Coconut- Tree of Life Essay

The Coconut Tree (Cocos Nucifera L.) is called â€Å"The Tree of Life† because of the endless list of products and by-products derived from its various parts. Food, shelter, fuel – name it, the coconut has it. The coconut industry is considered a major dollar earner that provides livelihood to one-third of the country’s population. Coconut Meat From coco meat can be obtained coco flour, desiccated coconut, coconut milk, coconut chips, candies, bukayo or local sweetened shredded coconut meat, latik copra and animal feeds. Coco chips, which are curved and wrinkled coconut meat, is crisply toasted and salted. It is very popular in Hawaii. Coconut flour can be used as a wheat extender in baking certain products without affecting their appearance or acceptability. The coconut milk is a good protein source. Whole coco milk contains about 22% oil, which accounts for its laxative property. Coconut Oil Copra is dried coconut meat that has a high oil content, as much as 64%. Coconut oil is the most readily digested of all the fats of general use in the world. The oil furnishes about 9,500 calories of energy per kilogram. Its chief competitors are soya bean oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil. Coconut oil retards aging. It counteracts heart, colon, pancreatic and liver tumor inducers. And it is easy to digest. In the detergent industry, coconut oil is very important. Its most outstanding characteristic is its high saponification value in view of the molecular weight of most of the fatty acid glycerides it contains. An advantageous utilization of the coconut oil as a detergent was discovered in a May 1951 study wherein a formulation using coconut oil was found to be an effective sanitizer. Other products from coco oil are soap, lard, coco chemicals, crude oil, pomade, shampoo, margarine, butter and cooking oil. Coconut Leaves Cocnut leaves produce good quality paper pulp, midrib brooms, hats and mats, fruit trays, waste baskets, fans, beautiful midrib decors, lamp shades, placemats, bags and utility roof materials. Coconut Fruit The coconut fruit produces buko, often used for salads, halo-halo( crushed ice with sweetened fruit), sweets and pastries. Buko is of three kinds: mala-kanin, or having the consistency of boiled rice; mala-uhog, mucus-like consistency and ready for eating; and mala-katad, or like leather. The last kind is the one used for making sweets. A mature coconut, or niyog is used in making sweets and special Filipino dishes. The â€Å"sport fruit† of the coconut is the makapuno. Considered a delightful delicacy and largely used for making preserves and ice-cream, it cannot be kept in storage and will not germinate. It has three layers: semi-acid, soft and hard meat. Coconut Water Coconut water is also called liquid endosperm. It is thrown away during copra making and becomes a great waste. Uses of coconut water include: coconut water vinegar; coconut wine; production of the chewy, fiber-rich nata good as a dessert and as alaxative; as a growth factor; and as a substitute for dextrose. Another breakthrough use is in coconut water theraphy to cure renal disorders. â€Å"Bukolysis†, as it is also called, is the medical process of reducing or dissolving urinary stones of the urinary tract systems using buko water from 7 to 9 months old coconuts. Bukolysis is the brainchild of Dr. Eufemio Macalalag Jr., a urologist. For preventive medication, water from one mature coconut consumed daily, could almost guarantee that the formation of stones in the urinary tract will be avoided. To those already afflicted, the coconut water theraphy has been proven to be an inexpensive and effective cure. Coconut water is commonly promoted as an economical thirst quencher, hunger satisfier and medical cure for renal disorders all in one. Using coconut water, a nata de coco-like growth produced after 14 days which, when cooked in syrup, is apopular dessert. When mixed with other ingredients, like the making of fruit salad, it will enhance the flavor of the dish. And whoever said that nata de coco is just for food was wrong. This nata-like growth is dextran and can be made to comply with the specifications for clinical dextran, then we have in the coconut water an important contribution in the atomic defense against radiation sickness. Coconut Husk Coconut husks are made of bristle fiber (10%), mattress fiber (20%) and coir dust and shorts or wastes (70%). The abundance of fiber nakes it good, stable supply for cottage industries that make brushes, doormats, carpets, bags, ropes, yarn fishing nets, and mattresses, etc. Coir fiber can also be used as substitute for jute in making rice, copra, sugar, coffee, bags and sandbags. It is also suitable for making pulp and paper, etc. For the first time, the Philippines can export coir fiber to Japan, Germany and the United States with the proper assistance extended by the government, the industry being new. The well board is manufactured from coir dust and short fibers. No binding materials are needed as lignin is inherent in the coconut husk. Also it is termite-proof because creosote is present in the new material. The board produced is as good as narra, plywood or masonite. Coir yarn, coir rope, bags, rugs, husk decor, husk polishes, mannequin wig, brush, coirflex, and fishnets are other products that can be obtained from coco husk. Out of coir dust can be obtined coco gas, lye insulator, insoflex and plastic materials. Coconut Pith Out of its pith can be produced coco pickles, guinatan and lumpia. Its guinit can produce helmets, caps, wooden shoe straps, handbags, fans, picture and house decor like lamp shades and guinit flowers for the table. Ever heard of the â€Å"Millionaire’s Salad†? It’s fit for any ordinary man though, it is made up of â€Å"palmetto cabbage† which, when translated properly, is simply the local ubod or the â€Å"heart† of the coconut. Actually, ubod is considered one of the finest vegetables in the Philippines. It can be served in many appetizing ways. Cubed in fairly large bits, it makes wonderful addition to Spanish rice, or in their long strips, to Arroz a la Cubana. As a salad, it is mixed with mayonnaise or thousand island dressing and heaped onto lettuce leaves, red pepper, chopped spring onions, paprika, or a combination of some of those may be used to garnish this all-white salad. Crab meat with ubod in lumpia can prove to be very delicious. Infloresence Out of the bud of the coconut tree’s infloresence is a juice called coconut toddy or tuba. The fermented juice is the common alcoholic drink in the coconut region. The fermented tuba would be a good drink even to those who enjoy the finer things. The principal uses of the toddy are: as fresh beverage; for producing alcoholic beverages; for producing vinegar; for making sugar; and as a source of yeast for making bread. Coconut toddy, after being left for five days then distilled, produces an alcoholic spirit known locally as lambanog which is more or less 98% proof. In its taste, sweet toddy is a liquid containing essentially 12 to 18% sugar (sucrose). Other products from the coconut tree’s infloresence are gin, vinegar, candy trays, Christmas and wall decor. Coconut Shell Coconut shell produces the core of the most saleable household products and fashion accessories that can be turned into lucrative, wide-selling cottage industries. Among them are shell necklaces, shell bags, cigarette boxes, shell ladles, buttons, lamp shades, fruit and ash trays, guitars, placemats, coffee pots, cups, wind chimes, â€Å"coco banks†, briquetted charcoal and activated carbon. The most important use of coconut shell is activated carbon produced from its charcoal. It is utilized in air purification systems such as cooker hoods, air conditioning, industrial gas purification systems, and industrial and gas masks. Coconut Trunk & Roots Out of the coconut trunk, hardy and durable wood is obtained to make benches, tables, carvings, picture frames, tables, tool boxes, and construction materials, among many others. Paper pulp can also be extracted from the coconut trunk and other woody parts of the tree. Among the woody parts of the tree, the trunk gives the highest pulp yield of 43%; the midribs, 41%, and the petiole or the slender stop that support the leaf, 32%. Tests also show that coconut coir (80%) and abaca bleached sulfate pulp (40%) are a good combination in the production of offset bookpaper. Medicine, beverages and dyestuff are obtained from the coconut roots.

