| 1. |
- Amid, C., et al.
(författare)
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Additive effects of the herbicide glyphosate and elevated temperature on the branched coral Acropora formosa in Nha Trang, Vietnam
- 2018
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0944-1344 .- 1614-7499. ; 25:14, s. 13360-13372
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The combined effects of the herbicide glyphosate and elevated temperature were studied on the tropical staghorn coral Acropora formosa, in Nha Trang bay, Vietnam. The corals were collected from two different reefs, one close to a polluted fish farm and one in a marine-protected area (MPA). In the laboratory, branches of the corals were exposed to the herbicide glyphosate at ambient (28 degrees C) and at 3 degrees C elevated water temperatures (31 degrees C). Effects of herbicide and elevated temperature were studied on coral bleaching using photography and digital image analysis (new colorimetric method developed here based on grayscale), chlorophyll a analysis, and symbiotic dinoflagellate (Symbiodinium, referred to as zooxanthellae) counts. All corals from the MPA started to bleach in the laboratory before they were exposed to the treatments, indicating that they were very sensitive, as opposed to the corals collected from the more polluted site, which were more tolerant and showed no bleaching response to temperature increase or herbicide alone. However, the combined exposure to the stressors resulted in significant loss of color, proportional to loss in chlorophyll a and zooxanthellae. The difference in sensitivity of the corals collected from the polluted site versus the MPA site could be explained by different symbiont types: the resilient type C3u and the stress-sensitive types C21 and C23, respectively. The additive effect of elevated temperatures and herbicides adds further weight to the notion that the bleaching of coral reefs is accelerated in the presence of multiple stressors. These results suggest that the corals in Nha Trang bay have adapted to the ongoing pollution to become more tolerant to anthropogenic stressors, and that multiple stressors hamper this resilience. The loss of color and decrease of chlorophyll a suggest that bleaching is related to concentration of chloro-pigments. The colorimetric method could be further fine-tuned and used as a precise, non-intrusive tool for monitoring coral bleaching in situ.
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| 2. |
- Hedberg, Nils, et al.
(författare)
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Antibiotic use in Vietnamese fish and lobster sea cage farms; implications for coral reefs and human health
- 2018
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Ingår i: Aquaculture. - : Elsevier BV. - 0044-8486 .- 1873-5622. ; 495, s. 366-375
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several papers have reported on the development of antibiotic resistance and implications for human medicine but fewer deal with environmental impacts of antibiotic use. Marine sea cage aquaculture in SE Asia is often established close to coral reef ecosystems. Large amounts of antibiotics are used in the cultivation of fish and lobster and hence released directly into the environment. This study investigates the antibiotic practices in sea cage farms producing fish and spiny lobster in Vietnam, mainly for the domestic market. There are approximately 3500 sea cage farms in Vietnam and we performed semi-structured interviews with 109 sea cage farmers asking them if they use antibiotics and if so; what sort/when/how often/how much. We found that the Vietnamese cage farmers are using antibiotics in an unstructured way, which seems to have little or no effect on the survival of the stock, or profit of the farm. The fact that the farmers live at their farm and use the sea next to the cages both for fishing and collecting filter-feeding bivalves for direct consumption, as well as a toilet, poses an additional risk for the spreading of human antibiotic resistant pathogens. Thirteen different antibiotics were found in the study. Eighty-two percentage of the lobster farmers and 28% of the fishfarmers used antibiotics. The average amounts used were over 5 kg per produced ton of lobster and about 0.6 kg per ton of fish, which is much higher than in other studies. Several antibiotic substances listed as critical and highly important for human medicine by WHO were used prophylactically and routinely with little control and enforcement of regulations. We tested and detected antibiotic resistance to Tetracycline, Vancomycin and Rifampicin in the coral associated bacteria Bacillus niabensis as far as 660m from fish farms with resistance decreasing with distance from the cage farms. The antibiotics are likely to have negative effects on the coral-symbiont relationship adding further risks to an already stressed environment.
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| 3. |
- Hedberg, Nils, et al.
