Article
Biology
Melanie J. Bishop, Maria L. Vozzo, Mariana Mayer-Pinto, Katherine A. Dafforn
Summary: Urbanization leads to biodiversity loss through habitat homogenization. However, eco-engineering can enhance biodiversity and ecological functions on urban structures. This study found that the effects of complex habitat panels on biodiversity varied depending on the protective features they provided. Water-retaining features and crevices increased biodiversity and supported species otherwise absent. The study highlights the importance of matching eco-engineering interventions to the niche of target species and environmental conditions.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adam Woodhouse, Anshuman Swain, William F. F. Fagan, Andrew J. J. Fraass, Christopher M. M. Lowery
Summary: Anthropogenic climate change has caused the geographic ranges of marine organisms to shift polewards. However, it is uncertain to what extent species will move and whether these range shifts will lead to extinction. Understanding the evolution of marine biodiversity patterns and the factors influencing them is crucial in interpreting these current trends.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mads Reinholdt Jensen, Signe Hogslund, Steen Wilhelm Knudsen, Julius Nielsen, Peter Rask Moller, Soren Rysgaard, Philip Francis Thomsen
Summary: The study aims to investigate the transition in fish and marine mammal communities from South to Northeast Greenland using environmental DNA (eDNA). The results demonstrate a clear shift in biological communities from south to northeast, with different fish and mammal species dominating each region. The study highlights the potential of eDNA sampling in detecting latitudinal changes in marine biological communities and its feasibility in remote areas as climate change progresses.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Nussaibah B. Raja, Wolfgang Kiessling
Summary: Based on the study findings, it was revealed that over the past 66 million years, the diversity and dispersal of marine plankton were greatly influenced by large-scale climatic changes during the Cenozoic era. The origination of new species was more likely in the extratropics, while net dispersal was towards the tropics.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Daniel Jato-Espino, Fabio Capra-Ribeiro, Vanessa Moscardo, Fernando Mayor-Vitoria, Laura O. Gallardo, Patricia Carracedo, Kristin Dietrich
Summary: Urbanization and climate change have negative impacts on public spaces, leading to artificialization of land, fragmentation of ecosystems, limited resource availability, and restricted access to natural areas. Green Infrastructure (GI) can mitigate these challenges by providing multiple ecosystem services, but efforts should be made to address a variety of services at once. Geoprocessing tools and multi-criteria decision analysis can be used to develop indicator systems for multiple ecosystem services, while involving various stakeholders.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2023)
Article
Forestry
R. Urrutia-Jalabert, J. Barichivich, V. Rozas, A. Lara, Y. Rojas, C. Bahamondez, M. Rojas-Badilla, T. Gipoulou-Zuniga, E. Cuq
Summary: The study in Chilean Andes evaluated the growth patterns, climate response, and drought resilience of Nothofagus obliqua forests across different latitudinal gradients. Tree growth was found to be influenced by stand dynamics and related to precipitation, with a negative impact from maximum temperature. The two northern stands showed higher resilience to drought, while overall climate conditions did not solely define the tolerance of stands, as local environmental factors played a significant role.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shelby L. Ziegler, Jasmin M. Johnson, Rachel O. Brooks, Erin M. Johnston, Jacklyn L. Mohay, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg, Richard M. Starr, Grant T. Waltz, Dean E. Wendt, Scott L. Hamilton
Summary: Anthropogenic stressors from climate change can impact individual species, community structure, and ecosystem function. Marine heatwaves (MHWs), characterized by significantly elevated water temperature for five or more days, are projected to increase in frequency and severity. While marine protected areas (MPAs) may mitigate climate impacts on individual species, their ability to address large-scale changes in marine communities caused by MHWs is uncertain.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Baskaran Abirami, Manikkam Radhakrishnan, Subramanian Kumaran, Aruni Wilson
Summary: Global warming has various effects on ocean ecosystems, including temperature, acidification, oxygen content, circulation, stratification, and nutrient inputs, posing a serious threat to the metabolism and distribution of marine microbes and affecting the overall ecosystem functioning.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Hsin-Wu Hsu, Kyungdahm Yun, Soo-Hyung Kim
Summary: Rising global temperatures are impacting plant phenology, with spring warming causing early flowering and winter warming potentially delaying bloom dates. Chilling temperatures during dormancy showed variability along latitudes, while forcing temperatures after dormancy exhibited consistent effects. Winter warming may offset spring warming, leading to delays in bloom dates.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Oceanography
Melissa Nursey-Bray
Summary: This paper examines how to effectively communicate climate change impacts to marine and coastal communities and suggests a best practice communications strategy that emphasizes the importance of tailoring messages to specific audiences and delivering them through trusted messengers.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chhaya Chaudhary, Anthony J. Richardson, David S. Schoeman, Mark J. Costello
Summary: Research shows that the global marine animal species richness varies with latitude, with a slight decrease in richness at the equator, which is particularly influenced by temperature. Since the 1970s, species richness at the equator has decreased while increasing at midlatitudes, possibly due to climate change impacting the latitudinal gradient in marine biodiversity globally.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Editorial Material
Geography
Kendra Strauss
Summary: The call for papers for the 2022 Special Issue of the Annals of the American Association of Geographers focuses on various forms and meanings of displacements and their geographies. The articles in this issue examine how geographers conceptualize and theorize displacements, as well as the political stakes involved in researching displacements.
ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF GEOGRAPHERS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Markus G. Donat
Summary: Climate models provide accurate forecasts of warm ocean temperatures, which can guide decision-making in marine industries and conservation efforts. These models can predict seasonal anomalies in ocean temperatures.
Article
Ecology
Enqing Hou, Dazhi Wen, Lifen Jiang, Xianzhen Luo, Yuanwen Kuang, Xiankai Lu, Chengrong Chen, Keanan T. Allen, Xianjin He, Xingzhao Huang, Yiqi Luo
Summary: This study examined the global-scale latitudinal pattern of terrestrial phosphorus limitation by analyzing plant production responses to phosphorus additions at various sites worldwide. The observed phosphorus-addition effect varied greatly depending on fertilization regime and production measure, but the standardised effect was consistently positive and decreased significantly with latitude. The latitudinal gradient in the standardised phosphorus-addition effect was explained by various mechanisms involving substrate age, climate, vegetation type, edaphic properties, and biochemical machinery.
Article
Biology
Cara A. Faillace, Arnaud Sentis, Jose M. Montoya
Summary: Eco-evolutionary dynamics play a crucial role in mediating species and community responses to habitat warming and fragmentation, focusing on trait trade-offs. The impacts of warming and fragmentation manifest in the traits of individuals and populations, potentially leading to unexpected dynamic outcomes.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Amy MacIntosh, Katherine Dafforn, Beth Penrose, Anthony Chariton, Tom Cresswell
Summary: Successful decommissioning of subsea oil and gas infrastructure requires a safe and effective approach to assess and manage waste products, including NORM and trace metals. Understanding the potential effects of contaminants on marine fauna is crucial for global decommissioning management. Research gaps exist in environmental monitoring and characterization of NORM, with key recommendations including characterizing NORM scale and assessing effects on marine organisms.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sally A. Bracewell, Thayanne L. Barros, Mariana Mayer Pinto, Katherine A. Dafforn, Stuart L. Simpson, Emma L. Johnston
Summary: The novel combinations of climatic conditions and prolonged fire seasons caused by climate change have led to an increased occurrence of megafires. These large-scale fires pose an unknown threat to biodiversity due to the increased extent and severity of burn. This study assessed the impacts of the 2019-2020 Australian wildfires on estuarine benthic sediment communities using eDNA techniques, revealing that estuaries from burnt catchments with no buffer showed greater dissimilarities in composition and abundance compared to those with an intact buffer or from unburnt catchments. The changes in sediment community composition and abundance were associated with increased concentrations of nutrients, carbon, including fire-derived pyrogenic carbon, and copper in highly burnt catchments.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Giulia Filippini, Katherine A. Dafforn, Ana B. Bugnot
Summary: Over the last century, human activities have increased nutrient inputs to ecosystems, altering nitrogen and phosphorus cycling and impacting ecosystem function. Reef-forming shellfish can enhance nutrient cycling, particularly nitrogen removal, by providing substrate for microbial colonization and enhancing microbial denitrification in sediments. However, the effectiveness of shellfish in enhancing nutrient cycling varies spatially and in response to environmental factors.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mariana Mayer-Pinto, Ana B. Bugnot, Emma L. Johnston, Jaimie Potts, Laura Airoldi, Tim M. Glasby, Elisabeth M. A. Strain, Peter Scanes, Shinjiro Ushiama, Katherine A. Dafforn
Summary: This study investigates the effects of increasing habitat complexity on biodiversity and ecological functions. The results show that increasing physical and biogenic complexity can enhance species richness but does not necessarily affect productivity. Therefore, when implementing eco-engineering practices, it is important to consider the trade-off between biodiversity and functional targets.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. B. Bugnot, K. A. Dafforn, K. Erickson, A. McGrath, W. A. O'Connor, P. E. Gribben
