Seagrasses, marine flowering plants, are widely distributed along temperate and tropical coastlines of the world. Seagrasses have key ecological roles in coastal ecosystems and can form extensive meadows supporting high biodiversity. The global species diversity of seagrasses is low (b60 species), but species can have ranges that extend for thousands of kilometers of coastline.

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DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) is the active ingredient of most commercial insect repellents. This compound has commonly been detected in aquatic water samples from around the world indicating that DEET is both mobile and persistent, despite earlier assumptions that DEET was unlikely to enter aquatic ecosystems. DEET's registration category does not require an ecological risk assessment, thus information on the ecological toxicity of DEET is sparse.

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The mid-Atlantic coastal bays are shallow coastal lagoons, separated from the Atlantic Ocean by barrier sand islands with oceanic exchanges restricted to narrow inlets. The relatively poor flushing of these lagoon systems makes them susceptible to eutrophication resulting from anthropogenic nutrient loadings. An intensive water quality and seagrass monitoring program was initiated to track ecological changes in the Maryland and Virginia coastal bays.

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We validated a novel method for screening Escherichia coli resistance to antibiotics in environmental samples using modified Difco MI agar (Becton Dickinson) impregnated with selected antibiotics (tetracycline, ampicillin, cephalexin, and sulfamethoxazole), termed MI-R. This method combines an existing rapid assessment technique for E.

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A number of marine microalgae are known to produce toxins that can accumulate in shellfish and when eaten, lead to toxic and potentially fatal reactions in humans. This paper reports on the occurrence and seasonal variations of algal toxins in the waters, phytoplankton and shellfish of Southeast Queensland, Australia.

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Removal of 28 human and veterinary antibiotics was assessed in a conventional (activated sludge) and advanced (microfiltration/reverse osmosis) wastewater treatment plant (VJVvrTP) in Brisbane, Australia. The dominant antibiotics detected in wastewater influents were cephalexin (med. 4.6 gL(,)(-1) freq. 100%), ciprofloxacin (med. 3.8 [mu]gL(-1) freq. 100%), cefaclor (med. 0.5 [mu]gL(-1), freq. 100%), sulphamethoxazole (med. 0.36 [mu]gL(-1), freq. 100%) and trimethoprim (med.

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South-west Australia contains extensive seagrass meadows along 2,500 km of coastline from the shallow subtidal to 50+ m water depths, and in many of the 51 bar-built estuaries along the coast. There are geomorphological differences between the south and west coasts that result in different patterns of swell exposure influencing the processes that structure seagrass habitats.

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SINCE ITS INCEPTION, the National Park Service (NPS) has been charged with preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the United States for future generations. It is only recently, however, that the NPS has fully embraced the need to understand and describe the ecology of parks. The infusion of an ecological perspective into the natural resource management of the national parks is what separates today's park management from much of that which preceded it (Sellars 1997).

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This poster series outlines the work of the National Capital Region Network's (NCRN) Inventory and Monitoring Program. The program's role is to monitor the status and trends of the parks, their vital signs and development pressures. Park vital signs monitoring is designed to inform managers of the condition of water, air, plants and animals, and the various ecological, biological, and physical processes that act on those resources.

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Antietam National Battlefield is managed within the historical context of General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North during the Civil War. The 1,926 acre park is located in the heart of Maryland and is surrounded by rolling hills dotted with farm fields and pastures reminiscent of the day of battle. Patches of forest, open meadow, streams, and cropland are found within the park.

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