Denna uppsats är ett examensarbete på 22,5 Hp, gjort av Natalie Pålsson, student på produktdesignprogrammet på Malmö Högskola, under våren 2013.Projektet handlade om att undersöka möjligheten till att skapa en ljuskälla utan elektricitet. Syftet med projektet var att uppmärksamma problematiken av den höga energiförbrukningen av ljuskällorna i belysning. Projektet hade under hela dess gång ett biomimetiskt förhållningssätt och under förstudien gjordes en grundlig studie av ämnet biomimetik. Biomimetik innebär att man som designer lär och inspireras av naturen i sin produktutveckling. Förstudien behandlade även ämnet naturens ljus och då framför allt bioluminiscens som valdes som ljuskälla i armaturen. Utifrån en intervju med Lars Olof Björn, pensionerad professor i biologi, så togs ett beslut att använda levande organismer i armaturen eftersom bioluminiscens är svårt att framställa på kemisk väg. Under studierna av bioluminiscens så framkom det att det finns en bioluminiscent alg, dinoflagellat som skulle vara lämplig att använda som ljuskälla. Dinoflagellater avger ett bioluminiscent ljus då de sätts i rörelse, vilket användes som en sorts strömbrytare i produkten. Resultatet blev lyktan Lumi oh! En lykta, utformad som ett timglas som ser ut som två droppar som i sitt möte bildar en virvel. När lyktan vänds upp och ner, virvlar algerna ner och börjar då lysa, vilket de gör så länge de är satta i rörelse.Projektets mål var att det skulle resultera i ett produktkoncept, därför presenteras slutresultatet i form av en utseendemodell. / This diploma work (22,5 ECTS) at bachelor level is made by Natalie Pålsson, student at the Product design program at Malmö University, in the spring of 2013. The project explored the possibility of creating light without electricity. The purpose of the project was to highlight the problem of the high energy consumption of our current lightsourses. The project had a biomimetic approach and a thourough study of the subject was made. Biomimicry means that designers learn and get inspired by nature in their development of products. A study about natural light was made, especially bioluminescence, since that was the choice of lightsource. Based on an interview with Lars Olof Björn, a retired proffessor in Biology, it was decided to use living organisms in the lantern, since bioluminescence is difficult to produce chemically. The research regarding bioluminescence showed that there is a bioluminescent algae, called dinoflagellate, that would be suitable for use as a light source. Dinoflagellates emit a bioluminescent light when they are put in motion, which was used as a sort of on and off switch in the product. The project resulted in the lantern Lumi oh! A lantern, shaped like an hour glass which looks like two drops, that forms a swirl where they meet. When the lantern is turned upside down, the alge swirls down and starts to glow, for as long as they are set in motion. The result of the project was to be illustrated as a product concept and is presented as a prototype that shows the form but not the function.

Metal pollution from Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is one of the most serious environmental challenges associated with mining operations as well as a potential threat to biological life. Effects of AMD from mining regions are site-specific and depend on several biotic and abiotic factors in the recipient waters. The aim of this thesis was to assess the effects of metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, U, Zn) on mayfly (Ephemeroptera) larvae presence in recipient waters in Norr- and Västerbotten counties, Sweden. To fulfil this aim I used data from recipient surveys that has sampled benthic fauna with the kick-net method and collected water samples for chemical analysis. Regression analyses were performed to determine the relationships between dissolved and bioavailable concentrations of Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. Additional regression analyses were performed to assess the relationships between the dissolved concentration of each metal and number of mayfly species as. Lastly, a regression analysis was performed for number of mayfly species and water pH. Results revealed that the number of mayfly taxa decreased exponentially as metal concentrations increased. There was also a correlation between number of mayfly taxa and pH, with the highest number of species in the pH interval 6,7 – 7,7. The ability to draw any definitive conclusions about the effects of metal pollution on mayflies in this geographical area are complicated by water pH, which for some sites is quite low. Further studies may be needed to determine how much of the effect can be attributed to high metal concentrations and how much is a consequence of low water pH.

In this study we determined the magnitude of plant mediated CH4 emission (flux) in two vegetation types of Carex ramenskii. The objectives of this paper were to quantify the proportion of CH4 emissions from plant mediated flux and the total flux (plant and soil). This information is needed in order to understand how grazing affects plant mediated CH4 flux. In addition, we differentiated between two vegetation morphs, grazed and ungrazed, and determined the plant mediated CH4 flux for vegetation type.  This study was conducted at a field site on the Tutakoke River (61 15’N, 165 30’W) which is located in the coastal region of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Three replicate plots of the two vegetation morphs of Carex ramenskii were established. Methane flux was measured with a total flux chamber (plant and soil) and a single leaf chamber using a Picarro Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy Analyzer (Model G2308, Picarro Inc., Santa Clara, California). Plant density for the two plant types was determined. Temperature measurements were taken and correlated with gas flux. This study found that total net CH4 emissions from Carex ssp. were the same in both vegetation types. This similarity could indicate that plant mediated flux through vegetation is not affected by grazing in the sense that grazing is neither facilitating nor inhibiting plant mediated CH4 flux. The magnitude of plant mediated flux was still greater in the ungrazed meadow type, indicating on both greater facilitation of CH4 flux, and below ground oxygen transport enabling higher rates of CH4 consumption.

