Natural and marine environment

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The accumulation of microplastic pollution in a commercially important fishing ground.
(Nature Research, 2022-03-10) Cunningham, Eoghan M.; Ehlers, Sonja M.; Kiriakoulakis, Konstadinos; Schuchert, Pia; Jones, Nia H.; Kregting, Louise; Woodall, Lucy C.; Dick, Jaimie T.A.
The Irish Sea is an important area for Norway Lobster Nephrops norvegicus fisheries, which are the most valuable fishing resource in the UK. Norway lobster are known to ingest microplastic pollution present in the sediment and have displayed reduced body mass when exposed to microplastic pollution. Here, we identified microplastic pollution in the Irish Sea fishing grounds through analysis of 24 sediment samples from four sites of differing proximity to the Western Irish Sea Gyre in both 2016 and 2019. We used µFTIR spectroscopy to identify seven polymer types, and a total of 77 microplastics consisting of fibres and fragments. The mean microplastics per gram of sediment ranged from 0.13 to 0.49 and 0 to 1.17 MP/g in 2016 and 2019, respectively. There were no differences in the microplastic counts across years, and there was no correlation of microplastic counts with proximity to the Western Irish Sea Gyre. Considering the consistently high microplastic abundance found in the Irish Sea, and the propensity of N. norvegicus to ingest and be negatively impacted by them, we suggest microplastic pollution levels in the Irish Sea may have adverse impacts on N. norvegicus and negative implications for fishery sustainability in the future.
Achievable agricultural soil carbon sequestration across Europe from country-specific estimates
(Wiley, 2021-09-20) Rodrigues, Leonor; Hardy, Brieuc; Huyghebeart, Bruno; Fohrafellner, Julia; Fornara, Dario; Barancikova, Gabriela; Barcena, Teresa G.; De Boever, Maarten; Di Bene, Claudia; Feiziene, Dalia; Kaetterer, Thomas; Laszlo, Peter; O'Sullivan, Lilian; Seitz, Daria; Leifeld, Jens
The role of soils in the global carbon cycle and in reducing GHG emissions from agriculture has been increasingly acknowledged. The ‘4 per 1000’ (4p1000) initiative has become a prominent action plan for climate change mitigation and achieve food security through an annual increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks by 0.4%, (i.e. 4‰ per year). However, the feasibility of the 4p1000 scenario and, more generally, the capacity of individual countries to implement soil carbon sequestration (SCS) measures remain highly uncertain. Here, we evaluated country-specific SCS potentials of agricultural land for 24 countries in Europe. Based on a detailed survey of available literature, we estimate that between 0.1% and 27% of the agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can potentially be compensated by SCS annually within the next decades. Measures varied widely across countries, indicating differences in country-specific environmental conditions and agricultural practices. None of the countries' SCS potential reached the aspirational goal of the 4p1000 initiative, suggesting that in order to achieve this goal, a wider range of measures and implementation pathways need to be explored. Yet, SCS potentials exceeded those from previous pan-European modelling scenarios, underpinning the general need to include national/regional knowledge and expertise to improve estimates of SCS potentials. The complexity of the chosen SCS measurement approaches between countries ranked from tier 1 to tier 3 and included the effect of different controlling factors, suggesting that methodological improvements and standardization of SCS accounting are urgently required. Standardization should include the assessment of key controlling factors such as realistic areas, technical and practical feasibility, trade-offs with other GHG and climate change. Our analysis suggests that country-specific knowledge and SCS estimates together with improved data sharing and harmonization are crucial to better quantify the role of soils in offsetting anthropogenic GHG emissions at global level.
Animal-vehicle collisions during the COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020 in the Krakow metropolitan region, Poland
(Nature Research, 2022-05-09) Basak, Sayantani M.; O'Mahony, Declan; Lesiak, Maciej; Basak, Arpan Kumar; Ziolkowska, Elzbieta; Kaim, Dominik; Hossain, Md Sarwar; Wierzbowska, Izabela A.
The interrelations between human activity and animal populations are of increasing interest due to the emergence of the novel COVID-19 and the consequent pandemic across the world. Anthropogenic impacts of the pandemic on animals in urban-suburban environments are largely unknown. In this study, the temporal and spatial patterns of urban animal response to the COVID-19 lockdown were assessed using animal-vehicle collisions (AVC) data. We collected AVC data over two 6-month periods in 2019 and 2020 (January to June) from the largest metropolis in southern Poland, which included lockdown months. Furthermore, we used traffic data to understand the impact of lockdown on AVC in the urban area. Our analysis of 1063 AVC incidents revealed that COVID-19 related lockdown decreased AVC rates in suburban areas. However, in the urban area, even though traffic volume had significantly reduced, AVC did not decrease significantly, suggesting that lockdown did not influence the collision rates in the urban area. Our results suggest that there is a need to focus on understanding the effects of changes in traffic volume on both human behaviour and wildlife space use on the resulting impacts on AVC in the urban area.