(författare)
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Causes and consequences of spatial links between sea cage aquaculture and coral reefs in Vietnam
- 2017
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Ingår i: Aquaculture. - : Elsevier BV. - 0044-8486 .- 1873-5622. ; 481, s. 245-254
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A majority of the sea cage farms in South East Asia are located close to coral reefs. This causes a conflict between conservation and food production since sea cage aquaculture has a number of negative impacts on coral reefs. The aim of this investigation was to assess the drivers causing the sea cage farmers to place their farms close to reefs and to examine some potential farming effects in detail i.e. usage of coral reef fish for grow out farming and feed. For some 3500 Vietnamese fish and lobster farms, we measured; the distance to the closest coastal city (proxy for infrastructure access), satellite derived Chl a (proxy for water quality), wind fetch, and the adjacent coastal slope and elevation. We also performed 159 semi-structured interviews with fish and lobster cage farmers from three regions in Vietnam. The interviews revealed that the choice of farming site is mainly determined by access to infrastructure, wind and wave shelter, and water quality. Although the farmers used coral reef services, e.g. coral reef derived seedlings, they were in general not aware of coral reef presence or did not find it important for selection of site. Both coral reefs and sea cage farms were found close to steep rocky coasts, which are favorable for corals, and provide sufficient depth for sea cages. Sea cages were always found on the leeward side of the coast where the wind fetch is low enough for the floating farms and their inhabitants. Most of the farms were located within 20 km from a coastal city confirming the importance of access to infrastructure. With few exceptions, sea cage farms were located in areas with good water quality, where also coral reefs are present. The study showed that several of the coral associated species groups farmed were dependent on wild caught seedlings and that 22% of the feed used at farms was trashfish of coral reef associated species. We consider the spatial correlation between sea cage farms and coral reefs as circumstantial and suggest that shared environmental preferences explain the farm distribution pattern, rather than access to ecosystem services provided by the nearby reef itself. We found no evidence that it is necessary for sea cage farms to be located near coral reefs and strongly recommend that sea cages are moved further away from coral reefs, but to areas still providing clear water, shelter and access to infrastructure.
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| 4. |
- Hedberg, Nils, et al.
(författare)
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Habitat preference for seaweed farming - A case study from Zanzibar, Tanzania
- 2018
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Ingår i: Ocean and Coastal Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0964-5691 .- 1873-524X. ; 154, s. 186-195
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Global marine seaweed aquaculture is growing rapidly. In Zanzibar, Tanzania, seaweed farming, primarily conducted by women, is the main coastal aquaculture activity. Many types of aquaculture are linked to a specific ecosystem (e.g. shrimp-mangrove), and understanding if such a coupling exists for seaweed farming important for further development. A prerequisite to understand if farming affects coastal habitats is the need to know where, and on which habitat, the farms are located. In this study, we investigated the habitat preferences of seaweed farmers by interviews, field observations and satellite imagery analysis. We found that the majority of the farms were distributed in a narrow corridor (380-600 m from shore) along the coast where water depth (x) over bar = 2 m) and tidal regime (+/- 2 m) allow for a suitable environment for both the algae and the farmers. Within this corridor, thus defined by depth, the water is deep enough for the algae not to be overexposed to sunlight but also sufficiently shallow for the women to access and work on the farms at low tide. The farmers accordingly expressed depth as the major limiting factor when choosing the site for their farms, and the preferred habitat type was seagrass beds. Most farms (92%) were partly located on seagrass meadows, but also other habitats, such as sand. The total area of the studied seaweed farms was 65.6 ha, with 39% of this being seagrass meadow, which is significantly more than the seagrass cover in the farming corridor. The farms also covered 43% sand; however, the interviews indicate that a substantial part of the sandy areas was, in fact, also recently covered by seagrasses. Our findings are relevant for improved management, conservation, and marine spatial planning, as we show where and on which habitats seaweed farms are preferably located. This information can be used to further investigate the ecological impact on the habitats and their associated fauna and in order to provide more effective management actions. Furthermore, this is much-needed baseline information for investigating the increased production of seaweed, i.e. if the habitat has any effect on the algae growth.
