Article
Environmental Sciences
Pablo Limongi, Leonardo Ortega, Sebastian Horta, Leticia Burone, Alvar Carranza
Summary: The Uruguayan Exclusive Economic Zone (U-EEZ) currently lacks a technically sound and institutionally agreed system for classifying marine benthic ecosystems, which increases the vulnerability of these ecosystems and their associated biodiversity. This study used abundant environmental and biological information to classify benthic ecosystems in the U-EEZ and identified nine discrete benthic marine regions.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chelsea Aristone, Hossein Mehdi, Jonathan Hamilton, Kelly L. Bowen, Warren J. S. Currie, Karen A. Kidd, Sigal Balshine
Summary: Treated effluent from municipal wastewater treatment plants has a significant impact on aquatic benthic macroinvertebrate communities. However, the effects during winter have been largely ignored. This study examines the impacts of wastewater effluent on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in two different plants, and finds that the treatment capabilities and receiving environments of the plants dictate the impact on these communities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Tamsyn Noble-James, Ross Bullimore, Fionnuala Mcbreen, Joey O'Connor, James Highfield, Chris Mccabe, Simeon Archer-Rand, Anna-Leena Downie, Jon Hawes, Peter Mitchell
Summary: This study reviews the lessons learned and challenges encountered in the English MPA monitoring program, and proposes solutions and future directions. It emphasizes the need to consider monitoring methods at each individual MPA scale and identifies several prioritized development challenges.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Dorothee Hodapp, Irene T. Roca, Dario Fiorentino, Cristina Garilao, Kristin Kaschner, Kathleen Kesner-Reyes, Birgit Schneider, Joachim Segschneider, Adam T. Kocsis, Wolfgang Kiessling, Thomas Brey, Rainer Froese
Summary: Driven by climate change, marine biodiversity is undergoing rapid changes, faster than those in terrestrial ecosystems. Understanding the impact of these changes on future marine life is crucial for conservation, due to increasing demands for marine resources. Our analysis predicts a decline in core habitat area for many species, with a net loss of 50% for almost half of all marine species by 2100 under the high-emission scenario. Distributional reorganization will lead to gaps around the equator for a significant number of marine species, disrupting their continuous ranges. Invasion rates in higher latitudes and polar regions will also introduce new predators and change ecosystem and food web structure. The degree of reorganization and its consequences will depend on greenhouse gas emission pathway.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yeray Santana-Falcon, Roland Seferian
Summary: Temperature plays a crucial role in shaping the biodiversity patterns in the global ocean. Global warming is predicted to alter the thermal range boundaries, particularly at different depths throughout the water column. Research shows that by 2040, if high anthropogenic emissions continue, the ocean depths below 50 meters may be exposed to unprecedented high-temperature environments. However, reduced emissions could delay this scenario by several decades. By 2100, both the lower and upper boundaries of temperature ranges in the ocean may undergo simultaneous changes, which could have significant implications for pelagic ecosystems.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(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
Environmental Sciences
Svenja B. Kroeger, Hans M. Hanslin, Tommy Lennartsson, Marcello D'Amico, Johannes Kollmann, Christina Fischer, Elena Albertsen, James D. M. Speed
Summary: Roadsides can be habitats with potential conservation value due to their remarkable biodiversity. The impact of roads on bird richness is context-dependent, influenced by factors such as road type, habitat characteristics, and bird feeding guild association. The presence of roads may lower bird richness in areas with denser tree cover, but the effect does not vary according to road type. The impact of roads on bird richness also depends on the primary diet of species, with omnivores being positively affected. Further studies are needed to determine the differences in species composition and abundance in order to understand contexts where roads negatively affect bird communities and where they do not.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jinwen Liu, Xiujuan Yan, Xinyuan Song, Jiamei Zhang, Donghui Wu, Meixiang Gao
Summary: The study investigated the spatial distribution pattern of field insect communities and found that the structure and functional groups of the insect communities change dynamically with time, although maintaining a relatively high and stable level within the 400 x 400 m plot. The research collected a total of 6085 samples of corn farmland insects, providing valuable insights for pest control in the spring corn area of Northeast China.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Samantha M. Ladewig, Thomas S. Bianchi, Giovanni Coco, Julie A. Hope, Simon F. Thrush