Applying the nutrient transfer continuum framework to phosphorus and nitrogen losses from livestock farmyards to watercourses
(Wiley, 2021-10-05) Vero, Sara E.; Doody, Donnacha
Farmyards are commonly conceptualized as point sources of nutrient pollution nested within the wider agricultural landscape. However, within farmyards there are individual sources and delivery pathways, each of which is affected by a range of management practices and infrastructure. Rainfall mobilizes these nutrients, which may then be delivered to a receptor or to the wider drainage network. As such, the nutrient transfer continuum (NTC), which has been established as a framework to understand and mitigate nutrient loss at a landscape scale, can be similarly applied to disentangle the stages of nutrient transfer from farmyards. The NTC differentiates nutrient transfer into source, mobilization, delivery, and impact stages. This differentiation allows targeting of mitigation measures and evaluation of costs and benefits. This review paper applies the NTC template to farmyard nitrogen and phosphorus transport to conceptualize causative factors and to identify mitigation options.
Approaches to herbicide (MCPA) pollution mitigation in drinking water source catchments using enhanced space and time monitoring
(Elsevier, 2020-10-08) Morton, Phoebe; Cassidy, Rachel; Floyd, Stewart D.; Doody, Donnacha; McRoberts, W. Colin; Jordan, Philip
Freshwater occurrences of the selective acid herbicide 2-methyl-4-chloro-phenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) are an ongoing regulatory and financial issue for water utility industries as the number and magnitude of detections increase, particularly in surface water catchments. Assessments for mitigating pesticide pollution in catchments used as drinking water sources require a combination of catchment-based and water treatment solutions, but approaches are limited by a lack of empirical data. In this study, an enhanced spatial (11 locations) and temporal (7-hourly to daily sampling) monitoring approach was employed to address these issues in an exemplar surface water source catchment (384 km2). The spatial sampling revealed that MCPA was widespread, with occurrences above the 0.1 μg L−1 threshold for a single pesticide being highly positively correlated to sub-catchments with higher proportions of ‘Improved Grassland’ land use (r = 0.84). These data provide a strong foundation for targeting catchment-based mitigation solutions and also add to the debate on the ecosystems services provided by such catchments. Additionally, of the 999 temporal samples taken over 12 months from the catchment outlet, 25% were above the drinking water threshold of 0.1 μg L−1. This prevalence of high concentrations presents costly problems for source water treatment. Using these data, abstraction shutdowns were simulated for five scenarios using hydrometeorological data to explore the potential to avoid intake of high MCPA concentrations. The scenarios stopped abstraction for 4.2–9.3% of the April–October period and reduced intake of water containing over 0.1 μg L−1 of MCPA by 16–31%. This represents an important development for real-time proxy assessments for water abstraction in the absence of more direct pesticide monitoring data.
Assessments of Composite and Discrete Sampling Approaches for Water Quality Monitoring
(Springer, 2018-04-12) Cassidy, Rachel; Jordan, Phil; Bechmann, Marianne; Kronvang, Brian; Kyllmar, Katarina; Shore, Mairead
Achieving an operational compromise between spatial coverage and temporal resolution in national scale river water quality monitoring is a major challenge for regulatory authorities, particularly where chemical concentrations are hydrologically dependent. The efficacy of flow-weighted composite sampling (FWCS) approaches for total phosphorus (TP) sampling (n = 26–52 analysed samples per year), previously applied in monitoring programmes in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and which account for low to high flow discharges, was assessed by repeated simulated sampling on high resolution TP data. These data were collected in three research catchments in Ireland over the period 2010–13 covering a base-flow index range of 0.38 to 0.69. Comparisons of load estimates were also made with discrete (set time interval) daily and sub-daily sampling approaches (n = 365 to >1200 analysed samples per year). For all years and all sites a proxy of the Norwegian sampling approach, which is based on re-forecasting discharge for each 2-week deployment, proved most stable (median TP load estimates of 87–98%). Danish and Swedish approaches, using long-term flow records to set a flow constant, were only slightly less effective (median load estimates of 64–102% and 80–96%, respectively). Though TP load estimates over repeated iterations were more accurate using the discrete approaches, particularly the 24/7 approach (one sample every 7 h in a 24 bottle sampler - median % load estimates of 93–100%), composite load estimates were more stable, due to the integration of multiple small samples (n = 100–588) over a deployment.
