Pas d'enregistrements
Hugo Vieira
2019
Modelling mercury remobilization and transport in Ria de Aveiro: Effects of Climate Change, extreme and dredging events
An important issue today is to understand in what extent cycling of mercury in the future may be altered in regard to Climate Change. Predictions imply that most of the parameters that determine the global mercury cycle today will change. Laranjo bay (Ria de Aveiro) received, during five decades, a large amount of mercury from a highly contaminated chlor-alkali plant effluent discharge from the industrial Estarreja complex. Due to natural remediation processes, in which layers of less contaminated particles overlap with contaminated sediment, most of the mercury released to the lagoon has been trapped in the deeper layers of sediments. Natural and extreme events, Climate Change, or man-made events (dredging activities of the outlet channel will be conducted in the lagoon) can play an important role in the mercury distribution in Ria de Aveiro, since they may promote the remobilization from the deeper layers of sediment to the water column. Under the extreme events and Climate Change scenarios, detailed information on mercury remobilization and transport in Ria de Aveiro is critical to understand the environmental cycling of mercury and relevant for the development of cost-efficient strategies towards reducing the negative impacts of this metal. This study will provide valuable information on the remobilization and transport of mercury from the historically most contaminated area towards adjacent areas of the lagoon, not only through field monitoring but also through modelling, in a Climate Change scenario (four distinct hydrodynamic scenarios), in order to build a prediction procedure contributing to mitigate future disturbances.
Carlos Manuel Martins Santos Fonseca
2017
Homem e Natureza no Baixo Vouga Lagunar: promover sinergias e resiliência num cenário de alterações globais
A transformação de ecossistemas nativos em áreas agrícolas, industriais ou urbanas é uma das maiores causas de perda de biodiversidade, a nível global. A gestão sustentável pode auxiliar na conservação do património natural, de forma integrada com outros usos do solo. Para tal, é crucial a integração do conhecimento sobre os ecossistemas com a matriz cultural e socioeconómica de uma região. A paisagem do Baixo Vouga Lagunar caracteriza-se por um mosaico de habitats naturais e antropogénicos. Este projeto tem como objetivo promover a gestão e conservação mais eficiente dos valores naturais da região, de forma integrada com a sua matriz cultural e socioeconómica, e contribuir para o aumento da resiliência do mosaico de habitats num contexto de alterações globais. O projeto resultará na identificação de áreas prioritárias para conservação e de boas práticas, que conciliem a preservação dos valores naturais e a viabilidade económica e o património cultural da região.
Elisabete Maciel
2016
Decoding lipid profile of saltmarsh halophytes for human consumption and livestock nutrition (HALOFOOD)
Ria de Aveiro coastal lagoon has one of the largest continuous saltmarshes in Europe, with species distribution following the marsh’s topography. Halophytes are salt tolerant plants holding great potential for different biotechnological applications. To our best knowledge, the lipid composition of autochthonous halophytes colonizing the estuaries and coastal lagoons of Portugal is still unrevealed. HALOFOOD proposal aims to integrate two of the topics proposed by OHM-Estarreja (2016): i) Evolution of the Relations Between Society and Environment; and ii) Evolution of Biodiversity. Through an interdisciplinary approach and the involvement of the Marinhoa race breeders, the HALOFOOD team aims to decode the lipid profile of Ria de Aveiro saltmarsh halophytes for human consumption and livestock nutrition. Specifically, the goal is to determine the appropriate niche where they grow efficiently to produce good quality food and feed, as well as the best season to collect halophytes richer in bioactive compounds. To reach this goal, the project team, involving Biologists, Chemical Engineers, Biochemists and Pharmaceutical Scientists, will screen Ria de Aveiro halophytes targeting Salicornia ramosissima (already used for human consumption) and Halimione portulacoides (with potential use for human consumption). In addition, the Baixo Vouga Lagunar area used for livestock production will be will screened for the main halophytes species consumed by the Marinhoa Race. We believe that this innovative approach, through the use of lipidomics, and the science based knowledge to be generated will be broadly disseminated and play a key role in the regional, national and international valorization of halophytes.
Ruth Pereira
2016
INV-AVEIRO - The influence of contamination in the metabolic activity of INVertebrates from Ria de AVEIRO
During decades effluents from the Estarreja Chemical Complex were directly discharged in the Ria de Aveiro lagoon through a system of ditches. “Esteiro de Estarreja” was the main channel receiving effluents rich in aromatic based and chlorine compounds and in toxic elements such as As, Hg, Pb and Zn. Consequently, most of the discharged contaminants are settled in the “Esteiro de Estarreja” channel, as well as in the inner basin where this channel discharges, the Laranjo Basin.
