Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luna M. van der Loos, Sofie D'hondt, Aschwin H. Engelen, Henrik Pavia, Gunilla B. Toth, Anne Willems, Florian Weinberger, Olivier De Clerck, Sophie Steinhagen
Summary: This study investigated the stability and variability of seaweed-associated bacteria across the Atlantic-Baltic Sea salinity gradient. Results showed that bacterial composition was strongly influenced by salinity and host species, with distinct communities in low and high salinity regions. A small taxonomic core community was identified, contributing to 14% of reads per sample, and core taxa followed a gradient model, facilitating host adaptation across the environmental gradient.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Veronica Gonzalez-Gambau, Estrella Olmedo, Antonio Turiel, Cristina Gonzalez-Haro, Aina Garcia-Espriu, Justino Martinez, Pekka Alenius, Laura Tuomi, Rafael Catany, Manuel Arias, Carolina Gabarro, Nina Hoareau, Marta Umbert, Roberto Sabia, Diego Fernandez
Summary: This paper presents the first dedicated products for Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) over the Baltic Sea. These products overcome technical challenges and provide important data for understanding salinity dynamics in the region.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Emma L. Berdan, Fabian Roger, Maren Wellenreuther, Alexandra Kinnby, Gunnar Cervin, Ricardo Pereyra, Mats Topel, Kerstin Johannesson, Roger K. Butlin, Carl Andre
Summary: Sandy beaches are important biogeochemical hotspots that connect marine and terrestrial ecosystems via organic matter transfer. This study investigates the microbial communities of wrackbeds and a primary consumer, the seaweed fly, along a well-studied ecological gradient. The results show the dominance of polysaccharide degraders in both microbiomes, with consistent differences between wrackbed and fly samples. Additionally, shifts in microbial communities and functionality between the North and Baltic Sea are observed, potentially due to changes in the composition of polysaccharides in different seaweed communities. This study highlights the complexity of wrackbed microbial communities and the trophic consequences of shifts in near shore algal communities.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Harri T. Kankaanpaa, Pekka Alenius, Pekka Kotilainen, Petra Roiha
Summary: Temperature and salinity are crucial factors in marine habitats and gas fluxes. Using data from temperature and salinity monitoring in the northern Baltic Sea since the 1960s, as well as Argo buoy data from specific regions since 2012, linear trend analysis revealed an increase in near-bottom temperature and a decline in surface salinity. The data also indicated a correlation between deep-water temperature increase and global change in the Gotland Basin.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kai Salm, Taavi Liblik, Urmas Lips
Summary: Modern research methods provide a higher resolution for understanding the structure of the water column, unveiling the significance of submesoscale processes. A glider mission in the Gulf of Finland in May 2018 revealed the appearance of a mesoscale front with smaller scale features. Tracer patterns indicated the presence of ageostrophic secondary circulation caused by the loss of upwelling-favorable forcing, and analysis showed favorable conditions for instability. Spatial spectra of tracer variance revealed depth-dependent slopes associated with the mesoscale front, indicating its contribution to the energy cascade.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
S. Krishna Niveditha, C. K. Haridevi, Revati Hardikar, Anirudh Ram
Summary: This study examines the phytoplankton assemblage and chlorophyll a along the salinity gradient and oxygen zonation in Ulhas Estuary. The results show that the estuary experiences oxic conditions in the euhaline region due to oxygenated coastal waters, while the poly-meso-oligohaline region is hypoxic because of pollution from industrial effluents, domestic/sewage, and agricultural discharges. Anthropogenic nutrients also contribute to phytoplankton biomass and hypoxia. The study finds that diatoms dominate in the euhaline-oxic region, but their contribution decreases significantly in the oligohaline region. Cyanophytes and chlorophytes govern the meso to oligohaline region due to their tolerance for low salinity and high dissolved inorganic nutrients. The Carlson's Trophic State Index further confirms the estuary's eutrophic state, and the study identifies the adaptation of cyanophytes and chlorophytes to oxygen-deficient water.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Water Resources
Bernhard Aichner, Timo Rittweg, Rhena Schumann, Sven Dahlke, Svend Duggen, David Dubbert
