Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ryan Gasbarro, Derek Sowers, Alex Margolin, Erik E. Cordes
Summary: Climate change is reshaping the planet's biodiversity, and proactive management of species and habitats based on climate predictions is necessary. This study builds habitat suitability models for Lophelia pertusa, a reef-forming coral, in the southeast United States and projects its occurrence probability in the future. The results reveal the current extent of reef habitat in the region and identify key areas for conservation.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Geoffrey G. Shester, Ben Enticknap, Brianne Mecum, Ashley Blacow-Draeger, Tara Brock, Susan Murray
Summary: On January 1, 2020, the U.S. government implemented new regulations increasing the total closed areas to bottom trawl fishing to 739,491 square kilometers, prohibiting bottom trawl fishing in 90% of the ocean waters in the U.S. West Coast Exclusive Economic Zone. The regulations focus on protecting priority habitat features and reopening previously closed areas to restore fishing opportunities, which is estimated to recover 24.6% of displaced fishing effort.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
E. Beaudin, E. Di Lorenzo, A. J. Miller, H. Seo, Y. Joh
Summary: The study shows that North Pacific oceanic variability plays an important role in precipitation changes over the U.S. West Coast, with stronger (weaker) precipitation anomalies during warm (cold) phases. These anomalies are particularly pronounced in Northern and Central California during winters and in Baja California during summers. The changes in precipitation are primarily modulated by alterations in water vapor flux, which are directed towards (away from) the coast in winters (summers). These flux anomalies are mainly driven by large-scale wind changes associated with the atmospheric response to strong ocean surface temperature anomalies.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
V. Lauria, D. Massi, F. Fiorentino, G. Milisenda, T. Cillari
Summary: This study conducted a comprehensive literature review on the occurrence of Leiopathes glaberrima in the Mediterranean Sea and used predictive modeling to create a continuous map of its suitable habitat in the central sector. The results showed that bathymetry, slope, and aspect are the main drivers of spatial distribution for L. glaberrima. This research contributes valuable information on the spatial distribution of vulnerable deep-sea corals in the Mediterranean Sea, with implications for marine spatial planning and conservation efforts.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Samuel T. Bartusek, Hyodae Seo, Caroline C. Ummenhofer, John Steffen
Summary: Research has shown that during landfalling atmospheric rivers, the latent heat flux in coastal areas exhibits significant seasonal variations and tends to strengthen during El Nino winters. Anomalies in sea surface temperature play a dominant role in modulating interannual variations in latent heat flux under atmospheric rivers, potentially influencing the intensity of landfalling atmospheric rivers.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Christopher G. Piecuch, Sloan Coats, Sonke Dangendorf, Felix W. Landerer, J. T. Reager, Philip R. Thompson, Thomas Wahl
Summary: Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are responsible for the occurrence of high-tide floods (HTFs) and storm surges on the US West Coast. The primary drivers of storm surges during ARs are meridional wind and barometric pressure, with precipitation playing a secondary role.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Brett R. Dumbauld, Erin R. Graham, Lee M. McCoy, Nathaniel S. Lewis
Summary: Sea level rise is causing changes in coastal habitats, impacting the distribution of seagrasses. This study predicts an increase in eelgrass in aquaculture habitats in the coming decades, posing management challenges for the aquaculture industry.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2022)
Article
Limnology
Fabio L. Matos, Jacopo Aguzzi, Joan B. Company, Marina R. Cunha
Summary: This study investigated the connectivity and habitat availability of L. pertusa in the Mediterranean Sea, providing valuable information for species conservation. The connectivity among Mediterranean ecoregions was found to be weak, but the potential exchange of larvae within the same ecoregion was high. Important habitat areas for L. pertusa connectivity were identified, some of which are facing significant anthropogenic pressures. These habitat areas should be prioritized in conservation efforts targeting L. pertusa.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
David A. Bowden, Owen F. Anderson, Ashley A. Rowden, Fabrice Stephenson, Malcolm R. Clark
Summary: Model performance of habitat suitability models in predicting benthic invertebrate faunal distributions in a New Zealand fisheries area was found to be lower when assessed against independent data compared to published cross-validation results. The trend of increasing performance over time seen in published metrics was not supported, and correlations with prevalence and density were weak for most models.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
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
Fisheries
Anna-Leena Downie, Nils Piechaud, Kerry Howell, Christopher Barrio Frojan, Mar Sacau, Andrew Kenny
Summary: This study investigates the impact of bottom fishing intensity on the distribution and biomass of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems. The inclusion of fishing pressure as a predictive term significantly improves model performance, providing a more accurate picture of the current distribution of VMEs in the study area. The pre-fishing scenario predictions also identify areas of suitable habitat impacted by fishing activities.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Borja G. Reguero, Curt D. Storlazzi, Ann E. Gibbs, James B. Shope, Aaron D. Cole, Kristen A. Cumming, Michael W. Beck
Summary: The valuation of the flood risk reduction services of coral habitats in the United States exceeds US$1.8 billion annually, with coral reefs playing a crucial role in mitigating flood damages and protecting vulnerable populations.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
A. Sreenath, S. Abhilash, P. Vijaykumar, B. E. Mapes
Summary: The disastrous cloudburst and floods in Kerala have raised concerns about the changing rainfall patterns along the west coast of India. Analysis of reanalysis data, satellite observations, and balloon soundings data suggest that there is a trend towards more convective and deeper clouds in recent decades.