Atlantic salmon smolts in the Irish Sea: First evidence of a northerly migration trajectory
(Wiley, 2020-06-09) Barry, James; Kennedy, Richard; Rosell, Robert S.; Roche, William K.
Results from an acoustic telemetry study revealed for the first time a northerly migration route for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) smolts leaving the east coast of Ireland. Atlantic salmon smolts were tagged in spring 2019 in the Castletown and Boyne rivers. Three tagged smolts registered on disparate deep‐water offshore marine receivers as they travelled northwards out of the Irish Sea through the North Channel. One fish had migrated an estimated 250 km in a period of 32 days. The remaining two individuals were detected on receivers located off the Northern Ireland coast, further corroborating the northward migration of salmon smolts through the Irish Sea.
Behavioural traits of rainbow trout and brown trout may help explain their differing invasion success and impacts
(Nature Research (Springer), 2022-02-02) McGlade, Ciara L. O.; Dickey, James W. E.; Kennedy, Richard; Donnelly, Shannon; Nelson, Clare‑Ann; Dick, Jaimie T. A.; Arnott, Gareth
Animal behaviour is increasingly recognised as critical to the prediction of non-native species success and impacts. Rainbow trout and brown trout have been introduced globally, but there appear to be differences in their patterns of invasiveness and ecological impact. Here, we investigated whether diploid rainbow trout and diploid and triploid brown trout differ among several key behavioural measures linked to invasiveness and impact. We assessed activity, boldness, aggression, and feeding, using open field, novel object, shelter, mirror, feeding, and functional response experiments. We also tested within each fish type for behavioural syndromes comprising correlations among activity, boldness and aggression. Rainbow trout were more active and aggressive but less bold than diploid and triploid brown trout. In small groups, however, rainbow trout were bolder than both types of brown trout. Diploid brown trout were more active and bolder than triploids when tested individually, and had a higher functional response than both rainbow trout and triploid brown trout. In terms of behavioural syndromes, there was no association between activity and boldness in rainbow trout, however, there was in both brown trout types. The increased activity and aggression of rainbow trout may reflect an increased stress response to novel situations, with this response reduced in a group. These results suggest that rainbow trout do not manage their energy budgets effectively, and may explain why they have limited survival as invaders. In addition, the lower functional response of rainbow trout may explain why they are implicated in fewer ecological impacts, and the triploidy treatment also appears to lower the potential impact of brown trout. Comparative analyses of multiple behaviours of invasive species and genetic variants may thus be key to understanding and predicting invader success and ecological impacts.
Bottom trawl fishing footprints on the world’s continental shelves
(National Academy of Sciences, 2018-10-08) Amoroso, Ricardo O.; Pitcher, C. Roland; Rijnsdorp, Adriaan D.; McConnaughey, Robert A.; Parma, Ana M.; Suuronen, Petri; Eigaard, Ole R.; Bastardie, Francois; Hintzen, Niels T.; Althaus, Franziska; Baird, Susan Jane; Black, Jenny; Buhl-Mortensen, Lene; Campbell, Alexander B.; Catarino, Rui; Collie, Jeremy; Cowan Jr., James H.; Durholtz, Deon; Engstrom, Nadia; Fairweather, Tracey P.; Fock, Heino O.; Ford, Richard; Gálvez, Patricio A.; Gerritsen, Hans; Góngora, María Eva; González, Jessica A.; Hiddink, Jan G.; Hughes, Kathryn M.; Intelmann, Steven S.; Jenkins, Chris; Jonsson, Patrik; Kainge, Paulus; Kangas, Mervi; Kathena, Johannes N.; Kavadas, Stefanos; Leslie, Rob W.; Lewis, Steve G.; Lundy, Mathieu; Makin, David; Martin, Julie; Mazor, Tessa; Gonzalez-Mirelis, Genoveva; Newman, Stephen J.; Papadopoulou, Nadia; Posen, Paulette E.; Rochester, Wayne; Russo, Tommaso; Sala, Antonello; Semmens, Jayson M.; Silva, Cristina; Tsolos, Angelo; Vanelslander, Bart; Wakefield, Corey B.; Wood, Brent A.; Hilborn, Ray; Kaiser, Michel J.; Jennings, Simon
