salmonid females maturing at three years old. E2 shows a slow increase from November, reaching its peak value in March (65.2+/-0.7 ng/ml), during maximal vitellogenic activity. T increases as oogenesis progresses, reaching a maximum of 90+/-20 ng/ml during May, and falling considerably during ovulation. Following a typical pattern of progestogens in salmonid oogenesis, 17alpha-HP stays at basal levels during most of oogenesis, but experiences a strong surge (2.0+/-0.4 ng/ml) just before ovulation.     

Application of index number theory to the construction of a water quality index: Aggregated nutrient loadings related to the areal extent of hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Numerous studies have linked individual nutrient loadings from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers to the growth of the hypoxic, or oxygen depleted, zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico. However, in the discussion of policy to remediate Gulf hypoxia, it is beneficial for stakeholders and policymakers to obtain a single measure for water quality that characterizes information from multiple water pollutants. This study aggregates loadings from six nutrients measured at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico into a single time-varying index of water quality. The index is constructed using traditional index number theory originating from economic production theory, mainly, Shephard’s distance functions calculated using data envelopment analysis (DEA). The methodology is an advance over other index construction schemes because the determined metric weights are endogenous, calculated from the data itself, and do not require external user input. To validate the index, May values of the index are used within a statistical regression model to model the areal extent of Gulf hypoxia using mid-July cruise measurements from 1985 to 2013, excluding 1989 when no cruise data were available. Regression results (R²_adj = 0.81) suggest the index is successful at aggregating multiple pollutants into a single measure of water quality and may be useful for tracking their aggregated effect on the growth of the hypoxia area in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Calculation of the water quality index described here is automatic in the sense that no human intervention is required for variable selection, statistical analysis or assignment of weights. This is very useful for specifying a water quality objective in a multiple objective optimization for watershed management.     

The composite trophic status index (TRIX) as a potential tool for the regulation of Turkish marine aquaculture as applied to the eastern Aegean coast (Izmir Bay)

This research examines the current water quality status of Izmir Bay, using the trophic index (TRIX) as a tool for the regulation of Turkish marine finfish aquaculture. In 2007, new legislation was enacted in Turkey related to the protection of coastal waters, especially those of enclosed bays and gulfs, from pollution by fish farming. However, the legislation does not apply to any other coastal zone stakeholders; for this reason the entire Izmir Bay was examined. Use of the composite trophic status index (TRIX) produced mean TRIX values of 3.6 for the aquaculture area (AA) and 2.5 for areas of the outer bay where no aquaculture takes place; this indicates ‘no risk of eutrophication’ as defined by Turkish law. In the inner Izmir Bay, there is a mean TRIX value of 4.3, which is above the threshold of four and typical for ‘high eutrophication risk’ areas, as expected because of heavy urbanization. The study then applied the UNTRIX indices adjusted to local conditions, revealing that both the inner bay and the aquaculture area (AA) can be classified as of ‘poor’ status whereas the outer bay can be defined as ‘good’. The UNTRIX‐based trophic classification is in good agreement with TRIX for both the outer and inner parts of the bay; however, there is no agreement regarding the classification of the aquaculture area.     

Fuzzy neural network based prediction model applied in primary component analysis

To solve the low accuracy and bad robustness problems in traditional water quality prediction method, this paper put forward a primary component analysis (PCA)–fuzzy neural network (FNN)–DEBP based prediction model of dissolved oxygen (DO) in aquaculture water quality. This model used PCA to extract the PC of aquaculture ecological indexes, then reduced the input vector dimension of the model, and utilized differential evolutionary algorithm to optimize the weight parameter of FNN, in order to automatically obtain the optimum parameters and build nonlinear prediction model of DO in aquaculture water quality. The model was applied in a predictive analysis on the water quality data online monitored from December 1st 2015 to December 8th 2015 in a Penaeus orientalis culture pond. The testing results show that this model has obtained a good predictive effect. Compared to BP-FNN model, in PCA–FNN–DEBP model, the absolute error of 95.8% test samples is less than 20%, and the maximum error is 0.22 mg/L, both of which are superior than BP-FNN prediction method. Due to rapid computation speed and high prediction accuracy, PCA–FNN–DEBP algorithm can provide strategic basis for the regulation and management of water quality in P. orientalis culture.     