NPJ CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pierre Damien, Daniele Bianchi, James C. McWilliams, Faycal Kessouri, Curtis Deutsch, Ru Chen, Lionel Renault
Summary: This study examines the biogeochemical cycles along the U.S. West Coast and finds that the rates and fluxes in the coastal areas are about twice as large as offshore. The interactions with sediment exchanges, submesoscale shelf currents, bottom boundary layer transport, and intensified cross-shelf export of shelf-produced materials further impact the coastal and open-ocean balances.
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Fabian A. Gomez, Sang-Ki Lee, Charles A. Stock, Andrew C. Ross, Laure Resplandy, Samantha A. Siedlecki, Filippos Tagklis, Joseph E. Salisbury
Summary: This article presents a historical dataset of river chemistry and discharge for 140 monitoring sites along the US East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and the US West Coast from 1950 to 2022. The dataset, named RC4USCoast, is derived from the Water Quality Database of the US Geological Survey and includes river discharge data from the USGS and the US Army Corps of Engineers. It is intended for use in regional ocean biogeochemical models and carbonate chemistry studies. The article provides details on the dataset derivation method and describes the carbonate chemistry patterns of the rivers. The dataset is publicly available in the publication by Gomez et al. (2022).
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2023)
Article
Oceanography
R. Barbosa, A. J. Davies, P. Y. G. Sumida
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART I-OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Telmo Morato, Jose-Manuel Gonzalez-Irusta, Carlos Dominguez-Carrio, Chih-Lin Wei, Andrew Davies, Andrew K. Sweetman, Gerald H. Taranto, Lindsay Beazley, Ana Garcia-Alegre, Anthony Grehan, Pascal Laffargue, Francisco Javier Murillo, Mar Sacau, Sandrine Vaz, Ellen Kenchington, Sophie Arnaud-Haond, Oisin Callery, Giovanni Chimienti, Erik Cordes, Hronn Egilsdottir, Andre Freiwald, Ryan Gasbarro, Cristina Gutierrez-Zarate, Matthew Gianni, Kent Gilkinson, Vonda E. Wareham Hayes, Dierk Hebbeln, Kevin Hedges, Lea-Anne Henry, David Johnson, Mariano Koen-Alonso, Cam Lirette, Francesco Mastrototaro, Lenaick Menot, Tina Molodtsova, Pablo Duran Munoz, Covadonga Orejas, Maria Grazia Pennino, Patricia Puerta, Stefan A. Ragnarsson, Berta Ramiro-Sanchez, Jake Rice, Jesus Rivera, J. Murray Roberts, Steve W. Ross, Jose L. Rueda, Iris Sampaio, Paul Snelgrove, David Stirling, Margaret A. Treble, Javier Urra, Johanne Vad, Dick van Oevelen, Les Watling, Wojciech Walkusz, Claudia Wienberg, Mathieu Woillez, Lisa A. Levin, Marina Carreiro-Silva
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2020)
Review
Biology
Tim D'Urban Jackson, Gareth J. Williams, Guy Walker-Springett, Andrew J. Davies
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Lindsay Beazley, Ellen Kenchington, Francisco Javier Murillo, David Brickman, Zeliang Wang, Andrew J. Davies, Emyr Martyn Roberts, Hans Tore Rapp
Summary: Deep-water sponges, such as Vazella pourtalesii, are less understood in terms of their resilience to climate change compared to shallow-water sponges. Climate change is projected to increase the suitable habitat for V. pourtalesii in the northwest Atlantic, but not all areas projected as suitable habitat may be actually populated in the future. Monitoring changes in density and distribution of V. pourtalesii will be crucial for assessing the impact of climate change on this species.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
S. Wang, E. L. Kenchington, Z. Wang, I Yashayaev, A. J. Davies
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kevin D. Friedland, Michelle Bachman, Andrew Davies, Romain Frelat, M. Conor McManus, Ryan Morse, Bradley A. Pickens, Szymon Smolinski, Kisei Tanaka
Summary: Species distribution models for marine organisms are increasingly utilized for spatial planning, conservation, and fisheries management. Various mathematical forms and physical/biological independent variables are used, with first-generation models mainly following linear or smoothing spline forms. Machine learning methods were used to evaluate different classes of variables, showing that physical and secondary production variables have the greatest contribution, while terrain variables have the least contribution. The presence and absence of species are defined by factors such as water depth, temperature, chlorophyll concentration, and specific zooplankton taxa, with strong seasonal variations.