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| 5. |
- Hedberg, Nils, 1981-
(författare)
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Sea cages, seaweeds and seascapes : Causes and consequences of spatial links between aquaculture and ecosystems
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Aquaculture is of growing importance in the global seafood production. The environmental impact of aquaculture will largely depend on the type of environment in which the aquaculture system is placed. Sometimes, due to the abiotic or biotic conditions of the seascape, certain aquaculture systems tend to be placed within or near specific ecosystems, a phenomenon that in this thesis is referred to as aquaculture system - ecosystem links. The exposed ecosystems can be more or less sensitive to the system specific impacts. Some links are known to be widespread and especially hazardous for the subjected ecosystem such as the one between the shrimp aquaculture and the mangrove forest ecosystem. The aim of this thesis was to identify and investigate causes and consequences of other spatial links between aquaculture and ecosystems in the tropical seascape.Two different aquaculture system - ecosystem links were identified by using high resolution satellite maps and coastal habitat maps; the link between sea cage aquaculture and coral reefs, and the one between seaweed farms and seagrass beds. This was followed by interviews with the sea cage- and seaweed farmers to find the drivers behind the farm site selection. Many seaweed farmers actively choose to establish their farms on sea grass beds but sea cage farmers did not consider coral reefs when choosing location for their farms. The investigated environmental consequences of the spatial link between sea cage aquaculture and coral reefs were considerable both on the local coral reef structure, and coral associated bacterial community. Furthermore, coral reef associated fish are used as seedlings and feed on the farms, which likely alter the coral food web and lower the ecosystem resilience. Unregulated use of last resort antibiotics in both fish- and lobster farms were also found to be a wide spread practice within the sea cage aquaculture system, suggesting a high risk for development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. The effects of seaweed farms on seagrass beds were not studied in this thesis but have earlier been shown to be rather substantial within the borders of the farm but less so outside the farm.Further, a nomenclature is presented to facilitate the discussion about production system - ecosystem links, which may also be used to be able to incorporate the landscape level within eco-certifying schemes or environmental risk assessments. Finally - increased awareness of the mechanisms that link specific aquaculture to specific habitats, would improve management practices and increase sustainability of an important and still growing food producing sector - the marine aquaculture.
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| 6. |
- Hedberg, Nils, et al.
(författare)
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Spatial correlation and potential conflicts between sea cage farms and coral reefs in South East Asia
- 2015
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Ingår i: Aquaculture. - : Elsevier BV. - 0044-8486 .- 1873-5622. ; 448, s. 418-426
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the South China and Java Seas, cage farming is a recent regional activity, which since the year 2000 has experienced an annual growth of 29%. The region holds the highest diversity of marine life, which is partly or completely dependent on coral reefs. The increasingly growing coastal human population in the area relies on ecosystem goods and services provided by the reefs that are threatened by anthropogenic activities. Sea cage farming is one of the stressors negatively impacting coral reefs by being point sources of nutrients and other effluents. To date no systematic information is available on the physical location of marine farms in relation to the coral reefs. Little is known about the distance where impact from the farms can be detected on nearby coral reefs. The present survey aimed to fill this gap by assessing to what extent marine cage farms in South East Asia are placed in the vicinity of the reefs and at which distance stress indicators from the farms are observed. We used Google Earth satellite images to investigate the extension and spatial distribution of sea cage aquaculture in relation to the presence of coral reefs. The stress indicators were locally assessed in Central Vietnam by recording turf algal overgrowth, coral mortality, live coral and branching coral cover at increasing distances from the farms. We found that 90% of sea cage farms throughout the region clustered closer than 5 km from coral reefs and 50% of them closer than 1 km from reefs. In Taiwan, 71% of the cages were located within 100m from a reef. This pattern is nonrandom and could not be explained by the natural distribution of coral reefs; only 5% of the Vietnamese coast harbors coral reefs, and sea cage farms are present in these areas only. This indicates that the farms require similar conditions as the reefs including clear and shallow waters and protection against storms and wave action. We found that turf algal overgrowth decreased at 287 m +/- 54 m, dead coral at 1446m +/- 154 m, live coral cover increased at 566 +/- 221 m and branching corals increased at 867 m +/- 140 m from the cage farms. We conclude that proximity to coral reefs should be considered when planning future developments of sea cage aquaculture, and recommend that distances of at least 1.5 km should be kept. Statement of relevance: Consider coral reefs when planning sea cage aquaculture site.
