Article
Environmental Sciences
Antonios D. Mazaris, Charalampos Dimitriadis, Maria Papazekou, Gail Schofield, Aggeliki Doxa, Anastasia Chatzimentor, Oguz Turkozan, Stelios Katsanevakis, Aphrodite Lioliou, Sara Abalo-Morla, Mustapha Aksissou, Antonella Arcangeli, Vincent Attard, Hedia Attia El Hili, Fabrizio Atzori, Eduardo J. Belda, Lobna Ben Nakhla, Ali A. Berbash, Karen A. Bjorndal, Annette C. Broderick, Juan A. Caminas, Onur Candan, Luis Cardona, Ilija Cetkovic, Nabigha Dakik, Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia, Panayiotis G. Dimitrakopoulos, Salih Diryaq, Costanza Favilli, Caterina Maria Fortuna, Wayne J. Fuller, Susan Gallon, Abdulmaula Hamza, Imed Jribi, Manel Ben Ismail, Yiannis Kamarianakis, Yakup Kaska, Kastriot Korro, Drosos Koutsoubas, Giancarlo Lauriano, Bojan Lazar, David March, Adolfo Marco, Charikleia Minotou, Jonathan R. Monsinjon, Nahla M. Naguib, Andreas Palialexis, Vilma Piroli, Karaa Sami, Bektas Sonmez, Laurent Sourbes, Dogan Sozbilen, Frederic Vandeperre, Pierre Vignes, Michail Xanthakis, Vera Kopsel, Myron A. Peck
Summary: As climate-related impacts threaten marine biodiversity globally, it is important to adjust conservation efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. Translating scientific knowledge into practical management is often complicated due to resource, economic and policy constraints, generating a knowledge-action gap. However, this study in the Mediterranean region demonstrates successful convergence of perceptions among key actors regarding prioritizing adaptation and mitigation measures for marine turtle conservation.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Freya C. Womersley, Nicolas E. Humphries, Nuno Queiroz, Marisa Vedor, Ivo da Costa, Miguel Furtado, John P. Tyminski, Katya Abrantes, Gonzalo Araujo, Steffen S. Bach, Adam Barnett, Michael L. Berumen, Sandra Bessudo Lion, Camrin D. Braun, Elizabeth Clingham, Jesse E. M. Cochran, Rafael de la Parra, Stella Diamant, Alistair D. M. Dove, Christine L. Dudgeon, Mark V. Erdmann, Eduardo Espinoza, Richard Fitzpatrick, Jaime Gonzalez Cano, Jonathan R. Green, Hector M. Guzman, Royale Hardenstine, Abdi Hasan, Fabio H. V. Hazin, Alex R. Hearn, Robert E. Hueter, Mohammed Y. Jaidah, Jessica Labaja, Felipe Ladino, Bruno C. L. Macena, John J. Morris, Bradley M. Norman, Cesar Penaherrera-Palma, Simon J. Pierce, Lina M. Quintero, Deni Ramirez-Macias, Samantha D. Reynolds, Anthony J. Richardson, David P. Robinson, Christoph A. Rohner, David R. L. Rowat, Marcus Sheaves, Mahmood S. Shivji, Abraham B. Sianipar, Gregory B. Skomal, German Soler, Ismail Syakurachman, Simon R. Thorrold, D. Harry Webb, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Timothy D. White, Tyler Clavelle, David A. Kroodsma, Michele Thums, Luciana C. Ferreira, Mark G. Meekan, Lucy M. Arrowsmith, Emily K. Lester, Megan M. Meyers, Lauren R. Peel, Ana M. M. Sequeira, Victor M. Eguiluz, Carlos M. Duarte, David W. Sims
Summary: Global marine traffic is increasing, posing a risk to endangered megafauna such as whale sharks. Research shows significant overlap between whale shark movements and large vessel traffic, particularly in busy shipping routes and gulf regions, leading to predictable collision risk areas.