Characteristics and Dynamics of Salmonella Contamination along the Coast of Agadir,Morocco

The occurrence of Salmonella enterica in the environment of tropical and desert regions has remained largely uninvestigated in many areas of the world, including Africa. In the present study, we investigated the presence of Salmonella spp. along 122 km of the coastline of Agadir (southern Morocco) in relation to environmental parameters. A total of 801 samples of seawater (243), marine sediment (279), and mussels (279) were collected from six sites between July 2004 and May 2008. The overall prevalence of Salmonella spp. was 7.1%, with the highest occurrence in mussels (10%), followed by sediment (6.8%) and seawater (4.1%). Only three serotypes were identified among the 57 Salmonella sp. strains isolated. S. enterica serotype Blockley represented 43.8% of all Salmonella strains and was identified in mussel and sediment samples. S. enterica serotype Kentucky (29.8%) was found almost exclusively in mussels, whereas S. enterica serotype Senftenberg (26.3%) was detected in sediment and seawater. Statistical analysis using generalized additive models identified seawater temperature, environmental temperature, rainfall, and solar radiation as significant factors associated with the presence of Salmonella. Rainfall was the only variable showing a linear positive effect on the presence of Salmonella in the sea, whereas the remaining variables showed more complex nonlinear effects. Twenty-eight (49.1%) Salmonella isolates displayed resistance to ampicillin (22 isolates), nalidixic acid (9 isolates), sulfonamide compounds (2 isolates), and tetracycline (1 isolate), with six of these isolates displaying multiple resistance to two of these antimicrobial agents. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis revealed homogenous restriction patterns within each serotype that were uncorrelated with the resistance pattern profiles.Salmonella enterica bacteria are one of the most frequent causes of food-borne infections transmitted to humans, mainly from animal products (9). In addition to health concerns, the presence of Salmonella contamination in the food chain has serious economic consequences related to the costs of medical care and lost productivity (36). Thus, studies aimed at examining the capacity of Salmonella spp. to survive in different habitats are critical for controlling contamination and understanding the routes of colonization of new hosts (40).Salmonella bacteria display a high degree of resistance to a large variety of stress factors, which provides them with an enhanced capacity to persist in changing environments (40). However, the persistence of the organism outside of the host is not uniform among the different serogroups (3, 4, 13, 24, 32, 34). About 50 of the more than 2,500 different serotypes of Salmonella included in the current classification scheme (29) are dominantly identified in human and animal sources (34). Information about groups that predominate in a given environment and their relationship to potential human or animal origins remains scarce. In recent years, some studies carried out in aquatic environments have provided new insights into the ecological preferences of different Salmonella serogroups in these environments. These studies have revealed the presence of specific patterns of contamination in different geographical areas in association with environmental and oceanographic variables (13, 24, 32) and have identified major factors and conditions that favor the presence of the contaminating bacteria. Identification of the different Salmonella strains present in the environment at serotype level is an essential preliminary step in discriminating potentially clinically important strains among the Salmonella present in contaminated areas, providing invaluable information about the nature of the contamination and allowing the inference of potential routes of dissemination through microbial source tracking (31). All of this information is critical for an improved assessment of the potential risks to public health associated with Salmonella and for the evaluation of the ecological preferences of the diverse and heterogeneous group of organisms which comprise the genus Salmonella (26).The lack of information regarding the epidemiology, contamination, and potential routes of transmission of Salmonella is of particular concern in many regions of the world, such as Africa and Central America, where gastrointestinal diseases continue to be a major cause of illness, primarily due to poor sanitary conditions and nutritional deficiencies. In the present study, we investigated the dynamics of Salmonella contamination in the coastal areas of Agadir, a populous region of southern Morocco where shellfish production and maritime tourism are important to the local economy. Information concerning the biological characteristics of the isolates was correlated with environmental data in order to evaluate the climatic conditions that favor contamination of this region by this pathogen and to identify the potential sources of contamination.     