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| 7. |
- Jörgensen, Tove Lund, 1975-
(författare)
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Coral Reef Habitats and Fish Connectivity : Implications for coastal management and fishery
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Coral reefs have one of the highest levels of biodiversity of all ecosystems in the world and are important for both human livelihood and food security throughout many tropical countries. However, due to increased anthropogenic pressure on marine ecosystems, especially during the last couple of decades, coral reefs have become critically over-fished, and many reefs are now in a degraded state and are facing additional future threats due to further over-exploitation, chemical pollution, sedimentation, and effects of climate change.The main aim of this PhD thesis was to understand effects of anthropogenic disturbances on tropical coastal ecosystems and fish connectivity for coastal management purposes. Therefore, linkages between anthropogenic disturbance and corals were investigated (Paper I), as well as interactions between coral reef habitat and associated fish assemblage (Paper II). Furthermore, connectivity between coral reefs and other tropical coastal ecosystems was explored (Paper III), as well as fish migration to reproduction sites (Paper IV), and evaluations of spatial ecology methods (Paper V).The result showed that coral reefs that are already exposed to disturbances, such as freshwater and nutrient run-offs, may be more sensitive to climate change, in terms of increased sea surface temperatures (Paper I). In addition, there were also clear linkages between coral reef quality, in terms of coral coverage, and fish assemblages, which displayed high spatial variability and suggesting patchy recovery after the 1997/1998 bleaching and subsequent coral mass mortality event (Paper II). This highlights the importance of understanding effects of disturbances on corals, especially in terms of synergistic effects between increased water temperatures and other coastal stressors such as decreased salinity and increased nutrients; and the indirect effects of habitat degradation on the fish community.Linkages between fish and different coastal habitats were further explored. The results showed that coral reefs were strongly connected with mangrove and seagrass beds, through ontogenetic migration of fish (Paper III). Migrations to spawning sites of groupers were related to lunar activities when thousands of fish gather for reproduction purposes during new moon, which increases the risk of over-exploitation (Paper IV). The results emphasises the importance of protecting key areas such as nursing grounds and reproduction sites. Furthermore, acoustic telemetry has become an increasingly common method in studies of fish movement, and the results showed that efficiency of acoustic arrays may increase depending on deployment strategies and habitat characteristics (Paper V).In conclusion, the results from this PhD thesis emphasises the importance of protecting coral reef habitats, as well as identifying related susceptible tropical coastal areas, such as nursing grounds and reproduction sites. Indeed, a better scientific understanding of coral reef ecology and indirect and direct effects on fish assemblages are needed for efficient and accurate coastal management decisions.
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| 8. |
- Nguyen, Thanh Tam, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of Sequential Applications of Bassa 50EC (Fenobucarb) and Vitashield 40EC (Chlorpyrifos ethyl) on Acetylcholinesterase Activity in Climbing Perch (Anabas testudineus) Cultured in Rice Fields in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
- 2016
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Ingår i: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0007-4861 .- 1432-0800. ; 97:1, s. 98-104
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study assesses the effects of sequential applications of the insecticides Bassa 50EC (fenobucarb-F) and Vitashield 40EC (chlorpyrifos ethyl-CPF), sprayed at concentrations used by rice farmers in the Mekong Delta, on the brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in climbing perch fingerlings. After spraying the pesticides on the rice fields, the water concentrations of both insecticides decreased below the detection levels within three days. The sequential applications caused significant inhibition on the brain AChE activity in the exposed fish. The inhibition by F was quicker, but less prolonged, than for CPF. The inhibition levels caused by the sequential applications were lower than those caused by only CPF and by a mixture of CPF and F. The results indicate that sequential applications of pesticides could have a negative impact on aquatic organisms and fish yields, with implication for the aquatic biodiversity, local people’s livelihood and the aquaculture industry in the Mekong Delta.
