One of the objectives of the BALMAS project was to conduct Port Baseline Biological Surveys of native and non-indigenous benthic flora in 12 Adriatic ports. Samples of macroalgae growing on vertical ...artificial substrates were collected in spring and autumn 2014 and/or 2015. A total number of 248 taxa, 152 Rhodophyta, 62 Chlorophyta, and 34 Ochrophyta, were identified. Of these, 13 were non-indigenous seaweeds, mainly filamentous macroalgae, that were probably introduced through hull fouling. Some of these taxa had already been described in the study areas, others were recorded for the first time, a few were no longer detected at sites where they had previously been recorded (e.g. Sargassum muticum). Some other NISS reported for the Adriatic Sea, were not collected at any sampling site (i.e. Caulerpa cylindracea, Codium fragile). Possible reasons for the absence of these species are discussed.
•A careful PBBS in 12 Adriatic ports was performed within the BALMAS project.•A total number of 248 seaweed taxa were recorded.•Thirteen NIS seaweeds were detected, mainly Rhodophyta.•The tetrasporic stage of Asparagopsis armata was the most widespread, found in half of the ports.•Sampling strategies were most likely not sufficient for collection of all algal NIS.
Vessels, specifically ballast water and hull fouling, are a major vector for the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) in European seas. The Mediterranean is one of the world's marine regions ...where their invasion is heaviest. The shallow Adriatic basin is a highly sensitive area that is already experiencing its consequences. The secondary spread of NIS over a wider area through natural dispersion is a complex process that depends on a wide range of oceanographic factors. This work analysed the dataset of the BALMAS project, in whose framework twelve ports in the Adriatic Sea were subjected to a Port Baseline Survey (PBS), to estimate the natural spread of NIS organisms from their port of arrival to the wider Adriatic basin. Its findings indicate that the prevailing water circulation patterns facilitate the natural dispersal of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens (HAOP).
•Data on abiotic parameters were gathered in 12 Adriatic ports.•Seasonal Adriatic circulation patterns were modelled.•The seasonal circulation patterns from each port towards the open sea were modelled.•The barrier effect between port and adjacent open sea was analysed.•Possible scenarios for secondary HAOP spread from the 12 ports are described.
Port baseline surveys (PBS) provide species inventories in and around ports, with a focus on non-indigenous species that may have been introduced by vessels, primarily via ballast water. PBS are an ...essential tool to support effective management strategies for non-indigenous as well as native harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens (HAOP). This paper describes the methodology of PBS that were conducted in 12 Adriatic ports. The PBS employed existing protocols that were adapted to meet the characteristics of the Adriatic sites. Their results are reported in several papers included in this special issue, each of which is devoted to a specific community. An overview of existing surveys protocols – which provide valuable support to decision-making and to design effective monitoring of non-indigenous species – is also supplied.
•Existing port baseline surveys protocols and their pros and cons are discussed.•The port baseline survey protocol for the Adriatic is described.•Recommendations based on the Adriatic PBS experience are provided.
At the Society of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in Israel's 2012 Electricity Conference, which opened on Saturday in Eilat, Yitzhak Balmas said Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) has revived ...its plan for a nuclear power station, IEC VP engineering projects. Responding to the criticism on IEC's huge debt, Balmas said IEC's debt is the debt of the State of Israel, which does not invest properly in power lines, and the development of Israel's energy industry. He added that they have an asset and they have invested.
Balma del Gai (Moià, Barcelona) is an Epipalaeolithic archaeological site that provides one of the most significant archaeological records of hunter-gatherers living in the northeast of Iberia during ...the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Its faunal record evidences a very diverse spectrum of hunted species and particularly an increase in the number of certain small prey that were exploited, such as rabbits and land snails. This study focuses on avian remains, which are also represented, albeit in lower numbers.
Zooarchaeological and taphonomic analyses of the birds show a high diversity of taxa in the assemblage, with a predominance of specimens belonging to Perdicinae. Bone surface modifications show clear evidence of the anthropogenic origin of the sample, indicating an interest in birds as food. However, some taxa, mainly raptors, were also exploited to acquire wing feathers and claws for ornamental purposes.
Our results, in conjunction with those from other sites from the same region and period, will contribute to establishing the role of avians within the broad-spectrum economy of the last hunter-gatherers from Iberia.
Alpine lakes are well known as “environmental sentinels”, which are sensitive to anthropogenic impacts, and paleoecological studies provide useful information regarding the effects of local and ...global changes. In the present study we investigate, for the first time, the temporal variations in testate amoeba assemblages in relation to environmental factors and anthropogenic impacts in a high-altitude lake located in the Italian Alps (Balma Lake, Piedmont, Italy). The testate amoebae are well-suited as bioindicators and have been employed to reconstruct past climate and environmental changes from lake sediments. However, these organisms have not been thoroughly studied in alpine lakes, especially in Europe. We detected significant changes in testate amoeba assemblages along an alpine lake sedimentary profile over the last 2000 years. These changes were mainly associated with variations of trace elements, nutrients, and grain size. Moreover, five different time periods were identified and related to pluvial/drought events of the last 2000 years and to the “Late Antique Little Ice Age” (LALIA). Alpine lakes are originally fishless and fish introductions for recreational purposes could cause important changes in these ecosystems. However, the introduction of brook trout in Balma Lake during the 1970s seems to have had little influence on testate amoeba assemblages. The present work provides new insights for the evaluation of temporal changes in testate amoebae through paleoecological investigations. Similarly, the comparison of testate amoeba and chironomid proxies offered an important tool for analyzing recent climatic and environmental changes in alpine lakes (in lacustrine environments), especially for the European Alps.