Contamination and environmental risk assessment of heavy metals in marine sediments from Tahaddart estuary (NW of Morocco)

Abstract

The distribution, contamination status, and ecological risks of heavy metals in Tahaddart estuary were investigated. 24 surface sediment samples and two cores were collected and analyzed for major (Al and Fe), heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn), and grain size composition. The heavy metals assessment was carried out using different environmental indices. The results indicated that the spatial distribution patterns of Al, Fe, and Zn were mainly determined by the distribution of the finer grained fraction (<63?μm) in the sediment. In contrast, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb concentrations were controlled by anthropogenic activities (vehicular traffic from Highway Bridge and thermal power plant). The distribution of heavy metals in sediment cores showed an upward enrichment in heavy metals with high concentration found in the uppermost may related to the increasing in human activities. The pollution indexes confirmed that the Tahaddart estuary sediment was considerably to high contaminated by heavy metals near to different anthropogenic inputs. Similarly, the potential ecological risk index and the biological risk index present 21% probability of toxicity posing potential risk to the aquatic organisms. These results provide basic information that can be used to protect and improve the quality of this ecosystem.     

Rediscovery of the Tagragra Tracksite (Maastrichtian,Agadir, Morocco): Agadirichnus elegans Ambroggi and Lapparent 1954 is Pterosaurian Ichnotaxon

ABSTRACT

Discovered in 1954 by Ambroggi and Lapparent, the Tagragra tracksite (Maastrichtian, Agadir, Morocco) yielded tracks of theropod dinosaurs, birds and enigmatic forms tentatively attributed to Lacertilia under the name Agadirichnus elegans. The original specimens are today considered to be lost, and the status of A. elegans has been questioned, even though these footprints can retrospectively be referred to pterodactyloid pterosaur tracks. In order to discuss the status of these foot prints, the historical site has been actively sought and recently rediscovered by one of us (MdD). New material confirms the presence of pterodactyloid footprints, with two morphotypes, in two different facies, respectively associated with bird and theropod tracks. Morphotype I is tentatively conferred to Pteraichnus Stokes 1957 Stokes, W. L. 1957. Pterodactyl tracks from the Morrison Formation. Journal of Palaeontology, 31:952–4.[Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], which extends the stratigraphical distribution of this ichnotaxon to the Maastrichtian. Morphotype II corresponds to the original ichnospecies A. elegans Ambroggi and Lapparent 1954 Ambroggi, R., and A. F. de Lapparent 1954. Les empreintes de pas fossiles du Maestrichtien d'Agadir. Notes du Service Géologique du Maroc, 10:43–6. [Google Scholar], which is here reassessed as a valid ichnotaxon, with the designation of a neotype. Thus, A. elegans Ambroggi and Lapparent 1954 Ambroggi, R., and A. F. de Lapparent 1954. Les empreintes de pas fossiles du Maestrichtien d'Agadir. Notes du Service Géologique du Maroc, 10:43–6. [Google Scholar] is historically the first pterosaurian ichnotaxon ever described.     

Development of diatom-based tools for assessing stream water quality in south-eastern Australia: assessment of environmental transfer functions

Models were developed of relationships among water quality, geospatial and species-level diatom data for 465 samples collected from stream sites across south-eastern Australia. Transfer functions were derived from weighted averaging and artificial neural network approaches. Analysis of spatial variations in species assemblages was used to divide the sites into two groups according to site elevation. The strongest predictive models for the upland group associated diatom assemblages with conductivity, longitude, altitude, and to a lesser extent pH, NO _x and TKN. The strongest predictors for the lowland group were longitude and conductivity, but artificial neural network models performed well for NO _x and temperature. The importance of the geospatial variables suggests that there may be a capacity to develop diatom sub-regions within which robust models for other water quality variables important to management can be generated. Electronic supplementary material Electronic supplementary material is available for this article at and accessible for authorised users. Handling editor: R. Norriss     

Evaluation of sediment profile imagery as a tool for assessing water quality in Greenwich Bay,Rhode Island,USA

The Benthic Habitat Quality (BHQ) index was used to assess habitat visible in sediment profile images (SPI) following hypoxia disturbance in a shallow (<10 m) estuarine embayment in Rhode Island, USA. We tested for associations between the BHQ, SPI features and water quality over several assessment windows (1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days prior to imaging) and at multiple dissolved oxygen (DO) thresholds (2.0 mg l^?1, 2.9 mg l^?1, and 4.8 mg l^?1). Using categorical data analysis, we established empirical relationships between hypoxia prevalence and presence/absence of biogenic features visible in SPI. Fecal pellets, tubes, feeding pits, voids, mounds, and BHQ score were good affirmative features, meaning that their presence (or score greater than 5) indicated a high probability of good water quality. However, low sensitivity to hypoxia precluded their usefulness as indicators, and was attributed to rarity in images and to factors acting on time intervals longer than those examined, e.g. long-term organic enrichment or hypoxia. Burrow structures and the apparent redox potential discontinuity (aRPD), or oxidized layer of surface sediment, were good discriminatory features, with high sensitivity and specificity for both hypoxia and normoxia. Both were strong surrogates for water quality over multiple assessment windows and DO thresholds, and had the highest overall predictive values. We conclude that SPI images can be used to widen the spatial extent of water quality monitoring efforts by utilizing the relationships between aRPD, burrows and hypoxia prevalence.     