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| 9. |
- Nguyen, Thanh Tam, 1981-
(författare)
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Pesticide use in rice farming and its impacts on climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The intensification of agricultural production in the Mekong Delta has faced serious challenges with respect to increased use of agrochemicals and especially pesticides. The indiscriminate use of pesticide could potentially impact on the long-term food production, environmental and human health in the delta. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the negative side effects of the current use of pesticides on climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) in rice fields using brain acetylcholinesterase (hereafter referred to as AChE) activity as a biomarker. The empirical work, on which this thesis is based, includes structured questionnaires, laboratory and field experiments. First, a field survey using questionnaires was carried out to gain a better understanding of the current state of rice farming systems, the use of pesticides and attitude to pest management strategies among rice and rice-fish farmers, as well as to provide basic information for the set-up of the laboratory and field experiments. Secondly, laboratory studies were conducted to clarify if the selected insecticides applied alone and in mixtures caused negative side effects on climbing perch fingerlings. Thirdly, further toxicity studies were carried out, under rice field conditions, to further investigate the toxicity effects of the insecticides, applied alone, in mixtures and under sequential applications, on climbing perch fingerlings.The results showed that although there were a more selective use of pesticides and an increased awareness among farmers of the negative side effects of pesticides in 2007 as compared to 1999, the current use of pesticide in the Mekong Delta still cause many problems to the environment and human health. Chlorpyrifos ethyl (hereafter referred to as CPF) was found to cause a significant and more prolonged inhibition on the brain AChE activity in climbing perch than fenobucarb (hereafter referred to as F). The inhibition by the mixture of CPF and F were significantly higher than the inhibition by only F, but less prolonged and significant lower than the inhibition by only CPF. The results suggest that the combined effect from a mixture of F and CPF can create both additive effects initially and later antagonistic effects.CPF and F applied at concentrations used by farmers, either as separate doses, in a mixture or in sequential doses, decreased the brain AChE activity, growth and survival rates in climbing perch. The results demonstrate that brain AChE activity in climbing perch is a relevant biomarker for monitoring of exposure to, and sub-lethal impacts from organophosphates and carbamates under tropical conditions. The result also shows that 2-PAM re-activate the brain AChE activity, and can be used as an alternative method to assess the AChE inhibition level in organisms recently exposed to OP’s, in situation where it may be difficult to find unexposed individuals as controls.In conclusion, this thesis shows that the current use of pesticides in the Mekong Delta has a negative effect on climbing perch living in rice fields. It indicates that a sustained long-term food production in the Mekong Delta must be based on ecological principles, taking advantages of ecosystem biodiversity and productivity, and not through intensified use of pesticides.
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| 10. |
- Sanderson Bellamy, Angelina, et al.
(författare)
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Insect community composition and functional roles along a tropical agricultural production gradient
- 2018
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0944-1344 .- 1614-7499. ; 25:14, s. 13426-13438
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High intensity agricultural production systems are problematic not only for human health and the surrounding environment, but can threaten the provision of ecosystem services on which farm productivity depends. This research investigates the effects of management practices in Costa Rica on on-farm insect diversity, using three different types of banana farm management systems: high-input conventional system, low-input conventional system, and organic system. Insect sampling was done using pitfall and yellow bowl traps, left for a 24-h period at two locations inside the banana farm, at the edge of the farm, and in adjacent forest. All 39,091 individual insects were classified to family level and then morphospecies. Insect species community composition and diversity were compared using multivariate statistics with ordination analysis and Monte Carlo permutation testing, and revealed that each of the management systems were significantly different from each other for both trap types. Insect diversity decreased as management intensity increased. Reduced insect diversity resulted in fewer functional groups and fewer insect families assuming different functions essential to ecosystem health. Organic farms had similar species composition on the farm compared to adjacent forest sites, whereas species composition increasingly differed between farm and forest sites as management intensity increased. We conclude that while organic production has minimal impact on insect biodiversity, even small reductions in management intensity can have a significantly positive impact on on-farm insect biodiversity and functional roles supported.
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