First report on pollutant accumulation and associated microbial communities in the freshwater sponge Spongilla lacustris (Linnaeus, 1759) from the sub-Arctic Pasvik River (Norway).

This explorative study was aimed at first characterizing the sponge Spongilla lacustris (Linnaeus, 1759) from the sub-Arctic Pasvik River (Northern Fennoscandia), in terms of associated microbial communities and pollutant accumulation. Persistent organic pollutants were determined in sponge mesohyl tissues, along with the estimation of the microbial enzymatic activity rates, prokaryotic abundance and morphometric traits, and the analysis of the taxonomic bacterial diversity by next-generation sequencing techniques. The main bacterial groups associated with S.

Benthic Microbial Communities in a Seasonally Ice-Covered Sub-Arctic River (Pasvik River, Norway) Are Shaped by Site-Specific Environmental Conditions.

The Pasvik River experiences chemical, physical, and biological stressors due to the direct discharges of domestic sewage from settlements located within the catchment and runoff from smelter and mine wastes. Sediments, as a natural repository of organic matter and associated contaminants, are of global concern for the possible release of pollutants in the water column, with detrimental effects on aquatic organisms. The present study was aimed at characterizing the riverine benthic microbial community and evaluating its ecological role in relation to the contamination level.

Democratizing education: Open schooling engaged the less privileged in environmental sciences.

Democratizing learning is essential for environmental sustainability. Less privileged areas are crucial in this regard. Informal education has great such potential, but often fails to reach the less privileged, and to document learning.

Temporal analysis shows relaxed genetic erosion following improved stocking practices in a subarctic transnational brown trout population.

Maintaining standing genetic variation is a challenge in human-dominated landscapes. We used genetic (i.e.

Studying phenological phenomena in subarctic biomes with international school pupils as citizen scientists.

Citizen science can facilitate in-depth learning for pupils and students, contribute to scientific research, and permit civic participation. Here, we describe the development of the transnational school-based citizen science project . Its primary goal is to introduce pupils (age 12-15; grades 7-10) in northern Norway, Russia, and Finland to the local and global challenges of climate change resulting in life cycle changes at different trophic and ecosystem levels in their backyards.

Parasitoids indicate major climate-induced shifts in arctic communities.

Climatic impacts are especially pronounced in the Arctic, which as a region is warming twice as fast as the rest of the globe. Here, we investigate how mean climatic conditions and rates of climatic change impact parasitoid insect communities in 16 localities across the Arctic. We focus on parasitoids in a widespread habitat, Dryas heathlands, and describe parasitoid community composition in terms of larval host use (i.

Genetic changes caused by restocking and hydroelectric dams in demographically bottlenecked brown trout in a transnational subarctic riverine system.

Habitat discontinuity, anthropogenic disturbance, and overharvesting have led to population fragmentation and decline worldwide. Preservation of remaining natural genetic diversity is crucial to avoid continued genetic erosion. Brown trout ( L.

Metal Resistance in Bacteria from Contaminated Arctic Sediment is Driven by Metal Local Inputs.

Anthropogenic impact over the Pasvik River (Arctic Norway) is mainly caused by emissions from runoff from smelter and mine wastes, as well as by domestic sewage from the Russian, Norwegian, and Finnish settlements situated on its catchment area. In this study, sediment samples from sites within the Pasvik River area with different histories of metal input were analyzed for metal contamination and occurrence of metal-resistant bacteria in late spring and summer of 2014. The major differences in microbial and chemical parameters were mostly dependent on local inputs than seasonality.

Climate Warming as a Possible Trigger of Keystone Mussel Population Decline in Oligotrophic Rivers at the Continental Scale.

The effects of climate change on oligotrophic rivers and their communities are almost unknown, albeit these ecosystems are the primary habitat of the critically endangered freshwater pearl mussel and its host fishes, salmonids. The distribution and abundance of pearl mussels have drastically decreased throughout Europe over the last century, particularly within the southern part of the range, but causes of this wide-scale extinction process are unclear. Here we estimate the effects of climate change on pearl mussels based on historical and recent samples from 50 rivers and 6 countries across Europe.

Unleaded gasoline as a significant source of Pb emissions in the Subarctic.

After the phasing out of leaded gasoline, Pb emissions to the atmosphere dramatically decreased, and other sources became more significant. The contribution of unleaded gasoline has not been sufficiently recognized; therefore, we evaluated the impact of Pb from unleaded gasoline in a relatively pristine area in Subarctic NE Norway. The influence of different endmembers (Ni slag and concentrate from the Nikel smelter in Russia, PM filters, and traffic) on the overall Pb emissions was determined using various environmental samples (snow, lichens, and topsoils) and Pb isotope tracing.

Stable isotope tracing of Ni and Cu pollution in North-East Norway: Potentials and drawbacks.

The use of Ni and Cu isotopes for tracing contamination sources in the environment remains a challenging task due to the limited information about the influence of various biogeochemical processes influencing stable isotope fractionation. This work focuses on a relatively simple system in north-east Norway with two possible endmembers (smelter-bedrock) and various environmental samples (snow, soil, lichens, PM). In general, the whole area is enriched in heavy Ni and Cu isotopes highlighting the impact of the smelting activity.

Taxonomy and distribution of freshwater pearl mussels (Unionoida: Margaritiferidae) of the Russian Far East.

The freshwater pearl mussel family Margaritiferidae includes 13 extant species, which are all listed by IUCN as endangered or vulnerable taxa. In this study, an extensive spatial sampling of Margaritifera spp. across the Russian Far East (Amur Basin, Kamchatka Peninsula, Kurile Archipelago and Sakhalin Island) was conducted for a revision of their taxonomy and distribution ranges.

Sealworm (Pseudoterranova decipiens) infection in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), cod (Gadus morhua) and shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius) in the Baltic Sea.

The anisakid nematode Pseudoterranova decipiens, known as the sealworm or cod worm, can infect the flesh of several fish species. The parasite causes cosmetic problems for the fish industry and can cause abdominal discomfort if consumed by humans. There are only scattered studies on the abundance or distribution of the sealworm in fish and seals in the Baltic Sea.

Limited gene flow among brown bear populations in far Northern Europe? Genetic analysis of the east-west border population in the Pasvik Valley.

Noninvasively collected genetic data can be used to analyse large-scale connectivity patterns among populations of large predators without disturbing them, which may contribute to unravel the species' roles in natural ecosystems and their requirements for long-term survival. The demographic history of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Northern Europe indicates several extinction and recolonization events, but little is known about present gene flow between populations of the east and west. We used 12 validated microsatellite markers to analyse 1580 hair and faecal samples collected during six consecutive years (2005-2010) in the Pasvik Valley at 70°N on the border of Norway, Finland and Russia.

Helminth parasites in ringed seals (Pusa hispida) from Svalbard, Norway with special emphasis on nematodes: variation with age, sex, diet, and location of host.

Complete gastrointestinal tracts from 257 ringed seals (Pusa hispida) from Svalbard, Norway, were examined for helminth parasites. Three different helminth groups were recorded (acanthocephalans 61.1%; nematodes 38%; cestodes 0.

Growth, fecundity and sex ratio of adult whaleworm (Anisakis simplex; Nematoda, Ascaridoidea, Anisakidae) in three whale species from the North-East Atlantic.

The growth rate, fecundity, and sex ratio of Anisakis simplex in minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) and long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) was studied on the basis of material from the North Atlantic. A total of 8,135 mature A. simplex were collected from 24 minke whales, 11 porpoises and eight pilot whales.