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Wild salmonids and farmed salmon can both be sources of Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer, 1838) larvae . Farmed salmon smolts free of L. salmonis infections are stocked in sea cages and may subsequently contract L. salmonis infections, probably from wild fish. The contribution of gravid L. salmonis at Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., farms to populations of L. salmonis larvae in the water column has in the past been based on estimated parameters, such as louse fecundity. This present study augments these calculations by combining empirical data on densities of infective L. salmonis copepodids in the field with estimates of the number of gravid L. salmonis on farmed and wild salmonids in Loch Torridon. Data collected between 2002 and 2007 show a significant correlation between mean densities of L. salmonis copepodids recovered in the water column and the numbers of gravid L. salmonis at the local salmon farms. Generally, the farms with greatest numbers of salmon were observed to have stronger correlations with densities of copepodids in the water than the farms with fewer fish. The study suggests that louse management approaches, e.g. treatment trigger levels, need to take account of individual farm biomass, or numbers of fish. This study highlights the importance of control of L. salmonis on salmon farms for the co-existence of both wild salmonid populations and the aquaculture industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A plankton survey investigated spatial and temporal distributions of larval sea lice in a sea loch on the north-west coast of Scotland. Plankton tows were collected approximately weekly at two depths (0 and 5 m) at five sample stations over a 2-year period. The survey began in March 2002 when Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., farms in the study area stocked with fish and finished in March 2004, after farms completed harvesting. Over 90% of lice recovered were Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer); therefore, the results of this paper refer largely to that species. The data were analysed using generalized additive models with explanatory variables for time, depth and station. Greatest densities of nauplii were recovered at stations adjacent to farms indicating that the local salmon farms were a likely source of larvae at times during the production cycle. There were significant temporal trends in larval densities and the stocking and harvesting of farms can possibly account for these increases and decreases, particularly at the start and at the end of the production cycle. The distribution of copepodids was more widespread than that of nauplii, indicating that the larvae can be transported several kilometres from the point of release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses the effects of discharges from an aluminium smelter on mussel, mytilus edulis. Loch Leven is a sea loch situated on the West Coast of Scotland. At the head of the loch is an aluminium smelter which discharged an aqueous effluent containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) until closure in June 2000. Concern had been expressed over the possible effects of the discharge on marine shellfish. Mussels have been used previously to monitor the environment surrounding aluminium smelters, mainly as bioaccumulation sentinels. However, difficulties have been encountered in demonstrating biological effects of PAHs in the discharges from smelters.

SummaryThe aquaculture industry in Scotland is primarily located on the western and northern coasts of Scotland where geographical and hydrographic conditions suit the species cultured. The regulation and monitoring of the industry has adapted and grown with the industry. Over 10 years, production has increased 10-fold and the efficiency of the industry has improved along with husbandry and management techniques although major disease problems have occurred. Planning and siting controls have recently been reviewed incorporating new EC legislation on environmental impact assessment. Environmental protection and end product quality are achieved through complex legislation demanding licences to discharge waste products and the application of strict quality standards and targets to both the product and its growing and receiving environment. Monitoring programmes are well established to ensure compliance with the legislation. The complexity of issues the industry now poses for regulation and monitoring have challenged traditional views and required new techniques to be developed, for example, mathematical modelling to set environmental targets for some medicines. A national approach has been needed which will benefit the industry and the regulators and allow focus to be brought to wider issues requiring research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore wind power generation requires large areas of sea to accommodate its activities, with increasing claims for exclusive access. As a result, pressure is placed on other established maritime uses, such as commercial fisheries. The latter sector has often been taking a back seat in the thrust to move energy production offshore, thus leading to disagreements and conflicts among the different stakeholder groups. In recognition of the latter, there has been a growing international interest in exploring the combination of multiple maritime activities in the same area (multi-use; MU), including the re-instatement of fishing activities within, or in close proximity to, offshore wind farms (OWFs). We summarise local stakeholder perspectives from two sub-national case studies (East coast of Scotland and Germany's North Sea EEZ) to scope the feasibility of combining multiple uses of the sea, such as offshore wind farms and commercial fisheries. We combined a desk-based review with 15 semi-structured qualitative interviews with key knowledge holders from both industries, regulators, and academia to aggregate key results. Drivers, barriers and resulting effects (positive and negative) for potential multi-use of fisheries and OWFs are listed and ranked (57 factors in total). Factors are of economic, social, policy, legal, and technical nature. To date, in both case study areas, the offshore wind industry has shown little interest in multi-use solutions, unless clear added value is demonstrated and no risks to their operations are involved. In contrast, the commercial fishing sector is proactive towards multi-use projects and acts as a driving force for MU developments. We provide a range of management recommendations, based on stakeholder input, to support progress towards robust decision making in relation to multi-use solutions, including required policy and regulatory framework improvements, good practice guidance, empirical studies, capacity building of stakeholders and improvements of the consultation process. Our findings represent a comprehensive depiction of the current state and key stakeholder aspirations for multi-use solutions combining fisheries and OWFs. We believe that the pathways towards robust decision making in relation to multi-use solutions suggested here are transferable to other international locations., (Crown Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Concentrations of cadmium in the hepatopancreas (0.1-61.3 mg kg-1), gonad (0.15-11.0 mg kg-1) and gills (0.2-10.7 mg kg-1) of the edible crab Cancer pagurus L. from 16 sampling sites round the Scottish coast are reported, and compared with published elevated concentrations in crabs from the Orkney Islands. Geographical variations in the distribution of cadmium between organs indicate that the dietary uptake of cadmium is predominant in northern mainland and Orkney crabs, but that uptake from the water is more important in the south of Scotland. Mean dissolved cadmium concentrations in eastern coastal water increase from approximately 10 ng dm-3 in northern waters to approximately 25 ng dm-3 in the south. It seems likely that a regional contamination of the environment by cadium of geological origin occurs in the extreme north coast of Scotland, and in the Orkney and Shetland areas.

There is a close link between audit of clinical competence and audit of continuing medical education. Some of the earlier assumptions about the organisation of continuing medical education need to be reviewed. The increasing provision of resources for continuing medical education by the NHS means that added safeguards are necessary to ensure that professional standards are not subordinated to service exigencies. The introduction of higher educational methodology into continuing medical education should be critically examined with awareness of the limitations and controversies concerning many methods of teaching and assessing educational outcome. The methodology of higher education may need to be substantially modified to suit the uniqueness of the clinical process and the problems of altering the behaviour of experienced and practising doctors. Criticism of behaviourist educational methods should be based on an understanding and knowledge of these methods. A new functional clinical educational domain is proposed which links educational methods with the clinical application of new learning.