Summary: Plastic pollution continues to pose a threat to natural habitats, with emerging concerns about its impact on ecosystem structure and function. There is a need for further research into the specific effects of plastics on marine benthic ecosystems and their role in carbon cycling at local and global scales.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dieison Andre Moi, Franco Teixeira-de-Mello
Summary: The conversion of natural streams to urbanized systems leads to species loss and decreases in richness and biomass of multiple trophic groups, driven by deteriorating water quality and loss of habitat heterogeneity. Urbanization expansion induces a cascading reduction of multitrophic diversity and standing biomass, which could have potential negative consequences for ecosystem functioning in streams.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Ryan McGeady, Robert M. Runya, James S. G. Dooley, John A. Howe, Clive J. Fox, Andrew J. Wheeler, Gerard Summers, Alexander Callaway, Suzanne Beck, Louise S. Brown, Gerard Dooly, Chris McGonigle
Summary: Ocean biodiversity loss is driven by several anthropogenic threats, and efforts are needed to stop the loss and promote healthy marine ecosystems. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can help restrict damaging activities and provide ecological and socio-economic benefits. Monitoring is crucial for MPA management to assess conservation objectives, and new non-extractive techniques are being reviewed to aid MPA managers and researchers.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Daniele Ventura, Gianluca Mancini, Edoardo Casoli, Daniela Silvia Pace, Giovanna Jona Lasinio, Andrea Belluscio, Giandomenico Ardizzone
Summary: Seagrasses are highly productive yet threatened ecosystems on Earth. Researchers have developed an underwater SFM-based protocol for monitoring large seagrass restoration areas, using consumer-grade RGB imagery and OBIA technique for fine seabed characterization and transplant fragment counting.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Elise Lacoste, Auriane Jones, Myriam Callier, Judith Klein, Franck Lagarde, Valerie Derolez
Summary: Mediterranean coastal lagoons play important ecological roles but are vulnerable to multiple pressures. While research has been conducted to improve their ecological status, many still face challenges. This paper reviews the impacts of human-induced pressures on the soft-bottom benthic ecosystem in these lagoons, highlighting the need for more research on climate change, invasive species, and emerging contaminants. It also emphasizes the importance of better understanding and quantifying the cumulative effects of these pressures.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2023)
Review
Parasitology
Emilia Johnson, Marconi Campos-Cerqueira, Amaziasizamoria Jumail, Ashraft Syazwan Ahmady Yusni, Milena Salgado-Lynn, Kimberly Fornace
Summary: Emerging infectious diseases are a major burden on global public health, and understanding their transmission dynamics at the interface of human activity and wildlife habitats is crucial. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM), commonly used for biodiversity and conservation purposes, offers an opportunity to collect and analyze audio data in real time and at low cost. With the advancements in cloud-based computing, affordable hardware, and machine learning, acoustic methods can complement existing surveillance techniques and provide a novel toolkit for investigating infectious disease epidemiology.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Rohan Subba
Summary: Rohan Subba explains the use of foraminifera pores to understand marine oxygen levels.
NATURE REVIEWS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Editorial Material
Forestry
Ulrich Luettge, Marcos Buckeridge
Summary: The urban environment poses stress on trees due to pollution, heat, and drought. However, trees play an active role in modifying the microclimate and providing important ecosystem services in cities. Understanding the stability of trees and managing their environment is crucial for urban management.
TREES-STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ana Silvia de Almeida Scarcella, Thiago Machado Pasin, Rosymar Coutinho de Lucas, Monica Stropa Ferreira-Nozawa, Tassio Brito de Oliveira, Alex Graca Contato, Adriana Grandis, Marcos Silveira Buckeridge, Maria de Lourdes Teixeira de Moraes Polizeli
Summary: The economic interest in sugarcane bagasse has grown due to the demand for sustainable energy production. This study analyzed the production profile of holocellulases from various fungi and their capacity to hydrolyze different types of sugarcane residues. The results showed that M. thermophilus and T. reesei RP698 are good producers of holocellulases with high hydrolysis capacity.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Dorsaf Kerfahi, Ben P. Harvey, Hyoki Kim, Ying Yang, Jonathan M. Adams, Jason M. Hall-Spencer
Summary: Plastics are accumulating and ocean waters are acidifying due to increased CO2. The metagenomic analysis of biofilms on plastic bottles in subtidal waters off Japan revealed significant changes in both the functional and taxonomic composition of the plastisphere, particularly the diatom group. These findings have potential implications for ocean ecology.