Summary: Anthropogenic environmental stressors have caused a decline in biodiversity and ecosystem functions in urban areas. To mitigate these impacts, ecological restoration strategies are needed. This study suggests that restoring biodiversity to unvegetated sediments can improve ecosystem health in marine urban areas.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Nina Schaefer, Mariana Mayer-Pinto, Emma L. Johnston, Katherine A. Dafforn
Summary: This study aims to understand the role of physical features in supporting diversity in intertidal rock pools. The results show that the type and quantity of microhabitats (overhangs and pits) vary with location, and the richness of mobile taxa increases in rock pools with overhangs or pits along the open coast.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Giulia Filippini, Ana B. Bugnot, Angus Ferguson, Paul E. Gribben, Julia Palmer, Katherine Erickson, Katherine A. Dafforn
Summary: Oyster reefs play a crucial role in nitrogen removal from aquatic systems by facilitating nutrient regeneration and denitrification. This study demonstrates that the contributions of oysters and sediments to nitrogen processes are dependent on site-specific characteristics.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Fisheries
T. P. Stelling-Wood, P. E. Gribben, G. Birch, M. J. Bishop, C. Blount, D. J. Booth, C. Brown, E. Bruce, A. B. Bugnot, M. Byrne, R. G. Creese, K. A. Dafforn, J. Dahlenburg, M. A. Doblin, T. E. Fellowes, A. M. Fowler, M. C. Gibbs, W. Glamore, T. M. Glasby, A. C. Hay, B. Kelaher, N. A. Knott, A. W. D. Larkum, L. M. Parker, E. M. Marzinelli, M. Mayer-Pinto, B. Morgan, S. A. Murray, M. J. Rees, P. M. Ross, M. Roughan, N. Saintilan, E. Scanes, J. R. Seymour, N. Schaefer, I. M. Suthers, M. D. Taylor, J. E. Williamson, A. Vila Concejo, R. J. Whittington, W. F. Figueira
Summary: By systematically reviewing published literature and traditional ecological knowledge, this review highlights the extensive amount of knowledge that exists for Gamay, but also identifies key gaps that need to be filled for effective management.
MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Megan Trethewy, Mariana Mayer-Pinto, Katherine A. Dafforn
Summary: Urban development has altered natural light regimes in coastal cities, with consequences for ecological communities. This study investigated how changes to light regimes affect grazers in Sydney Harbour. The abundance of grazers was negatively related to increasing light during the daytime on rocky shores and seawalls, but increased with night-time artificial light levels on seawalls.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sebastian Vadillo Gonzalez, Katherine A. Dafforn, Paul E. Gribben, Wayne A. O'Connor, Emma L. Johnston
Summary: Eutrophication is a global issue that affects sediment ecosystems. This study found that the Sydney cockle had limited impact on sediment microbial communities, while organic enrichment significantly affected bacterial and archaeal diversity and function.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Review
Biology
Emily K. Fobert, Colleen R. Miller, Stephen E. Swearer, Mariana Mayer-Pinto
Summary: This paper discusses the impacts of artificial night light on temperate and tropical reefs. Due to the adaptations of reef species to natural light conditions, artificial night light can have profound effects on reef organisms, including reducing reproductive success, altering predation rates, and impacting physiology and biochemistry. The paper also presents potential system-level impacts of artificial night light on reef communities and highlights knowledge gaps in understanding the overall impact.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Nina Schaefer, Francisco Sedano, Melanie J. Bishop, Kate Dunn, M. Hank Haeusler, K. Daniel Yu, Yannis Zavoleas, Katherine A. Dafforn
Summary: Marine artificial structures often have negative impacts on native species diversity and promote the presence of non-indigenous species. However, the addition of complex habitat and bioreceptive materials can help mitigate these effects. In this study, the effects of structural complexity and concrete mixture on recruitment were investigated. The results showed that complex tiles had less algal cover, while mixtures with oyster shell supported higher cover of sessile species. The non-indigenous ascidian Styela plicata dominated complex tiles at a low tidal elevation.