Diatom bloom in the tidal freshwater zone of a turbid and shallow estuary,Rupert Bay (James Bay,Canada)

Phytoplankton biomass and species composition were studied from June to September 1991 at the mouth of four major rivers and in the freshwater (sal. 0 %), the estuarine (sal. 2–10%) and the coastal (sal. 10–12%) zones of Rupert Bay, located at the southeast tip of James Bay, Canada.A chlorophyll a maximum (5–14 µg 1^–1) was observed in the freshwater zone from July to September. Chlorophyll values were low at the mouth of the rivers and in the estuarine and coastal zones (chl a < 1.00 µg 1^–1). Diatoms were dominant in the freshwater zone (30–80 % abundance), with flagellates dominating in the estuarine and coastal zones (60–95% abundance). Diversity was low (H: 1.5–2.5) in the freshwater zone and decreased seaward (H: 0.5–1.5).The diatom bloom was composed almost exclusively of the autochthonous planktonic diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana Kütz., which contributed 25–85% of the species composition, and of the subdominant benthic species Diploneis smithii, Navicula lanceolata and Surirella robusta. Peak abundance occurred upstream of the turbidity maximum, in the tidal freshwater zone. In this zone the mean photic depth was 1 m and residence time was from 7 to 8 days during the bloom. Residence time is considered to be the dominant factor controlling the phytoplankton bloom, with light not acting as a limiting factor. The high turbidity due to resuspension and shallow depth of the bay controlled the species composition.     

Craniometrical variability and developmental stability. Two useful tools for assessing the population viability of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) populations in Europe.

Morphometrical univariate analyses of otter skulls collected over the past hundred years in European countries from presumed healthy populations were compared with skulls from presumed endangered populations. The average degree of sexual dimorphism of die European populations was found to be directly correlated to die skull size of die male otters. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in metric skull traits was analysed as an estimator of developmental stability. There was evidence for increased FA in different traits over time in some of the presumed endangered populations, and for a reduction in size of skull traits. In contrast, the healthy populations did not show any significant changes in the same traits during the same period. The reduced sexual dimorphism of the endangered populations is suggested to be a product of relaxed sexual selection and deteriorated habitat conditions. Environmental and genetic forces that may have shaped these patterns are discussed.     

Odonata (Insecta) as a tool for the biomonitoring of environmental quality

Despite the fundamental dependence of human populations on water resources, a range of anthropogenic impacts, in particular the removal of riparian vegetation, threaten freshwater environments. One of the most effective means of evaluating the effects of anthropogenic disturbance in aquatic ecosystems is the use of bioindicators, and the insects of the order Odonata are among the most efficient indicators, due to their enormous sensitivity to environmental changes. In this context, the present study aimed to verify which parameters of the odonate community (species richness, abundance/biomass, composition, taxonomic diversity and taxonomic/phylogenetic distinctness) are most effective for the evaluation of the loss of environmental integrity. The study focused on 50 streams in the northeast of the Brazilian state of Pará. The streams were sampled during the dry season, between June and August 2011. The physical characteristics of each stream were evaluated using a Habitat Integrity Index (HII). The species composition provided the best parameter for the evaluation of ecological integrity, providing a relatively accurate assessment at a lower mean research cost than other parameters. Taxonomic diversity and distinctness also provided relatively reliable results, contributed additional information on the evolutionary relationships among the odonate taxa, and also provided a low-cost approach. Deconstructing communities is necessary to detect impacts, considering the considerable variation in the environmental requirements of the different species. Overall, the parameter that best responded to gradients of disturbance was species composition, followed by diversity and taxonomic distinctness. Given these findings, odonate-based biomonitoring should focus on these parameters to guarantee the optimal detection and evaluation of habitat alterations.     

