Article
Environmental Sciences
Rene Friedland, Diego Macias, Gianpiero Cossarini, Ute Daewel, Claude Estournel, Elisa Garcia-Gorriz, Bruna Grizzetti, Marilaure Gregoire, Bo Gustafson, Sofia Kalaroni, Onur Kerimoglu, Paolo Lazzari, Hermann Lenhart, Gennadi Lessin, Ilja Maljutenko, Svetla Miladinova, Barbel Mueller-Karulis, Thomas Neumann, Ove Parn, Johannes Paetsch, Chiara Piroddi, Urmas Raudsepp, Corinna Schrum, Christoph Stegert, Adolf Stips, Kostas Tsiaras, Caroline Ulses, Luc Vandenbulcke
Summary: A novel pan-European marine model ensemble was established to assess the impacts of riverine nutrient reduction scenarios on marine eutrophication indicators. The ensemble showed consistent reductions in nutrient concentrations in most marine regions, with improvements in core indicators such as chlorophyll-a and bottom oxygen. However, there were regional variations in responses to nutrient input reductions, highlighting the need for improved management practices in river catchments to reduce marine eutrophication.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Suvi-Tuuli Puharinen
Summary: The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) aims to ensure clean and sustainable use of the marine environment. However, the Directive has not achieved its objective of good marine environmental status by 2020 and has had little impact on addressing adverse effects of blue economic activities. The ambiguity of obligations and lack of enforcement contribute to this issue.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alice Oprandi, Fabrizio Atzori, Annalisa Azzola, Carlo Nike Bianchi, Nicoletta Cadoni, Lara Carosso, Elena Desidera, Francesca Frau, Maria Leonor Garcia Gutierrez, Paolo Guidetti, Carla Morri, Luigi Piazzi, Federica Poli, Monica Montefalcone
Summary: In the last decades, climate change and human pressures have had a significant impact on the ocean, leading to the urgent need for actions to protect coastal marine ecosystems. The European Commission has set ambitious targets for member states through the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). This study compared the performance of 11 biotic indices in assessing the environmental status of the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Capo Carbonara and found that all indices were consistent in confirming the good status of the MPA.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nick van Kats, Carel Dieperink, Marleen van Rijswick, Lisette de Senerpont Domis
Summary: This paper conducts an ex ante evaluation of the plans for the third iteration of the WFD management cycle in the Netherlands and other EU Member States. The study finds that while the majority of water authorities expect to achieve 50% or more of the WFD objectives by 2027, there are still hindering factors that may prevent the ecological ambitions from being met.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Anthony B. Ndah, Cedric L. Meunier, Inga Kirstein, Jeanette Goebel, Lena Roenn, Maarten Boersma
Summary: Marine zooplankton play a crucial role in holistic ecosystem assessments and are widely used to evaluate and monitor the ecological health of aquatic systems. However, there is a lack of comprehensive synthesis on the development, use, and challenges of zooplankton indices. The indicator-metric-index cycle (IMIC) framework provides a clear understanding of the relationship between indicators, metrics, and indices, and offers a systematic approach for classifying indices according to the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (EU-MSFD) descriptors.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chiara Maggi, Maria Teresa Berducci, Bianca Di Lorenzo, Serena Lomiri, Francesco Venti
Summary: This paper describes the approach adopted by Italy since 2012 to study the Good Environmental Status (GES) of contaminant concentrations in national marine waters. The paper also presents improvements in monitoring strategy and GES evaluation in the Adriatic Sea subregion.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Michela Angiolillo, Marzia Bo, Margherita Toma, Michela Giusti, Eva Salvati, Antonio Giova, Antonio Lagudi, Lorenzo Rossi, Matteo Collina, Fabio Bruno, Simonepietro Canese, Leonardo Tunesi
Summary: The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) aims to achieve Good Environmental Status in the EU's marine waters and protect resources and ecosystem services, including the deep sea. This study focuses on the vulnerable deep-sea habitat-forming cold-water corals (CWCs) in the Mediterranean Sea and establishes a standardized baseline for monitoring programs in two upper bathyal areas. The study improves scientific knowledge, identifies new healthy CWC assemblages, and proposes a standardized protocol for future monitoring activities.
