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This article explores how boat dwellers on the inland waterways of England and Wales – 'Boaters' – experience water and sanitation services. Boating populations are not counted as customers of private water utilities, so they exist within the 'dwelling paradox' and are positioned at greater risk of water and sanitation insecurity. Interviews and auto-ethnography document a myriad of ways in which participants use these resources on different vessels and waterways. The Capability Approach emerges as an apt framework for representing nuanced journeys from water and sanitation access to perceived quality of life. Findings suggest that equitable services can be defined as those which enable Boaters to live in ways they value. This entails reckoning with diverse – and potentially divergent – definitions of a 'good life', supported by the personal freedoms to achieve it. We argue this research makes a strong case for centring lived experiences in service design, particularly in instances of disagreement on the constitution of adequate service levels. Co-creating knowledge with people living in the dwelling paradox reveals complex relationships with authority and exclusion. We extend this theory, and the principles of equitable service delivery, to emphasise the situated desires, choices, and freedoms of the populations in question.

For the evaluation of the construction effect of engineering projects, this study combines the comprehensive evaluation index system and fuzzy mathematical methods, and improves the calculation process of the fuzzy matrix. A fuzzy mathematical method for the evaluation of river comprehensive improvement project is proposed. The results indicate that the comprehensive evaluation of river improvement benefits needs to start from four directions: engineering benefits, ecological benefits, economic benefits, and social benefits, with target layer weights of 0.2904, 0.4755, 0.0586, and 0.1755, respectively. The expert evaluation results indicate that most evaluation indicators of the project have a rating value greater than 5 points, and some indicators have a rating value of 8 points or above. This indicates that the evaluation samples for comprehensive river improvement in the research area perform well in most indicators and achieve good improvement results. The comprehensive evaluation index belongs to the second category of fuzzy values, and the effect of the river comprehensive improvement project is relatively ideal, which is consistent with the actual evaluation. The results indicate that this method converts qualitative indicators into quantitative indicators, making the evaluation results more comparable and quantifiable, which helps to promote the effective implementation of river regulation work.

Existing in situ global sediment monitoring limits our potential to answer regional and continental scale sediment transport questions. Remote sensing of rivers has an established history addressing these spatial and temporal data gaps but suffers from resolution and overpass timing tradeoffs. Satellite spatiotemporal data fusion can help alleviate these tradeoffs by “teaching” a coarse resolution sensor what it would have seen if it were a fine resolution satellite. In this study, we fuse Landsat/Sentinel-2 with MODIS to produce 30 m spatial data with Landsat bands and MODIS repeat frequency. We then create a database of 1.8M large river sediment concentrations derived from fused and nonfused images made over 1253 Continental United States sites, as validated with over 25 000 in situ measurements across these same sites. Combining fused and original images using a globally scalable workflow more than doubles training and prediction image data density with marginal loss in overall performance (combined model relative error 36% versus 33% landsat versus 39% fusion) and no loss in stability. Furthermore, we test our global model's ability to generate meaningful time series for individual large and small rivers included in and exogenous to the training data. Results indicate that global model skill holds when applied at a site, even out of sample, which paves the way for future sediment mapping in the MODIS era and shows the value of fusion for addressing hydrologic measurement challenges.

Freshwater salinisation and alkalinisation strongly depend on human and natural factors. We used an explainable machine learning approach to investigate the impact of natural and human factors on the salinity and alkalinity in rivers in the United States. The model achieved coefficient of determination of 0.89 for salinity predictions and 0.92 for alkalinity predictions. Shapley additive explanations revealed salinisation is driven mainly by human factors like population density (18 %) and impervious surface percentage (13 %) and natural factors like run-off (14 %). The alkalinisation is mainly influenced by natural processes such as runoff (36 %) and soil-pH (20 %).