Bottom trawlers land around 19 million tons of fish and invertebrates annually, almost one-quarter of wild marine landings. The extent of bottom trawling footprint (seabed area trawled at least once in a specified region and time period) is often contested but poorly described. We quantify footprints using high-resolution satellite vessel monitoring system (VMS) and logbook data on 24 continental shelves and slopes to 1,000-m depth over at least 2 years. Trawling footprint varied markedly among regions: from <10% of seabed area in Australian and New Zealand waters, the Aleutian Islands, East Bering Sea, South Chile, and Gulf of Alaska to >50% in some European seas. Overall, 14% of the 7.8 million-km2 study area was trawled, and 86% was not trawled. Trawling activity was aggregated; the most intensively trawled areas accounting for 90% of activity comprised 77% of footprint on average. Regional swept area ratio (SAR; ratio of total swept area trawled annually to total area of region, a metric of trawling intensity) and footprint area were related, providing an approach to estimate regional trawling footprints when highresolution spatial data are unavailable. If SAR was ≤0.1, as in 8 of 24 regions, therewas >95% probability that >90%of seabed was not trawled. If SAR was 7.9, equal to the highest SAR recorded, there was >95% probability that >70% of seabed was trawled. Footprints were smaller and SAR was ≤0.25 in regions where fishing rates consistently met international sustainability benchmarks for fish stocks, implying collateral environmental benefits from sustainable fishing.
Can carbon storage in West Antarctic fjords have an impact on climate change, following glacier retreat?
(Wiley, 2021-12-19) Hunter, Billy
Zwerschke et al’s (2021) paper ‘Quantification of blue carbon pathways contributing to negative feedback on climate change following glacier retreat in West Antarctic fjords’ provides an interesting insight into the potential for Antarctic fjords to store carbon, following glacial retreat. The authors used ash free dry mass (AFDM) as a proxy for carbon content in the carbon content of sediments and microbenthic infauna within the fjords to estimate their carbon sequestration potential. This equates to between 0.05 and 0.19 % of the estimated carbon buried at the seafloor. Consequently, the paper’s assertion that these fjords could provide a negative feedback against climate change is tenuous when considered against the wider impacts of Antarctic deglaciation.
A carrying capacity framework for soil phosphorus and hydrological sensitivity from farm to catchment scales
(Elsevier, 2019-06-04) Cassidy, Rachel; Thomas, Ian A.; Higgins, Alex J.; Bailey, John S.; Jordan, Phil
Agricultural fieldswith above optimumsoil phosphorus (P) are considered to pose risks to water quality and especially when those areas are coincident with hydrologically sensitive areas (HSAs) that focus surface runoff pathways. This is a challenge tomanage in areas of agricultural intensity in surfacewater dominated catchments where water quality targets have to be met. In this study, a soil P survey of 13 sub-catchments and 7693 fields was undertaken in a 220 km2 catchment. HSAs were also determined as the top 25th percentile risk froma runoff routingmodel that used a LiDAR digital elevation model and soil hydraulic conductivity properties. Distributions of these spatial data were compared with river soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentration measured fortnightly over one year. The results showed that 41% of fields exceeded the agronomic optimumfor soil P across the sub-catchments.When compared with the available water quality data, the results indicated that the high soil P carrying capacity area of the sub-catchmentswas 15%. Combining high soil P and HSA, the carrying capacity area of the sub-catchmentswas 1.5%. The opportunities to redistribute these riskswere analysed on fields with below optimum soil P and where HSA risk was also minimal. These ranged from 0.4% to 13.8% of sub-catchment areas and this limited potential, unlikely to fully reduce the P pressure to over-supplied fields, would need to be considered alongside addressing this over-supply and also with targeted HSA interception measures.
The changing times of Europe's largest remaining commercially harvested population of eel Anguilla anguilla L
(Wiley, 2021-06-04) Aprahamian, Miran W.; Evans, Derek W.; Briand, Cedric; Walker, Alan M.; McElarney, Yvonne; Allen, Michelle M.