Microalgae are a diverse group of unicellular microorganisms found in various environments, ranging from small garden ponds to lakes with extreme salinity. Common for all microalgae is their ability to convert solar energy and carbon dioxide into chemical energy via photosynthesis. Additionally, they are capable of assimilating large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus to produce proteins and lipids. These abilities have made microalgae an interesting candidate for next generation wastewater treatment coupled with production of biogas, a renewable energy source in advancement. At the Nykvarn wastewater treatment plant in Linköping, Sweden, 15,400,000 m3 of wastewater are treated annually to remove nitrogen and phosphorus that otherwise would risk to cause eutrophication in surrounding lakes and rivers. Moreover, the treatment plant manages large amounts of sewage sludge that is anaerobically digested to produce biogas and simultaneously reduce the sludge volumes. At the Nykvarn wastewater treatment plant, dewatering of the digested sludge results in a sludge fraction of about 30 % dry content and reject water, which is very nutrient-rich and therefore requires treatment in a SHARON process before it is reintroduced to the main stream of the wastewater treatment plant. In this thesis, the potential of microalgae for nutrient assimilation was studied by monitoring the nutrient removal efficiency of a mixed culture of microalgae when fed with 1) 100 % incoming wastewater, 2) 80 % incoming wastewater + 20 % reject water and 3) 60 % incoming wastewater + 40 % reject water. Furthermore, the effect of a process additive on the nutrient removal efficiency was evaluated. The results showed that microalgae are capable of removing 100 % of ingoing ammonium nitrogen and phosphate phosphorus when fed with incoming wastewater. At transition to 20 % and 40 % reject water, the culture was light-limited with a resulting ammonium reduction of 60 % and a phosphate reduction of around 30 %. The process additive slightly improved the ammonium reduction, however, mainly by formation of nitrite and nitrate by nitrifying bacteria. Moreover, a bio-methane potential test compared the methane potential of the microalgal biomass and the biomass from the SHARON process. The test resulted in an accumulated methane production around 70 mL g-1 VS-1 for the microalgal biomass and 35 mL g-1 VS-1 for the biomass from the SHARON process. That is, the mixed microalgal culture used in this experiment has a methane potential twice that of the biomass from the SHARON process. Finally, an economic analysis of a microalgae based process for purification of reject water showed that the operating costs exceed those of the SHARON process due to high energy consumption. It is thus necessary to choose a cultivation system that effectively utilize the solar energy, as well as maximize the biogas yield from anaerobic digestion of microalgal biomass.

