Article
Environmental Sciences
Zifeng Hu, Guanghao Xie, Jun Zhao, Yaping Lei, Jinchi Xie, Wenhong Pang
Summary: This study characterizes the spatial pattern and variability of the wintertime Pearl River plume front (PRPF) using the geostationary meteorological Himawari-8 satellite. The study reveals that the PRPF in winter consists of three subfronts and shows a strong-weak-strong pattern in intensity. The comparison between spring and neap tides demonstrates that the plume front during spring tide is more diffuse, further offshore, and weaker than during neap tide.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Federico Gasperini, Irfan Azeem, Geoff Crowley, Michael Perdue, Matthew Depew, Thomas Immel, Erik Stromberg, Chad Fish, Crystal Frazier, Adam Reynolds, Anthony Swenson, Ted Tash, Russell Gleason, Ryan Blay, Jordan Maxwell, Keith Underwood, Christian Frazier, Scott Jensen
Summary: The study reveals that the WN4 structure in the low-latitude ionosphere is driven by DE3, an important tidal component for connecting the ionosphere-thermosphere with the tropical troposphere.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
James A. Strong, Nils Piechaud, Laurence H. De Clippele, Brian J. Bett, Tammy Horton, Guillem Corbera, Veerle A. I. Huvenne
Summary: Cold-water corals are important species that provide habitat for other taxa but are sensitive to mechanical damage from bottom trawling. To gain insight into their recruitment and growth, small seabed moorings were deployed in a marine protected area hosting CWC mounds impacted by trawling. Coral recruits and diverse epifauna colonized the moorings, indicating favorable environmental conditions and larval supply. Seabed emplacement of high-relief artificial substrata is likely the most efficient and cost-effective restoration method for enhancing CWC recovery.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ziyu Wang, Shisong Cao, Mingyi Du, Wen Song, Jinling Quan, Yang Lv
Summary: This study proposes a new method of LCZ labeling that incorporates a random forest classifier and multi-source remotely sensed data. The results show that the proposed method improves the accuracy of LCZ mapping in Beijing and increases the accuracy of LCZs 1-9 by utilizing surface thermal dynamics and night-time light data. The integration of leaf-on and leaf-off imageries also enhances the performance of LCZ labeling.
Review
Geology
Jacek Raddatz, Andres Rueggeberg
Summary: Cold-water coral (CWC) reefs and mounds are biodiversity hotspots in the deep sea, and understanding their development requires insight into changing ocean conditions under ongoing climate change. Reconstructing paleoenvironments during periods of CWC mound growth is achieved through extracting geochemical proxies from biologically mediated carbonates. The focus is on calcareous archives such as cold-water Scleractinia and Foraminifera, and emphasizing the use of geochemical proxies for various environmental parameters.
DEPOSITIONAL RECORD
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Christopher B. Rillahan, Derrick Alcott, Theodore Castro-Santos, Pingguo He
Summary: The construction of dams and tide gates on waterways has impacted the physical structure of coastal, estuarine, and freshwater systems, affecting fish populations, particularly migratory species. These anthropogenic structures can hinder fish migration and alter their behavior patterns. Studying the behavior of fish around such structures is crucial in understanding the ecological impacts and relationships in varying environmental conditions.
MARINE AND COASTAL FISHERIES
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Manuel Maldonado, Lindsay Beazley, Maria Lopez-Acosta, Ellen Kenchington, Benoit Casault, Ulrike Hanz, Furu Mienis
Summary: The biogeochemical cycling of silicon is crucial for the ecological functioning of the ocean, with Vazella pourtalesii sponges in the aphotic zone of the central Scotian Shelf in Canada playing a significant role in silicon utilization and cycling. Despite individual low rates of silicic acid consumption, the massive sponge population leads to substantial annual consumption and accumulation of biogenic silica, with a portion being recycled as silicic acid before permanent burial. This silica-silicic acid turnover enriches the bottom water of the central Scotian Shelf, sustaining a feedback mechanism that supports the long-term persistence of the sponge aggregations.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Oceanography
Jill R. Bourque, Amanda W. J. Demopoulos, Craig M. Robertson, Furu Mienis
Summary: The study found that there is higher diversity in sediment communities adjacent to hard substrate habitats and along the axis of submarine canyons. The abundance and diversity of hard substrate adjacent sediment communities did not change with depth, mainly influenced by sediments with low organic matter content, while canyon and slope community assemblages were affected by depth and higher organic content.
