Spatial and Temporal Changes of Jet Fuel Contamination in an Unconfined Sandy Aquifer

Leakage of jet fuel from an oil skimmer has resulted in soil and groundwater contamination at the fire fighting training site of the Oslo international airport. The site is located on an unconfined sandy aquifer formed by the Gardermoen ice contact delta. A strong relationship between hydrogeological settings and spatial distribution of the hydrocarbons has been observed. Leaching hydrocarbons constitute a source of dissolved BTEX and naphthalene. Concentration of the dissolved hydrocarbons, electron acceptors and metabolic by-products has revealed concomitant changes in space and in time, in response to groundwater fluctuations. Correlation between high concentrations of hydrocarbons, elevated alkalinity and depleted electron acceptors supports the hypothesis that intrinsic bioremediation has been taking place at the site. Naphthalene, however, has been found persistent under anoxic conditions. Calculations of biodegradation potential indicates that Fe(III) reduction, methanogenesis, nitrate and sulphate reduction are the main factors controlling biodegradation.     

Plasma levels of insulin,glucagon and glucagon-like peptide in salmonids of different weights

Plasma levels of insulin in rainbow trout,Oncorhynchus mykiss, Atlantic salmon,Salmo salar, and Pacific coho salmon,Oncorhynchus kisutch and plasma circulating levels of glucagon and glucagon-like peptide, in rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon, were measured by homologous radioimmunoassays. Hormonal levels were compared against the average body weight of the same group of fish. Plasma insulin levels were significantly correlated (r=0.56, 0.46 and 0.42 respectively) with body weight in all three salmonid species. Moreover, rainbow trout from fast-growing families had significantly higher (p<0.005) plasma insulin levels than did fish from slow-growing families. Plasma titres of glucagon and glucagon-like peptide were always lower than insulin titres and did not correlate with body weight.Reported in part at Satellite Symposium on Applications of Comparative Endocrinology to Fish Culture, Almunecar, Spain (Sundby, 1989).     

Effects of Salinity,Commercial Salts,and Water Type on Cultivation of the Cryptophyte Microalgae Rhodomonas salina and the Calanoid Copepod Acartia tonsa

Marine aquaculture facilities positioned far from the sea need access to seawater (SW); hence, commercial salts are often the chosen solution. In marine hatcheries, most fish larvae require live feed (zooplankton) that are in turn fed with microalgae. The objective of this research was to investigate the applicability of commercial salts and clarify the potential effects on the cultivation of the microalga Rhodomonas salina and the copepod Acartia tonsa. Three commercial salts were tested, Red Sea Salt (RS), Red Sea – Coral Pro Salt (CP), and Blue Treasure Salt. R. salina was cultured at salinities of 10, 20, and 30 psu resulting in equal growth rates at salinities 20 and 30 in SW and RS mixed with deionized (DI) water. The optimum salinity for R. salina was 29 psu. For A. tonsa eggs, we observed highest hatching success in 30 psu with CP or RS mixed with DI water. The egg hatching success was not affected by salinities 15–40 and optimal hatching was obtained at 27 psu. Results confirm it was possible to use commercial salts for rearing of both R. salina and A. tonsa, widening the application of these species for aquaculture facilities without access to SW.     

Parallelism in thermal growth response in otoliths and scales of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) from alpine lakes independent of genetic background

Low density in natural populations of salmonids has predominantly been managed by stocking of non‐native conspecifics. Due partly to domestication, introduced non‐native fish may be maladapted under natural conditions. Interbreeding between introduced and wild individuals may therefore impair local adaptation and potentially population viability. Brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) from three headwaters (with stocked fish) and three interconnected lakes (with native fish) on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau, southern Norway, were tested for differences in thermal effects on scale and otolith growth. Otolith and scale annuli widths from immature brown trout showed positive correlation with mean annual summer temperature for all six sampled populations. In mature individuals, a similar positive thermal correlation was evident for the otoliths only. Interannuli width measurements from scales indicate a halt in somatic growth for brown trout in this alpine environment when reaching ages between 7 and 9 winters, coinciding with age at maturity. Our study indicates that otolith growth follows summer temperature even when individuals do not respond with somatic growth in these populations and that introduced brown trout and introgressed populations have similar thermal growth responses. Due to the continued otolith growth after stagnation in somatic growth and the impact of fluctuations in summer temperature, the utilisation of otolith annuli widths for back calculation of length at age should be treated with caution.     

Evidence of cormorant‐induced mortality,disparate migration strategies and repeatable circadian rhythm in the endangered North Sea houting (Coregonus oxyrinchus): A telemetry study mapping the postspawning migration

Life history theory predicts a trade‐off between migration and residency where migration is favoured when it infers elevated fitness. Although migration to more favourable environments may offer higher growth rates, migrants often experience increased mortality due to predation. Here, we investigated mortality and migration behaviour of the North Sea houting (Coregonus oxyrinchus), an anadromous salmonid endemic to the Wadden Sea. We used acoustic telemetry to map the migration of the only remaining indigenous population by applying stationary hydrophones combined with manual tracking. Data suggested a total mortality of 26%, with 30% of the total mortality attributed to predation by great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis), highlighting that North Sea houting conservation could be jeopardised by increased cormorant predation. Risk of cormorant predation was size‐dependent, with smaller fish suffering higher risk of predation. The study found North Sea houting to exhibit disparate migration strategies and identified a lentic area in the estuary as an important habitat. Two newly established artificial lakes within the river system significantly reduced the migration speeds, possibly indicating constrained navigation through the lakes. The migration into the Wadden Sea correlated with temperature perhaps indicating osmoregulatory constraints of sea entry. Unlike many salmonid species, migration occurred both day and night. Moreover, fish exhibited repeatable individual differences in diel activity patterns, suggesting that individuals differ consistently in their migratory activity throughout the 24‐hr period. Our study provides novel information on salmonid migration, which is crucial for the development of science‐based conservation strategies.     

