Lotfi Aleya

Impacts of an uncontrolled phosphogypsum dumpsite on summer distribution of phytoplankton, copepods and ciliates in relation to abiotic variables along the near-shore of the southwestern Mediterranean coast

In connection with the Taparura Project, studies of spatial distribution of the crustacean zooplankton community, nutrients, phytoplankton and ciliates were conducted in July 2007 at 45 stations spread over fifteen transects along the coast north of Sfax. The results showed that the N/P ratio was lower than the Redfield ratio, suggesting potential N limitation. Phytoplankton was characterised by the proliferation of several diatoms, while ciliates were largely dominated by spirotrichs. Copepods were the most abundant zooplankton present during the entire study period, comprising 61% of the total zooplankton community. Twelve copepod families were identified at every station, with a high percentage of Oithonidae (77% of copepods) dominated by Oithona nana. The abundance of this species was correlated with that of diatoms, Cocoolithophorideae and ciliated Colpodea, suggesting that O. nana may feed on a wide range of prey. Despite human pressure and industrial activities, the coastal waters north of Sfax showed a wide diversity of phytoplankton, ciliates and zooplankton.

Factors contributing to heavy metal accumulation in sediments and in the intertidal mussel Perna perna in the Gulf of Annaba (Algeria)

This paper presents the results of a seasonal survey of heavy metals accumulated in sediments and in the soft parts of the body of the mussel Perna perna at four stations in the Gulf of Annaba (Algeria). Pooled soft tissues from 10 mussels representing the entire range of sizes were digested in nitric acid. Statistical analysis reveals a significant seasonal effect on all the measured metals, the highest values being recorded in winter. With the exception of Cr, the levels for all metals were significantly higher in the east, at the outlet of the Seybouse River, than at all other monitoring stations. The study also shows that north-western waters are subject to a significantly lower degree of heavy metal pollution than elsewhere in the gulf. Levels were nevertheless within the limits of public health standards. The results confirm the usefulness of P. perna as a bioindicator for heavy metal pollution.

Phosphorus exchanges between sediment and water in trophically different reservoirs

Abstract Phosphorus exchanges within the sediment-water interface coupled with several parameters were studied in several reservoirs with geologically different catchment basins and different trophic levels in Morocco and France. The results showed that these exchanges were regulated by a combination of the physical-chemical variability of the environment, the geological composition of the catchment basins and the trophic status of the lake. In the hypereutrophic Villerest reservoir, iron-bound phosphorus is the major form of phosphorus trapped by the sediment whereas, in Moroccan reservoirs, calcium-bound phosphorus prevailed. We suggest that drastic control of phosphorus input into waters be carried out via a large dephosphorization program of the tributaries to avoid bloom formation in the Villerest reservoir and calcium-bound phosphorus dissociation with upward release of bioavailable phosphorus.

Driving factors behind the distribution of dinocyst composition and abundance in surface sediments in a western Mediterranean coastal lagoon: report from a high resolution mapping study.

Species composition and abundance of dinocysts in relation to environmental factors were studied at 123 stations of surface sediment in Bizerte Lagoon. Forty-eight dinocyst types were identified, mainly dominated by Brigantidinium simplex, Votadinum spinosum, Alexandrium pseudogonyaulax, Alexandrium catenella, and Lingulodinum machaerophorum along with many round brown cysts and spiny round brown cysts. Cysts ranged from 1276 to 20126 cysts g(-1)dry weight sediment. Significant differences in cyst distribution pattern were recorded among the zones, with a higher cyst abundance occurring in the lagoons inner areas. Redundancy analyses showed two distinct associations of dinocysts according to location and environmental variables. Ballast water discharges are potential introducers of non-indigenous species, especially harmful ones such as A. catenella and Polysphaeridium zoharyi, with currents playing a pivotal role in cyst distribution. Findings concerning harmful cyst species indicate potential seedbeds for initiation of future blooms and outbreaks of potentially toxic species in the lagoon.

