Volume 42 (2013): Issue 2 (June 2013)

The aim of this study was to answer the following questions: (1) which environmental variables, biotic (fish predation) or abiotic factors, have a greater influence on the rate of zooplankton changes in lake outlet sections and (2) which plankters suffer the greatest reduction in the outlet section.

Samples were collected in two locations at each of 18 lakes. The first site was right at the outflow; the second site was 0.2 km downstream from the outflow. At downstream sites the percentage contribution of Rotifera in zooplankton species number and abundance was higher than in the outflow, whilst the percentage contribution of Cladocera and Copepoda (except nauplii) in the zooplankton species number and abundance was lower at downstream sites than in outlets. The most important variables affecting the rate of zooplankton reduction in the lake outlets are the biomass of cyprinids and hydrological parameters along the outlet, such as discharge, current velocity, and depth.

The most dramatic reductions involved daphnids, adult copepods, small cladocerans, and copepodites, while the reduction in the abundance of rotifers and nauplii was statistically insignificant.

An oceanic model and satellite data are used to evaluate the seasonal distribution of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and Andaman Sea.

Satellite data show high Chl-a concentrations because high Chl-a concentrations reduce CO2 and increase O2 at the sea surface, indicating fish abundance in the ocean. Sample collection alone cannot provide an accurate overview of Chl-a concentration over an entire region.

The satellite data concerning Chl-a concentration, phytoplankton absorption coefficient, and Sea Surface Temperature (SST) are from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) project and from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The oceanic model is created to give the surface circulation as a result. The research finds that the simulation is in agreement with SST, Chl-a concentration, and phytoplankton absorption coefficients obtained from satellites. The conclusion is that the oceanic model can be used to implicitly explain the seasonal distribution of Chl-a in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman sea.

Changes in the bioaccumulation of 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) in the marine alga Heterosigma akashiwo (Raphidophyceae) were examined for different concentrations of nitrate (0, 128, and 512 μmol dm−3) and phosphate (0, 8, and 32 μmol dm−3) in the semi-continuous culture with 20% renewal rate. The BDE-47 content per cell and per culture, as well as the accumulated percentage of available BDE-47, presented a significant decreasing trend with the increase in nitrate and phosphate concentrations. The N-0 (4.0 × 10−6 ng cell−1) and P-0 (5.8 × 10−6 ng cell−1) treatments had significantly higher BDE-47 content per cell than other treatments. In comparison, the difference in BDE-47 per algal culture and accumulated percentage between the nitrate treatments or phosphate treatments was not as obvious as the BDE-47 content per cell. BDE-47 per cell presented significantly negative correlation with nitrate and phosphate concentrations, and the accumulated BDE-47 was in positive correlation with lipid content. log BAFlip for BDE-47 in H. akashiwo ranged from 6.70 to 7.25. The results of this study indicate that variation in BDE-47 accumulation by H. akashiwo corresponds to the change in cellular lipid content induced by different nitrate and phosphate concentrations.

This study focused on the bioaccumulation intensities of the ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (bmimCl) by two invertebrates: Mytilus trossulus and Balanus improvisus and the green alga Chlorella vulgaris. The bioconcentration of bmimCl by two invertebrates was tested in the contaminated water, both with and without the presence of green algae previously exposed to the bmimCl. The experimentally obtained bioconcentration factors (BCFs) are quite low and do not exceed the value of 10. The presence of contaminated C. vulgaris in the water induces an increase in BCF of barnacles up to 80% in comparison to barnacles exposed only to contaminated water. Detoxication of M. trossulus may be more effective in the presence of higher IL concentrations. BCFs for hard tissues of the mussel indicates an exclusively physical sorption mechanism on the mineral surface.

Lake Szmaragdowe and Czarnogłowy Reservoir are both characterized by atypical origin as both were formed when quarries were flooded. The geological substrates of the two basins are unique, and they are both highly valued as recreational and tourist destinations. These two basins are among the most interesting in northwestern Poland. Studies of their thermal regimes confirmed that water mass mixing in Lake Szmaragdowe is bradymictic. The waters in the Czarnogłowy Reservoir mix entirely to a depth of 20 m, and this layer is also characterized by bradymixia. Deeper waters do not mix. This indicates that mixing in this basin is of the meromictic type.

Chironomus melanotus Keyl, a new species of Polish fauna, is described on the basis of cytogenetic characteristics. It belongs to the cytocomplex thummi with the chromosome set 2n = 8, chromosome arm combinations AB CD EF G and species-specific karyotype markers.

Two types (somatic and inherited) of structural chromosome rearrangements in salivary gland chromosomes were identified in the species and somatic rearrangements (heterozygous inversions, deficiencies, deletions — Somatic index — 0.54) were observed for the first time in this species. In addition to those in the mosaic state, some genome alterations — trisomy and “B” chromosome, as well as larval malformations (10.27%) were detected for a first time. The malformations and somatic structural and genome aberrations may have been caused by different stress agents in the environment. Thus, we suggest that the high spectrum of somatic rearrangements observed in C. melanotus may indicate the existence of pollution (elevated Cd and Pb concentrations) in Lake Łuknajno (the study area) and perhaps trace metals and different chemicals produced by the Chara species.