Summary: River estuaries are special areas where freshwater and marine water masses mix. This study evaluated the seasonal and spatial dynamics of isotopes in three estuarine lagoons along the coast of northern Germany. The findings reveal strong seasonality in isotope values and a correlation between salinity and water stable isotopes, with some variations in different seasons and locations.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Urszula Kwasigroch, Magdalena Beldowska, Agnieszka Jedruch, Katarzyna Lukawska-Matuszewska
Summary: The study investigated the levels of mercury and its forms in surface sediments of the Baltic Sea, finding that Hg concentrations were highest in industrialized areas and regions affected by historical activities. Labile Hg fractions, mainly organic compounds, were found to be dominant and potentially release into the water column, impacting the trophic chain. Despite reduced Hg emissions, surface sediments remain a significant secondary Hg source in the Baltic Sea ecosystem.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Irina Chubarenko, Elena Esiukova, Mikhail Zobkov, Igor Isachenko
Summary: This study analyzed the abundance of microplastic particles in bottom sediments of the Baltic Sea. The content of microplastics varied with water depth, with fibers being the most common type. The distributions of fibers, fragments, and films differed significantly from different types of bottom sediments. An erosion/transition/accumulation pattern for fibers in the Baltic Sea was outlined. The distribution principles of other microplastics remain uncertain.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Amanda Domingues Martins, Francisco Barros
Summary: Function in ecology refers to the role played by each component in the surrounding environment. This study investigated the functional traits and variations in abundance of estuarine macrofauna along estuarine gradients. The researchers found that nutrient cycling, bioturbation, and fragmentation of organic matter were the most frequent functions performed by estuarine benthic assemblages. Furthermore, they discovered that these functions varied in intensity over different salinity zones and also showed significant variability in time. The study emphasizes the importance of using traits associated with ecological functions to investigate function and function intensity.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jorge Vazquez-Cuervo, Marisol Garcia-Reyes, Jose Gomez-Valdes
Summary: Coastal upwelling regions are highly dynamic areas in the world's oceans. This study compares satellite data with in situ measurements to validate and assess their ability to detect frontal features in the California and Baja California Coasts. The results show promising potential for using remote sensing data to monitor coastal upwelling and dynamics.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
L. Barghorn, H. E. M. Meier, H. Radtke
Summary: During the last decades, the Baltic Sea has experienced rapid warming due to increasing air temperatures and lateral advection of heat. Through a hindcast simulation, it has been found that the strong bottom water warming in the western Baltic Sea is linked to a shift in the seasonality of saltwater inflows from the North Sea. These changes, partly driven by a shift in river runoff seasonality, have ecological consequences, including faster oxygen depletion.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Vaiva Stragauskaite, Martynas Bucas, Georg Martin
Summary: The study found that the distribution and survival of charophyte fructifications in the Curonian Lagoon are influenced by environmental factors, with the eastern shore having the highest density. Fructifications showed a decrease during the summer germination period. Environmental variables such as distance from charophyte stands, salinity, bottom slope aspect, and wave exposure play important roles in determining the distribution of viable fructifications.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Ellen R. Salamon Slater, Kendra A. Turk-Kubo, Soren Hallstrom, Katharina Kesy, Peeter Laas, Jonathan Magasin, Jonathan P. Zehr, Matthias Labrenz, Lasse Riemann
Summary: Nitrogen fixation rates in the Baltic Sea are high, but knowledge about the composition and distribution of diazotrophs is limited. This study reveals that Pseudanabaena and non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs dominate the composition, while filamentous heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria account for most of the nitrogenase gene expression. Salinity has some influence on the composition, and different diazotrophs show varying expression levels at different salinities.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Kaj Sand-Jensen, Jens Borum, Claus Lindskov Moller, Lars Baastrup-Spohr
Summary: This study examines the relationship between plant physiology and environmental conditions, and how it shapes vegetation characteristics. The findings indicate that different species exhibit distinct structural and physiological adaptations along a hydrological gradient, which are influenced by environmental filtering and interspecific competition.