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART I-OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sanna Lotjonen, Markku Ollikainen, Niina Kotamaki, Markus Huttunen, Inese Huttunen
Summary: The study found that in cases where production is a source of nutrient loads, compensation measures can help companies expand production while protecting water body ecology. In the case of Finnish Lake Kallavesi, credits from nonpoint sources can complement those from point sources to ensure good ecological status of the lake.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Chiara Magliozzi, Marco Palma, Jean-Noel Druon, Andreas Palialexis, McQuatters-Gollop Abigail, Varkitzi Ioanna, Gonzalez-Quiros Rafael, Gorokhova Elena, Heyden Birgit, Boicenco Laura, Artigas Luis Felipe
Summary: Anthropogenic activities have had profound implications for the essential functions of pelagic habitats, but the assessment of their Good Environmental Status (GES) has not been harmonized among Member States in EU marine waters. This inconsistency is due to factors such as limited sampling efforts, inadequate consideration of the pelagic environment's variability, lack of collaboration among experts from different fields, and limited availability of pressure-based indicators. A consistent sampling frequency and extensive spatial network are crucial for objectively extrapolating field data and determining GES.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gabriel Gaffney, Karen Daly, Philip Jordan
Summary: The study assessed macro-invertebrate sediment metrics in sixty-five high status river sites in Ireland, revealing significant differences in specific sediment metrics between sites that lost status and those that maintained status, suggesting an impact of sediment on macro-invertebrates.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Oceanography
Anais Rey, Frederique Viard, Anne Lize, Erwan Corre, Alice Valentini, Pierre Thiriet
Summary: Efficient biodiversity monitoring programs are crucial for assessing marine ecosystem health. Underwater visual census (UVC) is commonly used to survey fish assemblages, but it may not accurately capture all species. In this study, environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding was used as a complementary method to UVC and showed promising results in providing comprehensive diversity data for coastal rocky reef fish assemblages. Both methods revealed spatial and temporal variations in fish communities, highlighting the importance of combining UVC and eDNA metabarcoding for monitoring surveys.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
A. Abramic, V. Cordero-Penin, R. Haroun
Summary: This study examines the environmental effects and changes that offshore wind farms (OWFs) can have on the marine environment, and develops an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) checklist to evaluate the compatibility of OWF developments with the maintenance of Good Environmental Status (GES). The findings suggest that OWF developments would have minor or no impact on GES for 78% of the assessed marine waters. The study also discusses potential impact mitigation measures and reinforces the importance of data collection and monitoring for maintaining GES.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dean Leverett, Graham Merrington, Mark Crane, Jim Ryan, Iain Wilson
Summary: Diclofenac is a widely detected pharmaceutical substance in European water bodies, with limited veterinary uses in Europe and wastewater being the main exposure pathway. The European Commission prefers a deterministic approach for deriving Environmental Quality Standards, while this paper suggests using an evidence-driven probabilistic approach instead.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Wolfgang Nikolaus Probst, Alexander Kempf, Marc Taylor, Inigo Martinez, David Miller
Summary: In the EU, the ecosystem approach to fisheries is implemented through various directives and policies, with the MSFD playing a crucial role in assessing the environmental status of exploited fish and shellfish stocks. While the CFP and MSFD stock assessments are meant to align, there are substantial differences in the criteria used, necessitating measures to ensure compliance with MSFD requirements.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gerd Maack, Lauri Aysto, Mario Carere, Henning Clausen, Alice James, Marion Junghans, Ville Junttila, Juliane Hollender, Dimitar Marinov, Gerard Stroomberg, Rita Triebskorn, Eric Verbruggen, Teresa Lettieri
Summary: This response addresses the criticism raised by Leverett et al. regarding the environmental quality standard for diclofenac and highlights the lack of transparency and potential conflict of interest in their competing interests statement.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Silvia Lomartire, Ana M. M. Goncalves
Summary: Seaweeds are widely used in biotechnological applications due to their bioactive compounds. They have been consumed as whole food and used in traditional medicine for treating diseases. Recent research has revealed the beneficial properties of these unique compounds, which can be utilized for enhancing human health. Seaweed's extracted polysaccharides are already being used in the pharmaceutical industry to replace synthetic compounds.
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Mariana Rodrigues, Nelson Abrantes, Fernando J. M. Goncalves, Ana M. M. Goncalves
INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Sara Garcia-Poza, Tiago Morais, Adriana Leandro, Joao Cotas, Joao Carlos Marques, Leonel Pereira, Ana M. M. Goncalves
Summary: There is a need to explore new food sources with interesting nutritional values, and one of the unexploited sources is seaweeds. This study focuses on the green edible seaweed Ulva sp., which has a high growth rate and can adapt to environmental changes. The aim is to determine its nutritional compounds, fatty acids, and monosaccharides profiles and investigate its potential as a food source. The results show that controlled cultivation systems have higher essential fatty acids and monosaccharide content than semi-controlled systems, indicating that cultivation of Ulva sp. could be crucial for food safety.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sahadevan Seena, Irene B. Gutierrez, Juliana Barros, Claudia Nunes, Joao Carlos Marques, Santosh Kumar, Ana M. M. Goncalves
Summary: This study provides important insights into the impacts of nanoplastic particles on leaf litter decomposition and aquatic hyphomycetes communities in forested streams. The results indicate that the concentration and size of nanoplastic particles significantly affect leaf litter decomposition, fungal sporulation, and the abundance of aquatic hyphomycetes. However, the impact on leaf litter nutritional quality is primarily influenced by particle size.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Silvia Lomartire, Joao C. Marques, Ana M. M. Goncalves
Summary: Seaweeds, with their variety of bioactive compounds, have been widely utilized in the food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries. The polysaccharides found in seaweeds not only provide health benefits, but also have the potential to be used in the production of biopolymeric film and biodegradable packaging, thus reducing the environmental impact.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sara Garcia-Poza, Diana Pacheco, Joao Cotas, Joao C. Marques, Leonel Pereira, Ana M. M. Goncalves
Summary: Due to the increasing world population, science-based policies are necessary for sustainable global development. Macroalgae, as a key marine resource, have the potential to address global issues and provide ecofriendly and nutritious food sources and natural compounds for various industries.
INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Carolina P. Rocha, Henrique N. Cabral, Joao C. Marques, Ana M. M. Goncalves
Summary: World aquaculture food production is increasing every year, with Asia leading the global production. Europe is also experiencing rapid expansion in aquaculture, with Norway being the leading European producer. Portugal, despite being a traditional fishing country, has invested in the development of aquaculture and has become a significant producer. Most aquaculture facilities in Portugal operate in coastal systems, using extensive and semi-intensive rearing techniques.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Pedro Monteiro, Silvia Lomartire, Joao Cotas, Joao C. Marques, Leonel Pereira, Ana M. M. Goncalves
Summary: In recent years, there has been an increased interest in marine macroalgae bioactive compounds due to their diverse health benefits. Phenolic compounds, particularly phlorotannins, have received attention for their potential biomedical applications.
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Silvia Lomartire, Ana M. M. Goncalves
Summary: In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in seaweed due to its bioactive compounds that have shown significant antiviral activity. These compounds exhibit diverse mechanisms of action, allowing them to inhibit various enveloped viruses. They can enhance the host's defense system or block virus replication pathways, making them a potential source for the development of novel and natural antiviral drugs.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Andreia F. Mesquita, Nelson Abrantes, Isabel Campos, Claudia Nunes, Manuel A. Coimbra, Fernando J. M. Goncalves, Joao C. Marques, Ana M. M. Goncalves
Summary: Wildfires have significant negative impacts on society and the environment, including risks to public health and safety, economic damages, ecosystem pollution, and biodiversity loss. Research shows that ash from high severity burned areas is more toxic and has a greater impact on aquatic plants compared to ash from low severity burned areas.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Silvia Lomartire, Ana M. M. Goncalves
Summary: The use of seaweed for therapeutic purposes has a long history, but it is only in recent times that advanced technologies have allowed for the extraction and testing of bioactive compounds found in seaweed. These compounds possess nutritional properties as well as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral activities, making them potentially useful in pharmaceutical applications. Seaweed has been traditionally consumed as part of diets, and with the isolation of specific compounds from seaweed, new types of therapeutically beneficial foods can be developed. Polysaccharides are the major component of seaweed biomass and have sparked interest in seaweed for commercial purposes, particularly in the production of agar, carrageenan, and alginate. The bio-properties of polysaccharides vary depending on species, life cycle, and other factors, and techniques for extracting seaweed polysaccharides are discussed in this review, along with the advantages of incorporating algal compounds as dietary supplements and food additives for human health.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fatima Jesus, Filipa Mesquita, Elisa Virumbrales Aldama, Ana Marques, Ana M. M. Goncalves, Luisa Magalhaes, Antonio J. A. Nogueira, Ana Re, Isabel Campos, Joana Luisa Pereira, Fernando J. M. Goncalves, Nelson Abrantes, Dalila Serpa
Summary: This study compared the antioxidant defense response of the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea and the marine cockle Cerastoderma edule to wildfire ash exposure and metal body burden. Both species exhibited significant changes in certain parameters after exposure to aqueous extracts of Eucalypt ash, although the effects differed between the species. Clams showed higher Cd content while cockles showed higher Cu content, indicating different responses to wildfire ash exposure.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Silvia Lomartire, Ana M. M. Goncalves
Summary: Marine polyphenols extracted from seaweeds have gained interest for their antioxidant properties and potential therapeutic applications in neurodegenerative diseases. These compounds can slow disease progression and reduce neuronal cell loss, offering potential benefits in drug development and improving patients' quality of life.