Latin America Transformed

This work focuses on four different areas for understanding the dynamics of Center America and the Caribbean. The first is the comparative evaluation of development policies in the region prior to neoliberalism. The second involves analytical work that combines the nature of the neoliberal model applied in the Caribbean and Central America. The third is the study of the role of migration and trading blocks in contemporary Caribbean and Central American development. The fourth considers the Cuban exception as a socialist state in a capitalist sea. The republics of Central America and the Caribbean share many historical characteristics. All of these countries formed part of the Spanish colonial system for three centuries or more. However, both regions have inherited highly unequal distributions of agricultural land (Gwynne & Kay 104). Although the countries spun out of the Spanish colonial orbit at different times and in different contexts, Spanish colonialism established important elements of coherence that helped lay the foundations for the challenges of nation-state construction after independence. Furthermore, Central America and the Caribbean have shared, since the late nineteenth century, the strong political, social, and economic influence of the United States and the development of agro-export economies. Either through the direct creation of classic enclave economies (mining, sugar, timber, bananas, and so on); the development of export infrastructures; or the less visible participation in the production and marketing of other products, such as coffee, cattle, or food, foreign -especially U.S., German, and English – entrepreneurs helped connect the region firmly to the North Atlantic economy. Beginning at the end of the nineteenth century, national elites struggled to channel and contain social and political movements in order to promote the kind of order and progress they and foreign investors depended upon and also to construct memories, histories, and images of nations that were functional to their political and economic projects and their dreams of national power and stability. At the same time, foreign political and economic control and their own internal weaknesses and contradictions led them to seek, at least rhetorically, national unity and independence and to make strategic concessions to popular classes in an attempt to form nationalist or populist alliances. This kind of opening both influenced the ways popular struggles came to be defined and created situations in which popular forces could effectively make their voices heard in the national political arena. CBI should be seen as a vanguard policy for a reconstituted US regional hegemony under neoliberalism (Gwynne & Kay 105). Caribbean governments in the context of their efforts at promoting economic and social development and with the external debt crisis hanging heavily over their heads had been stressing the need for a meaningful, coordinated program of emergency assistance in the form of aid and market and investment preferences. Indeed as early as 1979, Edward Seaga, then the opposition leader of Jamaica, proposed the need for a mini-Marshall Plan and a Puerto Rico-style relationship between the US and the Caribbean. CBI could therefore be regarded as a response to those appeals. The most salient studies in Cuban history written in the 1970s and 1980s focused on the transition from slave labor to free labor in Cuba's plantation economy and were led by the research of Manuel Moreno Fraginals into Cuba's plantation sector and Rebecca Scott's work on the abolition of slavery and its impact. Since then, studies have addressed issues of racial and ethnic formation and identity, immigration, and social banditry, as well as the women's and labor movements. Jorge Ibarra has begun a process of revision and reconsideration of the classic themes of Cuban historiography, including the island's social structure. Since the nineteenth century Cuba has essentially had a one-crop (sugar cane) exporting economy with the concomitant vulnerabilities of output and price fluctuations and deteriorating terms of trade (Gwynne & Kay 118). Cuba is now almost totally isolated and potentially a source of future conflict and violence. Cuba has ceased to be the totalitarian state it once was as the state itself was severely weakened by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Spurred on by the international climate favoring regional trading blocs, Middle American countries have recently formed the Association of Caribbean States, but beyond several regional summits have taken no firm steps towards region-wide economic integration (Gwynne & Kay 100). The Association of Caribbean States (ACS) encompasses 200 million (plus) inhabitants of the region and, along with free trade arrangements between CARICOM and Venezuela, Colombia, and the Southern Cone countries, represents the consolidation of a Caribbean strategy to participate as fully as possible in the movement toward hemispheric free trade. Ironically, the Caribbean is moving in the direction of the foreign conception of the region in that U.S., European, Japanese, and other external policy-makers have long dealt with the Caribbean programmatically as a seamless, if culturally diverse, unit. Regional academics and policy-makers, however, depart from this programmatic view in recognizing that certain aspects of sub-group uniqueness must still be maintained. For example, the existing Caribbean Community (CARICOM) integration area will for the foreseeable future co-exist with the ACS. For both the Caribbean and Central America, the version of import substitution adopted to a large extent involved US multinational corporations (MNCs) relocating production facilities within the region to serve customers there, rather than a dramatic expansion of domestically-owned industries (Gwynne & Kay 100). Both liberal, free-market rhetoric and collective bodies of capitalists (domestic holding companies and multinational corporations) spearheaded the drive to enter foreign areas. The ideology praised individualism and free market values, but the actual agencies of penetration were collectivized planning organizations. U.S. businessmen and politicians looked first to Central America for markets because that region had long been expected to become a closer economic partner. But U.S. officials conducted little study of the Central American economic situation and entered into no systematic consultation with Central American leaders because the U.S. vision expressed in the doctrines of Manifest Destiny and the Open Door was restricted to resolving U.S. domestic problems, not meeting Central American needs. The Americanism initiated in the 1880s, which was expected to create the market conditions necessary to assure U.S. commercial expansion, also exposed fundamental differences between the U.S. and Central American visions. While the United States proposed mainly commercial programs, the Central American delegates often struggled to include political, social, and cultural affairs. Among the alternatives available, it seems that the neoliberal model has begun to prevail. This model, which is well known and well supported from outside, substantively modifies the structure of Central American countries. Its hallmark is the absence of attention to social aspects. In the case of Central America, it eliminates what little economic equilibrium had existed before, producing a growing concentration of wealth in the hands of the few, and a progressive pauperization of the rest of the population. Consequently, it will crumble democracy throughout the region. Neoliberalism puts pressure on already highly-trade-dependent Middle America to export more (Gwynne & Kay 104). The progress or modernization pursued by the Latin American governments required increasing sums of money to import the machinery, railroads, luxuries, and technology that would be used to try to transform their nations into replicas of the European nations the elites and middle class so much admired. To earn that money, the Latin Americans increased their exports, the foods or minerals they traditionally had sold abroad. The export sector of their economies received the most attention. In that sector, they increasingly concentrated investments, technology, and labor, leaving the domestic economy weak and increasingly inadequate. The number of those exports was limited. The highly prized railroads, built at staggering expense, opened new lands for exploitation but always were linked to the export sector, rushing the material products of the interior to the coastal ports where ships waited to transport them to Europe and the United States. Most of the modernization concentrated in the export sector. It contributed to some impressive growth but did little to develop Central America. In fact, modernization contributed to deepening dependency. Central America and the Caribbean is a region of small, economically vulnerable and trade-dependent countries surrounded by larger and more industrialized countries that are moving more aggressively towards economic integration (Gwynne & Kay 99). From one perspective, global transformations create challenges and opportunities for policymakers who can adapt to changing environments and prudently recalculate basic questions of survival, viability, and effectiveness. There is reason to believe that this process is under way in Cuba, though the nature of these calculations and their long-term consequences are unknown. For example, Cuba must carefully calculate its interests in a context of rapidly changing balances and one in which its currency – defiance, moralism, anti-imperialism – has lost much of its value. Systemic reasons rooted in a command model and a series of blunders and poor decisions by government largely explain Cuba's economic predicament. It is increasingly recognized in Cuba itself that its substantial economic, financial, and trade dependence on the former communist world actually deprived it of the advantages that would have accrued to it had relations been expanded with more capitalist countries. Unfortunately, Middle America denotes a region anxious about, and reacting somewhat defensively to, hemispheric movements towards trade alliances to its north and south. Spurred on by the international climate favoring regional trading blocs, Middle American countries have recently formed the Association of Caribbean States, but beyond several regional summits have taken no firm steps towards region-wide economic integration (Gwynne & Kay 100). The revival of the integration movement has been encouraged by the perceived world wide trend to form trading blocks spearheaded by the European Community (EC). This development led to a perceived need in the United States, Canada, and some Latin American countries to form a hemispheric economic block in order to counterbalance the strengthened European integration movement. Once the NAFTA movement got underway, some LAC countries realized the need to participate in it to avoid the possible negative economic effects that NAFTA may have on their economies. The Central American Common Market (CACM) consists of five countries with a long history of linkages: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica (Gwynne & Kay 121). Together, the original CACM members experimented with the development strategy known as Import Substitution Industrialization, or (ISI). This strategy called for a change in the nature and structure of demand – away from imported consumer goods and toward imported industrial goods, which could then be used to produce domestically the same goods that would formally have been imported. During its initial stages, ISI was considered quite successful and was often credited with the economic â€Å"boom† that swept the region at the time of its inception. In reaction to neoliberalism, a growing number of people have tried to emigrate to North America and Europe, where about 5 million Caribbean islanders have gone since 1945 (Gwynne & Kay 120). For example, Salvadorans initially migrated to San Francisco, while Hondurans migrated to New Orleans. Migration has been such an integral part of the Eastern Caribbean culture that almost every Eastern Caribbean citizen has a relative or friend living in a major country. This factor is significant when analyzing both the political and economic system of the Eastern Caribbean. Since 1979 there has been significant changes in migration patterns and, notably, in the volume of people leaving Central America. Not surprisingly, Nicaragua and El Salvador, both of which suffered tremendous damage from war and social unrest, witnessed one of the most dramatic migrations of their people to other Central American countries, Mexico, the United States, Canada, and elsewhere. To cite an extreme example, for every five people born in St Kitts and Nevis and alive today, two now reside in the United States (Gwynne & Kay 120). Neoliberalism, in particular, has made a major contribution to the dynamic and contradictory processes of globalization in the Caribbean and Central America. One important conclusion that comes from this study is that the neoliberal structural adjustment programs are very limited. Although export agriculture has produced some wealth, it has also created massive structural problems of inequality, and it has not achieved self-sustained, modernizing growth over the long run. In conclusion, a feature of Caribbean and Central American migration that deserves further exploration and research is the potential for continuous and circular migration, principally between the islands of the Caribbean and the United States. This phenomenon has important implications for labor markets in regions of origin and destination.   Many of the people now returning to their homelands are bringing with them the wealth of accumulated knowledge and experience. This should significantly enhance the level of human capital in these Central American economies and serve as an important element for the growth and development of the region. Works Cited Robert N. Gwynne, Cristà ³bal Kay. Latin America Transformed: Globalization and Modernity. Arnold: London, 1999.   

