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Abstract: The study investigated the trophic ecology of the gastropod Hydrobia ulvae in different habitat types within an intertidal bay. The results point out two major trophic pathways involving H. ulvae in this bay. On the one hand, in sandy/muddy sediments Hydrobia derives most of its energy from allochtonous detritus derived from Enteromorpha sp and the total SOM pool. In addition, in these sediments, the phototrophic purple bacteria mats played a substantial trophic role in the diet of Hydrobia. On the other hand, in a Spartina maritima marsh, the gastropod appears firstly dependent of autochtonous detritus derived from this plant. The minor contribution of microphytobenthos to the diet of Hydrobia is consistent with a relatively low presence of epipelic diatoms at the sampling sites. These results provide evidence that the trophic ecology of H. ulvae inhabiting intertidal sediments is quite plastic and does not necessarily rely primarly on microphytobenthos. Consequently, in a single bay, the small spatial scale variability in the origin and availability of detritus have direct implications on the food incorporation by H. ulvae. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Stable isotope analysis of organic matter in sediment records has long been used to track historical changes in productivity and carbon cycling in marine and lacustrine ecosystems. While flow dynamics preclude stratigraphic measurements of riverine sediments, such retrospective analysis is important for understanding biogeochemical cycling in running waters. Unique collections of riverine fish scales were used to analyse δ(15) N and δ(13) C variations in the food web of two European rivers that experience different degrees of anthropogenic pressure. Over the past four decades, dissolved inorganic N loading remained low and constant in the Teno River (70°N, Finland); in contrast, N loading increased fourfold in the Scorff River (47°N, France) over the same period. Archived scales of Atlantic salmon parr, a riverine life-stage that feeds on aquatic invertebrates, revealed high δ(15) N values in the Scorff River reflecting anthropogenic N inputs to that riverine environment. A strong correlation between dissolved inorganic N loads and δ(13) C values in fish scales was observed in the Scorff River, whereas no trend was found in the Teno River. This result suggests that anthropogenic N-nutrients enhanced atmospheric C uptake by primary producers and its transfer to fish. Our results illustrate for the first time that, as for lakes and marine ecosystems, historical changes in anthropogenic N loading can affect C cycling in riverine food webs, and confirm the long-term interactions between N and C biogeochemical cycles in running waters., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Recruitment success of marine invertebrate populations not only depends on the number of recruits but also on their quality which affects their survival. In species characterized by a mixed development (encapsulated embryonic development and release of planktotrophic larvae), the offspring quality depends on both maternal provisioning and larval feeding. Here, we investigated potential changes of maternal provisioning over the whole reproductive period in a gastropod with a mixed development: Crepidula fornicata. In its introduction area, C. fornicata reproduces from February to October, which implies that both adults and larvae are exposed to different food availabilities. Maternal provisioning was assessed by measuring the fatty acid (FA) composition of females, encapsulated embryos and larvae, in February, May, July and September 2009. FA are essential resources for the development of embryos and larvae, and are key biomarkers of offspring quality. Our results showed differences in FA composition between muscles, visceral masses, and encapsulated embryos. In particular, FA composition of embryos was similar to that of the visceral mass. Seasonal variations in FA composition were observed: in the middle of the reproductive season (May and July), female tissues and embryos showed a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids and especially ω3, as compared to the beginning and end of the reproductive season (February and September). This showed that through maternal provisioning the quality of C. fornicata offspring was higher in the middle of the reproductive season. Whether this would result in an increase of recruitment success and juvenile performance would require further investigations.

This paper shows a contingent valuation exercise of pollution abatement in remote lakes. In addition to estimating the usual interval data model, it applies a point and interval statistical approach allowing for uncensored data, left-censored data, right-censored data and left- and right-censored data to explore the determinants of willingness-to-pay in a payment card survey. Results suggest that the estimations between models may diverge under certain conditions., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)