In this work, the production of a biosurfactant synthesized by Yarrowia lipolytica using different renewable resources as carbon source was investigated. Crude glycerol, a biodiesel co-product, and clarified cashew apple juice (CCAJ), an agroindustrial residue, were applied as feedstocks for the microbial surfactant synthesis. The microorganism was able to grow and produce biosurfactant on CCAJ and crude glycerol, achieving maximum emulsification indexes of 68.0% and 70.2% and maximum variations in surface tension of 18.0 mN.m-1and 22.0 mN.m-1, respectively. Different organic solvents (acetone, ethyl acetate and chloroform - methanol) were tested for biosurfactant extraction. Maximum biosurfactant recovery was obtained with chloroform - methanol (1:1), reaching 6.9 g.L-1for experiments using CCAJ and 7.9 g.L-1for media containing crude glycerol as carbon source.The results herein obtained indicate that CCAJ and the co-product of biodiesel production are appropriate raw materials for biosurfactant production by Y. lipolytica.

Alguns aspectos da atividade alimentar, tais como a captura e ingestão de alimento, bem como a mobilidade dos poliquetas Eurythoe complanata, Marphysa formosa e Diopatra aciculata, procedentes do Canal de São Sebastião (São Sebastião, SP), foram observados em laboratório. Eurythoe complanata, carnívora, alimentou-se apenas de pedaços de peixe, utilizando os lábios retráteis fortemente musculares e detectando a presença do alimento através de estímulos químicos. Diopatra aciculata, onívora, capturou (com o auxílio das maxilas) e ingeriu os diferentes tipos de alimentos oferecidos, promovendo um fluxo de água para dentro do tubo, por meio do qual o animal detecta a presença de alimento e oxigena as brânquias. Marphysa formosa também utilizou as maxilas para morder ou rasgar o alimento. Durante as observações, foi constatado que estes poliquetas, em maior ou menor grau, apresentam intolerância à luminosidade.

Aspects of feeding, such as food capture and ingestion, as well as mobility of the polychaetes Eurythoe complanata, Marphysa formosa and Diopatra aciculata, from São Sebastião Channel (São Sebastião, state of São Paulo) were observed in laboratory conditions. Eurythoe complanata, a carnivorous species, fed exclusively on pieces of fish with the aid of strong muscular retractable lips, and detected the presence of food by chemical stimuli. Diopatra aciculata, an omnivorous species, captured and ingested different kinds of food with the aid of its jaws, generating a flow of water through its tube by which it detects the presence of food and oxygenates its gills. Marphysa formosa also used its jaws to bite and lacerate food. These species showed greater or lesser degrees of intolerance to light.

Observações sobre o comportamento alimentar de Cirriformia filigera, procedente da região entremarés das praias São Francisco e Engenho D'água (São Sebastião, SP), foram realizadas em laboratório. Constatou-se que essa espécie, assim como os cirratulídeos de um modo geral, alimenta-se de depósitos, principalmente de superfície, utilizando seus palpos sulcados e ciliados na captura e ingestão de alimento. Durante a alimentação, expõe até quatro palpos para fora do sedimento, tateando a superfície e capturando partículas. O alimento coletado desliza pelos sulcos dos palpos em direção à boca. Observou-se que apenas areia fina foi ingerida. Cirriformia filigera permaneceu, durante o período, em tubos em forma de J, logo abaixo da superfície do sedimento. Quatro filamentos branquiais permaneciam, com freqüência, acima da superfície do substrato, proporcionando melhor oxigenação. Ao se deslocarem, com o prostômio executando movimentos laterais, empurram os grãos de areia para trás, para a região ventral, e, ao alcançarem a região mediana do corpo, os grãos de areia são transferidos para a parte dorsal-posterior pelos parapódios e palpos, onde ficam agrupados. Foi observada ingestão de grãos durante o deslocamento do animal.

