Identification and quantification of polystyrene microplastics in marine sediments facing a river mouth through NMR spectroscopy.

Accurate identification and quantification of microplastic pollution in marine sediments are crucial for assessing their ecological impact. In this study, we explored the potential of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as an analytical tool for the analysis of microplastics in complex environmental matrices such as marine sediments. Two common plastic polymers, polystyrene (PS) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), were investigated.

Deformity or variation? Phenotypic diversity in the zebrafish vertebral column.

Vertebral bodies are composed of two types of metameric elements, centra and arches, each of which is considered as a developmental module. Most parts of the teleost vertebral column have a one-to-one relationship between centra and arches, although, in all teleosts, this one-to-one relationship is lost in the caudal fin endoskeleton. Deviation from the one-to-one relationship occurs in most vertebrates, related to changes in the number of vertebral centra or to a change in the number of arches.

Distinguishing the Effects of Water Volumes versus Stocking Densities on the Skeletal Quality during the Pre-Ongrowing Phase of Gilthead Seabream ().

Gilthead seabream () production is a highly valued aquaculture industry in Europe. The presence of skeletal deformities in farmed gilthead seabream represents a major bottleneck for the industry leading to economic losses, negative impacts on the consumers' perception of aquaculture, and animal welfare issues for the fish. Although past work has primarily focused on the hatchery phase to reduce the incidence of skeletal anomalies, this work targets the successive pre-ongrowing phase in which more severe anomalies affecting the external shape often arise.

A Baseline for Skeletal Investigations in Medaka (): The Effects of Rearing Density on the Postcranial Phenotype.

is increasingly used as a model in biomedical skeletal research. The standard approach is to generate genetic variants with particular skeletal phenotypes which resemble skeletal diseases in humans. The proper diagnosis of skeletal variation is key for this type of research.

Skeletal Anomalies in Senegalese Sole ( Kaup) Fed with Different Commercial Enriched A Study in Postlarvae and Juveniles.

The high incidence of skeletal anomalies in Senegalese sole () still constitutes a bottleneck constraining its production. There are diverse commercially available products for the enrichment of live preys, but few reports of their influence on skeletogenesis in Senegalese sole. This study evaluated the presence of vertebral anomalies in postlarvae and juvenile Senegalese sole fed with spp.

Plasticity of the skeleton and skeletal deformities in zebrafish (Danio rerio) linked to rearing density.

The teleost zebrafish (Danio rerio), an established model for human skeletal diseases, is reared under controlled conditions with defined parameters for temperature and photoperiod. Studies aimed at defining the proper rearing density have been performed with regard to behavioural and physiological stress response, sex ratio and reproduction. Studies concerning the effect of rearing density on the skeletal phenotype are lacking.

Gonadal disorder in the thinlip grey mullet (Liza ramada, Risso 1827) as a biomarker of environmental stress in surface waters.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of gonadal alterations in the thinlip grey mullet (Liza ramada) as a biological indicator in assessing aquatic ecosystems health, with particular emphasis to river ecosystems exposed to sewage discharges. For this purpose, the reproductive status and the presence of gonadal alterations were studied in 206 mullets collected from two sites on the low course of the Tiber River, downstream of a large urban sewage treatment plant and in the estuarine area, and from an uncontaminated pond considered as reference site. Intersex and irregularly shaped gonads were observed in 20.

Skeletal anomaly monitoring in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum 1792) reared under different conditions.

The incidence of skeletal anomalies could be used as an indicator of the "quality" of rearing conditions as these anomalies are thought to result from the inability of homeostatic mechanisms to compensate for environmentally-induced stress and/or altered genetic factors. Identification of rearing conditions that lower the rate of anomalies can be an important step toward profitable aquaculture as malformed market-size fish have to be discarded, thus reducing fish farmers' profits. In this study, the occurrence of skeletal anomalies in adult rainbow trout grown under intensive and organic conditions was monitored.

Environmental conditioning of skeletal anomalies typology and frequency in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L., 1758) juveniles.

In this paper, 981 reared juveniles of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) were analysed, 721 of which were from a commercial hatchery located in Northern Italy (Venice, Italy) and 260 from the Hellenic Center for Marine Research (Crete, Greece). These individuals were from 4 different egg batches, for a total of 10 different lots. Each egg batch was split into two lots after hatching, and reared with two different methodologies: intensive and semi-intensive.

"Right" or "wrong"? Insights into the ecology of sidedness in european flounder, Platichthys flesus.

Sidedness polymorphism in flatfish has been linked to ecological selection between morphs. However, the alternate hypothesis that morphological differences between right- and left-sided forms may be due to errors during development, as a consequence of disturbed homeostasis, which still remains largely unexplored. Here, we examined the case of Platichthys flesus (flounder), a polymorphic flatfish exhibiting large and clinal variation in the frequency of the left-sided morph, which is the reversed condition in this generally right-sided species.