Sedan 1970-talet har ålbeståndet minskat rejält och under de senaste decennierna har man försökt hitta en lösning på detta problem. En ökad naturlig rekrytering kan hjälpa ålarnas återhämtning. Varje år fastnar en stor mängd juvenila ålar vid vattenkraftverk. För att hjälpa ålarna ta sig förbi dessa kan man installera ramper, vilka hjälper ålarna att klättra förbi vattenkraftverken. Syftet med studien var att ta reda på vilken typ av substrat i ramper vid dessa vattenkraftverk som ålynglen föredrar. Studien utfördes utomhus i två odlingsbassänger där sex stycken ramper hade installerats. Den huvudsakliga studien bestod av ett selektionstest där ålynglen fick välja mellan tre olika substrat. Man antecknade också om det var några yngel som valde att stanna kvar, detta för att kunna testa om det fanns någon signifikant skillnad mellan importerade och vilda ålyngel när det gäller de yngel som inte valt någon av ramperna. Sammanlagt 500 yngel (vilda N=235, importerade N=265) var med i studien. Ålynglen placerades i nätkassar nedanför ramperna. Där hade de möjligheten att antingen välja ett av substraten och vandra uppför rampen, eller stanna kvar i bassängen. De tre substraten som testades var plastkätting, FishPass™ rigid brush mixed green (FishPass™) och Diadrain 25H (D-25). Resultatet blev att både de vilda och de importerade ålynglen föredrog FishPass™ och D-25 framför plastkätting. Det fanns ingen signifikant skillnad mellan FishPass™ och D-25. Man kom också fram till att signifikant fler vildfångade ålar än importerade valde att stanna kvar istället för att klättra upp för en ramp. Resultatet från den här studien säger att vi kan öka antalet juvenila ålar som tar sig förbi vattenkraftverk. Placerar man ut ramper klädda med antingen FishPass™ eller D-25 vid de vattenkraftverk där juvenila ålar har svårt att passera så kan man på så sätt hjälpa ålarnas naturliga rekrytering. / Since the 1970s, eel stocks have declined, and in the recent decades people have been trying to find a solution to this problem. An increased natural recruitment could help the eels to recover. Each year a large quantity of juvenile eels get stuck at hydroelectric plants. To help the eels pass by these plants, ramps can be installed, which help the eels to pass the dams. The purpose of the study was to find out what type of substrate in ramps at these hydropower plants that juvenile eels prefer. The study was conducted in two outdoor hatchery ponds where six ramps had been installed. The main study consisted of a selection test where juvenile eels had to choose between three different substrates. It was also recorded if there were some juveniles who chose to remain, in order to test if there was a significant difference between imported and wild eels when it comes to individuals that have not selected any of the ramps. A total of 500 juveniles (Wild N = 235, Imported N = 265) were included in the study. The juvenile eels were placed in net enclosures beneath the ramps, and had to choose one of the substrates and climb the ramp, or else remain in the net enclosure. The three substrates tested were plastic chain, Fish Pass ™ rigid brush mixed green (Fish Pass™) and Diadrain 25H (D-25). I found that both the wild and imported eels preferred Fish Pass™ and D-25 instead of the plastic chain. There was no significant difference between Fish Pass™ and D-25. It was also found that significantly more wild-caught than imported eels chose to stay in the enclosure instead of climbing up a ramp. The results from this study indicate that we can increase the number of juvenile eels that successfully pass by hydroelectric plants. If we place ramps covered with either Fish Pass™ or D-25 at the hydropower plants, we can help the eel’s natural recruitment.

Malawi is one of many countries throughout the world struggling with massive amounts of water hyacinths (Eichornia crassipes) in the country’s fresh water resources.  In nutrient-rich ecosystems where the aquatic weed has no natural enemies it will reproduce very rapidly with the consequence that lakes become overgrown, water flow in rivers is reduced, and other water organisms becomes excluded. At the same time, the plants form a good breeding place for species carrying tropical diseases for example Malaria and Bilharzia. Water hyacinths are usually more of a problem for poorer countries since there are often great economic losses caused by the weed and to control their relative abundance is costly. In Malawi, 99 % of the produced electricity is based on water resources, mainly through hydropower turbines in the main river, Shire River. Water hyacinths, aggregated as islands, floating along the river and clogging the turbines cause repeated electricity black-outs and approximately 140 megawatt power is lost every day. To counter the weed interference with the electricity supply, there are great amounts of water hyacinths harvested every day and dumped along the road, with no further disposal plan. In this report, soil from one local dumping area is analysed to determine if such places are leaching nutrients or metals to the surrounding environment.  Water hyacinths contain naturally high values of nutrients and farmers use these harvested plants as a green manure to improve soil properties on agricultural land. This paper aims to examine levels of metal in water hyacinths used as green manure. This is of interest since water hyacinths have the ability to effectively absorb substances from the water body which could pose a risk for potentially toxic elements (PTEs) to accumulate in the agricultural soil and subsequently in crops. Sampling and analyses were carried out with standard methods. Metal and nutrient levels in the analysed samples were obtained through detection with atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), ion chromatography (IC) and UV/VIS spectrophotometry at the Department of Chemistry of Chancellor College in Zomba, Malawi. None of the investigated metal ions (Cr, Pb, Cd) were found in the analysed water hyacinths and since soil sampling was done during the dry season this thesis cannot determine if the dumping areas are leaching nutrients. Relatively high amounts of total phosphorus were found in the plants. Overall, the conclusion is that there is no risk of using water hyacinths harvested in Shire River as a green manure on agricultural land.

Aquatic ecotoxicology is the study of toxic chemicals and its effects on aquatic biological systems with the aim of minimising threats to human health and ensure self-sustained ecosystems. Freshwater bivalves are excellent sentinels for use in ecotoxilogical research due to their filter feeding properties, stationary lifestyle and inability to regulate body temperature. This project aimed to assess the feasibility and use of nanopore sequencing, a real-time single-molecule sequencing technology in comparative expression analysis by sequencing transcriptomic RNA from the freshwater mussel Anodonta anatina following exposure to copper. RNAs were extracted from 80 mg hepatopancreas tissue, followed by poly(A) RNA selection. Furthermore, the poly(A) RNA was used to construct a nanopore sequencing library. Sequencing a total amount of 560 ng poly(A) RNA over the course of two separate runs generated 239,448 reads, in which 75% of the reads were obtained during the first run (control) and 25% of the reads were obtained during the second run (case). The median read lengths ranged between 534-650 nucleotides, with a base call accuracy <90%. Due to the big differences in sequence data output between the two sequencing runs, the data was ineligible for comparative analysis. The findings conclude that nanopore sequencing is capable of generating longer read lengths when compared to other sequencing platforms. However, the technology is error-prone in terms of accurate base call identifications and relies on other platforms for error corrections. Future advances include de novo transcriptome assembly for efficient use of Anodonta anatina as a bioindicator in aquatic ecotoxicology.