This study quantifies the processes involved in regulating the European eel population of Lough Neagh, a lake in Northern Ireland. The relationship between glass eel input and silver eel output for the 1923–1997 cohorts was best described by a Beverton–Holt stock recruitment model. Glass eel input time series was not complete and was thus derived from the relationship between catches elsewhere in Europe and Lough Neagh, together with the addition of stocked glass eel. Silver eel output was the sum of silver eel escapement, catch and yellow eel catch converted to silver eel equivalents. Natural mortality increased with glass eel density, ranging from 0.017 to 0.142 year−1. The mean carrying capacity increased from ≈3.25 M silver eels (≈26 kg ha−1) for the 1923–1943 cohorts to ≈5.0 M (≈40 kg ha−1) for the 1948–1971 cohorts before regressing back to ≈3.25 M. The total silver eel output was highest during the late 1970s/early 1980s at 35–45 kg ha−1 year−1 and lowest during the early years of the 20th century and is currently at 10–15 kg ha−1 year−1. The findings are discussed in relation to (a) the ecological changes that have occurred within the lough, associated with eutrophication and the introduction of roach (Rutilus rutilus L.), and (b) the decline of the wider European eel stock across its distribution range. The findings from this study have relevance for the wider management of the European eel stock.
Combining Ecosystem and Single-Species Modeling to Provide Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management Advice Within Current Management Systems
(Frontiers Media, 2021-01-08) Howell, Daniel; Schueller, Amy M.; Bentley, Jacob W.; Buchheister, Andre; Chagaris, David; Cieri, Matthew; Drew, Katie; Lundy, Matthieu; Pedreschi, Debbi; Reid, David G.; Townsend, Howard
Although many countries have formally committed to Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM), actual progress toward these goals has been slow. This paper presents two independent case studies that have combined strategic advice from ecosystem modeling with the tactical advice of single-species assessment models to provide practical ecosystem-based management advice. With this approach, stock status, reference points, and initial target F are computed from a single-species model, then an ecosystem model rescales the target F according to ecosystem indicators without crossing pre-calculated single-species precautionary limits. Finally, the single-species model computes the quota advice from the rescaled target F, termed here Feco. Such a methodology incorporates both the detailed population reconstructions of the single-species model and the broader ecosystem perspective from ecosystem-based modeling, and fits into existing management schemes. The advocated method has arisen from independent work on EBFM in two international fisheries management systems: (1) Atlantic menhaden in the United States and (2) the multi species fisheries of the Irish Sea, in the Celtic Seas ecoregion. In the Atlantic menhaden example, the objective was to develop ecological reference points (ERPs) that account for the effect of menhaden harvest on predator populations and the tradeoffs associated with forage fish management. In the Irish Sea, the objective was to account for ecosystem variability when setting quotas for the individual target species. These two exercises were aimed at different management needs, but both arrived at a process of adjusting the target F used within the current single-species management. Although the approach has limitations, it represents a practical step toward EBFM, which can be adapted to a range of ecosystem objectives and applied within current management systems.
A comparison of the behaviour and survival of angling vs. trap-sampled S. salar smolts.
(Wiley, 2022-06-15) Kennedy, Richard; Rosell, Robert S.; Campbell, Warren; Allen, Michelle M.; Del Villar-Guerra, diego
An experiment was undertaken, using acoustic telemetry, to compare the survival and migratory timing of Salmo salar L. smolts sampled, under optimal conditions, in a traditional fixed Wolf trap against a sample of rod-caught fish captured using a sensitive angling technique. No significant difference was evident in survival with 83% of both samples detected in the river outflow, 67% of the trap and 76% of the rod samples were detected in coastal waters and finally 43% of the trap and 35% of the rod samples were detected on an offshore array c. 50 km from the river outlet. No significant difference was evident in the time taken for trap- and rod-sampled fish to reach either the river outflow, coastal or offshore waters. Angling, if undertaken sensitively, can provide an effective, resource-efficient and ethically justifiable sampling tool for juvenile salmonid age classes.