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART I-OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS
(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
Oceanography
Sandra R. Maier, Furu Mienis, Evert de Froe, Karline Soetaert, Marc Lavaleye, Gerard Duineveld, Olivier Beauchard, Anna-Selma van der Kaaden, Boris P. Koch, Dick van Oevelen
Summary: Cold-water coral (CWC) reefs create metabolic hotspots in the deep sea despite limited organic matter supply. 'Dead' coral framework enhances metabolic activity through resource retention and recycling, acting as a 'filtration-recycling factory'. However, framework vulnerability to ocean acidification jeopardizes this important aspect of CWC reef functioning.
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART I-OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS
(2021)
Article
Oceanography
Hans van Haren, Furu Mienis, Gerard Duineveld
Summary: Submarine canyons are important conduits for transport of suspended matter, but the mechanisms influencing matter transport and deposition are still unknown. Observations from two mooring sites in the Whittard Canyon revealed differences in current flows, turbulence, and temperature variations, with significant turbulence events observed. The upslope moving bore and convective overturning at the deep site have the most impact on sediment resuspension.
CONTINENTAL SHELF RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ulrike Hanz, Philip Riekenberg, Anna de Kluijver, Marcel van der Meer, Jack J. Middelburg, Jasper M. de Goeij, Martijn C. Bart, Erik Wurz, Ana Colaco, Gerard C. A. Duineveld, Gert-Jan Reichart, Hans-Tore Rapp, Furu Mienis
Summary: This study reveals how deep-sea sponge grounds survive in a food-limited environment through stable isotope analysis. Sponge with high microbial abundance utilize dissolved resources and efficient recycling pathways to sustain themselves and other organisms. Additionally, sponges provide organic material to support the otherwise food-limited associated fauna, contributing to the thriving deep-sea ecosystems.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Stefan de Graaf, Hubert B. Vonhof, John J. G. Reijmer, Eline Feenstra, Furu Mienis, Charlotte Prud'Homme, Jens Zinke, Jeroen H. J. L. van der Lubbe, Peter K. Swart, Gerald Haug
Summary: The extraction and measurement of internal water in coral skeletons showed that different analytical systems produced distinct isotope patterns, due to characteristics of biominerals and analytical artifacts. The open interconnected micro-network in the biogenic carbonates of coral skeletons allows exchange of internal water with external water and interaction with hydration water in the organic matrix, resulting in the release of only fractionated part of internal water upon crushing. Therefore, bulk crushing techniques cannot provide accurate fluid isotope ratios for (palaeo-)environmental or microbiological studies.
GEOSTANDARDS AND GEOANALYTICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. S. Heijnen, F. Mienis, A. R. Gates, B. J. Bett, R. A. Hall, J. Hunt, I. A. Kane, C. Pebody, V. A. Huvenne, E. L. Soutter, M. A. Clare
Summary: Sediment-laden flows called turbidity currents play an important role in the transfer of sediment, nutrients, organic carbon, and pollutants from continental shelves to the deep sea via submarine canyons. However, the rise in sea level since the last glacial period has disconnected the majority of submarine canyons from their sediment inputs. This study presents detailed measurements of turbidity currents in a land-detached submarine canyon, showing similar frequency and speed to those in large land-attached canyons. The findings suggest that contemporary deep-sea particulate transport via land-detached canyons may have been underestimated.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Reyhaneh Roohi, Ragna Hoogenboom, Ronald Van Bommel, Marcel T. J. van der Meer, Furu Mienis, Sabine Gollner
Summary: This study investigates the export and influence of carbon produced by hydrothermal vents on benthic food webs. It reveals that fauna near the venting area primarily rely on chemosynthetic organic carbon, while fauna further away from the vents rely more on photosynthetic organic carbon. Nematodes are the most abundant faunal taxon. These findings have important implications for future spatial management plans in deep-sea mining at hydrothermal vents.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kathrin Busch, Beate M. Slaby, Wolfgang Bach, Antje Boetius, Ina Clefsen, Ana Colaco, Marie Creemers, Javier Cristobo, Luisa Federwisch, Andre Franke, Asimenia Gavriilidou, Andrea Hethke, Ellen Kenchington, Furu Mienis, Sadie Mills, Ana Riesgo, Pilar Rios, Emyr Martyn Roberts, Detmer Sipkema, Lucia Pita, Peter J. Schupp, Joana Xavier, Hans Tore Rapp, Ute Hentschel