Barcode identification is a method that uses genetic information to differentiate species. Because of its general versatility it can be applied to contexts from archaeology to the food industry. Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is a fish species commonly hunted in modern times and has been found in archaeological settings. However, barcoding requires enough quality DNA for amplification and abiotic exposure tends to degrade it. High temperatures, such as when boiling, can diminish DNA quality. The extent of DNA degradation between fresh and boiled tissues and whether all tissues retain the same amount of DNA is unclear. In this study DNA was extracted from S. salar tissues fins, muscle, bones and scales without treatment and with boiling treatment. DNA concentrations between fresh and boiled bones were not significantly different, nor were comparisons between samples with the same treatments. Muscles had higher DNA concentrations when boiled and fins had higher when fresh. These findings show that regarding certain tissue types can be expected to better retain DNA concentrations after boiling.

Det finns många studier på hur främmande arter påverkar en arts återinförsel, men det finns fåsom har gjorts om infödda arters påverkan. Atlantlax (Salmo salar) kunde en gång i tidenmigrera från Vänern i Sverige till Klarälven på den norska sidan. Det kan den inte idag, menidag talas det om att återinföra laxen till Klarälven i Norge så att den kan utföra hela sinmigrationsrutt igen. I den älven har laxen en gång i tiden koexisterat med sina konkurrenterharr (Thymallus thymallus), och öring (Salmo trutta) men idag är frågan hur denkonkurrensen mellan dessa tre arter kan komma att påverka återinförseln av lax. För att få enbättre bild av hur utgången för en potentiell återintroduktion kan se ut, så var syftet meddenna undersökning att ta reda på mot vilken art dessa tre arter främst riktade sinaaggressionsbeteenden mot. I akvarieförsök med juvenila individer av dessa tre arter harundersökningarna tagit plats och aggressiva beteenden filmades när arterna var i olikakombinationer. Resultatet visade att harr var den mest aktiva av de tre arterna och lax denminst aktiva, samt att lax blev dominerad utav både harr och öring. Resultatet i denna studietyder på att en återintroduktion av lax kan innehålla svårigheter, men i naturen är ett habitatmer komplext än i ett akvarium vilket kan ge ett annat resultat som kanske gör enåterintroduktion mer framgångsrik. / There are many studies about how the effects from exotic species could affect a reintroductionof a species, but there are only a few that have been made about the effects from nativespecies. The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) could historically speaking, migrate from lakeVänern in Sweden to the River Klarälven in Norway. Today it cannot do this, but there is anongoing discussion about reintroducing the salmon to the Norwegian side of River Klarälven,so it once again can swim along its entire migration route. In that river, the salmon used tocoexist with its competitors, grayling (Thymallus thymallus) and trout (Salmo trutta), buttoday the question is how competition between these three species could affect thereintroduction of salmon. To get a better understanding of the outcome of a possiblereintroduction, the purpose of this study was to ascertain which species these three speciesmainly directed their agonistic behavior towards. The study took place in aquariums withjuvenile individuals of the three species. Agonistic behavior was filmed when the specieswere together in different combinations. The results show that grayling is the most active ofthe three species, while salmon is the least active, and salmon was dominated by both graylingand trout. The results from this study indicates that a reintroduction of salmon might befraught with problems, but in nature a habitat is more complex than in an aquarium, whichmeans that in nature the results could be different, which might make a reintroduction moresuccessful.

Jumping spiders (Family Salticidae) are known for their exceptional vision, including color vision and spatial acuity. Salticids use their vision in many behaviors, including predation and courtship. Recently evidence of their ability to sense airborne vibrations, i.e. sound, was published. I used a specialized jumping-spider-specific eyetracker to study the visual reaction of the retinas of the jumping spider Phidippus princeps when exposed to the sound of a predator. I used a generic wasp sound, previously shown to induce a startle response, as stimulus and played it from different directions. The spiders showed strong reactions to the sound stimulus by large increases in retinal movement when exposed to the stimulus, and they showed no habituation to the stimulus over three rounds of exposure. However, I found no indication that the direction of retinal movement corresponded to the location of the sound source. Future experiments may examine whether spiders are primed to search for particular types of images by cross-modal cues such as sound and if they can determine the direction of a sound source.