The study of fish ponds have confirmed the presence of nine new locations of Anodonta woodiana in Poland, with strong and vital populations. These are examples of Chinese pond mussels accidentally introduced along with fish imports. Comparison of known localities shows that more mussels are in eastern Poland, from which the migration path of A. woodiana progresses. Most often mussels settle in larger water reservoirs with elongated shapes. Older and longer mussels occur in deeper fish ponds. Moreover, the further south the location, the higher biomass can be obtained.

The average age of mussels in a fish pond depends on its bed type and depth; however the latter has less influence. New locations of this species are also to be expected due to deliberate introduction; cases of resettlement of individual specimens of the Chinese pond mussel to new locations have been recorded.

The ether and methanol extracts of Wolffia arrhiza (Lemnaceae) were analyzed using high resolution capillary gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The ether extract contains 32 compounds, mostly lipids and sterols, among which β-sitosterol is most prevalent. This is the first evidence of β-sitosterol detection in W. arrhiza. The most representative group of polar compounds of the methanol fraction is formed by 18 free amino acids. In addition, in the methanol extract there are a number of other nitrogen containing compounds: nucleobase and nucleosides. The third significant group in the total ion current in the methanol extract is formed by glycerol and glycerides. At the same time, the content of free sugar is very low.

The main aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of the Biological Diatom Index (BDI) (Lenoir & Coste 1996) for the estimation of water quality in the central section of the Pilica River, located in central Poland in Łódź province. The BDI has never been used before to monitor Polish surface waters. An analysis of the correlations between the values of the BDI and selected physico-chemical parameters was performed, as was an assessment of water quality using the BDI. On the basis of value ranges proposed by Descy and Ector (1996), a good ecological status in the Pilica River was obtained, but this did not correspond with the results achieved from the physico-chemical analysis. This study proposes new value ranges for the BDI. With these new values, the ecological state of the Pilica River changed from good to moderate, which corresponded with the physico-chemical analysis of the water. The new, proposed value ranges for the BDI assess more precisely the quality of water in lowland Polish rivers.

The aim of this study was to analyze the variability of the suspension concentration in the area where the Vistula River discharges into the Gulf of Gdańsk. While analyzing the relationship between suspension concentration and the distance from the river mouth and the spatial location in the water column, a number of other important factors were considered, i.e. salinity, temperature, the composition of suspension and in situ hydrodynamic conditions. The samples of surficial sediment were analyzed with regard to the content of organic matter and <0.063 mm size fraction.

The phytoplankton in Lake Borówno has never been included in phycological studies. The objective of our research was qualitative and quantitative analysis with reference to physicochemical parameters. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of phytoplankton assemblages were performed in 2004 and 2009. A total of 117 taxa were identified in Lake Borówno: Cyanoprocaryota — 35, Cryptophyta — 2, Euglenophyta — 1, Pyrophyta — 3, Chrysophyceae — 4, Bacillariophyceae — 25, Chlorophyta — 47. The bottom of the shallow water was covered with meadows of Charophyceae, with the dominant species Chara vulgaris L.

Biomass of the phytoplankton varied from 1.23 mg dm−3 in April to 5.74 mg dm−3 in August 2009. Ceratium hirundinella (O.F.Müller) Bergh was the dominant taxon during the whole season, but during summer another co-dominant taxon, Microcystis aeruginosa (Kütz.)Kütz., occurred.

The quality parameters, phytoplankton biomass, chlorophyll-a concentration and TSI indicate the mesotrophic character of the lake. The blue-green algae blooms, which are the major problem for preserving the good conditions of water in lakes, were not observed either in 2004 or 2009.

Ulva flexuosa subsp. pilifera previously known from northern Poland, from the channel near Szczecin and ponds near Łódź, has recently been found in the Malta Reservoir in the Wielkopolska (West Poland) region. Specimens collected in the Wielkopolska region were examined in detail, also under a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The morphometric analysis of Ulva thalli (both young and mature specimens) was performed in order to study the differences in the ultrastructure of vegetative cells. Rectangular cells in young thalli measured from 32.21–55.81 μm to 20.24–35.12 μm, and they formed clear longitudinal rows, while cells in the mature specimens ranged from 25.09–47.66 μm to 18.90–31.56 μm. This study indicates that vegetative cells of the mature thalli show tendency towards distortions of both the longitudinal and transverse cells arrangement. This distortion is determined by the development of possible carbonate calcium crystals on the thalli surface. The ultrastructural analysis (TEM) confirmed that the structure and placement of thylakoids is genus/species specific.

The main aim of this study was to determine the size of the load carried by the Błądzikowski Stream and discharged into the Puck Lagoon, and the role of the river load in the formation of the sea bed deposits at the stream mouth. The Błądzikowski Stream, with the length of only 10 km, discharges about 610 tons of sediment into the Puck Lagoon per year, including 89.8% (548 tons) of the bed load and 10.2% (62 tons) of the suspended load. The amount is 4.9% of the river load discharged into the Puck Lagoon. Mineral particles are more common in the composition of the river load and account for 94.6% of the suspended load and 98.7% of the bed load. It is mainly the bed load deposited in the estuarine area that creates a contemporary underwater accumulation form in the Puck Lagoon, which is corroborated by the granulometric composition of the channel and surface sediments; the suspended load is carried further into the Lagoon.