Mangrove in Ecuador: Conservation and Management Strategies

In Ecuador, 100% of the mangroves are protected through different mechanisms: protected areas, community mangrove concessions, and protective forests. However, there is still deforestation of the mangroves, even in protected areas, which is caused mainly by the construction/expansion of shrimp pools. Shrimp is currently Ecuador’s first non-oil export product. The Sustainable Use and Mangrove Custody Agreements are very important because they cover an area almost similar to that of protected areas. This mechanism is effective because it allows the sustainable extraction of resources from the mangrove, but forces the “custodians” to protect this ecosystem. This chapter includes a case study on the management of the “mangrove concessions” of the province of El Oro, southern Ecuador, in which the management effectiveness of these areas is analyzed. We found that despite the limited resources that these mangrove concessions have, the level of management is “satisfactory”, which means that most of the management objectives are met. However, these areas should receive more support, both from the state and private organizations, as they conserve more than 40% of Ecuador’s mangrove.

Natural Polonium-210 in Bivalve Species in Peninsular Malaysia Waters as Recent Pollution Indicator

Po-210 is an alpha rays emitter in U-238 decay series and a natural radionuclide found in the ocean, and bivalve is the best biological indicator compared to the other organisms because of their feeding methods that are filter-feeding and suspension-feeding. They are able to accumulate toxic substances from marine environment in their tissue and researches were conducted in edible tissues of Meretrix meretrix, Perna virid, Glauconome virens, Anadara granosa, Anadara ovalis, Pholas orientalis, Donax sp., Polymesoda bengalensis, Phapia undulata, and Tellina virgate. Result showed Po-210 activity distributions were ranging from 2.61 ± 1.50 to 517.46 ± 56.64 Bq/kg. The lowest value of Po-210 activity recorded in Anadara granosa and the highest value recorded in Donax sp. Small-sized of bivalve species contained higher Po-210 activity than the larger one. Higher Po-210 contents in bivalve obtained from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia might be closely related to anthropogenic factors from the coastline. This study also found that Donax sp. is able to be a good indicator of environmental pollutants as it accumulates Po-210 in higher concentrations than other bivalve species. Donax sp. can be found in several parts of Malaysia and available in large quantities but it appears to be seasonal. While for seafood safety monitoring, Anadara granosa is capable of becoming a good benchmark for seafood security as it found in most parts of Malaysia. It is not seasonal and a kind of Malaysian favorite seafood.

Enterococcus Present in Marine Ecosystems and Their Potential to Degrade Azo Dyes

Azo dyes are frequently used at an industrial level to restore the color of raw materials once it has faded away, make an original color more vibrant or with the purpose of giving a material a different color that is considered more attractive. These processes however, have a negative impact on the environment, evidenced in colored wastewater that is subsequently dumped into water bodies, causing disruptions in the natural balance of ecosystems and deteriorating human health. Traditional strategies for the treatment of effluents contaminated with azo dyes are limited to physical and chemical processes that have a high energy and economic cost. For these reasons, current challenges are focused on the use of microorganisms capable of transforming dyes into less toxic products. This chapter will present a description of the main characteristics of azo dyes and the different methods used for their treatment, with special emphasis on the benefits associated with biological treatment. Likewise, it will provide relevant information about Enterococcus and show its potential to degrade azo dyes.