Harmful Algal Blooms and Aquaculture

Harmful Algal Blooms and how they are Linked to Aquaculture Abstract Harmful algal blooms cause a wide range of negative effects on aquaculture. These effects are come from the complexity of harmful algal species; the toxins they create and morphology they have adapted. Science still lacks a full understanding of factors that are envolved in blooms formation. Aquaculture and harmful algal blooms are directly related because it is one of many anthropogenic factors that unintentionally produce the conditions that promote harmful algal blooms.The methods of production, feeds used, waste produced can lead to nutrient loading and eutrophic conditions by releasing essential nutrients into water that are necessary for algal growth. Phosphorus and nitrogen compounds are two of the main byproducts or aquaculture that are associated with bloom formation. To minimize the effects of harmful algal blooms on aquaculture you must understand the diversity and complexity of harmful algal blooms and t heir relationship with aquaculture. Abstract Harmful algal blooms cause a wide range of negative effects on aquaculture.These effects are come from the complexity of harmful algal species; the toxins they create and morphology they have adapted. Science still lacks a full understanding of factors that are envolved in blooms formation. Aquaculture and harmful algal blooms are directly related because it is one of many anthropogenic factors that unintentionally produce the conditions that promote harmful algal blooms. The methods of production, feeds used, waste produced can lead to nutrient loading and eutrophic conditions by releasing essential nutrients into water that are necessary for algal growth.Phosphorus and nitrogen compounds are two of the main byproducts or aquaculture that are associated with bloom formation. To minimize the effects of harmful algal blooms on aquaculture you must understand the diversity and complexity of harmful algal blooms and their relationship with a quaculture. Andrew Blajda Introduction Over the last several decades harmful algal blooms events or HABs are believed to be increasing in frequency and geographic range. The reported increase is a major concern because of the wide scale impact they have on he environment and human activities. The effect of HABs on aquaculture can be very damaging with reduced growth, mortalities or accumulation of toxins. If aquaculture operations take place in the open bodies of water they have little or no way of avoiding incoming blooms. Harmful algal bloom events that come in contact with aquaculture operations often have negative effects that can include student growth, weakened immunity, mortalities, and on economic losses.One of the bigger concerns today is the apparent increase in harmful bloom events. Researchers have linked this increase with anthropogenic activities, aquaculture being one of them. Aquaculture operations adds additional nutrients to the system, this lowers nutrients that l imits algal growth. A better understand of the dynamics and characters the form and make up a bloom combined with the a better understanding of nutrient loading of aquaculture could potentially help reduce the negative effects harmful algal blooms have on aquaculture.Single celled microscopic algae like phytoplankton are the most globally abundant species and one of the oceans’ most important resources. These autotrophic primary producers form the bottom of the food pyramid, acting as the primary source of food for larval finfish, crustaceans, filter feeding bivalves, and other species (Hallengraeff, 1995). In normal concentrations, these single celled algae work in balance with the ocean and its inhabitants, filling important roles in chemical and nutrient cycles. They act as primary producers, providing nutrients and food for variety of different species.These simple microscopic species are vitally important to the success of both fisheries and aquaculture, but in some situ ations they can also have detrimental effects on the marine and coastal environment and numerous terrestrial and marine species. A combination of physical, chemical, biological, hydrological, and meteorological events can generate appropriate conditions that allow these simple single celled microalgae can exhibit exponential growth and reproduction. These natural events create the opportunity for algal bloom formation with potential large scale negative effects throughout the area they cover (Graham, 2007).Algal blooms can be very diverse and differ from one another in many ways . How they form, the algal specie of causation, characteristics and dynamics of a blooms, the species they affect, and impacts they cause are some of the complex factors that are found in blooms (Zingone & Enevoldsen, 2000). The specific characteristics used to define a harmful bloom vary by sources. Hans Paerl, among others, defined harmful blooms by using several characteristics. Paerl also defined harmful blooms at their most basic level by classifying them as having nuisance conditions, meaning ecological and/or economic impacts (Paerl, 1988).As harmful algal blooms move across the ocean, the observable effects they cause go beyond the ocean and marine species it covers. These events will also have wide spread negative impacts on costal terrestrial organism and both human health and activities. Algal species produce sevral different toxins that are detrimental effects to human health, causing various illnesses and mortalities. About 10% of foodborne disease in the United States results from algal toxins; worldwide they cause more than 60,000 intoxications a year. Van Dolah, 2000) Economic losses due harmful algal blooms have been estimated in the tens of millions of dollars, from costs of beach clean ups, decreased tourism, and closing or stopping sales of commercial fisheries and aquaculture (Van Dolah et al. , 2001). Over the past several decades there has been an apparent increa se in the frequency and geographic range of harmful algal blooms. This apparent increase has been attributed to both increased observations and focus on harmful algal blooms and increased inputs from anthropogenic sources.Aquaculture is one of many anthropogenic activities that is believed to be hypernutrification and eutrophic conditions in surrounding bodies of water. This paper will attempt to gain a better understanding of diversity of harmful algal blooms and also the effect aquaculture has on the environment in adding in formation of harmful algal blooms. Algal Blooms Historically algal blooms are a naturally occurring phenomenon in earth’s oceans and have been observed throughout recorded history (Hallegraeff, 1993).These events are often beneficial to bivalves by supplying an abundant food supply to these filters feeding that relay on microalgae for their source of nutrients. Algal blooms can quickly turn into detrimental to the environment and its inhabitants are var ious ways (Leverone, 2007). Sources from human history including the bible may contain the first documented cases of algal blooms. In Exodus 7: 20-21 referring to one of the plaques on Egypt â€Å"all the waters that were in the river turned to blood, and the fish that was in the river died†.Some historians and scientist now believe this biblical reference from 1,000BC could be the first written record of an algal bloom. (Hallegraeff, 1993) Other historical sources may have unknowing recorded written evidence on algal blooms, in China around 200AD general Zhu Ge-Ling documented sicknesses and losses of military personnel after drinking from a river that was stained green. (Chorus & Bartram, 1999) Examination of fossil algal specimens and historical reference compounding evidence that these event are not a new phenomenon and have been occurring in earth’s oceans for thousands if not millions of years.Recent finding from numerous long term studies conducted around the wo rld has brought a strong belief in the scientific community that algal blooms have been increasing in their frequency and geographic distribution. Even though most scientiest support the idea of a global increase of blooms and twith strong evidence supporting this theroy there is still a major dissagreement about what is causing the increase (Pelley, 1998). The apparent increase of algal blooms, along with the global impacts on aquatic organisms, the environment, human health, and activities has increased interest and research being done on these events (Li et al. 2002; Van Dolah et al. , 2001). The exact characteristics and descriptions that define an algal bloom are fairly broad and very from source to source. I was unable to find a universal definition of algal blooms. The description and definition I came across were similar but differed in many aspects; this included sizes, formation factors, impacts, and algal species. Overall