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Silvia Lomartire, Ana M. M. Goncalves
Summary: Antibiotics are used to prevent and treat bacterial infections, but prolonged use can lead to antibiotic resistance in bacteria. This resistance is a major threat to global health and food security, and scientists have been searching for new natural compounds with antimicrobial activity. Plant compounds have been the focus of research, as they offer a wide variety of beneficial biological functions, including antimicrobial activity. Research has also shown that marine plants, such as seaweeds, have antimicrobial activity against various bacteria. Further research is needed to verify the efficacy of these compounds and develop safe and novel antibiotics.
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Silvia Lomartire, Ana M. M. Goncalves
Summary: Seaweeds are abundant sources of bioactive compounds with various properties. These compounds offer protective effects, high nutritional value, and numerous health benefits. Seaweeds are versatile natural sources applicable in various industries.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yongcui Lan, Jinliang Wang, Qianwei Liu, Fang Liu, Lanfang Liu, Jie Li, Mengjia Luo
Summary: This study focuses on the five major plateau lake basins in central Yunnan, China, and constructs an ecological security pattern using the source-resistance surface-corridor-pinch point framework. The study simulates land use/cover change in the region and identifies early warning regions where future urban expansion poses a threat to current ecological source areas and corridors.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Pingping Huang, Feng Zhao, Bailing Zhou, Kuidong Xu
Summary: This study investigates the distribution of benthic microeukaryotes in the China Seas and finds that they can stride over the ecological barrier of 32 degrees N. The study also highlights the significant influence of depth, temperature, and latitude on communities in the China Seas.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Federico Morelli, Yanina Benedetti, Jesse Stanford, Leszek Jerzak, Piotr Tryjanowski, Paolo Perna, Riccardo Santolini
Summary: Species distribution models (SDMs) are numerical tools used for predicting species' spatial distribution. This study found that ecological characteristics, such as habitat specialization, play a role in improving the accuracy of SDMs.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xiaoxuan Wu, Hang Liu, Wei Liu
Summary: Global climate change, urbanization, and economic development have increased the need for sustainable human development, urban ecological governance, and low-carbon energy transformation. This study analyzes the green ecological transition in Chengdu based on panel data from 2010 to 2020, exploring its spatiotemporal evolution and key factors. The results show an overall upward trend in Chengdu's green ecological development and positive spatial autocorrelation in certain districts.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Castaldi Simona, Formicola Nicola, Mastrocicco Micol, Morales Rodriguez Carmen, Morelli Raffaella, Prodorutti Daniele, Vannini Andrea, Zanzotti Roberto
Summary: Sustainable agricultural practices are increasingly important for global and national environmental policies and economy. This study compared the sustainability of grape production under integrated and organic management using multiple indicators. The results showed that organic management was more beneficial for most environmental aspects of the agroecosystem compared to integrated management, without affecting grape yield.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gaia Vaglio Laurin, Alexander Cotrina-Sanchez, Luca Belelli-Marchesini, Enrico Tomelleri, Giovanna Battipaglia, Claudia Cocozza, Francesco Niccoli, Jerzy Piotr Kabala, Damiano Gianelle, Loris Vescovo, Luca Da Ros, Riccardo Valentini
Summary: Phenology monitoring is important for understanding forest functioning and climate impacts. This research compares the phenological behavior of European beech forests using Tree-Talker (TT+) and Sentinel 2 satellite data. The study finds differences in the information derived by the two sensor types, particularly in terms of season length, phenology changepoints, and leaf period variability. TT+ with its higher temporal resolution demonstrates precision in capturing the phenological changepoints, especially when satellite image availability is limited.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Huanhuan Pan, Ziqiang Du, Zhitao Wu, Hong Zhang, Keming Ma
Summary: The land use and cover changes resulting from coal mining activities and ecological restoration have had a significant impact on ecosystem services in mining areas. This study investigates the relationship between ecosystem services and land use intensity in coal mining areas, emphasizing the importance of understanding this interdependence for balanced human-land system development. The research examines the evolving relationship across different reclamation stages in Shanxi, China, using a coupling coordination degree model. The findings suggest the need for timely and judicious reclamation of coalfields, considering the land's bearing capacity.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jingjuan He, Yijun Shi, Lihua Xu, Zhangwei Lu, Mao Feng
Summary: This study examines the spatial interplay between changes in the blue-green spatial distribution and modifications in land surface temperature grades in Shanghai. The findings reveal that the transformation of the blue-green spatial pattern differs between different sectors of the city, and the impact on the thermal environment varies spatially.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yi Xu, Di Zhang, Junqiang Lin, Qidong Peng, Xiaohui Lei, Tiantian Jin, Jia Wang, Ruifang Yuan
Summary: This study analyzed the response relationship between phytoplankton growth and water environmental parameters in the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China using long-term monitoring data and machine learning models. The results revealed the differences between monitoring sites and identified the key parameters that affect phytoplankton growth.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)