Publications

Enabling a large-scale assessment of litter along Saudi Arabian red sea shores by combining drones and machine learning

New microsatellite markers for the endemic Mediterranean seagrass <i>Posidonia oceanica</i>

Abstract The seagrass Posidonia oceanica is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, where it plays an important role in coastal ecosystem dynamics. Because of this important role and concerns about the observed regression of some meadows, population genetic studies of this species have been promoted. However, the markers used until now were not polymorphic enough to efficiently assess the level and spatial pattern of genetic variability. Hypervariable molecular markers were obtained by screening a genomic library enriched for microsatellite dinucleotide repeats. Among 25 primer pairs defined, eight amplified polymorphic microsatellites with an encouraging level of variability at the two geographical scales sampled.

Prevalence of genetic anomalies in embryos from a Peruvian Assisted Repro duction center

Unveiling the role and life strategies of viruses from the surface to the dark ocean

Viral activity exerts a particularly important role in the dark ocean across the global tropical and subtropical oceans.

Global Plastic Pollution Observation System to Aid Policy

Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental challenges and has received commensurate widespread attention. Although it is a top priority for policymakers and scientists alike, the knowledge required to guide decisions, implement mitigation actions, and assess their outcomes remains inadequate. We argue that an integrated, global monitoring system for plastic pollution is needed to provide comprehensive, harmonized data for environmental, societal, and economic assessments. The initial focus on marine ecosystems has been expanded here to include atmospheric transport and terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. An earth-system-level plastic observation system is proposed as a hub for collecting and assessing the scale and impacts of plastic pollution across a wide array of particle sizes and ecosystems including air, land, water, and biota and to monitor progress toward ameliorating this problem. The proposed observation system strives to integrate new information and to identify pollution hotspots (i.e., production facilities, cities, roads, ports, etc.) and expands monitoring from marine environments to encompass all ecosystem types. Eventually, such a system will deliver knowledge to support public policy and corporate contributions to the relevant United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Global warming, zooplankton shifts, and biogenic carbon fate in the southern ocean

Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research Open Science Conference (IMBER OSC 2014), Future Oceans, Research for marine sustainability: multiple stressors, drivers, challenges and solutions, 23-27 June 2014, Bergen, Norway

Differential thermal tolerance between algae and corals may trigger the proliferation of algae in coral reefs

Abstract Marine heatwaves can lead to rapid changes in entire communities, including in the case of shallow coral reefs the potential overgrowth of algae. Here we tested experimentally the differential thermal tolerance between algae and coral species from the Red Sea through the measurement of thermal performance curves and the assessment of thermal limits. Differences across functional groups (algae vs. corals) were apparent for two key thermal performance metrics. First, two reef‐associated algae species ( Halimeda tuna and Turbinaria ornata ) had higher lethal thermal limits than two coral species ( Pocillopora verrucosa and Stylophora pistillata ) conferring those species of algae with a clear advantage during heatwaves by surpassing the thermal threshold of coral survival. Second, the coral species had generally greater deactivation energies for net and gross primary production rates compared to the algae species, indicating greater thermal sensitivity in corals once the optimum temperature is exceeded. Our field surveys in the Red Sea reefs before and after the marine heatwave of 2015 show a change in benthic cover mainly in the southern reefs, where there was a decrease in coral cover and a concomitant increase in algae abundance, mainly turf algae. Our laboratory and field observations indicate that a proliferation of algae might be expected on Red Sea coral reefs with future ocean warming.

Synergistic control of CO2 emissions by fish and nutrients in a humic tropical lake

El cambio climático más peligroso que nunca en el Ártico

Datos tecnicos: 4 minutos, color, espanol e ingles con subtitulos en espanol. Ficha tecnica: Gabinete de Presidencia CSIC y Departamento de Comunicacion

La aparente estabilidad de la materia orgánica en el océano profundo

Biogenic silica production and diatom dynamics in the Svalbard region during spring

Abstract. Diatoms are generally the dominant contributors to the Arctic Ocean spring bloom, which is a key event in regional food webs in terms of capacity for secondary production and organic matter export. Dissolved silicic acid is an obligate nutrient for diatoms and has been declining in the European Arctic since the early 1990s. The lack of regional silicon cycling information precludes understanding the consequences of such changes for diatom productivity during the Arctic spring bloom. This study communicates the results from a cruise in the European Arctic around Svalbard, which reports the first concurrent data on biogenic silica production and export, export of diatom cells, the degree of kinetic limitation by ambient silicic acid, and diatom contribution to primary production. Regional biogenic silica production rates were significantly lower than those achievable in the Southern Ocean and silicic acid concentration limited the biogenic silica production rate in 95 % of samples. Compared to diatoms in the Atlantic subtropical gyre, regional diatoms are less adapted for silicic acid uptake at low concentration, and at some stations during the present study, silicon kinetic limitation may have been intense enough to limit diatom growth. Thus, silicic acid can play a critical role in diatom spring bloom dynamics. The diatom contribution to primary production was variable, ranging from &lt;10 % to ∼100 % depending on the bloom stage and phytoplankton composition. While there was agreement with previous studies regarding the export rate of diatom cells, we observed significantly elevated biogenic silica export. Such a discrepancy can be resolved if a higher fraction of the diatom material exported during our study was modified by zooplankton grazers. This study provides the most direct evidence to date suggesting the important coupling of the silicon and carbon cycles during the spring bloom in the European Arctic.