algal blooms are generally defined significant inc rease in biomass due to a rapid reproduction of a single microalgal species.The problem with this source is there can also be macroalgal blooms. Others described them as forming high density populations, with some species creating visible discoloration of the water. (Carstensen, Henriksen, & Heiskanen, 2007; Diersing, 2009) Others define blooms by impacts they cause; displacing indigenes species, destroy habitat, oxygen depletion, and alter biochemical cycles. (Hoagland et al. , 2002) A more generalized definition was given by Hallegraeff, adding that a bloom must have at least million cells per liter (Hallegraeff, 1993).The defining characteristic that differentiates a bloom from a harmful algal bloom is when they takes on a destructive roll and causes environment impacts. The term harmful is defined more specifically as causing negative impacts on the environment and adverse effects on both aquatic and terrestrial organisms. This is due to factors such as toxins they produce, spec ie specific cell physical structure causing damage to aquatic organisms or by accumulation of biomass affect naturally occurring organisms causing alterations food web dynamics and biochemical cycles (Anderson et al. 2002). Depending on the species, some algae produce toxins that can affect crustaceans, fish, shellfish, birds and mammals including humans; nontoxic species can still causes damage by blocking light from penetrating the water column, clogging or damaging gills, and creating anoxic conditions from accelerated decomposition as they die off (Silver et al. , 2006; Sellner et al. , 2003) Harmful alga can also have impacts on shoreline coastal habitats, toxins can be transported onto the shore by sea spray (Hoagland et al. , 2002).There are over 5,000 know photoplanktonic algal species that inhabit the marine waters only a small portion, about 300 species are known to have blooming capabilities and even fewer, about 40-80 species or 2-3% of all photoplantonic algal species a re known to have toxic chemicals producing capabilities; this includes members that form red tides (Hallegraeff, 1993; Smayda, 1997). Nontoxic red tides are not uncommon, today people often incorrectly or mistakenly refer to toxic algal blooms as red tides even when brown, green or colorless (Anderson, 1994).Toxic and other harmful algal species are ubiquitous throughout the marine and freshwater environment; the majority of the time they present at low population densities that cause few, if any and only minor impacts on the environment and its local inhabitants (Van Dolah, 2000). There are a variety of different phycotoxins algal species are able to synthesize; individual species will only produce one type of toxin. The evolutionary advantages of these toxins are not fully understood; they are believed to play a role in bloom formation and predator protecting (Nehring, 1993).The different phycotoxins vary from one another in terms of the impacts and degree of damage they have on m arine and terrestrial organisms, depending on the toxicity, the concentration, and the organisms. Toxicity vary among algal species Dinophysis is one example, they have the ability to produce toxins that have negative effects at densities as low as 100 cells per L-1 (Sellner et al. , 2003). The most toxic algal species are mainly found in dinoflagellets (Table 1) with some having toxicity greater than venomous snakes. Table 1.Toxicity of several phycotoxins created different organisms including algae. (Van Dolah, 2000) The taxonomic algal groups’ dinoflagellets, raphidophyetes, cynobactria, and some diatoms are known to have the capabilities of phycotoxins production; these species are often the culprit behind harmful algal blooms. Phycotoxins are toxic chemicals created biologically by photosynthetic organisms. Dinoflagellets are one of the predominate species that forms red tides; members of this group also produce toxin that lead to foodborne illness and human mortalities (Li et al. , 2002; Hallegraeff et al. 1995). Human induced illnesses are not an uncommon result from consumption of seafood. Many algal toxins are potentially dangerous and even deadly to humans. Toxins accumulate in tissues of organisms like shellfish, finfish, and crustaceans that come in contact with a toxic bloom. These species are usually far less affected by algal toxins having adaptive mechanisms that lower the effects on the organisms associated with toxic blooms. However toxins still accumulate within the tissues and detoxification can take weeks before they reach levels safe for human consumption.Algal toxins cause for concerns for humans not only because they maintain their toxicity long after the bloom but more importantly because they can withstanding heat from cooking. Algal toxin foodborne diseases are caused by various species or toxins and come from different vectors. Bivalve vectors can induce human illness that include (Table 2) paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) , neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP), amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP); other vectors can lead to various other diseases as well (Van Dolah, 2000).The popular term of red tide given to harmful algal bloom comes from compact, high densities of algal cells that containing red photosynthetic pigments, causing the water to appear red (Carstensen et al. , 2007). These toxic species can normally be found in low concentrations have no impacts on organisms and environment. The adverse effects on organism often deepened on cell concentration; in blooms toxic algae aggregate and are more dangerous (Van Dolah, 2000).Some toxic algal species have developed unique life cycles and morphological characteristics that allow them to occupy a specific niche that will be further examined. Table 2. Foodborne and environmental disease caused by harmful algal species, the toxin produced and the primary vector they inhabit. (Van Dolah, 2000) Harmful algal species ha ve many adverse impacts on bivalves’ this includes a wide range of sub-lethal and lethal effects; some algal species are more detrimental than others (Leverone, 2007). It is believed that increase frequency of blooms is partially due to the introduction of non-indigenous algal species.Non-indigenous species potentially will create a specific niche, and/or out compete native species. Indigenous naturally occurring harmful algal species are far less direct effects on bivalves; this is because they have been able to naturally adapt to their presence over time. Native algal species in most case do not have as bad direct, detrimental impacts on shellfish and are usually not associated with large scale bivalve die off. The exception to this is in cases of intense blooms (Matsuyama & Shumway, 2009; Nehring, 1993; Zingone & Enevoldsen, 2000).It’s still hard to truly say many large scale die-offs and increase sub-lethal impacts are directly due to non-indigenous algal species b ecause identification is sometimes difficult, longer term data individual algal species geographic ranges are limited combined, and the theory anthropogenic factors are causing an overall increase in blooms. In many circumstance of HAB mortalities it’s difficult to differentiate whether they resulted from the algal specie or unfavorable water quality that coincide with blooms (Anderson et al. , 2002; Leverone, 2007).Complex morphology are found in many harmful algal species that helps protect them from predation and the environment and help obtain nutrients. Diatom algae are members of the Bacillariophyceae class; they have been around for over 180 million years helping to create earth’s atmosphere and also play a major role in nutrient and chemical cycles. Over their evolutionary history diatoms have developed a variety of different exterior cellular morphology for protection from the environment and predation. They have a range of cell shapes and sizes and also form unique frustule cell walls made from silica.The frustule cell wall is made up of two over lapping overlapping silica bands forming a protective shell. The 100,000 diatom species have developed â€Å"seeming infinite variations† of cell wall micropatterns and structures; including ridges, spines and plates (Kroger & Poulsen, 2008) These cellular morphological characteristics help protect them under adverse environmental conditions and restrict or prevent predation. Some species of diatoms have developed such strong cell walls with structural properties that enable them to survive ingestion and escape after passing through the digestive system. (Merkel, et al. 2003) The benefits of these structures do have negative effects and come at the expense of motile abilities, limits growth, and makes the cell very dense; motile restorations and high cell densities make diatoms much more likely to sink out of the high