Novel thermophilic heterotrophic bacteria were isolated from the subsurface of the volcanic island Surtsey off the south coast of Iceland. The strains were isolated from tephra core and borehole fluid samples collected below 70 m depth. The Gram-negative bacteria were rod-shaped (0.3-0.4 µm wide, 1.5-7 µm long), aerobic, non-sporulating and non-motile. Optimal growth was observed at 70 °C, at pH 7-7.5 and with 1% NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis identified the strains as members of the genus Rhodothermus. The type strain, ISCAR-7401T, was genetically distinct from its closest relatives Rhodothermus marinus DSM 4252T and Rhodothermus profundi PRI 2902T based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (95.81 and 96.01%, respectively), genomic average nucleotide identity (73.73 and 72.61%, respectively) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (17.6 and 16.9%, respectively). The major fatty acids of ISCAR-7401T were iso-C17:0, anteiso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0 and iso-C15:0 (>10 %). The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-7 while phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified aminophospholipid and a phospholipid were the predominant polar lipid components. Based on comparative chemotaxonomic, genomic and phylogenetic analyses, we propose that the isolated strain represents a novel species of the genus Rhodothermus with the name Rhodothermus bifroesti sp. nov. The type strain is ISCAR-7401T(=DSM 112103T=CIP 111906T).
Merki: Iceland
Átta Norðurlandaþjóðir standa að verkefninu Nordic Food in Tourism sem er styrkt af norrænu ráðherranefndinni á tímabilinu 2019- 2021. Markmið verkefnisins er að kanna hvernig ferðamenn og aðrir gestir tala um eða skynja norrænan mat, varpa ljósi á mikilvægi staðbundinna matvæla í sjálfbærri ferðaþjónustu og öðlast innsýn í hvernig loftslags-, neyslubreytingar og aðrir straumar geta mótað framtíð matar í ferðaþjónustu. Tilgangurinn er að vekja athygli á framtíðaráskorunum og tækifærum tengdum mat í ferðaþjónustu og veita stefnumótandi leiðbeiningar sem styðja framtíðaraðgerðir og stefnumótun á Norðurlöndunum sem samræmast einnig markmiðum Sameinuðu þjóðanna um sjálfbæra þróun. Niðurstöður verkefnisins byggja á greiningum gagna, aðferðum framtíðarfræða og viðtölum við sérfræðinga í samvinnu við ráðgjafafyrirtækið Kairos Future. Til að kanna hvaða áskoranir og tækifæri við stöndum frammi fyrir hérlendis varðandi mat í ferðaþjónustu var haldinn kynningarfundur og tvær vinnustofur í febrúar og mars 2021 undir stjórn verkefnisins Nordic Food in Tourism. Nordic Food in Tourism kom enn fremur að þremur lausnamótum sem haldin voru á Íslandi 2020-2021 þar sem unnið var að lausnum sem stuðla að aukinni sjálfbærni og reyndist mikil áhersla lögð á tækifæri tengd matvælum.
Margar tillögur að aðgerðum komu fram á vinnustofunum en óljóst er í mörgum tilvikum hver á að draga vagninn og bera ábyrgð á því að fylgja tillögum eftir. Lagðar voru fram tillögur að framkvæmda og samstarfsaðilum aðgerða, en fleiri aðilar gætu þó komið að framkvæmd þeirra. Skjal þetta er samantekt sem endurspeglar viðhorf þátttakenda í vinnustofunum og áherslur þátttakenda í lausnamótunum. Enn fremur fléttast að einhverju leyti við þessa samantekt aðrar niðurstöður úr verkefninu Nordic Food in Tourism ásamt öðrum heimildum með það að markmiði að dýpka skilning á þeim umræðupunktum sem komu fram og þeim aðgerðum sem eru lagðar til. Þær aðgerðir og áherslur sem koma fram eru bundnar við Ísland og þær áherslur sem þátttakendur vinnustofa hérlendis vildu koma á framfæri. Markmiðið er að þessi samantekt verði nýtt sem grunnur að tillögum að stefnumótun um mat í ferðaþjónustu á Íslandi og gefi innblástur til frekari samstarfs, uppbyggingar, fjárfestingar og nýsköpunar í mat í ferðaþjónustu með sjálfbærni að leiðarljósi.
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NordMar Plastic RISK: Socioeconomic risks of plastic to the bioeconomy – Icelandic case study
The risks related to plastic on the bioeconomy are not only biological, toxicological and chemical, but also societal and economical. Influence of tainted opinion on the Nordic environment or Nordic production could influence tourism, marketing and general wellbeing. The aim of the NordMar PlasticRISK project is to evaluate the diverse impact and main socioeconomic risks related to marine plastic pollution on the bioeconomy of the Nordic countries using Iceland as a case study. Two of the main industries in Iceland, the fishing industry and tourism, are heavily dependent on the bioeconomy as well as clean and pristine environment. Economical risks, followed by tainting the environment with visual plastic debris and macroplastic as well as unclear status of microplastic, is estimated to be high due to increased environmental awareness of consumers and tourists, where the main focus of tourist arriving to Iceland is to experience pristine environment. Several actions are suggested such as to evaluate and improve the Icelandic system for recycling of used fishing gear, evaluate further marketing options and value of advertising low and responsible plastic use in these two main industries and increase education on environmental issues in the School of navigation.
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NordMar Plastic RISK: Socioeconomic risks of plastic to the bioeconomy – Icelandic case study. Executive summary.
The risks related to plastic on the bioeconomy are not only biological, toxicological and chemical, but also societal and economical. Influence of tainted opinion on the Nordic environment or Nordic production could influence tourism, marketing and general wellbeing. The aim of the NordMar PlasticRISK project is to evaluate the diverse impact and main socioeconomic risks related to marine plastic pollution on the bioeconomy of the Nordic countries using Iceland as a case study. Two of the main industries in Iceland, the fishing industry and tourism, are heavily dependent on the bioeconomy as well as clean and pristine environment. Economical risks, followed by tainting the environment with visual plastic debris and macroplastic as well as unclear status of microplastic, is estimated to be high due to increased environmental awareness of consumers and tourists, where the main focus of tourist arriving to Iceland is to experience pristine environment. Several actions are suggested such as to evaluate and improve the Icelandic system for recycling of used fishing gear, evaluate further marketing options and value of advertising low and responsible plastic use in these two main industries and increase education on environmental issues in the School of navigation.