Review
Forestry
Artur Andre Oliveira, Marcos S. Buckeridge, Roberto Hirata Jr
Summary: This study proposes a deep learning approach to detect trees entangled to power and communication lines using street-level imagery, and perform quick analysis based on the Grad-CAM++ method. Testing the method using urban tree images from Sao Paulo and Porto Alegre resulted in a relatively high overall accuracy, indicating the potential utility of the methodology in city management to prevent accidents caused by contact between trees and electrical wiring.
TREES-STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Julia Vega, Teresa S. Catala, Jorge Garcia-Marquez, Linn G. Speidel, Salvador Arijo, Niklas Cornelius Kunz, Christoph Geisler, Felix L. Figueroa
Summary: The biochemical composition, molecular diversity, and bioactivities of two alien invasive species, Asparagopsis armata and Rugulopteryx okamurae, in the southern Iberian Peninsula were analyzed. Spectrophotometric methods and FT-ICR-MS were used to identify 3042 molecular formulas from different extracts. A. armata had high nitrogenous and sulphur content, while R. okamurae was rich in carbonated compounds. R. okamurae showed higher antioxidant capacity and phenolic content, and A. armata exhibited antimicrobial activity against human and fish pathogens.
Article
Oceanography
Andre Klicpera, Alvar Carranza, Cristiano M. Chiessi, Paula Franco-Fraguas, Till J. J. Hanebuth, Hildegard Westphal
Summary: The oceanographic dynamics off southeastern South America are controlled by the Brazil and Malvinas currents, as well as the discharge of the Plata River. The dominance of these components depends on the wind field and riverine discharge. This study reconstructs mid-deglacial seasonal hydrographic variability in the region using isotopic analysis of a long-living bivalve shell.
CONTINENTAL SHELF RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Alvar Carranza, Ignacio Agudo-Padron, Gonzalo A. Collado, Cristina Damborenea, Alejandra Fabres, Diego Gutierrez E. Gregoric, Cesar Lodeiros, Sandra Ludwig, Guido Pastorino, Pablo Penchaszadeh, Rodrigo B. Salvador, Paula Spotorno, Silvana Thiengo, Teofania H. D. A. Vidigal, Gustavo Darrigran
Summary: This paper provides a synoptic view on the socio-ecological impacts of invasive mollusc species in South America. It summarizes the documented impacts of non-native mollusc species and transplanted mollusc species, with 21 non-native species and 7 transplanted species found to have impacts on the environment, economy and society. Further research is encouraged to explore the impacts on human health and the environment.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Julia Vega, Daniela Barcenas-Perez, David Fuentes-Rios, Juan Manuel Lopez-Romero, Pavel Hrouzek, Felix Lopez Figueroa, Jose Cheel
Summary: Marine organisms have attracted biotechnological interest due to their diverse bioactive compounds. Five mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) were isolated from red macroalgae and a marine lichen using high-performance countercurrent chromatography (HPCCC). The MAAs were identified through HPLC, MS, and NMR analysis after the separation process.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mercedes Gonzalez-Conde, Julia Vega, Felix Lopez-Figueroa, Miguel Garcia-Castro, Ana Moscoso, Francisco Sarabia, J. Manuel Lopez-Romero
Summary: This study reports the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using daisy petals, leek, and garlic skin as reducing agents and water as solvent. The AgNPs obtained showed high monodispersity and spherical shapes with sizes ranging from 5 to 35 nm. The incorporation of AgNPs with red algae extracts into cosmetic formulations demonstrated a synergistic effect in photoprotection, attributed to their antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the inclusion of red algae extracts in beta-cyclodextrin and pNIPAM nanoparticles showed stability and controlled release properties.