nutrient water column. Bloom Formation The intricacy of bloom formatio n is due to both the abiotic(environmental and anthropogenic factors) and biotic factors; these being the algae themselves. Adaptations of life cycle, morphology, and environmental conditions enable rapid reproduction of certain algal species that have developed specific niches (Sellner et al. 2003; Zingone & Enevoldsen, 2000). Algal blooms formation driven by the complex relation between the environmental factors and algal species; although we understand the basics of formation there are still many unknowns. There are seemingly endless amounts of variables and factors that play a role in creating of a bloom. The main driving factors of when and where a bloom forms are a combination of environmental/anthropogenic factors (nutrient cycles and inputs) and algal morphology (Pinckney et al. , 1997; Sellner et al. ,2003).As simple as it sounds, there are countless variables including natural condition, anthropogenic effects, algal physiological and morphological characteristics that lead to the unpredictability and overall misunderstanding we still have on blooms. (Sellner et al. , 2003; Anderson, 1994) The belief that algal blooms are increasing in frequency and geographic range is a popular belief that is backed by numerous studies. The cause of this apparent increase has been attributed to the expanding human population (anthropogenic effects).Some still argue that the increase in blooms is due to the increase in observations from studies worldwide, a better understanding of blooms and better record keeping; but with overwhelming evidence supporting the lateral it’s hard to believe the human race is not playing a major roll. (Sellner et al. , 2003) Looking at the numer of literary reference to harmful algal bloom over 70 years(figure 1) shows a dramitic increase algal blooms from the 1920’s through late 1990’s (Hallegraeff, 1993). This also give arguments that increase research and technology contriubute to the increase ovserevd.Figure 1. Li terary references of harmful algal blooms from Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstract (AFSA) publications over about 70 years. The increase can be attributed to a combination of anthropogenic factors or increased observations and present arguments for both sides. (Hallegraeff, 1993) Today we have an understanding of the natural environmental processes and factors that lead to bloom formation; but the effects humans apply to the environment alter the natural cycles making it more difficult to predict blooms (Paerl, 1988).Blooms occur under irregular conditions that promote growth and reproduction allowing some species to flourish. The conditions found in blooms broad and often species’ specific adding to the complexity and unpredictability of blooms. In general the conditions associated with blooms are abundance (eutrophic), or an imbalance of nutrients, along with favorable water conditions (temperature, DO, salinity, etc. ). Natural processes like atmospheric deposition, wa ter column turnover, upwelling, oceanic currents, storms, and anomalous weather events (El Nino) work together and fluctuate over time effecting mixing rates, water quality.Nutrients pools build up over time from organic decomposition in benthic sediment. Mixing of the sediment perelapses the nutrient pools and bring about eutrophic conditions or alter the water chemistry that enable specific species of algae to flourish (Sellner et al. , 2003; Van Dolah, 2000; Paerl, 1988). Natural mixing rates occur during regularly during temporal or seasonal with environmental fluxes or randomly from disturbances (natural anthropogenic). Sediment mixing are very important environment processes, releasing nutrients back into the water column allowing for increased primary producer growth.Seasonal and temporal sediment mixing produce lead to the specific conditions that form blooms. Eutrophication has been defined as â€Å"an increase in supply of organic matter to the ecosystem; in terms of alga l bloom this refers to an increase in nutrients that allows an increase of primary production† (Bonsdorff et al. , 1997). Three key nutrients, nitrates ammonia and phosphates are associated with eutrophication and considered the driving forces behind bloom (Sheng, Jinghong, Shiqiang, Jixi, Dingyong, & Ke, 2006). The levels found in marine waters are driven naturally based on natural events discussed above.Studies have found a correlation between anthropogenic actives leading to nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient loading and the apparent increase in frequency of algal blooms along with alteration of natural nitrogen/phosphorus ratio (Bonsdorff et al. , 1997; Paerl, 2009). There are various anthropogenic activities that have led to the both local and global increase of nutrients in fresh and marine waters. Aquaculture is just one of many of these activities. Many studies have shown that aquaculture operations have byproducts that can cause eutrophic conditions.Nutrient loading fro m aquaculture only has local effects and the amount of effects it causes is size dependent (Anderson et al. , 2002). Aquaculture and Nutrient Loading It is important to understand the relationship between aquaculture and harmful algal blooms. Additional nutrients from the feed used, effluent discharge, and waste products are some of the source that lead to nutrient loading (Tacon & Forster, 2003). The amount of additional nutrients added to a system increases based on how intensive the operation is.HABs have wide spread negative impacts on aquaculture, the hope of significantly minimizing these impacts are still years away. To minimize the effects on aquaculture you must understand characteristics and dynamics of blooms, this includes the diversity of species involved and the factors associated with bloom formation. The apparent increase frequency and geographic range of harmful algal blooms is very important to aquaculture because aquaculture plays a role in helping create the cond itions necessary for bloom formation.Aquaculture operations provided year round nutrient inputs in a local aspect, this eliminates nutrient limitations in those areas (Bonsdorff et al. , 1997). This section will discuss and review the relationship aquaculture has with nutrient loading and eutrophication of the surrounding water. Nitrogen and phosphors are to key elements that take on various forms necessary for bloom formation. Both nitrogen and phosphors in the forms of nitrates, ammonia, phosphates and other compounds are byproducts of aquaculture.Algal growth is limited by nutrient availability, mainly based on availability of nitrogen and phosphors in the environment. Nitrogen in the forms of nitrates and ammonia are water soluble and enter the system from either dissolved feeds, effluent discharge, or from waste produced by fish. Phosphates often accumulate mainly in the sediment and during mixing events are released into the water in high quantities (Karakassis, Pitta, & Krom, 2005). Nutrient loading from aquaculture that leads to eutrophic conditions come from several sources. The amount and source of the nutrients depends on the operation.Location of farm (open ocean, ponds, raceways etc. ), what is being cultured (shrimp, finfish, bivalves), what are the inputs (feeds, fertilizer, etc. ) and how intensive the operation is. The source of local nutrient loading from aquaculture can be traced back to where the operation is taking place. Open ocean farming of finfish for instance causes eutrophic conditions right around the cages. On the other hand inland facilities such as pond systems and other flow through systems release effluent discharge causing nutrient in the and around the bodies of water they run into.The species being cultured also plays a major role. Bivalves for instance play a role in limiting algal growth by filter feeding, while finfish inputs and excreting essential nutrients in their waste is a major source of nutrients (Soto & Mena, 199 1). How intensive an operation is and the actual inputs into the system are directly related. The more intensive an operation the more inputs and the more inputs the greater chance of hypernutrification and eutrophic conditions. Different operations require different inputs and these inputs have different nutrient atios. Culture of some juvenile finfish require fertilization to promote phytoplankton growth for feed this puts the essential nutrients for algal growth directly into the system. The feeds used in aquaculture vary on the nutrients they are made up of, how stable they are and whether they float or sink. These factors are all in play in nutrient loading that come directly from aquaculture (Islam, 2005). The effects of aquaculture feeds on nutrient loading depend on several factors. There are three main factors these include; 1) the amount of wasted feed.This is due to poor farming and management practice and floating Vs. sinking feeds. Poor management practices means over o r an improper feeding technique that puts more feed in the water. Floating and sinking feed choices is also important. Sinking feeds may not be eaten by finfish if they go through the bottom of a net or cage, or if they sit on the bottom. On the other hand floating feeds may be less stable or uneaten if they are transported out of a system or to a place where they are unable to be eaten. 