Importance of the upper estuary as a nursery ground for fishes in Ariake Bay,Japan

To examine the importance of the upper estuarine areas of Ariake Bay as a nursery ground for fish, assemblages of larvae and juveniles were compared among various aquatic habitats. The upper estuaries of the bay (the Rokkaku and Hayatsue estuaries) are brackish, highly turbid waters with high tidal velocities, and differ substantially from the Isahaya area, which has been separated from the bay by a man-made dike, to the middle estuary (the Kikuchi estuary). Abundances of larvae and juveniles were higher in the estuaries than in the open bay and Isahaya areas. Abundant species in the upper estuaries were similar to each other, but differed from those of the middle estuary. This was primarily due to larvae and juveniles of fishes that occurred almost entirely in the upper estuaries, such as Acanthogobius hasta, Boleophthalmus pectinirostris, Coilia nasus, Cynoglossus abbreviatus, Nibea albiflora, Odontamblyopus lacepedii, Trachidermus fasciatus and Tridentiger barbatus. These results suggest that the upper estuaries play an important role as nursery grounds for fishes.     

Carbonate system of the Razdolnaya River estuary (Amur Bay, Sea of Japan)

Two methods, the total alkalinity measurement by Bruevich [4] and pH measurement in a cell without liquid junction [11], were suggested for study of the carbonate system of estuaries. Based on new measurements, the empirical equations were obtained for the first and second seawater concentration constants of carbonic acid for the ranges of salinity 0–40 and temperatures 0–30°C. Applying the constants and above methods, we studied the carbonate system of the Razdolnaya River-Amur Bay estuary in two expeditions of July 2001, the first in a period of average water level and the second after a flood. In the latter survey, extremely low values (60 µatm) of pCO₂ (carbon dioxide partial pressure) were recorded in the seaward part of the estuary and extremely high ( 13 300 µatm) were noted in the river. High pCO₂ in the surface water was caused by intense bacterial activity, and low levels were caused by phytoplankton bloom. The nonconservative behavior of the total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon was revealed in the estuary. Based on the data of the carbonate system, the production/destruction of organic matter was assessed.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Biologiya Morya, Tishchenko, Wong, Volkova, Gramm-Osipov, Johnson, Dudarev, Zvalinskii, Nedashkovskii, Pavlova, Chichkin, Sagalaev, Shevtsova, Shkirnikova.     

Fish fauna as an indicator of environmental quality in an urbanised region of the Amazon estuary

This study describes the biological importance of Guajará Bay (Belém, Pará, Brazil) for fish fauna and presents a diagnosis of water quality in the main channel and creeks, using the icthyofauna as an ecological indicator. A total of 567 individuals from 40 species were identified. About 58% of these use Guajará Bay as a nursery ground, 49 and 81% use the bay as a breeding and feeding ground, respectively. There were no significant differences between environments as measured by the diversity index; however, fish relative abundance (catch per unit of effort) was greater in the creeks than in the main channel. A significant difference was detected in the fish fauna inhabiting the main channel compared with the creeks. In the main channel, icthyofauna significantly differed during December relative to other months.     

Simple tools for assessing water quality and trophic status in transitional water ecosystems

In this study we have developed an index for assessing trophic status and water quality in transitional aquatic ecosystems of Southern Europe. The index has been developed from the water quality index of the U.S. National Sanitation Foundation and integrates the main causal factors (inorganic nutrients), the key biological elements (primary producers) and indicator of effects (oxygen) of eutrophication. Six main variables have been used: relative coverage of benthic phanerogams and opportunistic macroalgae species, and concentrations of dissolved oxygen, phytoplankton chlorophyll-a, dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus. Non-linear functions are used to transform each measured variable into its quality value. Each quality value is then multiplied by a weighting factor, to take into account the relative contribution of each variable to the overall water quality. Finally, the index value is calculated as the sum of the weighted quality values, ranging from 0 (poorest state) to 100 (best condition). The index has been tested and validated in six transitional water ecosystems which differ in anthropogenic pressures and eutrophication levels, for which data sets were available from 1989 to 2004: Sacca di Goro (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy), Lesina Lagoon (Southern Adriatic Sea, Italy), Ria Formosa (Algarve, Southern Portugal), Mar Menor (Murcia, Southern Spain), Etang de Thau (Herault, Southern France) and Gulf of Gera (Lesvos Island, Greece). The index assessments have been compared with evaluations from the IFREMER (French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea) classification scheme (France) and the trophic index TRIX (Italy), which are currently used for national monitoring of coastal waters and lagoons. Based on the conclusions of this study we suggest to use the index for monitoring water quality in shallow coastal transitional waters, where benthic vegetation controls primary productivity, which makes indices based on phytoplankton only (e.g., TRIX) unsuitable.     