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Louise B. Firth, Daniel Harris, Julie A. Blaze, Martin P. Marzloff, Aurelien Boye, Peter I. Miller, Amelia Curd, Mickael Vasquez, Julia D. Nunn, Nessa E. O'Connor, Anne Marie Power, Nova Mieszkowska, Ruth M. O'Riordan, Michael T. Burrows, Lucy M. Bricheno, Antony M. Knights, Flavia L. D. Nunes, Francois Bordeyne, Laura E. Bush, James E. Byers, Carmen David, Andrew J. Davies, Stanislas F. Dubois, Hugh Edwards, Andy Foggo, Lisa Grant, J. A. Mattias Green, Paul E. Gribben, Fernando P. Lima, David McGrath, Laure M. L. J. Noel, Rui Seabra, Christina Simkanin, Stephen J. Hawkins
Summary: This study investigated the environmental variables influencing the distribution of the ecosystem engineer Sabellaria alveolata near its poleward range edge in Ireland. The results revealed a discontinuous distribution with distinct sub-populations bounded by tidal fronts, and no evidence of range extensions despite warming. Specific niche requirements, such as wave height and substrate type, may limit the species' ability to redistribute in response to global environmental change.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Ally J. Evans, Peter J. Lawrence, Atteyeh S. Natanzi, Pippa J. Moore, Andrew J. Davies, Tasman P. Crowe, Ciaran McNally, Bryan Thompson, Amy E. Dozier, Paul R. Brooks
Summary: Ocean sprawl poses a growing threat to marine and coastal ecosystems, with artificial structures often supporting less diverse communities than natural habitats. Eco-engineering approaches that mimic natural reef topography can be effective in promoting biodiversity on marine structures. Expanding the toolkit for eco-engineering marine structures with natural topography-based designs is crucial for maximizing biodiversity benefits.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Oceanography
Ulrike Hanz, Emyr Martyn Roberts, Gerard Duineveld, Andrew Davies, Hans van Haren, Hans Tore Rapp, Gert-Jan Reichart, Furu Mienis
Summary: Deep-sea sponge grounds on an Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge seamount were found to be located at the interface between two water masses, influenced by internal waves and seamount topography. Distribution and transport of organic matter in both vertical and horizontal directions play a crucial role in meeting the food requirements of the ecosystem.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Peter J. Lawrence, Ally J. Evans, Tim Jackson-Bue, Paul R. Brooks, Tasman P. Crowe, Amy E. Dozier, Stuart R. Jenkins, Pippa J. Moore, Gareth J. Williams, Andrew J. Davies
Summary: Habitat structural complexity plays a crucial role in supporting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Artificial coastal structures like seawalls and rock armour are found to be less complex than natural rocky shorelines, which raises concerns about the negative impact of simplifying coastlines on organisms. This study provides insight into how artificial structures can be modified to better mimic the complexity of natural rocky shores.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Tim Jackson-Bue, Gareth J. Williams, Guy Walker-Springett, Steven J. Rowlands, Andrew J. Davies
Summary: Habitat structure plays a crucial role in ecological interactions and ecosystem functions. Modern 3D mapping technologies provide opportunities to characterize habitat structure variations at different scales.
REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Helen V. Ford, Nia H. Jones, Andrew J. Davies, Brendan J. Godley, Jenna R. Jambeck, Imogen E. Napper, Coleen C. Suckling, Gareth J. Williams, Lucy C. Woodall, Heather J. Koldewey
Summary: Plastic pollution and climate change are fundamentally linked, as plastic contributes to greenhouse gas emissions throughout its life cycle and extreme weather associated with climate change exacerbates the spread of plastic in the environment. Both issues impact marine ecosystems and species, making them particularly vulnerable.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shuangqiang Wang, Ellen Kenchington, Zeliang Wang, Andrew J. Davies
Summary: The study found no larval exchange between Vazella pourtalesii sponge populations north and south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, regardless of release depths or month of release. At a sub-regional scale, strong connectivity was observed from the Strait of Florida to the Blake Plateau, with potential recruitment from multiple source populations in the latter area.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Helen V. Ford, Jamison M. Gove, Andrew J. Davies, Nicholas A. J. Graham, John R. Healey, Eric J. Conklin, Gareth J. Williams
Summary: This study, based on benthic community data collected around five uninhabited central Pacific oceanic islands, reveals the autocorrelated nature of coral reef seascapes, with differences in patterns across geographies but similarities between islands in closer proximity and of similar size. Physical environmental drivers, particularly surface wave energy, play a key role in governing the spatial scaling properties of benthic competitors on coral reefs.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Leonardo Querobim Yokoyama, Alexander Turra, Coleen Suckling, Gabriela Torres, Andrew Davies, Ian McCarthy
OCEAN AND COASTAL RESEARCH
(2020)