Article
Microbiology
Sara Beier, Peter L. Holtermann, Daniela Numberger, Thomas Schott, Lars Umlauf, Klaus Juergen
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Heide N. Schulz-Vogt, Falk Pollehne, Klaus Juergens, Helge W. Arz, Sara Beier, Rainer Bahlo, Olaf Dellwig, Jan Henkel, Daniel P. R. Herlemann, Siegfried Krueger, Thomas Leipe, Thomas Schott
Article
Microbiology
Keilor Rojas-Jimenez, Angelika Rieck, Christian Wurzbacher, Klaus Juergens, Matthias Labrenz, Hans-Peter Grossart
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
D. P. R. Herlemann, S. Markert, C. Meeske, A. F. Andersson, I de Bruijn, C. Hentschker, F. Unfried, D. Becher, K. Juergens, T. Schweder
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicole Koestner, Klaus Juergens, Matthias Labrenz, Gerhard J. Herndl, Christian Winter
Article
Microbiology
Carmen Kivistik, Jan Knobloch, Kairi Kairo, Helen Tammert, Veljo Kisand, Jan-Peter Hildebrandt, Daniel P. R. Herlemann
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Jolita Kuznecova, Sigitas Sulcius, Angela Vogts, Maren Voss, Klaus Juergens, Eugenijus Simoliunas
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Janina Rahlff, Christian Stolle, Helge-Ansgar Giebel, Nur Ili Hamizah Mustaffa, Oliver Wurl, Daniel P. R. Herlemann
Summary: The study found that marine foams have a high abundance of phototrophic and prokaryotic cells, as well as a high concentration of surface-active substances. The bacterial communities in foams differ significantly from the sea-surface microlayer and underlying water, characterized by a high abundance of Gammaproteobacteria. Despite differences in overall bacterial composition, the presence of SML bacteria in foams suggests that foams are strongly influenced by the SML.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carmen Kivistik, Helen Tammert, Veljo Kisand, Kairi Kairo, Daniel P. R. Herlemann
Summary: This study investigates the responses of the gastrointestinal bacterial community in aquatic snails to dietary changes and changes in environmental conditions, and finds that the composition of the bacterial community is affected by salinity and food source. In addition, the presence of antibiotics disrupts the self-regulating mechanism of the host and results in decreased energy reserves.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Peeter Laas, Kai Kunnis-Beres, Liisi Talas, Helen Tammert, Ivan Kuprijanov, Daniel P. R. Herlemann, Veljo Kisand
Summary: Ballast water is a major pathway for the introduction of potentially harmful or pathogenic aquatic organisms. Genetic tools can provide accurate and reliable data for monitoring and managing ballast water. Analysis of bacterial communities in ballast water using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed the presence of numerous potentially pathogenic bacterial taxa. UV treatment did not significantly reduce species richness estimates, emphasizing the risk of harmful effects when relying solely on UV treatment for ballast water disinfection.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gabriel P. Freitas, Christian Stolle, Paul H. Kaye, Warren Stanley, Daniel P. R. Herlemann, Matthew Edward Salter, Paul Zieger
Summary: Bioaerosols are biological particles with significant atmospheric implications, but their sources and properties are poorly understood. Through a sea spray experiment and analysis of bacterial community composition, we found that the morphology and emission of bioaerosols are influenced by the biogeochemical properties of seawater.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-ATMOSPHERES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Johannes Alneberg, Christin Bennke, Sara Beier, Carina Bunse, Christopher Quince, Karolina Ininbergs, Lasse Riemann, Martin Ekman, Klaus Juergens, Matthias Labrenz, Jarone Pinhassi, Anders F. Andersson
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Monica Torres-Beltran, Andreas Mueller, Melanie Scofield, Maria G. Pachiadaki, Craig Taylor, Kateryna Tyshchenko, Celine Michiels, Phyllis Lam, Osvaldo Ulloa, Klaus Jurgens, Jung-Ho Hyun, Virginia P. Edgcomb, Sean A. Crowe, Steven J. Hallam
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2019)