2) The actual quality of the feed.This poor stability and high solubility of feed pellets in water mean that once they are in the water they will be broken down and release more and nutrients and in less time. The final factor is deals is loosely related to the previous two. 3) Once the feed is ingested factors such as limitations of absorption and retention of the nutrients from the feed. This factor deals mainly with poor digestibility or metabolism of the species being culture to the feed they are given. The nutrients in the feeds many not be utilized to their full potential once ingested fish wi ll excrete the excess nutrients (Soto & Mena, 1991).Feed and nutrient inputs play a major role in nutrient loading and creating the conditions that promote algal growth either directly in the form of uneaten feeds or nutrients leaching or dissolving from the feeds, or indirectly from the digestion, metabolism and waste products from the species being cultured (Tacon & Forster, 2003). The important of feeds in nutrient loading must not be overlooked one study estimated that 70% of phosphorus and 30-50% of nitrogen in feeds is not utilized by fish and is released into the environment (Soto & Mena, 1991).This only shows two of the most essential nutrients associated with bloom formation and not the various other nutrients that are also released and are important for algal growth. This also shows the significance of feeds based on the large amount of nutrients that are not utilized and instead entering the environment, promoting algal growth. Over all aquaculture farm operations lead to excessive amounts of inorganic and organic fertilizer, feeds, and wastes that are put into local water bodies with high concentrations nutrient, that lead to nutrient loading and eutrophic conditions.Discussion and Conclusions Aquaculture over the last several decades has grown globally in both its production and popularity. In the future aquaculture will continue to grow in its importance to the human population as alternative food source to agriculture and wild fisheries, as well as helping with the depleted ocean stocks. As of now it appear that we will be seeing an increase in aquaculture around the world in the years to come. Although there are many benefits to aquaculture and the potential of increased production may have we must measure the benefits against the environment impacts they cause.Nutrient loading is just one of the environmental impacts associated with aquaculture and the effects of nutrient loading go beyond promotion of algal blooms. The global increase in aqua culture coincides with the apparent increase in harmful algal. Although there are many other anthropogenic factors that are at play in global nutrient loading aquaculture is a major local point-source form. We must understand the specific conditions that are associated blooms and the role aquaculture plays along with how complex and diverse blooms can if we hope to develop mechanisms that can significantly reduce the impacts on aquaculture.I choose the topic of harmful algal blooms and aquaculture effects of nutrient loading because it fits in perfect with our class: aquaculture and the environment. The purpose of this paper was to gain a general understanding of harmful algal blooms, and also to review the factors of aquaculture that lead to nutrient loading, eutrophic conditions, and the aid in bloom formation. This topic caught my attention because of similar topics I’ve cover and work I’ve done this semester in this class and others classes.Harmful algal blooms in general are very interesting because of the diversity of blooms, the range of effects they have, how unique the species involved are, and because of the complexity and over all lack of understanding have in factors of bloom formation. The purpose of this class included reviewing the impact of aquaculture on the environment and methods of reducing or eliminating those impacts. This paper focuses on harmful algal blooms and how aquaculture creates conditions that promoted bloom formation.I focused a great deal of this paper on harmful algal blooms because if you hope to minimize the impacts they cause you must appreciate and understand their complexity and also understand the relation they have with aquaculture. The purpose of this paper was not to examine direct ways in which to minimize nutrient inputs of harmful algal blooms but the information given on harmful algal blooms and the role aquaculture plays in promoting bloom formation is useful to future studies and reviews focusing on ways to minimize the impacts of HABs on aquaculture and help reduce the factors of aquaculture that promote harmful bloom formation.Bibliography Anderson, D. M. (1994). Red Tides. Scientific American Vol. 271, No. 2, 52-58. Anderson, D. M. , Glibert, P. M. , & Burkholder, J. M. (2002). Harmful Algal Blooms and Eutrophication: Nutrient Sources, Composition, and Consequences . Estuaries Vol. 25, No. 4b, 704-726. Anderson, D. , Andersen , P. , Bricelj, V. , Cullen, J. , & Rensel, J. (2001). Monitoring and Management Strategies for Harmful Algal Blooms in Coastal Waters. Paris: UNESCO. Bonsdorff, E. , Blomqvist, E. M. , Mattila, J. , & Norkko, A. (1997).Coastal Eutrophication: Causes, Consequences and Perspectives in the Archipelago Areas of the Northern Baltic Sea. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science Vol. 44, Sup. A, 63-72. Bonsdorff, E. , Blomqvist, E. , Mattila, J. , & Norkko, A. (1997). Coastal Eutrophication: Causes, Consequences and Perspectives in the Archipelago Areas of the Northern Baltic Sea. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science Vol. 44. Burkholder, J. , & Glasgow, H. (1997). Trophic Controls on Stage Transformation of a Toxic Ambush-Predatior Dinoflagellate. Journal of Eukaryotic and Microbiology Vol. 44, Issue 3, 200-205.Carstensen, J. , Henriksen, P. , & Heiskanen, A. -S. (2007). Algal Blooms in Shallow Estuaries: Definition, Mechanisms, and Link to Eutrophication. Limnology and Oceanography, Vol. 52, No. 1, 370-384. Chorus , I. , & Bartram, J. (1999). Toxic Cyanobacteria in Water: A guide to their public health consequences, . London: E & FN spon . Diersing, N. (2009). Phytoplankton Blooms: The Basics. Florida keys: NOAA. Gerssen, A. , Pol-Hofstad, I. E. , Poelman, M. , Mulder, P. P. , Van Den Top, H. J. , & Boer, J. (2010). Marine Toxins: Chemistry, Toxicity, Occurrence and Detection,.Toxins Vol. 2, 878-904. Gilbert , P. M. , & Burkholder, J. M. (2006). The Complex Relationships Between Increases in Fertilization of the Earth, Coastal Eutrophic ation and Proliferation of Harmful Algal Blooms. Ecological Studies Vol. 189, 331-354. Hallegraeff, G. M. (1993). A Review of Harmful Algal Blooms and their Apparent Global Increase*. Phycologia Vol. 32 No. 2, 79-99. Hallegraeff, G. M. (1993). Global Increase of Harmful Algal Blooms. Phycologia 32(2). Hallegraeff, G. M. , Anderson, D. M. , & Cembella, A. D. (1995). Manual on Harmful Marnie. Paris: UNESCO. Hallengraeff, G.M. (1995). Harmful Algal Blooms: A Global Overview. In G. M. Hallegraeff , D. M. Anderson , & A. D. Cembella, Manual on Harmful Marine Microalgae. Paris: UNESCO. Hegaret, H. , Mirella da Silva, P. , Wikfors, G. H. , Haberkorn, H. , Shumway, S. E. , & Soudant, P. (2011). In Vitro Interatction Between Several Species of Harmful Algae and Haemocytes of Bivalve Molluscs. Cell Biology and Toxicology Vol. 27 No. 4, 249-266. Hegaret, H. , Shumway, S. , Wikfors, G. , Pate, S. , & Burkholder, J. (2008). Potential Transport of Harmful Algae via Relocation of Bivavle Molluscs. Marine Ecology Progress Series Vol. 361 , 169-179. Hoagland, P. , Anderson, D. M. , Kaoru, Y. , & White, A. M. (2002). The Economic Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms in the United . Estuaries Vol. 25, No. 4b, 819-837. Islam, S. (2005). Nitrogen and Phosphorus Budget in Coastal and Marine Cage Aquaculture and Impacts of Efflent Loading on Ecosytem: Review and Analysis towards Model Development. Marine Pollution Bulletin Vol. 50. Karakassis, I. , Pitta, P. , & Krom, M. (2005). Contribution of Fish Farming to the Nutrient Loading of the Mediterranean. Science Maria Vol. 9. Keyhani, N. , & Roseman, S. (1998). Physiological Aspects of Chitin Catabolism in Marine Bactria. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) General Subjects Vol. 1473 Issue 1, 108-122. Kroger, N. , & Poulsen, N. (2008). Diatoms—From Cell Wall Biogenesis to Nanotechnology. Annual Review of Genetics Vol. 42, 83-107. Lansberg, J. (2002). The Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms on Aquatic Organisms . Reviews in Fisheries Scie nce Vol. 10, No. 2, 113-390. Leverone, J. R. (2007). Comparative Effects of the Toxic Dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, on Bivalve Molluscs from Florida.Graduate School These and Dissertation , University of South Florida, Biological and Oceanography. Lewitus, A. , Horner, R. , Caron, D. , Garcia-Mendoza, E. , Hickey, B. , Hunter, M. , et al. (2012). Harmful algal blooms along the North American west coast region:. Harmful Algae 19, 133-159. Li, S. -C. , Wang, W. -X. , & Hsieh, D. P. (2002). E? ects of toxic dino? agellate Alexandrium. Marine Environmental Research Vo. 53, 145-160. Matsuyama, Y. , & Shumway, S. (2009). Impacts of Harmful Algal Blooms on Shellfish Aquaculture. Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing . Merkel, R. Hamm, C. E. , Springer, O. , Jurkojc, P. , Maire, C. , Prechtel, K. , et al. (2003). Architecture and Material Properties of Diatom Shells Provide Effective Mechanical Protection. Nature Vol 421, 841-843. Nehring, S. (1993). Mechanisms for Recurrent Nuisance Algal Bloom s in Coastal Zones: Resting Cycst Formation as Life-Strategy of Dinoflagellates. Proceedings of the International Coastal Congress ICC Kiel 192. (pp. 454-467). Berlin: Peter Lang Publishing. Paerl, H. W. (1988). Nuisance Phytoplankton Blooms in Coastal, estuarine, and Inland Waters. Limnology and Oceanography, Vol. 3, No. 4, Part 2, 823-847. Paerl, H. W. (2009). Controlling Eutrophication alng the Freshwater-Marine Continuum: Dual Nutrient (N and P) Reduction are Essential. Estuaries and Coasts Vol. 32, 593-601. Pelley, J. (1998). What is causing Toxic Algal Bloom? Anvironmental Science & technology Vol. 32, No. 1, 26-30. Pinckney, J. L. , Millie, D. F. , Vinyard, B. T. , & Paerl, H. W. (1997). Environmental Controls of Phytoplankton Bloom Dynamics in the Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, U. S. A. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Vol. 54, 2491-2501. Sellner, K. G. Doucette, G. J. , & Kirkpatrick, G. J. (2003). Harmful Algal Blooms: Causes, Impacts and Detection. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol Vol. 30, 383-406. Sheng, Z. , Jinghong, L. , Shiqiang, W. , Jixi, G. , Dingyong, W. , & Ke, Z. (2006). Impact of Aquaculture on Eutrophication in Changshou Reservoir. Chinese Journal of Geochemistry. Silver, M. , Kudela, R. , & Roberts, K. (2006). Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). California: Center for Integrated Marine Technologies (CeNCOOS). Smayda, T. J. (1997). Harmful Algal Blooms: Their Ecophysiology and General Relevance to Phytoplankton Blooms.Limnology and Oceanography Vol. 42 No. 5, 1136-1153. Smayda, T. J. , & Reynolds, C. S. (2001). Community Assmbly in Marine Phytoplankto: Application of Recent Models to Harmful Dinoflagellate Blooms. Journal of Plankton Research Vol. 23, No. 5, 447-461. Soto, D. , & Mena, G. (1991). Filter Feeding by Freshwater Mussel, Diplodon Chilensis, as a Biocontrol of Salmon Farming Eutrophication. Aquaculture Vol. 171, 65-81. Tacon, A. , & Forster, I. (2003). Aquafeeds and the Environment: Policy Implications. Aquaculture Vol. 226. Thouzeau, G. Chauvaud, L. , & Paulet, Y. -M. (1998). Effects of Environmental Factors on the Daily Growthrate of Pecten maximus Juveniles in the Bay of Brest (France). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology Vol. 227 Isu. 1, 83-111. Tran, D. , Haberkorn, H. , Soudant, P. , Ciret, P. , & Massabuau, J. -C. (2010). Behavioral Responses of Crassostrea gigas Exposed to the Harmful Algal Alexandrium minutum. Aquaculture Vol. 298 Issues 3-4, 338-345. Van Dolah, F. M. , RoeIke, D. , & Greene, R. M. (2001). Health and Ecological Impacts of Harmful Algal.Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: Vol. 7, No. 5, pp, 1329-1345. Van Dolah, F. M. (2000). Marine Algal Toxins: Origins, Health Effects, and Their Increased Occurrence. Environmental Health Perspectives Vo. 108, No. 1, 133-141. Villareal, T. (1988). Positive Bouyancy in the Ocean Diatom Rhizosoenia debyana H. Peragallo. Deep-Sea Research. Part A. 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The importance of integrity, trust and honesty Essay

The importance of integrity, trust and honesty - Essay Example This enhances the chances for others to have confidence in you. In this regards, the three virtues mutually co-exist. An honest person is usually genuine, real and true. Living an honest life with integrity entails living openly and revealing your true self to other people. Absence of honesty hinders development of meaningful relationships. Honesty therefore, perpetuates self-respect as well as respect for others. It imbues life with candor and openness. A dishonest person destroys the trust of people around. Honesty and integrity eventually yield trust. Trust is important as it perpetuates self-confidence. It is a key ingredient in any relationship, whether personal or a professional. Trust is a crux in developing credibility. Thus, lack of trust eliminates credibility. Lack of trust also destroys the foundation upon which a relationship could be build upon. Being a person of integrity on the other hand, is very important. Such a person never hides anything from the people around them. They are strong and perfect in their lives. Apparently, integrity promotes

Business Management and Organizational Behaviour Case Study

Business Management and Organizational Behaviour - Case Study Example Worse than this, in some cases in encouraging revenues to come through a particular gaming station, some team members have resorted to bad practises such as giving away drinks and free accommodation which results in a net loss for the organisation as a whole. In addition to the animosity created between teams at the organisational level, it has also become apparent that that the bonus system has created a culture of blame within individual teams. As has been demonstrated with the case of Laura, where teams have failed to achieve the bonus, individual members of the team have sought to make certain members of the team a scapegoat, blaming the individuals for the inability of the team as a whole to win the bonus. As such, this may be seen as a costly problem for the casino which has already lost a team member due to the public disgracing of the team member who was held responsible for the loss of bonus due to a refusal to engage in what other may see as unethical practises. Other key p roblems which may be seen in the casino relate to the individual relationships which exist amongst owners, managers and family members. For instance, in the incident with Laura, Ron who has sought to make use of a personal relationship between himself and his uncle in order to facilitate the outcome of Laura either leaving or engaging in the unethical style behaviour in which Ron himself has made use of in the past. This is an issue which Jennifer as a responsible agent will now find increasingly difficult to deal with. For instance, should Jennifer choose to criticise Ron’s actions and take appropriate actions, one consideration is that Jennifer may worry that Ron will similarly seek to make use of his personal relationship with his uncle so as to counteract...In informing the outcomes of the report, the report has made use of several sources of data including, the material presented in the case study as well as references to the appropriate models and frameworks as presente d in the academic literature on organisational behaviour, management and leadership. Having considered the facts of the case study one can see that there are a wide number of issues to be addressed from an organisational behaviour perspective, many of which spring from the current bonus system. In addition to the animosity created between teams at the organisational level, it has also become apparent that that the bonus system has created a culture of blame within individual teams. Having analysed the case study, it would seem that the fundamental problem is that the motivational methods being made use of are creating animosity between rival teams and internal team members within each of the gaming teams. As such, the recommendations of this report are that the current bonus system should be scraped and that the casino should look for alternative ways of trying to encourage each team to maximise revenues from its customers. In implementing the recommendations, the report recommends that in the immediate term the current bonus system should be suspended with immediate effect. It is evident from the case study that at present the bonus system is causing conflict amongst the teams and resulting in sub-optimal profitability for the business as a whole.