Sewage sludge application in a plantation: Effects on trace metal transfer in soil–plant–snail continuum

We studied the potential bioaccumulation of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd by the snail Cantareus aspersus and evaluated the risk of leaching after application of sewage sludge to forest plantation ecosystems. Sewage sludge was applied to the soil surface at two loading rates (0, and 6 tons ha(-1) in dry matter) without incorporation into the soil so as to identify the sources of trace metal contamination in soil and plants and to evaluate effects on snail growth. The results indicated a snail mortality rate of less than 1% during the experiment, while their dry weight decreased significantly (<0.001) in all treatment modalities. Thus, snails showed no acute toxicity symptoms after soil amendment with sewage sludge over the exposure period considered. Additions of sewage sludge led to higher levels of trace metals in forest litter compared to control subplots, but similar trace metal concentrations were observed in sampling plants. Bioaccumulation study demonstrated that Zn had not accumulated in snails compared to Cu which accumulated only after 28 days of exposure to amended subplots. However, Pb and Cd contents in snails increased significantly after 14 and 28 days of exposure in both the control and amended subplots. At the last sampling date, in comparison to controls the Cd increase was higher in snails exposed to amended subplots. Thus, sludge spread therefore appears to be responsible for the observed bioaccumulation for Cu and Cd after 28days of exposure. Concerning Pb accumulation, the results from litter-soil-plant compartments suggest that soil is this metals best transfer source.

First evidence of fish genotoxicity induced by heavy metals from landfill leachates: The advantage of using the RAPD-PCR technique

Municipal leachates are loaded with heavy metals that can contaminate surface water before discharge into a receiving body of water. The aim of this study is to evaluate the genotoxic effects of heavy metals generated by domestic waste on the common roach Rutilus rutilus in the last of the four interconnected ponds at the Etueffont landfill. We used random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) since it has been shown to be a powerful means of detecting a broad range of DNA damage due to environmental contaminants. Our results show the ability of RAPD analysis to detect significant genetic alterations in roach DNA, after contamination with a set of metals contained in the landfill leachates in comparison to a roach from a non-polluted reference pond. Analysis of electrophoresis profiles indicates apparent changes such as the appearance of new bands or disappearance of bands as compared to the control. In fact, mixed smearing and laddering of DNA fragments in muscle samples support the genotoxic effects of metal deposits in the roach. This study is the first evidence found via the RAPD-PCR technique in the detection of pollutant impacts on fish exposed to landfill leachates.

Abundance and biomass of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms coupled with environmental factors in an arid multi-pond solar saltern (Sfax, Tunisia)

The distribution of abundance and biomass of prokaryotes, flagellates, ciliates and phytoplankton, were studied in five ponds of increasing salinity in the Sfax solar saltern (Tunisia) coupled with environmental factors. The results showed that abundance of eukaryotic microorganisms decreased with increasing salinity of the ponds whereas prokaryotes (heterotrophic bacteria and Archaea) were abundant in the hyper-saline ponds. Phototrophic picoplankton was found in a large range of salinity values (70 and 200‰). Phototrophic non-flagellated nanoplankton which dominated in the first sampled pond was substituted by phototrophic flagellated nanoplankton in the other ponds. Heterotrophic nanoplankton dominated in the crystallizer pond but its quantitative importance declined in the less saline ponds. Diatoms and dinoflagellates were the major contributors to phytoplankton abundance in the first ponds (>90% of total abundance). Ciliated protozoa were found in all the ponds except in the crystallizer in which prokaryotes proliferated. Oligotrichida and Heterotrichida were the most abundant ciliate groups. Overall, species richness decreased with salinity gradient. We propose a simplified diagram of the Sfax salterns food web showing the dominant role of the microbial loop along the salinity gradient.