Current Trends and Challenges for Rapid SMART Diagnostics at Point-of-Site Testing for Marine Toxins
(MDPI, 2021-04-03) Dillon, Michael; Zaczek-Moczydlowska, Maja A.; Edwards, Christine; Turner, Andrew D.; Miller, Peter I.; Moore, Heather; McKinney, April; Lawton, Linda; Campbell, Katrina
In the past twenty years marine biotoxin analysis in routine regulatory monitoring has advanced significantly in Europe (EU) and other regions from the use of the mouse bioassay (MBA) towards the high-end analytical techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with tandem mass spectrometry (MS). Previously, acceptance of these advanced methods, in progressing away from the MBA, was hindered by a lack of commercial certified analytical standards for method development and validation. This has now been addressed whereby the availability of a wide range of analytical standards from several companies in the EU, North America and Asia has enhanced the development and validation of methods to the required regulatory standards. However, the cost of the high-end analytical equipment, lengthy procedures and the need for qualified personnel to perform analysis can still be a challenge for routine monitoring laboratories. In developing regions, aquaculture production is increasing and alternative inexpensive Sensitive, Measurable, Accurate and Real-Time (SMART) rapid point-of-site testing (POST) methods suitable for novice end users that can be validated and internationally accepted remain an objective for both regulators and the industry. The range of commercial testing kits on the market for marine toxin analysis remains limited and even more so those meeting the requirements for use in regulatory control. Individual assays include enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and lateral flow membrane-based immunoassays (LFIA) for EU-regulated toxins, such as okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxins (DTXs), saxitoxin (STX) and its analogues and domoic acid (DA) in the form of three separate tests offering varying costs and benefits for the industry. It can be observed from the literature that not only are developments and improvements ongoing for these assays, but there are also novel assays being developed using upcoming state-of-the-art biosensor technology. This review focuses on both currently available methods and recent advances in innovative methods for marine biotoxin testing and the end-user practicalities that need to be observed. Furthermore, it highlights trends that are influencing assay developments such as multiplexing capabilities and rapid POST, indicating potential detection methods that will shape the future market.
Data Descriptor: A European Multi Lake Survey dataset of environmental variables, phytoplankton pigments and cyanotoxins
(Nature Research, 2018-10-23) Mantzouki, Evanthia; Campbell, James; van Loon, Emiel; Visser, Petra; Konstantinou, Iosif; Antoniou, Maria; Giuliani, Grégory; Machado-Vieira, Danielle; de Oliveira, Alinne Gurjão; Maronić, Dubravka Špoljarić; Stević, Filip; Pfeiffer, Tanja Žuna; Vucelić, Itana Bokan; Žutinić, Petar; Udovič, Marija Gligora; Plenković-Moraj, Anđelka; Tsiarta, Nikoletta; Bláha, Luděk; Geriš, Rodan; Fránková, Markéta; Christoffersen, Kirsten Seestern; Warming, Trine Perlt; Feldmann, Tõnu; Laas, Alo; Panksep, Kristel; Tuvikene, Lea; Kangro, Kersti; Häggqvist, Kerstin; Salmi, Pauliina; Arvola, Lauri; Fastner, Jutta; Straile, Dietmar; Rothhaupt, Karl-Otto; Fonvielle, Jeremy; Grossart, Hans-Peter; Avagianos, Christos; Kaloudis, Triantafyllos; Triantis, Theodoros; Zervou, Sevasti-Kiriaki; Hiskia, Anastasia; Gkelis, Spyros; Panou, Manthos; McCarthy, Valerie; Perello, Victor C.; Koreivienė, Judita; Karosienė, Jūratė; Kasperovičienė, Jūratė; Savadova, Ksenija; Vitonytė, Irma; Haande, Sigrid; Skjelbred, Birger; Grabowska, Magdalena; Mazur-Marzec, Hanna; Alcaraz-Párraga, Pablo; Wilk-Woźniak, Elżbieta; Krztoń, Wojciech; Walusiak, Edward; Gagala, Ilona; Mankiewicz-Boczek, Joana; Toporowska, Magdalena; Pawlik-Skowronska, Barbara; Niedźwiecki, Michał; Pęczuła, Wojciech; Napiórkowska-Krzebietke, Agnieszka; Dunalska, Julita; Sieńska, Justyna; Szymański, Daniel; Szeląg-Wasielewska, Elżbieta; Domek, Piotr; Jakubowska-Krepska, Natalia; Kwasizur, Kinga; Messyasz, Beata; Pełechata, Aleksandra; Pełechaty, Mariusz; Kokocinski, Mikolaj; Madrecka, Beata; Kostrzewska-Szlakowska, Iwona; Frąk, Magdalena; Bańkowska-Sobczak, Agnieszka; Wasilewicz, Michał; Ochocka, Agnieszka; Pasztaleniec, Agnieszka; Jasser, Iwona; Antão-Geraldes, Ana M.; Leira, Manel; Hernández, Armand; Vasconcelos, Vitor; Morais, João; Vale, Micaela; Raposeiro, Pedro