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Freya C. Womersley, Nicolas E. Humphries, Nuno Queiroz, Marisa Vedor, Ivo da Costa, Miguel Furtado, John P. Tyminski, Katya Abrantes, Gonzalo Araujo, Steffen S. Bach, Adam Barnett, Michael L. Berumen, Sandra Bessudo Lion, Camrin D. Braun, Elizabeth Clingham, Jesse E. M. Cochran, Rafael de la Parra, Stella Diamant, Alistair D. M. Dove, Christine L. Dudgeon, Mark Erdmann, Eduardo Espinoza, Richard Fitzpatrick, Jaime Gonzalez Cano, Jonathan R. Green, Hector M. Guzman, Royale Hardenstine, Abdi Hasan, Fabio H. Hazin, Alex R. Hearn, Robert E. Hueter, Mohammed Y. Jaidah, Jessica Labaja, Felipe Ladino, Bruno C. L. Macena, John J. Morris Jr, Bradley M. Norman, Cesar Penaherrera-Palma, Simon J. Pierce, Lina M. Quintero, Deni Ramirez-Macias, Samantha D. Reynolds, Anthony J. Richardson, David P. Robinson, Christoph A. Rohner, David R. L. Rowat, Marcus Sheaves, Mahmood S. Shivji, Abraham B. Sianipar, Gregory B. Skomal, German Soler, Ismail Syakurachman, Simon R. Thorrold, D. Harry Webb, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Timothy D. White, Tyler Clavelle, David A. Kroodsma, Michele Thums, Luciana C. Ferreira, Mark G. Meekan, Lucy M. Arrowsmith, Emily K. Lester, Megan M. Meyers, Lauren R. Peel, Ana M. M. Sequeira, Victor M. Eguiluz, Carlos M. Duarte, David W. Sims
Summary: Marine traffic is increasing globally, but collisions between ships and endangered megafauna are often undetected or unreported. By tracking the movements of whale sharks and vessel activity, it was found that there is a significant overlap between shark's space use and large vessel traffic. High collision risks were observed in major oceans, particularly with cargo and tanker vessels, concentrated in gulf regions where dense traffic coincides with shark movements. This study highlights the importance of mitigating ship-strike risks to protect species like whale sharks from the impact of growing global vessel traffic.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yuan Li, Chuancheng Fu, Lin Zeng, Qian Zhou, Haibo Zhang, Chen Tu, Lianzhen Li, Yongming Luo
Summary: The study reveals the concentrations, isotopic compositions, and accumulation rates of carbon in VCHs in major temperate-subtropical deltas of China, showing that temperate VCHs have lower BC contents but higher BC contributions, likely due to increased accumulation of stable allochthonous OC. The accumulation rate of BC in China's VCHs is estimated to be 33.1 +/- 14.5 g m(-2) year(-1), indicating a significant contribution to BC burial.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Magie Aiken, Elena Gladilina, Canan Cakirlarc, Serhii Telizhenko, Youri van den Hurk, Luminita Bejenaru, Morten Tange Olsen, Pavel Gol'din
Summary: By synthesizing zooarchaeological data from 27 sites around the Black Sea, researchers found that the exploitation of marine mammals in the Black Sea lasted for 8500 years from the Neolithic to the Medieval period. This suggests a longer history of human impact on the Black Sea marine fauna and pushes back the timeline of marine mammal exploitation.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Aislinn Dunne, Darren J. J. Coker, Alexander Kattan, Matthew D. D. Tietbohl, Joanne I. I. Ellis, Burton Jones, Michael Berumen
Summary: Marine vegetated habitats, such as seagrass, mangroves, and macroalgae, provide important habitats for a diversity of fish species, including juvenile and commercially important fish found on coral reefs. This study evaluated the habitat associations of fish species in different vegetated habitats in the Red Sea and found that coral reef fish species utilized macroalgae and seagrass more than mangroves. These habitats offer different combinations of resources, suggesting that a mix of these habitats could support biodiversity and connectivity across the seascape.