Observations of the feeding behavior of Cirriformia filigera (Delle Chiaje, 1825) (Annelida: Polychaeta) from the intertidal zone of São Francisco and Engenho D'água beaches (São Sebastião, State of São Paulo) were made in the laboratory. This species, like other cirratulids, is a deposit feeder, feeding mainly on sediment surface with the aid of its grooved and ciliated palps, which are used to capture food particles. The worm lies just beneath the substrate surface in a J-shaped tube. When feeding, it extends up to 4 palps over the sediment surface, capturing food particles which pass down the groove of each palp directly to the mouth. Only fine sand grains are ingested. The worm frequently extends 4 branchial filaments into the overlying water for aeration. When it moves with the prostomium sideways, it collects and transports sand grains that pass backwards along its ventral region until reaching the middle part of its body. Next, the parapodia and palps move the sand grains to the dorsal posterior end of the animal, covering this area with sand. Some sand grains are also ingested as the worm moves.

The spatial distribution of mollusks in the intertidal zone was examined monthly from August 1995 through July 1997, in Enseada, Barra Velha and Araçá beaches in southeastern of Brazil. One study sector was selected in Enseada and Barra Velha, and two sectors in Araçá (Araçá I and Araçá II). The sectors were 10 m wide and equivalent in length to the width of the intertidal zone. Each sector was divided into three horizontal levels: lower, middle and upper, where the samples were taken with a cylinder corer with a base area of 0.16 m². In order to characterize the intertidal environment in these areas, some environmental variables were analyzed. In general, the mollusks were distributed in the sectors as follows: Enseada - Olivella minuta (Link, 1807) in the lower level and Tagelus plebeius (Lightfoot, 1786) in the upper level; Araçá I - O. minuta in the lower level, Tellina lineata Turton, 1819 and Anomalocardia brasiliana (Gmelin, 1791) in the middle levels; Araçá II - Cerithium atratum (Born, 1778) in the lower level, O. minuta in the lower and middle levels, and A. brasiliana and Corbula caribaea Orbigny, 1842 in the middle level; Barra Velha - Tagelus divisus (Spengler, 1794), Lucina pectinata (Gmelin, 1791) and Tellina versicolor De Kay, 1843 in the lower level, and A. brasiliana and Macoma constricta (Brugüìere, 1792) in the upper level. The intertidal zone of the study sectors could be divided into two biological zones: the upper zone, where T. plebeius, A. brasiliana and M. constricta were more abundant; and the lower zone, where O. minuta, C. atratum, T. lineata, T. versicolor, C. caribaea, T. divisus and L. pectinata were abundant.

Com a finalidade de avaliar a fertilidade de alguns solos de várzea do vale do rio Paraíba, foram instalados ensaios em vasos com arroz, utilizando as séries Corruçá, Avareí e Brejão. A primeira é argilosa; a segunda, orgânica; a terceira, intermediária das anteriores, isto é, argilo-orgânica. Apesar de os resultados analíticos indicarem teores elevados em nutrientes, as reações às adubações foram intensas na maioria dos casos, induzindo à consideração de que os índices de fertilidade dos solos bem drenados não se aplicam a essas séries. Todos os solos apresentaram reação bastante pronunciada ao nitrogênio. No solo mineral argiloso, não se evidenciou reação ao potássio, mas sòmente a N e P. No argilo-orgânico, o P foi o único elemento que não reagiu. Finalmente, no solo orgânico, reagiram, além do N, os outros dois elementos.

A study dealing with the fertility of three soils from alluvial plains in the Paraiba River Valley, State of São Paulo, was carried out in greenhouse tests, with rice (of the Iguape-agulha variety) cultivated in pots of 6.0 kg soil capacity. The samples were collected down to 20 cm depth from the following monotype soils series: Corruçá, Brejão and Avareí. The former is an alluvial clay soil and the latter an organic one representing stratified muck and peat; the Brejão series is also organic soil but has an intermediate, organic and clay, texture. The experiment was designed to investigate these soils' needs for the NPK nutrients. In an extra treatment the needs for the minor elements were investigated too. The results obtained in these experiments indicated that the fertility levels based on chemical analyses and applied to fertilization practice to other well drained soils of the State are not satisfactory for the soils in question. A significant favorable response to nitrogen was shown by all the soils studied though they held high content of this element. The response to potassium was non-significant to the heavier soil and significant to the other ones. The addition of phosphorus had a sensible favorable effect in the organic soil and had its intensity decreased in the alluvial clay soil; in the soil of intermediate texture (Brejão series) it was not significant. The application of minor elements had non-significant effects.