M.; Gonçalves, Vítor; Aleksovski, Boris; Krstić, Svetislav; Nemova, Hana; Drastichova, Iveta; Chomova, Lucia; Remec-Rekar, Spela; Elersek, Tina; Delgado-Martín, Jordi; García, David; Cereijo, Jose Luís; Gomà, Joan; Trapote, Mari Carmen; Vegas-Vilarrúbia, Teresa; Obrador, Biel; García-Murcia, Ana; Real, Monserrat; Romans, Elvira; Noguero-Ribes, Jordi; Duque, David Parreño; Fernández-Morán, Elísabeth; Úbeda, Bárbara; Gálvez, José Ángel; Marcé, Rafael; Catalán, Núria; Pérez-Martínez, Carmen; Ramos-Rodríguez, Eloísa; Cillero-Castro, Carmen; Moreno-Ostos, Enrique; Blanco, José María; Rodríguez, Valeriano; Montes-Pérez, Jorge Juan; Palomino, Roberto L.; Rodríguez-Pérez, Estela; Carballeira, Rafael; Camacho, Antonio; Picazo, Antonio; Rochera, Carlos; Santamans, Anna C.; Ferriol, Carmen; Romo, Susana; Soria, Juan Miguel; Hansson, Lars-Anders; Urrutia-Cordero, Pablo; Özen, Arda; Bravo, Andrea G.; Buck, Moritz; Colom-Montero, William; Mustonen, Kristiina; Pierson, Don; Yang, Yang; Verspagen, Jolanda M. H.; de Senerpont Domis, Lisette N.; Seelen, Laura; Teurlincx, Sven; Verstijnen, Yvon; Lürling, Miquel; Maliaka, Valentini; Faassen, Elisabeth J.; Latour, Delphine; Carey, Cayelan C.; Paerl, Hans W.; Torokne, Andrea; Karan, Tünay; Demir, Nilsun; Beklioğlu, Meryem; Filiz, Nur; Levi, Eti E.; Iskin, Uğur; Bezirci, Gizem; Tavşanoğlu, Ülkü Nihan; Çelik, Kemal; Özhan, Koray; Karakaya, Nusret; Koçer, Mehmet Ali Turan; Yilmaz, Mete; Maraşlıoğlu, Faruk; Yağcı, Abdulkadir; Cesur, Mehmet; Bilgin, Fuat; Bulut, Cafer; Uysal, Rahmi; Köker, Latife; Akçaalan, Reyhan; Albay, Meriç; Alp, Mehmet Tahir; Özkan, Korhan; Sevindik, Tuğba Ongun; Tunca, Hatice; Önem, Burçin; Richardson, Jessica; Edwards, Christine; Bergkemper, Victoria; O'Leary, Sarah; Beirne, Eilish; Cromie, Hannah; Ibelings, Bastiaan W.
Under ongoing climate change and increasing anthropogenic activity, which continuously challenge ecosystem resilience, an in-depth understanding of ecological processes is urgently needed. Lakes, as providers of numerous ecosystem services, face multiple stressors that threaten their functioning. Harmful cyanobacterial blooms are a persistent problem resulting from nutrient pollution and climate-change induced stressors, like poor transparency, increased water temperature and enhanced stratification. Consistency in data collection and analysis methods is necessary to achieve fully comparable datasets and for statistical validity, avoiding issues linked to disparate data sources. The European Multi Lake Survey (EMLS) in summer 2015 was an initiative among scientists from 27 countries to collect and analyse lake physical, chemical and biological variables in a fully standardized manner. This database includes in-situ lake variables along with nutrient, pigment and cyanotoxin data of 369 lakes in Europe, which were centrally analysed in dedicated laboratories. Publishing the EMLS methods and dataset might inspire similar initiatives to study across large geographic areas that will contribute to better understanding lake responses in a changing environment.
Does Landscape Structure Affect the Presence of Woodland Specialist Pollinators in Farmland? Implications for Agri-Environment Scheme Design
(Royal Irish Academy, 2022-03-16) Ruas, Sara; Kelly, Ruth; Ahmed, Karzan S.D.; Maher, Stephanie; O’Hora, Ellen; Volpato, Alessio; Ó hUallacháin, Daire; Gormally, Michael J.; Stout, Jane C.; Moran, James
natural or semi-natural habitats to nest and/or forage. Landscape structure has been shown to influence pollinator communities and understanding how landscape structure affects farmland pollinators can improve Agri-Environment Schemes (AES). This study explored how landscape metrics affect the presence of pollinators associated with woody vegetation in farmland in the Republic of Ireland. Two study regions were selected, and pollinators were collected using pan traps placed in farm linear features. Hoverfly and bee species were selected based on their body size and association with woody vegetation. Relevant landscape structure metrics were extracted from around each trap and used to develop explanatory models for the abundance of pollinators. The total abundance of target species was relatively low but correlated with three explanatory variables: the connectivity of the linear feature to woodlands; the distance from the trap to the closest woodland; and edge density. Hoverfly and bee abundance data, when analysed separately, showed significant differences within regions. Results seem to indicate that incentivising the connectivity of farm linear features to surrounding woodland patches and increasing optimal habitat availability in agricultural landscapes could benefit woodland specialists. This information is helpful to improving AES design.