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ian Hewson, Isabella T. Ritchie, James S. Evans, Ashley Altera, Donald Behringer, Erin Bowman, Marilyn Brandt, Kayla A. Budd, Ruleo A. Camacho, Tomas O. Cornwell, Peter D. Countway, Aldo Croquer, Gabriel A. Delgado, Christopher DeRito, Elizabeth Duermit-Moreau, Ruth Francis-Floyd, Samuel Gittens, Leslie Henderson, Alwin Hylkema, Christina A. Kellogg, Yasunari Kiryu, Kimani A. Kitson-Walters, Patricia Kramer, Judith C. Lang, Harilaos Lessios, Lauren Liddy, David Marancik, Stephen Nimrod, Joshua T. Patterson, Marit Pistor, Isabel C. Romero, Rita Sellares-Blasco, Moriah L. B. Sevier, William C. Sharp, Matthew Souza, Andreina Valdez-Trinidad, Marijn van der Laan, Brayan Vilanova-Cuevas, Maria Villalpando, Sarah D. Von Hoene, Matthew Warham, Tom Wijers, Stacey M. Williams, Thierry M. Work, Roy P. Yanong, Someira Zambrano, Alizee Zimmermann, Mya Breitbart
Summary: Echinoderm mass mortality events have significant impacts on marine ecosystems. A recent mass mortality event affecting the sea urchin Diadema antillarum was investigated using molecular biology and veterinary pathology approaches. The presence of a scuticociliate most similar to Philaster apodigitiformis was consistently associated with abnormal urchins at affected sites, fulfilling Koch's postulates and indicating a new condition termed D. antillarum scuticociliatosis.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Jorge Garcia-Marquez, Jesus Vizcaino Antonio, Andre Barany, Alba Galafat, Gabriel Acien, Felix L. Figueroa, Javier Alarcon Francisco, Miguel Mancera Juan, Juan Antonio Martos-Sitcha, Salvador Arijo, Roberto Teofilo Abdala-Diaz
Summary: The study found that the combined administration of Chlorella fusca and ethanol-inactivated Vibrio proteolyticus significantly improved the growth performance and feed utilization of the thick-lipped grey mullet, while enhancing the lipid quality and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. This has potential benefits for human nutrition.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Vanessa Hatje, Margareth Copertino, Vinicius F. F. Patire, Ximena Ovando, Josiah Ogbuka, Beverly J. J. Johnson, Hilary Kennedy, Pere Masque, Joel C. C. Creed
Summary: Mangrove, seagrass, and saltmarsh ecosystems in the coastal Southwestern Atlantic store 0.4 Pg of organic carbon and annually sequester 0.5 to 3.9 Tg yr(-1) of organic carbon, indicating the importance of conserving these ecosystems to mitigate climate change, suggests a systematic review.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Adriana Grandis, Janaina S. Fortirer, Bruno V. Navarro, Lauana P. de Oliveira, Marcos S. Buckeridge
Summary: Sugarcane is crucial for sugar and ethanol production, and improving productivity and genetic engineering are essential in coping with environmental stresses. However, the sequencing of the sugarcane genome needs improvement. Integrating systems biology approaches and modeling tools can provide precise control of plant behavior to adapt to a changing environment.
BIOENERGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Celso Barbieri, Sheina Koffler, Jailson Nunes Leocadio, Bruno Albertini, Tiago Mauricio Francoy, Antonio Mauro Saraiva, Natalia P. Ghilardi-Lopes
Summary: In citizen science, training and evaluation play important roles in improving the effectiveness of projects. This study examines the impact of citizen scientists' profiles on their learning outcomes in multiple dimensions. The findings suggest that learning was observed in all dimensions, and profile variables such as gender, educational level, educational background, and prior experience influenced the learning outcomes. Participants showed high levels of nature connectedness, personal norms, pro-environmental behavior, and trust in science. The main motivations of participants were learning, conservation, and contributing to scientific knowledge production.
Article
Soil Science
Gabriel Nuto Nobrega, Xose L. Otero, Danilo Jefferson Romero, Hermano Melo Queiroz, Daniel Gorman, Margareth da Silva Copertino, Marisa de Cassia Piccolo, Tiago Osorio Ferreira
Summary: The soil characteristics of seagrass meadows in three coastal regions of Brazil vary greatly, leading to different soil processes and sediment properties, which are of great ecological and environmental significance for studying tropical seagrass meadows.