Article
Environmental Studies
Amany Begum, Md Kutub Uddin, Md Mizanur Rahman, Md Mostafa Shamsuzzaman, Mohammad Mahmudul Islam
Summary: This study highlights the challenges in marine megafauna conservation in Bangladesh, such as lack of data, weak institutional structure, ineffective implementation, and unsuitable enforcement agencies. It emphasizes the need for legal reforms and a whole-of-government approach to strengthen the conservation framework.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Neil K. Ganju, Zafer Defne, Caroline Schwab, Michelle Moorman
Summary: This study assesses the relationship between elevation change, relative tidal elevation, and the unvegetated-vegetated marsh ratio in coastal wetlands in the southeastern USA. The results show that there is overall coherence between positive vertical change and high vegetative cover, while sites with high vegetative cover and negative vertical change are also identified.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Shaobo Sun, Zhaoliang Song, Baozhang Chen, Yidong Wang, Xiangbin Ran, Yunying Fang, Lukas Van Zwieten, Iain P. Hartley, Yafei Wang, Qiang Li, Lele Wu, Cong-Qiang Liu, Hailong Wang
Summary: Vegetated coastal ecosystems (VCEs) in the Bohai Rim Region, China have high organic carbon sequestration rates and play a crucial role in blue carbon sequestration for climate change mitigation. However, assessing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks at a large scale remains challenging, and the factors controlling SOC in VCEs are not well understood. This study estimated current and future SOC stocks in VCEs using a data-driven method and identified climate and soil salinity as the key controls on SOC stocks in the region.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lea Lorrain-Soligon, Frederic Robin, Pierre Rousseau, Marko Jankovic, Francois Brischoux
Summary: The rise in sea-level and increase in extreme weather events are expected to impact coastal areas, with site-specific topographical features potentially buffering detrimental effects. Differences in topography induced varying responses to marine submersion in two neighboring coastal wetlands, influencing salinization dynamics and wildlife outcomes. Management of landscapes post-submersion may be critical for successful recovery of wildlife.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiahui Liang, Jiahui Tian, Ping Zuo, Ziyi Dai, Wenkui Jiang, Juan Jin, Yuru Yan
Summary: Coastal wetlands in China have been rapidly disappearing due to various factors including seawater intrusion, reduced sediment acquisition, urbanization, and reclamation. However, the Tiaozini wetland has shifted from reclamation to conservation within a short period of time through collaborative efforts and the implementation of eco-governance measures. The success of the Tiaozini wetland demonstrates the importance of adaptive management, ecosystem-based management, and natural-based solutions in both bottom-up and top-down approaches of eco-governance. The results have shown that three years of eco-governance have led to significant achievements in biodiversity conservation and ecotourism development, surpassing the exploitation of coastal wetlands through ten years of reclamation.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Juan G. Navedo, Valeria Araya, Claudio Verdugo
Summary: The study found the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in sediments and bird feces in two coastal wetlands in Pacific Patagonia with contrasting levels of human activity. Despite differences in human activities, the frequency of ARB and ARG occurrences were similar in both areas.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Hui Wang, Dong Xie, Peter A. Bowler, Zhangfan Zeng, Wen Xiong, Chunlong Liu