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Current Applications And Development Of Catalyst For The Synthesis Of Highly Functional Organic Carbonates - Essay Example An exhaustive review on the catalytic production of organic carbonates is lacking. The conventional procedure for synthesis of organic carbonates earlier involved toxic halogen compounds or phosgene, and later on moved to non toxic compounds such as carbon dioxide, alcohols, and epoxides. Recent catalysts include palladium, salen ligands, DBU, transition metal halides such as NiCl2, Lewis bases like Re(CO)5Br, NHC-CO2 adducts, tin, and Cu-exchanged zeolite Y catalyst. Introduction Organic carbonates are organic compounds obtained by carbonic acid and hydroxyl compound diesterification (1). The carbonates are produced in the form of diaryl, dialkyl or substituted dialkyl dialyl products depending on the type of hydroxyl compound used in the diesterification reaction. Organic carbonates have a wide variety of industrial, medical and biological applications (2). More specifically, they are used as intermediates, solvents and protective groups during the synthesis of lubricants, pharmace uticals, herbicides, pesticides, plastics, etc. (3). Of the different kinds of organic carbonates, dimethyl carbonate is the simplest one, produced industrially from methanol through catalytic oxycarbonylation (1). A review of the literature on the catalytic production of organic carbonates reveals that comprehensive reports on the development of catalysts in the synthesis of organic carbonates is lacking. While earlier, organic carbonate synthesis with the help of catalysts required halogen compounds or phosgene, research on the synthesis of organic compounds later on was more inclined towards substituting halogens with other non toxic compounds. In recent years, research has focused on synthesizing organic carbonates from carbon dioxide, alcohols, and epoxides. Organic carbonate synthesis has thus seen a new dawn, wherein more emphasis was on green chemistry and use of reagents that are least toxic to the environment and to living organisms. The present paper aims at understanding how the use of catalysts in synthesizing organic carbonates progressed over the years. For this purpose, research reports on organic carbonate synthesis will be analyzed and discussed. The types of catalysts employed in organic carbonate synthesis will also be reviewed. The aim is to study the development of catalysts for organic carbonate synthesis, especially in the recent years. Theoretical Background Organic carbonates are formed by the diesterification of hydroxyl compounds with carbonic acid. Carbonic acid does not exist in free state. Its monoester is called hemicarbonic acid and it is formed by the reaction of carbon dioxide with alcohol. It can only be isolated in the form of salts and simple/mixed anhydrides with carboxylic acids because of its unstability. Through the esterification of hemicarbonic acid with hydroxy compounds, organic carbonates can be synthesized. These are classified into two main groups, saturated and unsaturated organic carbonates. Unsaturated carbon ates include symmetrical (e.g. diallyl carbonate) and unsymmetrical (e.g. allyl methyl carbonate) organic carbonates. Saturated organic carbonates are further divided into several other categories that include aliphatic, aliphatic aromatic and aromatic. Further classification of organic carbonates is given in figure 1. Dimethyl carbonate is the simplest organic carbonate. Figure 1: Classification of Carbonates (1) Shaikh and Sivaram provided a comprehensive review of the various processes of organic carbonate synthesis. Since then, many more developments have taken place in the field. Before discussing the latest developments in organic carbon

Managerial Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managerial Economics - Essay Example Rationality is considered as an important aspect of the behavioural theory (Simon, 2001). There is a distance between the behaviour and rationality and they are connected by the concept of decision making. A decision making process is common in an organization where the managers have to take various decisions in order to achieve the mission of the organization (Ethiraj and Levinthal, 2004). The aim for this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of bounded rationality and the critical analysis of how the heuristics creates biasness towards decision making. The research would offer a scope to have a detailed analysis of bounded rationality as explained by Herbert Simon. According Herbert Simon (1961), rationality in behavioural characteristics of a person considers a relation of efficacy between the presumed end and the means to reach them (Kahneman, 2003). According to the researcher, the human beings lack in their rational behaviour due to the different aspects that is the rationality requires knowledge as well as understanding of the situation. However, the decision makers cannot be always called as rational because since they are likely to take decisions based on the available data and are unable to incorporate new information within their decision making process. According to the researcher, the organization must have a clear organizational goal so that the employees can work hard in order to achieve the goal (Simon, 2001). The organizations would have benefits for developing the organizational goals that helps in the organizational decision making process. It is said when the organizational members experience bounded rationality, managing the situations becomes much more difficult and the organizations are supposed to use both formal and informal control mechanisms in order to make the employees perform rationally (Simon, 2001). A theory of rational behaviour involves both the rationality of the individual as well

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Improving quality and health system performance analyzing the protection and affordable care act - Research Paper Example The different dimensions related to increase the effectiveness of health services are defined with the addition of financial disclosure and ethnic/social disparities. This research paper is aimed at providing deep analysis on the efficiency and improved quality delivered by the health care. To serve this purpose, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed by President Obama is has been used. This act has the Public Law (111-148) and was passed by the members of Senate and United States of America House of Representatives in Congress Assembled. In order to build comparison the basic managed care components of improved quality and health system performance are evaluated on the basis of the act in addition to the challenges and positive/negative aspects. The Patient and Affordable Care Act is enacted to ensure the high-class yet reasonably priced health care facilities for all the inhabitants of United States of America. This act requires the active participation of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), especially the Secretary in order to institute a National Quality Strategy for increasing the efficiency of Health Care with the precedence towards guiding this endeavor while including a proper and well defined Strategic Plan which is based upon the guideline to achieve the aims and objectives of the plan (Congress, 2011). The Affordable Care Act will especially deal with the matters of consumers in the private sector health providing insurance companies by giving them new opportunities and coverage facilities for the individual and comparatively small business, expand the horizon of tax credits to middle and lower income Americans so as to provide them affordable health care services. Additionally it will also encourage the coordination, novelty, competence and the improved health care. These amendments are made on the basis of the on hand Legislation, for instance, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009

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Health policy - Essay Example all Americans hold a health insurance, failing which they have to pay a fine, and secondly various measures have been taken to cut down health related costs. These methods include providing health care institutions rewards for cutting down costs while penalizing them for bad care. The results have been phenomenal so far as according to data taken from Jan 2012 to Dec 2013, there has been a significant 8% decline in readmission cases (The Economist). Obamacare is likely to free the health budget that currently makes up a very high percentage of the GDP, thus allowing the American government to spend the money in other feasible projects. I completely agree with the views presented it the article, as well as with the view with which Obamacare was introduced as I believe prior to this bill there was a lot of negligence and over charging done by doctors for their own benefit. However, this bill would put an end to such illegal practices and help save millions of dollars of US tax payers which can be routed to other important projects (The

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Peer Review of Section 1 of the Policy Change Proposal Week 3 - Assignment Example This is so since veterans have been suffering from health complications such as Post Traumatic stress years after their service to the country (Tick 2005). Currently the healthcare model being used by the United States of America does not provide for children between 5 to 20 years (Roth 2010). One issue that stands out from such a model is when dealing with diabetes in children from that age group. Diabetes, despite being hereditary can be prolonged or managed better if it is detected early enough (Hanas 2010). It is crucial for the government to include this age group in its health models since studies have shown that quite a number of people develop diabetes complications when at this age group. By including the age group in its health model, the government will help prevent or control cases of diabetes through educating on the importance of living lifestyles that are