Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Max L. E. Grafnings, Laura L. Govers, Jannes H. T. Heusinkveld, Brian R. Silliman, Quirin Smeele, Stephanie R. Valdez, Tjisse van der Heide
Summary: The study found that macrozoobenthos can be used as an indicator for seagrass habitat suitability, and can explain the differing seagrass recovery rates between the Northern and Southern regions of the Wadden Sea. Seagrass presence or absence could be reliably predicted with only four variables: chlorophyll a, bivalve, ragworm, and mudsnail biomass. Higher chlorophyll concentrations and ragworm biomass were found in the South compared to the Northern Wadden Sea, suggesting that eutrophication and associated community shifts might still inhibit seagrass recovery in the South.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lisa M. Smith, Erin M. Reschke, Justin J. Bousquin, Leonard P. Cheskiewicz, Nikolaos Ilias, J. Kevin Summers, James E. Harvey
Summary: Ecosystem management requires a holistic approach that considers both ecological and social outcomes. Socio-ecological assessments can inform adaptive management and help prioritize restoration activities. Additionally, a composite measure combining ecological and social indicators can be used to characterize ecological suitability for estuarine species and support restoration decisions.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Joao Vitor Fonseca da Silva, Fernando Miranda Lansac-Toha, Bianca Trevizan Segovia, Felipe Emiliano Amadeo, Louizi de Souza Magalhaes Braghin, Luiz Felipe Machado Velho, Hugo Sarmento, Claudia Costa Bonecker
Summary: The increasing amount of plastic particles in continental aquatic environments has caught the attention of researchers worldwide. This study investigates the effects of microplastic particles of different sizes on the planktonic trophic chain and finds that their presence significantly affects the food web, with smaller particles having a higher consumption effect.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zi-jian Xie, Chun Ye, Chun-hua Li, Xiao-gang Shi, Ying Shao, Wei Qi
Summary: This study provides insights into the research status and hot issues concerning NPS pollution from 2012 to 2021 through bibliometric analysis. The results demonstrate the increasing attention on the migration and transformation mechanism of heavy metals and emerging pollutants, ecological risk assessment, accurate traceability techniques, sustainable control technologies, and marine pollution. Moreover, developing countries are expected to show a higher interest in NPS pollution research in the future, building upon the progress made by developed countries.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Biplab Sarkar, Aznarul Islam, Balai Chandra Das
Summary: This study examines the habitat suitability of three selected reaches of the Mathabhanga-Churni River and identifies the depletion of dissolved oxygen as the most significant factor for fish habitat degradation. Suggestions for restoring the degraded fish habitat of the river are provided.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Li-Li Lu, Yi-Feng Yao, Guo-An Wang, Gan Xie, Kai-Qing Lu, Bin Sun, Jin-Feng Li, Angela A. Bruch, David K. Ferguson, Yi-Ming Cui, Qiang Wang, Xin-Ying Zhou, Feng Gao, Yu-Fei Wang
Summary: By analyzing paleobotanical evidence and multidisciplinary data, we found that vegetation shifts in East Africa may have stimulated the emergence of human bipedalism, while the stable living conditions of the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau acted as a refuge for arboreal primates, preventing further evolution.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mojmir Vasek, Allan T. Souza, Milan Riha, Jan Kubecka, Petr Znachor, Josef Hejzlar
Summary: Using archived fish scale samples and long-term monitoring data, this study investigated the potential of fish scales in recording historical changes in the aquatic environment. The analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in fish scales from the Rimov Reservoir in Czechia showed significant variations in delta C-13 values over the reservoir's history, reflecting changes in carbon cycling.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ioar Guzman, Paula Altieri, Arturo Elosegi, Ana Victoria Perez-Calpe, Daniel von Schiller, Jose M. Gonzalez, Mario Brauns, Jose M. Montoya, Aitor Larranaga
Summary: The study demonstrates the complex impacts of water diversion and pollution on river ecosystems, directly altering the availability of basal resources and causing changes in the structure and trophic diversity of food webs. Moderate pollution increases food web complexity, with the interaction with water abstraction seeming to amplify this effect.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Edgar Martin-Hernandez, Jorge A. Garcia Hernandez, Samantha Gangapersad, Tian Zhao, Sidney Omelon, Roy Brouwer, Celine Vaneeckhaute