Summary: The South China Sea is a regional center of high marine and coastal biodiversity, with many non-indigenous species introduced as a result of mariculture and fisheries activities. These species have negative impacts on local biodiversity and economy, requiring increased monitoring and management efforts.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cesar A. M. M. Cordeiro, Anaide W. Aued, Francisco Barros, Alex C. Bastos, Mariana Bender, Thiago C. Mendes, Joel C. Creed, Igor C. S. Cruz, Murilo S. Dias, Lohengrin D. A. Fernandes, Ricardo Coutinho, Jose E. A. Goncalves, Sergio R. Floeter, Juliana Mello-Fonseca, Andrea S. Freire, Douglas F. M. Gherardi, Luiz E. O. Gomes, Fabiola Lacerda, Rodrigo L. Martins, Guilherme O. Longo, Ana Carolina Mazzuco, Rafael Menezes, Jose H. Muelbert, Rodolfo Paranhos, Juan P. Quimbayo, Jean L. Valentin, Carlos E. L. Ferreira
Summary: Biodiversity assessment is crucial for sustainable and adaptive management, and the Brazilian Long-Term Ecological Research Program (PELD) plays a significant role in this regard. The program, supported by public funds, has conducted ecological studies at 34 locations in Brazil. However, there is room for improvement, such as enhancing collaboration and integration among projects, focusing on priority regions, expanding the scope of monitored variables, and maintaining funding for existing projects.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mariana Cardoso-Andrade, Henrique Queiroga, Mafalda Rangel, Ines Sousa, Adela Belackova, Luis Bentes, Frederico Oliveira, Pedro Monteiro, Nuno Sales Henriques, Carlos M. L. Afonso, Ana F. Silva, Bernardo R. Quintella, Jose L. Costa, Miguel P. Pais, Sofia Henriques, Marisa I. Batista, Gustavo Franco, Emanuel J. Goncalves, Miguel Henriques, Teresa Leonardo, Paula Coelho, Robert Comas-Gonzalez, Laura P. Fernandez, Carla Quiles-Pons, Andre Costa, Cristina Espirito-Santo, Joao J. Castro, Francisco Arenas, Sandra Ramos, Vasco Ferreira, Jorge M. S. Goncalves, Barbara Horta e Costa
Summary: This paper describes a structured expert-based methodology for co-defining a list of multidisciplinary Marine Protected Area (MPA) performance indicators. The proposed methodology can support future processes aiming to define and prioritize MPA performance indicators.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Fisheries
Michael Sievers, Oyvind Korsoen, Fletcher Warren-Myers, Frode Oppedal, Georgia Macaulay, Ole Folkedal, Tim Dempster
Summary: Submerged cages are becoming a new trend in marine aquaculture due to their ability to reduce issues associated with surface-based cages. Fish with closed swim bladders and without swim bladders are more suitable for submerged culture, while fish with open swim bladders may face more challenges in this process.
REVIEWS IN AQUACULTURE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
R. M. Connolly, K. Jinks, A. Shand, M. D. Taylor, T. F. Gaston, A. Becker, E. L. Jinks
Summary: This study uses deep learning to process and analyze acoustic data and proposes an automated underwater acoustic data analysis tool that can accurately detect and count fish populations with high reliability and accuracy. In future research, it is suggested to expand the testing range and automate species identification and counts.
Article
Ecology
Hayden P. Borland, Ben L. Gilby, Christopher J. Henderson, Rod M. Connolly, Bob Gorissen, Nicholas L. Ortodossi, Ashley J. Rummell, Ivan Nagelkerken, Simon J. Pittman, Marcus Sheaves, Andrew D. Olds
Summary: Mangroves and seagrasses are important nurseries for marine species, and the seafloor terrain influences nursery function. Factors such as depth, curvature, and roughness affect the abundance and diversity of fish. Mangrove nursery species are most abundant in flat areas with concave holes, rough substrates, and moderate depths, while seagrass nursery species are most abundant in areas adjacent to deep channels with soft mounds and ledges.
Article
Biology
Michael Sievers, Christopher J. Brown, Christina A. Buelow, Robin Hale, Andria Ostrowski, Megan Saunders, Brian R. Silliman, Stephen E. Swearer, Mischa P. Turschwell, Stephanie R. Valdez, Rod M. Connolly
Summary: When restoring coastal habitats, it is important to consider the impact of non-habitat-forming animals on the ecosystem in order to achieve better restoration outcomes.
