The effect of fish meal (FM) substitution with fermented soybean meal (FSBM) in the diets of the carnivorous marine fish, black sea bream, Acanthopagrus schlegelii, was investigated. An 8-wk feeding trial was conducted with black sea bream (11.82 ± 0.32 g; mean initial weight) in indoor flowthrough fiberglass tanks (25 fish per tank). Six isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were formulated, in which FM was replaced by FSBM at 0% (control diet), 10% (FSBM10), 20% (FSBM20), 30% (FSBM30), 40% (FSBM40), or 50% (FSBM50), respectively. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of fish twice daily to apparent satiation. The results showed that there was no difference in survival of black sea bream during the feeding trial. Fish fed the FSBM10 or FSBM20 diet showed comparable growth performance compared with fish fed the control diet (P > 0.05), whereas more than 30% replacement of FM adversely affected weight gain and specific growth rate (P < 0.05). Feed intake was significantly lower for fish fed the FSBM50 diet compared with fish fed the control diet. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) tended to increase with increasing dietary FSBM with the poorest FCR observed for fish fed the FSBM50 diet. Protein efficiency ratio and protein productive values showed similar patterns. Apparent digestibility of nutrients significantly decreased with increasing dietary FSBM level. With the exception of protein content, no significant differences in whole body and dorsal muscle composition were observed in fish fed the various diets. Fish fed the FSBM50 diet had significantly lower intraperitoneal ratio than fish fed the control or FSBM10 diet. Hepatosomatic index and condition factor were unaffected by dietary treatments. This study showed that up to 20% of dietary FM protein could be replaced by FSBM protein in the diets of juvenile black sea bream.

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Halogen atoms affect the budget of ozone and the fate of pollutants such as hydrocarbons and mercury. Yet their sources and significances in polluted continental regions are poorly understood. Here we report the observation of unprecedented levels (averaging to 60 parts per trillion) of bromine chloride (BrCl) at a mid-latitude site in North China during winter. Widespread coal burning in rural households and a photo-assisted process were the primary source of BrCl and other bromine gases. BrCl contributed about 55% of both bromine (Br) and chlorine (Cl) atoms. The halogen atoms increased the abundance of ‘conventional’ tropospheric oxidants (OH, HO2, and RO2) by 26–73%, and enhanced oxidation of hydrocarbon by nearly a factor of two and the net ozone production by 55%. Our study reveals the significant role of reactive halogen in winter atmospheric chemistry and the deterioration of air quality in continental regions where uncontrolled coal combustion is prevalent.

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