A review of the order mysida in marine ecosystems: What we know what is yet to be known.

Mysids have a high ecological importance, particularly by their role in marine food chains as a link between the benthic and pelagic realms. Here we describe the relevant taxonomy, ecological aspects such as distribution and production, and their potential as ideal test organisms for environmental research. We also highlight their importance in estuarine communities, trophic webs, and their life history, while demonstrating their potential in addressing emergent problems.

Antifungal and Antioxidant Properties of Chitosan Polymers Obtained from Nontraditional Sources.

Chitin was extracted from , a swimming crab, captured in large quantities throughout the Portuguese coast by purse seine vessels as bycatch. After standard chitin extraction procedures, water-soluble chitosan products were obtained via two different methods: (1) -acetylation with the addition of acetic anhydride and (2) a reaction with hydrogen peroxide. The chemical structure and molecular weight of chitosan derivatives, water-soluble chitosan (WSC) and chitooligosaccharides (COS), were confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC).

Trophic links and nutritional condition of fish early life stages in a temperate estuary.

The physiological and nutritional condition of fish larvae affect their survival and thus, the success of estuaries as nursery areas. Fatty acid composition has been useful to determine fish nutritional condition, as well as trophic relationships in marine organisms. The present study analyses the fatty acid (FA) composition of fish larvae during spring and summer in the Mondego estuary, Portugal.

Mesozooplankton biomass and copepod estimated production in a temperate estuary (Mondego estuary): effects of processes operating at different timescales.

Background: A fundamental step in characterizing marine planktonic communities is the knowledge of the variability of their biomass and production, in order to assess the flux of matter through the food web and estimate the fate of this energy. The zooplankton assemblage's dynamics of the Mondego estuary (Portugal) have been extensively characterized, but none have focused on biomass and secondary production. In the present study, zooplankton biomass and secondary production were investigated with a seasonal basis in a fixed station, located at the mouth of the Mondego estuary (Portugal), with emphasis on the copepod community.

Changes in zooplankton communities along a mercury contamination gradient in a coastal lagoon (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal).

The main objective of this paper was to evaluate the impact of mercury on the zooplankton communities' structure and functioning and their bioaccumulation patterns along a contamination gradient in a temperate coastal lagoon. Our results demonstrated that total abundance was not negatively affected by Hg contamination, since the most contaminated areas presented the highest values, being the copepod Acartia tonsa the dominant species, which means that it is a very well adapted and tolerant species to mercury. Nevertheless, negative effects were observed in terms of species diversity, since the most contaminated areas presented the lowest values of species richness, evenness and heterogeneity.