Lipases and (R)-oxynitrilases: useful tools in organic synthesis

The use of enzymes in organic solvents is currently of special relevance for the preparation of products of high added value. Lipases are the enzymes that have shown the greatest utility through enzymatic transesterification reactions. Over the last few years, we have shown the value of the enzymatic aminolysis and ammonolysis reactions for the preparation of amides and for the resolution of esters and amines. We have shown that the enzymatic alkoxycarbonylation is also of great utility in chemoselective reactions of natural products. Lyases, enzymes much less exploited in organic synthesis, are proving increasingly interesting, especially the use of (R)-oxynitrilases for the synthesis of optically active cyanohydrins.     

Dynamics of nutrients and faecal bacteria in a macrotidal estuary,the Bay of Somme (France)

A stratified methodology for water sampling on tidal flats was adopted in 1988 and 1989 in the Bay of Somme. Analyses of nutrients, particulate matter and faecal germs showed the poor mixing of fresh and marine water and the weakness of stratification of the water column. Freshwater is pushed by marine water to the inner reaches of the bay and there are only a few lenses with true estuarine characteristics. In 1990, water was sampled simultaneously on the Somme river, the tidal flats and in the open sea, in order to point out estuarine gradients of several physical and chemical parameters and their evolution during a tidal cycle. The role of continental inputs was confirmed for faecal pollution, nitrate (20–25 mg l⁻¹), nitrite and silicate. The importance of ammonium excreted by the estuarine benthic populations was highlighted. High concentrations of continental chlorophyll (450 mg m⁻³) were also measured and contribute, with nitrates and ammonium, to eutrophication in the Bay of Somme. Pollution of the southern part of the bay by marine waters was regularly observed during the flow, raising doubts about the purifying capacity of sea-water and the conservation of faecal bacteria. A regular survey of fresh-water inputs and sea-water quality, offshore and within the bay, is considered to enable estimation of their respective influences in eutrophication processes in the Bay of Somme.     

Fatty acids as trophic markers of phytoplankton blooms in the Bahía Blanca estuary (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and in Trinity Bay (Newfoundland, Canada)

The fatty acid compositions of phytoplankton and major primary consumers were analyzed during the development of seasonal algal blooms in the Bahía Blanca estuary, situated on the southern coast of the province of Buenos Aires (Argentina), and Trinity Bay, at Sunnyside, on the eastern coast of Newfoundland (Canada). Primary consumers in the Bahía Blanca estuary were zooplankton dominated by the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa. At Sunnyside, the primary consumers were the sea scallop Placopecten magellanicus, an ecological and economical important benthic bivalve. The study shows that in spite of obvious differences between the two environments and the analytical approaches employed in each case, the analyses of fatty acid biomarkers can provide relevant ecological information. The fatty acid composition of the lipids of Bahía Blanca phytoplankton (high concentrations of the fatty acids 14:0, 16:4ω1, and 20:5ω3) reflected the presence of diatoms as a major component throughout the bloom. Fatty acid markers of the post-bloom phytoplankton in Bahía Blanca indicated a decline of phytoplankton biomass, and a relatively high input of detritus and terrestrial plant materials to the particulate organic matter of the estuary. Linoleic acid (18:2ω6), a typical “terrestrial” fatty acid, was conspicuous in the lipids of the post-bloom particulate matter of the Bahía Blanca estuary; 18:2ω2 was subsequently incorporated into zooplankton lipids diatom markers were also prominent in the lipids of pre-bloom and bloom phytoplankton at Sunnyside; post-bloom phytoplankton showed higher proportions of 18:0, 18:1ω9, and 18:4ω3, characteristic and often major fatty acids of dinoflagellates. The fatty acids of the digestive gland of P. magellanicus reflected the fatty acid composition of the phytoplankton, whereas those of the adductor muscle were practically unaffected by the composition of the food. This organ-specific response of an animal to the fatty acid composition of the diet is examined in terms of different applications of the fatty acid marker concept.     