Environmental Quality Assessment of Bizerte Lagoon (Tunisia) Using Living Foraminifera Assemblages and a Multiproxy Approach

This study investigated the environmental quality of the Bizerte Lagoon (Tunisia) through an integrated approach that combined environmental, biogeochemical, and living benthic foraminiferal analyses. Specifically, we analyzed the physicochemical parameters of the water and sediment. The textural, mineralogical, and geochemical characteristics of the sediment, including total organic carbon, total nitrogen, simultaneously extracted metals (SEM), acid volatile sulfides (AVS), chlorophyll a, CaCO3, and changes in bacterial populations and carbon isotopes were measured. The SEM/AVS values indicated the presence of relatively high concentrations of toxic metals in only some areas. Foraminiferal assemblages were dominated by species such as A. parkinsoniana (20–91%), Bolivina striatula (<40%), Hopkinsina atlantica (<17%), and Bolivina ordinaria (<15%) that cannot be considered typical of impacted coastal lagoons both in Mediterranean and northeast Atlantic regions. The results of this work suggest that Bizerte Lagoon is a unique setting. This lagoon is populated by typical marine species that invaded this ecosystem, attracted not only by the prevailing favorable environmental conditions but also by the abundance and quality of food. The results indicate that the metal pollution found in some areas have a negative impact on the assemblages of foraminifera. At present, however, this negative impact is not highly alarming.

Spring plankton community structure and distribution in the north and south coasts of Sfax (Tunisia) after north coast restoration.

The first phase of the Taparura Project aimed at restoring the north coast of Sfax (Tunisia), highly polluted by phosphate industry and uncontrolled phosphogypsum dumping. Before restoration of the north coast of Sfax, we investigated the state of the ecosystem in related coastal waters. To establish the impact of the Taparura Project, we conducted a similar study both after restoration. To discriminate natural changes over time, we extended the study to the south coast of Sfax, submitted to the same industrial pressure but not yet restored. The present study, conducted in May 2010 at 36 stations (18 on each coast, north and south), covered the spatial distribution of the microbial assemblage, nutrients, and abiotic parameters by collecting seawater samples at the surface and the water-sediment interface. Results revealed a striking difference between the two coasts regarding pH, with strong acidification of seawater in the south, likely generated by industrial activity. Suspended matter was higher in the north than in the south. Flow cytometry analysis of ultraphytoplankton (<10 μm) resolved six groups (Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, nanoeukaryotes and three distinct subgroups within picoeukaryotes). In addition to these autotrophic groups, two unknown groups were characterised on the south coast. Heterotrophic prokaryotes were resolved into three groups, labelled LNA (low nucleic acid content), HNA1 and HNA2 (high nucleic acid content). Prochloroccocus, pico-nano-microphytoplankton, heterotrophic prokaryotes and ciliates were more abundant in the north, whereas Synechococcus and unknown species were more abundant in the south where chl a concentration was also higher. The results show that restoration had positive effects on the microbial assemblage of the north coast; they also highlight the strong acidification still prevalent in the south that may be responsible for the lower development of most phytoplankton groups and the occurrence of unknown species. The case for restoration of the citys south coast is also reinforced.

Endogenous regulation of the growth-rate responses of a spring-dwelling strain of the freshwater alga, Chlorella minutissima, to light and temperature

The paper presents a laboratory investigation of the temperature- and light- dependence of autotrophic growth of the alga Chlorella minutissima. It was isolated from the storage basin of a spring in the mountains of the Massif Central, France. The alga was grown at temperatures between (10 and 35 °C) and under irradiances from 30 to 550 μmol m(-2) s(-1), under a light/dark cycle. The results were fitted to selected descriptive models, seeking to express, as far as possible, the observed physiological behaviour of the strain and the minimum irradiance required to sustain net growth. At all temperatures, the maximum rates of growth observed are strikingly slower than those of other Chlorella strains and of other small algae, reported in the literature, even when correction is made for continuous light. The Q10 statistic for growth at temperatures>20 °C rates is also noticeably lower than in other species, while the apparent threshold of any growth is about 8 °C. Growth rates are readily light-saturated at all temperatures but with little evidence of adaptation of photosynthesis to low photon-flux rates. No short-term flexibility in these properties (over a time-scale of days) was demonstrated during the course of our experiments. We deduce that the algal strain had become genetically adapted to the relatively constant, even-temperature and low-light conditions of the spring-water habitat whence it was originally isolated.