Water quality indicators: Comparison of a probabilistic index and a general quality index. The case of the Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar (Spain)

The main objective of this work is to measure water quality using a stochastic index built with tools of Probability Theory. Its great advantage is that it accounts for the underlying uncertainty in quality classification that results from variations in the data for individual physical and chemical characteristics, considering them as random variables.We compare the results obtained by measuring water quality with this index (the probabilistic index, PI) and a classical deterministic index (the general quality index, GQI). Also we do a comparison with other usual indices in order to validate the PI index.To demonstrate the application of PI and GQI indices, we used information from the Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar (Spain) for the period between 1990 and 2005. Our analyses showed that GQI was positively correlated with PI throughout the study period. Because of its high potential, the PI index can be used to analyze possible temporal changes in water quality, as well as to determine the individual influence of each variable in water quality. The results suggested an improvement in water quality over time and that omitting individually, one at a time, five of the nine water quality variables from the PI calculation significantly improved the calculated water quality.Novelty of this paper is the design of an index that takes into account the uncertainty inherent to data, and its application for measuring water quality from a general perspective.     

不同季节使用微生态制剂后养殖海水细菌群落特征

细菌是维持养殖水体稳定的重要类群,可以反映出水质情况,微生态制剂作为一种可以去除有害物质的生物方法,目前被广泛应用。了解微生态制剂在投入养殖海水后细菌群落结构和多样性变化,探讨不同季节的水质环境因子对细菌群落的影响。通过高通量测序技术对细菌16S rRNA V3、V4区进行扩增,分析冬、春、夏3个季节下使用完商品型菌剂后,养殖海水中细菌群落分布规律及其多样性,采用冗余分析(Redundancy analysis,RDA)探讨不同季节的水质指标与细菌群落之间的关系。养殖海水中细菌多样性丰富,3个季节主要的优势菌门为变形菌门和拟杆菌门,其中Tenacibaculum(38.28%),卓贝尔氏菌属(Zobellella,30.78%)、盐单胞菌属(Halomonas,13.55%)为冬季优势属;Glycocaulis(34.00%)、盐单胞菌属(11.36%)、Planktosalinus(9.67%)为春季优势属;Pseudofulvimonas(28.94%)、Zobellella(17.51%)、Planktosalinus(15.86%)、海杆菌属(Marinobacter,12.30%)为夏季优势属,不同时期细菌属水平发生显著变化。RDA分析表明,不同时期水质环境因子对细菌群落影响不同,温度、盐度、pH、溶解氧与3个季节中10个优势属的丰度有显著相关性,冬季和春季优势属主要与盐度和溶解氧呈正相关,夏季优势属主要与温度和p H呈显著正相关。微生态制剂在净化养殖水体方面有很大优势,其在不同季节中应用虽细菌群落结构和多样性产生一定变化,但整体都发挥出各自的调控能力,该研究为以后养殖海水治理和微生态制剂应用提供新的思路。     

Biofloc Technology: Emerging Microbial Biotechnology for the Improvement of Aquaculture Productivity

With the significant increases in the human population, global aquaculture has undergone a great increase during the last decade. The management of optimum conditions for fish production, which are entirely based on the physicochemical and biological qualities of water, plays a vital role in the prompt aquaculture growth. Therefore, focusing on research that highlights the understanding of water quality and breeding systems’ stability is very important. The biofloc technology (BFT) is a system that maximizes aquaculture productivity by using microbial biotechnology to increase the efficacy and utilization of fish feeds, where toxic materials such as nitrogen components are treated and converted to a useful product, like a protein for using as supplementary feeds to the fish and crustaceans. Thus, biofloc is an excellent technology used to develop the aquaculture system under limited or zero water exchange with high fish stocking density, strong aeration, and biota. This review is highlighted on biofloc composition and mechanism of system work, especially the optimization of water quality and treatment of ammonium wastes. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of the BFT system have been explained. Finally, the importance of contemporary research on biofloc systems as a figure of microbial biotechnology has been emphasized with arguments for developing this system for better production of aquaculture with limited natural resources of water.Key words: biofloc, BFT, aquaculture, microbes, water quality, wastes     