Suspended particulate matter dynamics in the shallow mesotidal urdaibai estuary (Bay of Biscay,Spain)

Seston quantity and quality was measured in the Urdaibai Estuary in summer, when river discharge is low and tidal flushing is the main driving force to transport and resuspend particulate matter in the estuary. The highest seston concentrations are found in the upper estuary, where more than 90% of total suspended particulate matter is made up of particles <20 μm. There is a temporal ebb-flood asymmetry and turbulent mixing is stronger at flood tide. During dry calm periods sediment resuspension is observed for a short period of time at floods during spring tides, decreasing drastically before slack waters. In spite of this, particulate organic matter mainly originates from anthropogenic sources (domestic wastewater discharge) and plankton production.     

Land-use proximity as a basis for assessing stream water quality in New York State (USA)

The influence of the proximity of urbanization and agriculture to stream water quality is often difficult to quantify. The objectives of this study were to (1) compare the influence of far-field land-use, encompassing a watershed drainage area, to a near-field, 200-m buffer on each side of the stream in an attempt to determine on which zone of influence land-use has the largest impact on water quality, and (2) incorporate the EPA's Rapid Habitat Assessment Protocol (Barbour et al., 1999) to characterize the riparian and channel characteristics of a stream that influence water quality, which can improve New York State's monitoring protocols. Impacts were assessed through biological, chemical, and physical-habitat data from 29 streams located within a variety of land-use categories. Land-use was identified through USGS National Land Cover Data (NLCD). Principal components analysis (PCA) indicated that land-use and water quality variables were associated with non-point source contaminants (e.g. nutrients and specific conductance). Using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, significant relationships between all three land-use types and stream water quality were determined at the 200-m buffer zone of influence. At the watershed zone of influence, water quality indicators did not correlate significantly with land cover type. DO and BAP values within the 200-m buffer zone varied inversely with the percentage of urban-land cover. The stronger correlation between land cover and stream water quality at the 200-m proximity than that of the watershed suggests that the presence of a riparian buffer zone between streams and agricultural and urban areas is a significant factor in reducing contamination from non-point source loading.     

Linkages between seagrass,mangrove and saltmarsh as fish habitat in the Botany Bay estuary,New South Wales

Shallow-water vegetated estuarine habitats, notably seagrass, mangrove and saltmarsh, are known to be important habitats for many species of small or juvenile fish in temperate Australia. However, the movement of fish between these habitats is poorly understood, and yet critical to the management of the estuarine fisheries resource. We installed a series of buoyant pop nets in adjacent stands of seagrass, mangrove and saltmarsh in order to determine how relative abundance of fishes varied through lunar cycles. Nets were released in all habitats at the peak of the monthly spring tide for 12 months, and in the seagrass habitat at the peak of the neap tide also. The assemblage of fish in each habitat differed during the spring tides. The seagrass assemblage differed between spring and neap tide, with the neap tide assemblage showing greater abundances of fish, particularly those species which visited the adjacent habitats when inundated during spring tides. The result supports the hypothesis that fish move from the seagrass to the adjacent mangrove and saltmarsh during spring tides, taking advantage of high abundances of zooplankton, and use seagrass as a refuge during lower tides. The restoration and preservation of mangrove and saltmarsh utility as fish habitat may in some situations be linked to the proximity of available seagrass.     

Experimental and computational tools useful for (re)construction of dynamic kinase–substrate networks

The explosion of site‐ and context‐specific in vivo phosphorylation events presents a potentially rich source of biological knowledge and calls for novel data analysis and modeling paradigms. Perhaps the most immediate challenge is delineating detected phosphorylation sites to their effector kinases. This is important for (re)constructing transient kinase–substrate interaction networks that are essential for mechanistic understanding of cellular behaviors and therapeutic intervention, but has largely eluded high‐throughput protein‐interaction studies due to their transient nature and strong dependencies on cellular context. Here, we surveyed some of the computational approaches developed to dissect phosphorylation data detected in systematic proteomic experiments and reviewed some experimental and computational approaches used to map phosphorylation sites to their effector kinases in efforts aimed at reconstructing biological signaling networks.