Summary: This study uses material flow analysis and open data sources to map annual phosphorus flows across Ontario's economic sectors, identifying potential opportunities for phosphorus recovery and assessing their economic feasibility. The findings show that up to 86% of phosphorus imports for food production could be covered by recycling, with an average recovery cost of 49 CAD/kg of phosphorus. The cost is lower than the economic losses caused by phosphorus releases but higher than fossil-based phosphorus products, indicating the need for cooperative approaches for effective phosphorus recovery at a regional scale.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Vitezslav Moudry, Anna F. Cord, Lukas Gabor, Gaia Vaglio Laurin, Vojtech Bartak, Katerina Gdulova, Marco Malavasi, Duccio Rocchini, Krzysztof Sterenczak, Jiri Prosek, Petr Klapste, Jan Wild
Summary: Ecosystem structure, especially vertical vegetation structure, plays a crucial role in habitat heterogeneity and species distributions. However, deriving detailed information about vertical vegetation structure from ALS point clouds requires specialized skills that most ecologists do not possess. Accessible and consistent variables on vegetation structure should be provided through national data portals to facilitate ecological and biodiversity research and guide users in the face of increasing availability of global vegetation structure products.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yuping Xiang, Guangliang Liu, Yongguang Yin, Yong Cai
Summary: Periphyton in the Florida Everglades plays a significant role in the distribution and bioaccumulation of MeHg in water systems.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Corisa A. Wong, David B. Lobell, Meagan S. Mauter
Summary: This study proposes a multicriteria suitability index to evaluate the techno-economic viability of wastewater nutrient recovery technologies. The results show that suitability varies widely across sub-Saharan Africa, with the main limiting factor being the lack of sanitation infrastructure. Highly suitable target regions for initial deployment have been identified, which have significant cropland area and population. Wastewater-derived fertilizer technologies can provide a substantial amount of nitrogen, equivalent to the food needs of millions of people.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. H. M. Enamul Kabir, Masahiko Sekine, Tsuyoshi Imai, Koichi Yamamoto, Ariyo Kanno, Takaya Higuchi
Summary: This study investigated microplastics pollution in rivers in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, with small-scale rivers found to be highly polluted compared to others around the world.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ry Crocker, William H. Blake, Thomas H. Hutchinson, Sean Comber
Summary: Phosphorus is an essential nutrient but also a threat to surface water biodiversity due to eutrophication. This study assesses the phosphorus concentration and biomass abundance in the ditch systems at West Sedgemoor in the UK. It finds high phosphorus concentrations in the surface water, particularly during the summer and autumn seasons when duckweed growth is dominant, suggesting that around 39 kg of phosphorus could be removed through duckweed biomass harvesting.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Giovanni Strona, Pieter S. A. Beck, Mar Cabeza, Simone Fattorini, Francois Guilhaumon, Fiorenza Micheli, Simone Montano, Otso Ovaskainen, Serge Planes, Joseph A. Veech, Valeriano Parravicini
Summary: Remote areas may be safe havens for biodiversity due to reduced local extinction risk, but isolation and reduced anthropogenic disturbance can increase vulnerability to diversity loss. Therefore, even remote areas are not safe for biodiversity, highlighting the importance of reconsidering global conservation priorities.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
James T. Thorson, Charles F. Adams, Elizabeth N. Brooks, Lisa B. Eisner, David G. Kimmel, Christopher M. Legault, Lauren A. Rogers, Ellen M. Yasumiishi
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Fisheries
Lauren A. Rogers, Matthew T. Wilson, Janet T. Duffy-Anderson, David G. Kimmel, Jesse F. Lamb
Summary: The North Pacific marine heatwave of 2014-2016, also known as The Blob, had negative impacts on the early life stages of walleye pollock in the Gulf of Alaska, including record low levels of larvae, low survival rates, and poor body condition of juvenile pollock. The decline in the 2015 year class of walleye pollock was attributed to multiple mechanisms associated with the anomalous ocean warming, emphasizing the importance of considering complex interactions beyond simple temperature-abundance relationships when predicting species responses to climate warming.
FISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
A. D. Gronewold, H. X. Do, Y. Mei, C. A. Stow
Summary: The past decade was the wettest on record for much of central and eastern North America. Research shows that during this period, overlake precipitation on the Laurentian Great Lakes rose to extraordinary levels, while overlake evaporation diminished rapidly in 2014. In the era of climate change, it is important to pay attention to the impacts of competing hydrologic forces on large freshwater systems.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
James T. Thorson, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Lewis A. K. Barnett, Wei Cheng, Lisa B. Eisner, Alan C. Haynie, Albert J. Hermann, Kirstin Holsman, David G. Kimmel, Michael W. Lomas, Jon Richar, Elizabeth C. Siddon
Summary: This study demonstrates a new method for predicting spatial community reassembly at landscape scales through fitting multiple datasets. By modeling five trophic levels in the eastern Bering Sea, it shows that with future warming conditions, there will be increased overlap between prey and competitors involving adult pollock, while the overlap with copepods and the catcher-processor fishery will decrease.
Article
Oceanography
Calvin W. Mordy, Lisa Eisner, Kelly Kearney, David Kimmel, Michael W. Lomas, Kathy Mier, Peter Proctor, Patrick H. Ressler, Phyllis Stabeno, Eric Wisegarver
Summary: This study investigates the nitrogen deficit on the eastern shelf of the Bering Sea and its influencing factors, concluding that spatial variability is influenced by advection, mixing, and residence time. The study shows that approximately one-third of the inorganic nitrogen entering the shelf is lost, with the most severe deficits observed in certain areas.
CONTINENTAL SHELF RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eric J. Anderson, Craig A. Stow, Andrew D. Gronewold, Lacey A. Mason, Michael J. McCormick, Song S. Qian, Steven A. Ruberg, Kyle Beadle, Stephen A. Constant, Nathan Hawley
Summary: This study analyzes three decades of high frequency subsurface water temperature data from Lake Michigan, showing that deep water temperatures are rising in the winter. The data reveals precise measurements of key points in the lake's temperature changes, suggesting shifts in thermal regimes could have profound impacts on freshwater ecosystems.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robert M. Suryan, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Heather A. Coletti, Russell R. Hopcroft, Mandy R. Lindeberg, Steven J. Barbeaux, Sonia D. Batten, William J. Burt, Mary A. Bishop, James L. Bodkin, Richard Brenner, Robert W. Campbell, Daniel A. Cushing, Seth L. Danielson, Martin W. Dorn, Brie Drummond, Daniel Esler, Thomas Gelatt, Dana H. Hanselman, Scott A. Hatch, Stormy Haught, Kris Holderied, Katrin Iken, David B. Irons, Arthur B. Kettle, David G. Kimmel, Brenda Konar, Kathy J. Kuletz, Benjamin J. Laurel, John M. Maniscalco, Craig Matkin, Caitlin A. E. McKinstry, Daniel H. Monson, John R. Moran, Dan Olsen, Wayne A. Palsson, W. Scott Pegau, John F. Piatt, Lauren A. Rogers, Nora A. Rojek, Anne Schaefer, Ingrid B. Spies, Janice M. Straley, Suzanne L. Strom, Kathryn L. Sweeney, Marysia Szymkowiak, Benjamin P. Weitzman, Ellen M. Yasumiishi, Stephani G. Zador
Summary: Established monitoring programs in the Gulf of Alaska following the Exxon Valdez oil spill over 30 years ago have been successful in assessing recovery from oil spill impacts and now provide valuable insights into ecosystem responses to marine heatwaves. The 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave in the Gulf of Alaska led to abrupt changes across trophic levels, with responses persisting for at least 5 years. Anticipated increases in marine heatwaves under current climate projections suggest uncertainty about the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem returning to a pre-PMH state.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Benjamin L. Gottesman, Jack C. Olson, Soohyun Yang, Orlando Acevedo-Charry, Dante Francomano, Felix A. Martinez, Richard S. Appeldoorn, Doran M. Mason, Ernesto Weil, Bryan C. Pijanowski
