The issue of plastic pollution has dramatically intensified in the recent years. Our study investigates extensive plastic contamination of a sandy beach on a small Adriatic island. The beach was sampled on three occasions, in 2013, 2020 and 2022, using 1 m quadrats placed along the lower and upper strandlines, resulting in average litter concentrations of 385 ± 106, 1095 ± 522 and 129 ± 37 item m, respectively. The lower size limit of collected litter was 1 mm, thus including large microplastics. Plastic fragments (49-74 %) and plastic pellets (15 %-37 %) were predominant litter categories. The proportion of fragments is significantly higher during the tourist season with a more intensive cleaning regime (April-October), as opposed to the off-season (November-March). Fisheries and aquaculture litter was identified as a relevant source of pollution. More research is needed in the future into the microplastics smaller than 1 mm.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116467 | DOI Listing |
Am J Sports Med
January 2025
Commons Clinic, Long Beach, California, USA.
Background: Orthopaedic surgeons play a critical role in ensuring the health and safety of professional athletes. Despite the privilege of treating elite athletes, there exists great financial exposure to individual physicians in the event of a malpractice lawsuit.
Hypothesis/purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and model malpractice liability exposure of the sports medicine surgeon caring for athletes in the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Hockey League (NHL) with respect to player position and additional supplemental malpractice insurance needs.
PhytoKeys
December 2024
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Art, University of Dumlupınar, 43000 Kütahya, Turkiye.
This paper describes a new species of Halamphora - and records for the first time for the coasts of Indonesia. The study utilized light and scanning electron microscopy to meticulously examine the morphology. These species were found at Kuta Beach on the island of Lombok in Indonesia in highly saline sandy environments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMar Pollut Bull
January 2025
Molecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan; Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan. Electronic address:
The coastline of Okinawa Island, Japan, has been affected by human-made alterations for decades, often from land reclamation and coastal defense construction. Here, we use an Imperial Japanese Army map made between 1919 and 1921 to describe the composition of the Okinawan coastline approximately 100 years ago, and by overlapping this old map with a modern-day map of Okinawa (2018), we identified 131 sites where coastlines showed clear human-made alterations. For these sites, we examined what kinds of ecosystems were lost and what has replaced them.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMar Pollut Bull
December 2024
Department of Environmental Science, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20016, United States of America; Department of Environmental Science and Studies, Washington College, Chestertown, MD 21620, United States of America.
Saipan, the largest and most populated island of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, has coastal areas with high submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and heavy metal pollution of sediments. Here, we measured metal concentrations in coastal Saipan groundwater and surface water and explored spatial correlations with pollution sources. Concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn were highest in inland wells, with 3 wells exceeding USEPA guidelines for Cu or Pb.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Med Entomol
December 2024
Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Vero Beach, FL, 32962, USA.
Competition between mosquito species during the larval phase is a well-established mechanism structuring container mosquito communities, with invasive species often outperforming natives. We assessed the competitive outcome between 2 species that occur on the island of Puerto Rico, the historic invasive Aedes aegypti (L.) and the endemic Aedes mediovittatus (Coquillett) (Diptera: Culicidae).
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