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•Testate amoebae are single-celled organisms with a shell that protects the cytoplasm.•Testate amoeba assemblages over the last 2000 years in an alpine lake are analyzed.•Comparisons with results obtained using other paleoecological proxies are presented.
The Ivrea Zone of NW Italy records the polyphased evolution of a magmatic sulfide mineral system, which occurred at multiple stages over a >80 Ma time interval. Between 290 and 250 Ma, a series of ...hydrated and carbonated ultramafic alkaline pipes containing Ni-Cu-PGE-(Te-Au) mineralisation was emplaced in the lower continental crust. At 200 Ma, a subsequent mineralising event occurred in association with the emplacement of the La Balma-Monte Capio (LBMC) intrusion. Modelling of the LBMC parental magma shows derivation from up to 60% partial melting of an anhydrous depleted juvenile mantle outside of garnet stability. The inferred composition of the parental melt is consistent with magmatism associated with the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP). However, its tellurium-enriched composition together with the S-C-O isotope signature of the associated magmatic sulfide mineralisation (δ34S = +0.53 to +1.00‰; δ13C = −10.41 to −4.07‰; δ18O = +6.57 to +13.74‰) cannot be reconciled with the CAMP source. It is argued that the geochemical and isotopic signature of the LBMC intrusion reflects interaction and mixing of a primitive magma sourced from a juvenile source with localised domains enriched in carbonate and metal-rich sulfides located in the lower crust, consistent with the composition of the Permo-Triassic pipes. We propose that this interaction resulted in sulfide-supersaturation and enrichment in volatiles and metals of the LBMC magma. Upwards magma transport may have been facilitated by devolatisation of magmatic carbonate from the pipes and the generation of a CO2 supercritical fluid that acted as buoyancy aid for the dense sulfide liquid. Evidence of this magmatic interaction informs on the first-order processes that control enhanced metallogenic fertility along the margins of lithospheric blocks. The scenario depicted here is consistent with reactivation and enrichment of a Gondwana margin Ni-Cu-PGE-(Te-Au) mineral system during the breakup of Pangea.
•New trace element database on lower crustal mineralised intrusion in Ivrea Zone•Tellurium as a tracer of genetic relationship between different mineral systems•Supercritical CO2 fluid aids transport of magmatic sulfides in lower crust.•Fertilisation of lower crust key to enhanced prospectivity of craton margins•CAMP-related magmatism and mineralisation in the Ivrea Zone
In Mediterranean Europe during the Pleistocene–Holocene, transition changes in the intensification of small prey exploitation by humans are detected. In the NE of the Iberian Peninsula, these changes ...are mainly evidenced by an increase in the number of rabbit remains, normally exceeding the 90% of the recovered animal specimens. The archaeological site of Balma del Gai (Moià, Barcelona) provides one of the most significant archaeological records of this kind. Through zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis, our work’s aims are: to elucidate the human activity on leporids (rabbits and hares) in comparison to other predators, to understand the different ways of handling and exploiting rabbit carcasses and to assess the importance of this small prey for the Epipalaeolithic hunter–gatherers. Results on anatomical representation, breakage and bone surface modifications show that rabbit remains recovered respond to an anthropogenic contribution. High proportions of thermo-altered bones, cut marks caused by lithic tools and teeth marks are observed. All parameters indicate intense exploitation of rabbit fur and meat. This study shows clear evidence of the importance of small prey for human subsistence during this period.
Present article depicts microbiology of starter (Balma) used in traditional solid-state fermentation of alcoholic beverage (Chhang) by Bhotiya tribe of Uttarakhand. It also highlights the importance ...of herbs in Balma preparation and kinetics of lactic acid and ethanol fermentation under Chhang preparation using Balma. Balma contains 214 × 10⁶ cfu/g yeasts, 2.54 × 10⁶ cfu/g lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and 1.4 × 10⁶ cfu/g other mesophilic bacteria. ITS sequence analysis revealed a rich diversity of yeast comprising of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and Saccharomycopsis malanga in Balma. 16S rDNA sequence analysis revealed Lactobacillus pentosus and Pediococcus pentosaceus among LAB, while amylolytic Bacillus subtilis and B. aerophilus among other bacteria in Balma. Based on the results, it is speculated that herbs such as Inula cuspidata, Micromeria biflora, Origanum vulgare, Rubus sp. and Thymus linearis used earlier by Bhotiya in Balma preparation contribute as a source of yeasts, LAB and amylolytic bacilli. Study also demonstrates that Bhotiya tribe is rational in preparation of starter as they have circumvented the need of plants by using previous year Balma as inoculum and possibility of deficient quality of Balma due to weak colonization of phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbiota. Results suggest that simultaneous saccharification and lactic acid–ethanol fermentation take place in traditional cereal based Chhang fermentation system of Bhotiya.
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