Direct high-resolution genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) in the remote arctic Svalbard archipelago reveals widespread clonal Type II lineage

Characterization of Toxoplasma gondii genotypes in hosts living in remote, isolated regions is important for elucidating the population structure and transmission mode of this parasite. Herein, we report the results of direct genotyping of T. gondii in brain tissue of arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) from the remote, virtually cat-free, high arctic islands of Svalbard. DNA extracts from brains of 167 seropositive arctic foxes (including four cases of fatal toxoplasmosis) and 11 seronegative arctic foxes were genotyped at 10 loci (SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, L358, c22-8, c29-2, PK1, and Apico) using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Of the 167 samples from seropositive foxes (including toxoplasmosis cases), 31 were genotyped at all 10 loci and 24 were genotyped at four to nine loci. To ensure confidence in T. gondii strain genotyping, samples for which less than four loci were genotyped were not considered positive. None of the 11 samples from seronegative foxes was positive for the 10 markers. Of the 55 samples that genotyped positively, 46 were of the Type II strain, 7 were of the Type III strain, and 2 were of atypical T. gondii strains. Five representative samples of the three genotypes were sequenced at loci SAG2, SAG3, GRA6, PK1, and UPRT-1. The DNA sequences confirmed the genotyping results. This study shows that the archetype Type II T. gondii strain, which is most widely distributed in North America and Europe, also predominates in arctic foxes on the Svalbard archipelago. This suggests that the T. gondii at this location originate from continental Europe and that transmission may be mediated by migrating birds. This study highlights the significance of long-distance transport of T. gondii and demonstrates that high-resolution genotyping protocols are useful for direct genetic studies of T. gondii when isolation of live parasites is infeasible.     

Natural and experimental Salmonella Typhimurium infections in foxes (Vulpes vulpes)

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) can be considered as a relevant indicator species for Salmonella in the local environment and Salmonella faecal carriage was investigated in 215 red foxes in Norway shot during the winters 2002/2003 and 2003/2004. Fourteen (6.5%) of the foxes carried Salmonella. Four isolates were determined as serovars Kottbus (n=2) and Hessarek (n=2) of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica, and one as S. enterica subspecies IIIb:61:k:1,5,(7). The remaining nine isolates were S. enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium 4,12:i:1,2 and all displayed the same pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profile designated A2. This serovar regularly causes disease outbreaks amongst small passerine birds during winter and most of these outbreaks are associated with the PFGE profile A2. The results strongly indicated that the Salmonella Typhimurium infections in red foxes were primarily acquired through ingestion of infected small passerines. To investigate the capability of the A2 strain to establish a true intestinal infection in the fox an inoculation experiment with an A2 isolate from small passerines was carried out in farmed silver foxes (V. vulpes). The experiment also included one strain with an uncommonly occurring profile (X201) from small passerines. To highlight possible differences in capability of the two inoculation strains to pass the acid gastric juice in the fox, in vitro studies of their acid tolerance was carried out. Also their catalase activity and biofilm production were studied. All three foxes inoculated with the A2 strain developed sub-clinical intestinal infection of 2 weeks duration, whereas none of the three foxes inoculated with the X201 strain shed this bacterium. The X201 strain displayed a much lower capability, than the A2 strain, to survive at pH 3 in vitro. The low acid tolerance probably made it difficult for the X201 strain to pass the stomach and establish an intestinal infection in the experimental foxes. Reduced catalase activity and biofilm production were found for the X201 strain, indicating that the low acid tolerance was caused by a defect in the stationary-phase stress response system.     

Monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in healthy dogs: first report of canine ampicillin-resistant Enterococcus faecium clonal complex 17

National surveillance programs on antimicrobial usage and antimicrobial resistance in animals have been established in various countries but few of them include bacteria from pets. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in healthy dogs and to search for resistance phenotypes of clinical relevance. Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. were isolated from faecal swabs obtained from 127 dogs. Disk diffusion was used to measure antimicrobial susceptibility in 117 Escherichia coli, 10 Enterococcus faecium and 51 Enterococcus faecalis of canine origin. Resistance was relatively low compared with food animal species in Denmark. All Escherichia coli isolates were susceptible to broad-spectrum aminopenicillins, third generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Despite the low prevalence of resistance, statistical analysis of questionnaire data revealed a significant association (p=0.02) between recent antimicrobial treatment and resistance in Escherichia coli. Interestingly, two dogs were found to shed Enterococcus faecium resistant to ampicillin. Multilocus sequence typing of these isolates indicated that the two isolates belonged to sequence types associated with human nosocomial infections, and one (ST-192) was genetically related to human epidemic clonal complex 17. The detection of ampicillin-resistant Enterococcus faecium warrants further studies on the prevalence of these bacteria in dogs and on the possible implications to both animal and human health. The results suggest that distinct methods for detection and assessment of antimicrobial resistance in animals should be considered depending on the target animal species and the purposes of the study.