Does rod catch reflect the background size structure of the sea trout stock in a small coastal river?
(Wiley, 2020-11-21) Kennedy, Richard; Rosell, Robert
The early marine distribution of Atlantic salmon in the North-east Atlantic: A genetically informed stock-specific synthesis
(Wiley, 2021-07-05) Gilbey, John; Utne, Kjell Rong; Wennevik, Vidar; Beck, Alexander Christian; Kausrud, Kyrre; Hindar, Kjetil; Garcia de Leaniz, Carlos; Cherbonnel, Corrine; Coughlan, Jamie; Cross, Tom F.; Dillane, Eileen; Ensing, Dennis; García-Vázquez, Eva; Hole, Lars R.; Holm, Marianne; Holst, Jens Christian; Jacobsen, Jan Arge; Jensen, Arne J.; Karlsson, Sten; Ó Maoiléidigh, Niall; Mork, Kjell Arne; Nielsen, Einar Eg; Nøttestad, Leif; Primmer, Craig R.; Prodöhl, Paulo; Pruso, Sergey; Stevens, Jamie R.; Thomas, Katie; Whelan, Ken; McGinnity, Philip; Verspoor, Eric
The survival of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), an increasingly rare anadromous species, has declined dramatically during its marine phase, with disproportionate impacts on the poorly understood early post-smolt period. Logistical constraints on collecting oceanic data to inform this issue pose a formidable obstacle. To advance understanding of post-smolt distributional ecology in the North-east Atlantic, a comprehensive analysis of existing information was undertaken. Data were synthesized from 385 marine cruises, 10,202 individual trawls, and 9,269 captured post-smolts, spanning three decades and ~4.75 million km2 of ocean, with 3,423 individuals genetically assigned to regional phylogeographic origin. The findings confirm major migrational post-smolt aggregations on the continental shelf-edge off Ireland, Scotland and Norway, and an important marine foraging area in the Norwegian Sea. Genetic analysis shows that aggregational stock composition does not simply reflect distance to natal rivers, with northern phylogeographic stock groups significantly under-represented in sampled high-seas aggregations. It identifies a key foraging habitat for southern European post-smolts located in international waters immediately west of the Vøring Plateau escarpment, potentially exposing them to a high by-catch mortality from extra-territorial pelagic fisheries. Evidence of the differential distribution of regional stocks points to fundamental differences in their migration behaviours and may lead to inter-stock variation in responses to environmental change and marine survival. The study shows that understanding of post-smolt marine ecology, as regards to stock-specific variations in habitat utilization, biological performance and exposure to mortality factors, can be significantly advanced by data integration across studies and exploiting genetic approaches.
Ecological Footprint and Its Determinants in MENA Countries: A Spatial Econometric Approach
(MDPI, 2022-09-18) Ramezani, Mohammadreza; Abolhassani, Leili; Foroushani, Naser Shahnoushi; Burgess, Diane E.; Aminizadeh, Milad
Countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have been facing serious environmental issues due to over-exploitation of natural resources. This paper analyzes the ecological footprint as a proxy of environmental degradation and determines its influencing factors in 18 MENA countries during 2000–2016. Despite the many studies on the relationship between the ecological footprint and its determinants in the region, the current study use spatial econometric models to take into account spatial dependence in the ecological footprint as well as its determinants. Using a spatial Durbin model, we revealed that neighbors’ behavior can significantly affect a country’s ecological footprint. Factors such as GDP per capita, trade openness, and financial development were found to increase environmental degradation, while the renewable energy consumption, urbanization, and quality of democracy effectively reduce the ecological footprint. These factors not only affect the ecological footprint in the host country, but also affect it in the adjacent countries in different ways. Due to the interdependence of the countries, we recommend development of a regional vision of the bio-economy such that the scope of the analysis goes beyond the country level to account for territorial effects. Furthermore, considering the great potential for renewable energy consumption in the region, we recommend MENA countries to develop use of renewable energy sources in order to reduce environmental degradation in the region

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