应用矿物盐改良池塘水质的研究

为了研究矿物盐对淡水养殖池塘水质的改良效果及应用前景,在12口土质池塘中对淡水养殖斑点叉尾鲴(Ictalurus punctatus Rafinesque,1818)施用三组矿物盐:NaNO3、KCl+MgCl2、NaNO3+KCl+MgCl3的对照实验,对照组池塘不施用任何矿物盐类;在182d的养殖期间,对所有处理组和对照组池塘的17项水质和5项底质因子进行了定期监测.结果表明,各处理组均显著降低了池塘水中的蓝藻相对密度;KCl+MgCl2的施用可促进水中硝化作用的进行;NaNO3+KCl+MgCl2的施用,显著提高了养殖池塘底泥表层的氧化还原电位;NaNO3+KCl+MgCl2组的池塘鱼产量比对照组显著提高6.6%,而饲料系数显著降低6.2%;NaNO3与KCl+MgCl2的共同施用起到了协同改良池塘水质和底质的作用.因此,NaNO3+KCl+MgCl2的应用可为淡水池塘水质的改良开辟一个新的途径,具有一定的应用前景.     

Scale of classification based on biochemical markers in mussels: application to pollution monitoring in Mediterranean coasts and temporal trends.

A battery of biochemical parameters was used to evaluate the response of mussels to a contaminated coastal environment. A multimarker approach was developed, establishing a scale for the classification of the water quality in European coastal sites (BIOMAR European programme). This study allows the evaluation of the temporal trends of this scale when applied to selected sites of European Mediterranean coast (BEEP Biological Effects of Environmental Pollution in Marine Coastal Ecosystems: European programme). Acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) is highly sensitive to organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides and, to some extent, also to heavy metals. Catalase activity (CAT) and lipid oxidation (evaluated as malonedialdehyde) are markers of oxidative stress, glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity is related to conjugation of organic compounds and benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase activity (BPH) is a marker of effect of certain planar organic compounds (e.g. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs). These parameters were measured either in gills (AChE, GST) or digestive gland (BPH, GST, CAT, MDA). For each biomarker, a discriminatory factor was calculated (maximum variation range/confidence interval) and a response index was allocated. For each site, a Multimarker Pollution Index (MPI) was calculated as the sum of the response index of each of the five more discriminating biomarkers. As the result of our calculation method, the quality of the coastal environment at each site can be classified according to a five levels scale. Samples collected for five cruises in May 2001, 2002, 2003, and September 2001 and 2002 showed MPI evolutions. The results show that water quality can be classified from class 1 (clean areas in some sites of France, Italy and Spain) to class 4 (high pollution in main harbours). Results of the use of the biomarker scale in WP3 (Work Package Concernant Biomonitoring Programmes in Mediterranean Sea) during the BEEP programme make a strong contribution to the establishment of standardized strategies and methods for internationally agreed protocols for biomarker-based monitoring programmes. In comparison with scale pollution methodology used in the BIOMAR programme, the main contribution of BEEP was (1) to select from discriminatory analysis the biomarkers to be included in calculation of scale pollution; (2) to improve the use of the biomarker index in order to identify the main contaminants by analysis of individual contributions to the MPI; and (3) to apply methodology for temporal trends at sampled sites.     