Paros 4.0 y los no representados

Los procesos de movilización y protesta han experimentado una innegable transformación en los últimos años. A partir de la ya clásica definición de “nuevos movimientos sociales” esbozada por Alain Touraine en los años ochenta, o la de “movimientos populares” de Leopoldo Múnera en los noventa, la discusión posteriormente se transformó desde orillas diferentes bajo el paradigma interseccional y la teoría crítica. En la actualidad, una cuarta generación de formas de movilización (4.0), ha venido emergiendo en el marco de profundos procesos de individualización social, universalización de las redes sociales, precarización y aumento de las brechas de desigualdad.&#x0D; Estas formas de organización colectiva son profundamente horizontales, tienen dificultades, o no reconocen totalmente los mecanismos de representación tradicional de la izquierda. Se movilizan a modo de enjambre, como esboza Byung-Chul Han, e invitan a repensar o deconstruir la fácil conceptualización oficial del “vándalo”. Asimismo, plantean la necesidad de pensar espacios de diálogo social multinivel y multisituados.&#x0D; A esta nueva forma de interpelación y organización social la hemos sintetizado, para esta convocatoria, bajo la categoría temporal de Paros 4.0. Dicha invitación fue acogida por varios grupos e individuos, que buscan aportar a pensar estos nuevos fenómenos sociales que seguramente seguirán profundizándose como lineamientos de la acción colectiva organizada.&#x0D; Como podrá observarse en los articulos que hacen parte del presente número, los principales actores de las protestas representaban los sectores víctimas de la desigualdad y de la exclusión histórica en Colombia. Jóvenes desempleados o sin acceso a la educación, trabajadores informales, colectivos étnicos y culturales, desplazados, víctimas del conflicto, personas vinculadas con trabajos ilícitos, actores armados en proceso de reincorperación, entre otros, hicieron un llamado a ser tenidos en cuenta tanto por sus semejantes, como por las instituciones del poder.

Dissolved organic matter release in a Posidonia oceanica meadow

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 374:75-84 (2009) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07715 Dissolved organic matter release in a Posidonia oceanica meadow Cristina Barrón1,2,*, Carlos M. Duarte1 1IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), C/ Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles (Islas Baleares), Spain 2Present address: Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium *Email: cbarron@vub.ac.be ABSTRACT: We examined annual nutrient changes (nitrate, phosphate and ammonium) and the net dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrogen (DON) and phosphorus (DOP) release using in situ benthic incubations in a Posidonia oceanica meadow and in unvegetated sediments of Magalluf Bay (Mallorca Island, Spain) at monthly intervals. We also examined the role of the P. oceanica meadow in the C:N:P ratio transformations by comparing the ratios between the inorganic and dissolved organic fluxes in the seagrass ecosystem and those in the plant material. Our results indicate that P. oceanica communities enhance DOC fluxes relative to adjacent unvegetated sediments. The net DOC release from the P. oceanica meadow represents 71% of the net community production. The C:N:P ratio in the flux of dissolved organic material (DOM) from the P. oceanica community (1450:69:1) exceeded the C:N:P ratio in the DOM flux of unvegetated sediment communities. The high flux of DOC release from this seagrass community might be enriched in carbon compounds, as these plants produce non-structural carbohydrates in excess. KEY WORDS: Benthic fluxes · Seagrasses · Dissolved organic carbon · Posidonia oceanica · Dissolved organic matter · Carbohydrates Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Barrón C, Duarte CM (2009) Dissolved organic matter release in a Posidonia oceanica meadow. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 374:75-84. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07715 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 374. Online publication date: January 13, 2009 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2009 Inter-Research.

Author response for "A standardisation framework for bio‐logging data to advance ecological research and conservation"

Substantial blue carbon sequestration in the world’s largest seagrass meadow

Abstract Seagrass meadows are important sinks for organic carbon and provide co-benefits. However, data on the organic carbon stock in seagrass sediments are scarce for many regions, particularly The Bahamas, which accounts for up to 40.7% of the documented global seagrass area, limiting formulation of blue carbon strategies. Here, we sampled 10 seagrass meadows across an extensive island chain in The Bahamas. We estimate that Bahamas seagrass meadows store 0.42–0.59 Pg organic carbon in the top-meter sediments with an accumulation rate of 2.1–2.9 Tg annually, representing a substantial global blue carbon hotspot. Autochthonous organic carbon in sediments decreased from ~1980 onwards, with concomitant increases in cyanobacterial and mangrove contributions, suggesting disturbance of seagrass ecosystems, likely caused by tourism and maritime traffic activities. This study provides seagrass blue carbon data from a vast, understudied region and contributes to improving climate action for The Bahamas and the Greater Caribbean region.

Isolation and Bioactivity Evaluation of Sesquiterpenes from an Alcyonarian of the Genus <i>Lemnalia</i> from the Saudi Arabian Red Sea

Over the last decades, soft corals have been proven a rich source of biologically active compounds, featuring a wide range of chemical structures. Herein, we investigated the chemistry of an alcyonarian of the genus Lemnalia (Neptheidae), specimens of which were collected from the coral reefs near Al Lith, on the south-west coast of Saudi Arabia. A series of chromatographic separations led to the isolation of 31 sesquiterpenes, featuring mainly the nardosinane and neolemnane carbon skeletons, among which three (13, 14 and 28) are new natural products. The metabolites isolated in sufficient amounts were evaluated in vitro in human tumor and non-cancerous cell lines for a number of biological activities, including their cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and neuroprotective activities, as well as for their effect on androgen receptor (AR)-regulated transcription. Among the tested metabolites, compound 12 showed comparable neuroprotective activity to the positive control N-acetylcysteine, albeit at a 10-fold lower concentration.

Mummified cave cheetahs inform rewilding actions in Saudi Arabia