Article
Ecology
Michaela E. Kitchingman, Michael Sievers, Sebastian Lopez-Marcano, Rod M. Connolly
Summary: The loss and degradation of mangrove forests have led to global restoration efforts, but there is little knowledge about the usage of mangroves by key fish species. This study used underwater cameras and deep learning methods to find that even newly restored sites with immature vegetation are utilized by key fish species.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Stacey M. Trevathan-Tackett, Damien L. Callahan, Rod M. Connolly, Peter I. Macreadie
Summary: Biomarkers and indicators have been used to assess soil biogeochemical processes and history in blue carbon ecosystems. This study found that geochemical characteristics can predict soil microbial characteristics and reveal novel information about soil formation and alteration.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Laura L. Griffiths, Joel Williams, Christina A. Buelow, Vivitskaia J. Tulloch, Mischa P. Turschwell, Max D. Campbell, David Harasti, Rod M. Connolly, Christopher J. Brown
Summary: The coastal environment is subjected to threats from marine, land, and atmosphere, but the current linear approach to assessing the impact of threats may be misleading due to the nonlinear relationships between threats and species. Using a data-driven approach, this study explored the nonlinear relationships between threats and a temperate reef fish community and quantified the associations among threats and fish abundances. The findings highlight the importance of considering cumulative threats and implementing appropriate management actions to address them.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andria Ostrowski, Rod M. Connolly, Christopher J. Brown, Michael Sievers
Summary: Ecosystems are being degraded and lost due to multiple anthropogenic stressors. Static experiments that ignore stressor variability and its effects across trophic levels may underestimate the impacts of stressors on ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the effects of fluctuations and timing of stressor intensity on a seagrass community. Our results show that fluctuating stressor treatments led to declines in seagrass shoot density, leaf surface area, and crustacean abundance compared to static stressor exposure. Static treatments increased seagrass leaf surface area and crustacean abundance relative to the control group. These findings suggest that stress response mechanisms change when stressors fluctuate and highlight the importance of considering dynamic stressor effects in ecosystem management models.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christopher J. Brown, Chantal Saint Ange, Rod M. Connolly, Syezlin Hasan, Sue Jackson, Joseph M. McMahon, James C. R. Smart
Summary: There is a need for long-term monitoring of interconnected ecosystems to inform management strategies and track changes in ecosystem services. This study tested the performance of indicators of ecosystem services and found that they can assess historical performance over decadal timespans but may not be suitable for short-term monitoring.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Christina A. Buelow, Rod M. Connolly, Jillian C. Dunic, Laura Griffiths, Briana Holgate, Shing Yip Lee, Brendan G. Mackey, Paul S. Maxwell, Ryan M. Pearson, Anusha Rajkaran, Michael Sievers, Ana I. Sousa, Vivitskaia J. D. Tulloch, Mischa P. Turschwell, Jaramar Villarreal-Rosas, Christopher J. Brown
Summary: Global theories of change can guide conservation and sustainable use of Earth's ecosystems, but translating them into actionable items can be challenging. This study presents a framework for developing ecosystem-specific theories of change that consider feasibility based on national socioeconomic and political contexts. It uses coastal wetlands as a case study and identifies different enabling profiles for conservation actions.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michael Sievers, Christopher J. Brown, Jennifer Mcgowan, Mischa P. Turschwell, Christina A. Buelow, Briana Holgate, Ryan M. Pearson, Maria F. Adame, Dominic A. Andradi-Brown, Andy Arnell, Brendan G. Mackey, Philine S. E. zu Ermgassen, Joe Gosling, Chris J. Mcowen, Thomas A. Worthington, Rod M. Connolly
Summary: Mangrove forests provide unique biodiversity and ecosystem services that benefit people. Protecting and restoring these forests is important, and generating asset maps of biodiversity and ecosystem services is crucial for conservation planning. Our study combines global datasets to provide insights into the potential trade-offs, synergies, and opportunities from mangrove conservation.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)