Summary: This study demonstrates the use of soundscape methodologies to quantify elusive dimensions of animal community resilience in the face of natural disturbances, showing the importance of long-term data for accurately measuring trajectories of recovery and how biodiversity and ecosystem functioning will change under novel disturbance regimes.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Freya E. Rowland, Craig A. Stow, Laura T. Johnson, Robert M. Hirsch
Summary: The study shows that using the WRTDS method for flow normalization can enhance the detection of trends in tributary nutrient concentration and load changes, reducing the impact of wet and dry years on long-term trend analysis. Overall, flow-normalization with WRTDS proved to be effective in assessing nutrient trends in tributaries.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Jesse F. Lamb, David G. Kimmel
Summary: A survey-based time series from 2001 to 2019 revealed that age-0 walleye pollock had high abundances in 2013, but their recruitment to age-1 was lower than average. The study found that fish in the southwest region consumed more low-quality food, while fish in the northwest region primarily consumed higher quality prey. These results suggest that the diet composition of prey may impact overwinter survival and mortality of walleye pollock.
FISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Ann M. Tarrant, Lisa B. Eisner, David G. Kimmel
Summary: In the eastern Bering Sea, Calanus copepods play a crucial role in sustaining the ecosystem. Despite variations in environmental conditions, the Calanus population remains relatively homogeneous, with mainly C. glacialis being present. Differences in morphometrics and gene expression were observed at a southern station near the Pribilof Islands. Further research is needed to understand the physiological responses of C. glacialis to environmental changes throughout their life cycle and across different years.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Matthew T. Wilson, David G. Kimmel
Summary: The study investigates the variation of predator-prey mass ratios (PPMR) across different taxa and body sizes, which has significant implications for ecosystem structure, function, and modeling. The findings indicate that different predator species demonstrate varying abilities in transitioning across size-structured prey taxa, leading to differences in their size-PPMR relationship. Incorporating taxon-specific PPMR size dependency in multispecies size-based ecosystem models is suggested to enhance model realism and trophic transfer efficiency.
Article
Fisheries
Adam Spear, Alexander G. G. Andrews III, Janet Duffy-Anderson, Tayler Jarvis, David Kimmel, Denise McKelvey
Summary: The study analyzed data from different temperature years and found that the vertical distribution of age-0 pollock is related to ocean temperature changes. In colder years, age-0 pollock was found in deeper water columns, while in warmer years, they were surface-oriented. This may affect spatial matching between pollock and prey, and impact the feeding environment and bioenergetic condition of age-0 pollock.
FISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Dana L. Wright, David G. Kimmel, Nancy Roberson, David Strausz
Summary: The eastern North Pacific right whale (NPRW), the most endangered population of whale, has been observed north of its core feeding ground with low sea ice extent. Sea ice and water temperature are important drivers for zooplankton dynamics. The study suggests that the whales and their prey C. glacialis may move northward due to the continued loss of sea ice and warming.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Timothy J. Maguire, Craig A. Stow, Casey M. Godwin
Summary: This article discusses the challenges of collecting water quality data in large lakes and proposes a modeling technique to establish the relationship between river total phosphorus (TP) load and lake TP concentrations. By simulating changes in concentration data and tracking the impact, the researchers quantify the influence of river load on lake concentrations.
HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2022)