The amount of marine debris in the environment is increasing worldwide, which results in an array of negative effects to biota. This study provides the first account of macrodebris on the beach and microplastics in the sediment (shoreline and infralittoral) in relation to tourism activities in Slovenia. The study assessed the quality and quantity of macrodebris and the quality, size and quantity of microplastics at six beaches, contrasting those under the influences of tourism and those that were not. Beach cleanliness was estimated using the Clean Coast Index. Tourism did not seem to have an effect on macrodebris or microplastic quantity at beaches. Over 64% of macrodebris was plastic, and microplastics were ubiquitous, which calls for classification of plastics as hazardous materials. Standard measures for marine debris assessment are needed, especially in the form of an allencompassing debris index. Recommendations for future assessments are provided for the Adriatic region
Marine biofouling imposes serious environmental and economic impacts on marine applications, especially in the shipping industry. To combat biofouling, protective coatings are applied on vessel hulls which are divided into two major groups: biocidal and non‐toxic fouling release. The current study aimed to explore the effect of coating type on microbial biofilm community profiles to better understand the differences between the communities developed on fouling control biocidal antifouling and biocidal‐free coatings. Biocidal (Intersmooth® 7460HS SPC), fouling release (Intersleek® 900), and inert surfaces were deployed in the marine environment for 4 months, and the biofilms that developed on these surfaces were investigated using Illumina NGS sequencing, targeting the prokaryotic 16S rRNA gene. The results confirmed differences in the community profiles between coating types. The biocidal coating supported communities dominated by Alphaproteobacteria (Loktanella, Sphingorhabdus, Erythrobacter) and Bacteroidetes (Gilvibacter), while other taxa, such as Portibacter and Sva0996 marine group, proliferated on the fouling‐release surface. Knowledge of these marine biofilm components on fouling control coatings will serve as a guide for future investigations of marine microfouling as well as informing the coatings industry of potential microbial targets for robust coating formulations.
Abstract:The tensile behavior of concrete or mortar plays an important role for delaying the formation and propagation of cracks, and also for upgrading the bearing capacity of existing concrete and masonry constructions. Although the presence of steel fibers is known to improve, often considerably, the tensile capacity of concrete members, methods for the quantification of this improvement are still limited. For this reason, a model has been developed for the prediction of the tensile strength of steel fiber-reinforced concrete members, as crack opening occurs. Given the geometry and the physical characteristics of reinforced concrete member and fibers, the model predicts: (1) the number of fibers crossing a crack's surface; (2) the distribution of these fibers in terms of (i) the angle a fiber forms with the crack surface (fiber inclination) and (ii) the embedded length of the fiber at both sides of the surface; (3) resistance to crack opening provided by each fiber, in relation to its position and inclination. On the results of the results obtained, the influence of the number of fibers on the reduction of crack widening in concrete or mortar is remarkable and can be estimated with satisfactory precision. In upgrading existing concrete and masonry constructions, this tensile behavior is found to play important role.
Strain MOLA455 is a marine gammaproteobacterium isolated from the bay of Banyuls-sur-Mer, France. Here, we present its genome sequence and annotation. Genome analysis revealed the presence of genes associated with a possibly photoheterotrophic lifestyle that uses a proteorhodopsin protein.
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