虾-鱼-贝-藻生态优化养殖及其水质生物调控技术研究

建立了一种虾、鱼、贝、藻多池循环水生态优化养殖模式及水质生物调控系统,包括对虾养殖、鱼类养殖、贝类养殖和大型海藻栽培等4个不同功能养殖区,1个水处理区以及1条应急排水渠。通过在封闭循环系统内不同池塘中放养生态位互补的经济动植物对虾池水环境进行生物调控。结果表明,循环水养殖系统内虾池水层悬浮物数量、COD值、氨态氮和硝酸态氮含量比对照组对虾单养池明显降低(P<0·01)。养殖排放水不处于富营养化状态(E<1)。对虾饲料产出对虾0.667kg·kg-1、罗非鱼0.037kg·kg-1、牡蛎0.738kg·kg-1、江蓠0.437kg·kg-1,净增产值2.01元。投入产出比由对虾单养的0.588降低为优化生态养殖的0.235。该养殖模式不仅实现了虾池水环境的生物调控与养殖用水的零排放,且显著提高了饲料利用率和经济效益,具有防病、环保、高效等优点。     

Comparison of two methods for quality assessment of macroalgae assemblages,under different pollution types

The selection of adequate methodologies for the assessment of different biological quality elements is urgently needed for the application of the water framework directive (WFD 2000/60/EEC). In the case of macroalgae in coastal waters of the North East Atlantic, two methodologies have been proposed: the reduced species list (RSL) index and the quality of rocky bottoms (CFR) index. Both methods use multimetric approaches to evaluate the quality of macroalgae assemblages, which are based on community characteristics (species/populations richness, cover, percentage of opportunistic species, ecological state groups ratio, etc.). In this paper the results of applying both indices on three different types of pollution gradients in the North coast of Spain (bay of Biscay) are presented, in order to test their usefulness and intercalibration possibilities. In general terms, the CFR index responded more accurately than the RSL index to the pollution gradients under study. With respect to the indicators used in the current evaluation, richness, opportunistic species and cover seemed to be the most accurate for quality assessment of macroalgal communities. While the first two indicators are taken into account in both indices, the latter (cover) is only considered in the CFR index, even though the abundance of macroalgae is one of the aspects to be included in the evaluation of this biological element, according to the WFD.     

Scale of classification based on biochemical markers in mussels: application to pollution monitoring in Mediterranean coasts and temporal trends

A battery of biochemical parameters was used to evaluate the response of mussels to a contaminated coastal environment. A multimarker approach was developed, establishing a scale for the classification of the water quality in European coastal sites (BIOMAR European programme). This study allows the evaluation of the temporal trends of this scale when applied to selected sites of European Mediterranean coast (BEEP Biological Effects of Environmental Pollution in Marine Coastal Ecosystems: European programme). Acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) is highly sensitive to organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides and, to some extent, also to heavy metals. Catalase activity (CAT) and lipid oxidation (evaluated as malonedialdehyde) are markers of oxidative stress, glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity is related to conjugation of organic compounds and benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase activity (BPH) is a marker of effect of certain planar organic compounds (e.g. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs). These parameters were measured either in gills (AChE, GST) or digestive gland (BPH, GST, CAT, MDA). For each biomarker, a discriminatory factor was calculated (maximum variation range/confidence interval) and a response index was allocated. For each site, a Multimarker Pollution Index (MPI) was calculated as the sum of the response index of each of the five more discriminating biomarkers. As the result of our calculation method, the quality of the coastal environment at each site can be classified according to a five levels scale. Samples collected for five cruises in May 2001, 2002, 2003, and September 2001 and 2002 showed MPI evolutions. The results show that water quality can be classified from class 1 (clean areas in some sites of France, Italy and Spain) to class 4 (high pollution in main harbours). Results of the use of the biomarker scale in WP3 (Work Package Concernant Biomonitoring Programmes in Mediterranean Sea) during the BEEP programme make a strong contribution to the establishment of standardized strategies and methods for internationally agreed protocols for biomarker-based monitoring programmes. In comparison with scale pollution methodology used in the BIOMAR programme, the main contribution of BEEP was (1) to select from discriminatory analysis the biomarkers to be included in calculation of scale pollution; (2) to improve the use of the biomarker index in order to identify the main contaminants by analysis of individual contributions to the MPI; and (3) to apply methodology for temporal trends at sampled sites.