Summary: This study presents a large-scale analysis of microbial diversity in deep-sea sponges. They show that sponge microbial abundance status, geographic distance, sponge phylogeny and the physical-biogeochemical environment drive microbiome composition, in descending order of relevance. The uniqueness of each deep-sea sponge ground stresses the need for their strategic preservation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Geology
Thomas Vandorpe, Stanislas Delivet, Dominique Blamart, Claudia Wienberg, Frank Bassinot, Furu Mienis, Jan-Berend W. Stuut, David Van Rooij
Summary: This study combines various measurements to decipher past oceanographic conditions based on a piston core recovered from the Pen Duick drift. The data suggests that the Azores Front and Antarctic Intermediate Water play significant roles in the palaeoclimatology of the region. The study also reveals that drift formation is influenced not only by bottom currents and internal tides, but also by sediment supply. Additionally, periods characterized by increased aeolian dust supply and higher bottom currents coincide with prolific cold-water coral growth and mound formation.
DEPOSITIONAL RECORD
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guillem Corbera, Claudio Lo Iacono, Gonzalo Simarro, Jordi Grinyo, Stefano Ambroso, Veerle A. Huvenne, Furu Mienis, Marina Carreiro-Silva, Ines Martins, Beatriz Mano, Covadonga Orejas, Ann Larsson, Sebastian Hennige, Andrea Gori
Summary: Despite being biodiversity hotspots, there is a lack of quantitative experimental studies on the main processes driving the morphological development of cold-water coral reefs. In this study, a flume experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of unidirectional flow on the growth and physiological condition of Lophelia pertusa. The results showed that the presence of coral framework influenced water flow dynamics and significantly affected coral growth and stress-related enzyme expression. Further experiments are needed to fully understand how variations in water hydrodynamics impact particle encounter and ion intake rates by coral nubbins located in different parts of a reef.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Sandra R. Maier, Sandra Brooke, Laurence H. De Clippele, Evert de Froe, Anna-Selma van Der Kaaden, Tina Kutti, Furu Mienis, Dick van Oevelen
Summary: The deep sea is a food-limited environment, but cold-water coral reefs thrive by adapting to temporal variations in food supply and optimizing resource gains. The high structural and functional diversity of these reefs helps in resource retention and sustains complex food webs.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jordi Grinyo, Jacopo Aguzzi, Ellen Kenchington, Corrado Costa, Ulrike Hanz, Furu Mienis
Summary: This study used high-temporal resolution imaging and environmental data to investigate the dynamics and behavior of the Acadian redfish (Sebastes fasciatus) in the Sambro Bank Sponge Conservation Area for 10 months. The study found that the behavior and abundance of S. fasciatus in this area are influenced by near-bed environmental conditions, with structural complexity provided by sponges positively affecting their presence. This study provides new insights into the dynamics and behavior of this threatened species.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Matthew P. Humphreys, Erik H. Meesters, Henk de Haas, Szabina Karancz, Louise Delaigue, Karel Bakker, Gerard Duineveld, Siham de Goeyse, Andreas F. Haas, Furu Mienis, Sharyn Ossebaar, Fleur C. van Duyl
Summary: This study investigates the physical and biogeochemical processes in recently discovered submarine sinkholes on Luymes Bank, Caribbean Netherlands. The measurements reveal the presence of a gas bubble plume, which contains an acid lake with low-oxygen and acidic seawater. The acid lake actively dissolves the carbonate platform and may provide a novel mechanism for sinkhole formation and growth. The conditions within the acid lake reflect extreme impacts of proposed climate change mitigation schemes. Other sinkholes on Luymes Bank may serve as venues for studying the impacts of anthropogenic CO2 uptake by the ocean.