The objective of this study was to determine the etiology of febrile illnesses among patients from October 1, 1993 through September 30, 1999, in the urban community of Iquitos in the Amazon River Basin of Peru. Epidemiological and clinical data as well as blood samples were obtained from consenting patients at hospitals, health clinics and private residences. Samples were tested for arboviruses in cell cultures and for IgM and IgG antibodies by ELISA. Blood smears were examined for malaria, and sera were tested for antibodies to Leptospira spp. by ELISA and microscopic agglutination. Among 6,607 febrile patients studied, dengue viruses caused 14.6% of the cases, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus caused 2.5%, Oropouche virus 1.0%, Mayaro virus 0.4%, and other arboviruses caused 0.2% of the cases. Also, 22.9% of 4,844 patients tested were positive for malaria, and of 400 samples tested, 9% had evidence of acute leptospirosis. Although the study was not designed to assess the importance of these pathogens as a cause of human morbidity in the total population, these results indicate that arboviruses, leptospirosis, and malaria were the cause of approximately 50% of the febrile cases. Although the arboviruses that were diagnosed can produce asymptomatic infections, our findings increased the overall understanding of the relative health burden of these infections, as well as baseline knowledge needed for designing and implementing further studies to better assess the health impact and threat of these pathogens in the Amazon Basin of Peru.

40Ar/39Ar geochronology constraints to aggradational phases and grain size variations show that the two large gravel beds occurring in the sedimentary filling of the Liri fluvial-lacustrine basin (central Italy) recorded the occurrence of deglaciation events synchronous within uncertainties with global meltwater pulses at ca. 450 and 350 ka. In particular, we find a precise match between the ages of gravel deposition and the occurrence of moderate sea-level rise events which anticipate those more marked during the glacial termination V and IV in the Red Sea relative sea level curve, as already verified by data from the Tiber River catchment basin. Such correspondence suggests that gravel deposition is facilitated by melting of Apennine mountain range glaciers, which provide the water transport energy and a surplus of clastic input to the rivers draining the mountain regions and flowing into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Therefore, the thick gravel beds intercalated in the sedimentary filling of the catchment basins of the major rivers in central Italy may be regarded as an equivalent proxy of large deglaciation events, similar to the ice-rafted debris in northern Atlantic. Consistent with this hypothesis, we also show the close correspondence between the occurrence of particularly mild (warmer) minima of the mean summer insolation at 65° N and these early aggradational phases, as well as with other anomalous early sea-level rises occurring c. 750 ka and 540 ka at the onset of glacial termination VIII and VI, and 40 ka at the onset of the so-called Heinrich events.

Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) extraction is increasing exponentially around the world, as new technological advances have provided cost-effective methods to extract hard-to-reach hydrocarbons. While UOG has increased the energy output of some countries, past research indicates potential impacts in nearby stream ecosystems as measured by geochemical and microbial markers. Here, we utilized a robust data set that combines 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (DNA), metatranscriptomics (RNA), geochemistry, and trace element analyses to establish the impact of UOG activity in 21 sites in northern Pennsylvania. These data were also used to design predictive machine learning models to determine the UOG impact on streams. We identified multiple biomarkers of UOG activity and contributors of antimicrobial resistance within the order Burkholderiales. Furthermore, we identified expressed antimicrobial resistance genes, land coverage, geochemistry, and specific microbes as strong predictors of UOG status. Of the predictive models constructed (n = 30), 15 had accuracies higher than expected by chance and area under the curve values above 0.70. The supervised random forest models with the highest accuracy were constructed with 16S rRNA gene profiles, metatranscriptomics active microbial composition, metatranscriptomics active antimicrobial resistance genes, land coverage, and geochemistry (n = 23). The models identified the most important features within those data sets for classifying UOG status. These findings identified specific shifts in gene presence and expression, as well as geochemical measures, that can be used to build robust models to identify impacts of UOG development. IMPORTANCE The environmental implications of unconventional oil and gas extraction are only recently starting to be systematically recorded. Our research shows the utility of microbial communities paired with geochemical markers to build strong predictive random forest models of unconventional oil and gas activity and the identification of key biomarkers. Microbial communities, their transcribed genes, and key biomarkers can be used as sentinels of environmental changes. Slight changes in microbial function and composition can be detected before chemical markers of contamination. Potential contamination, specifically from biocides, is especially concerning due to its potential to promote antibiotic resistance in the environment. Additionally, as microbial communities facilitate the bulk of nutrient cycling in the environment, small changes may have long-term repercussions. Supervised random forest models can be used to identify changes in those communities, greatly enhance our understanding of what such impacts entail, and inform environmental management decisions.

Anoxic conditions within reservoirs related to thermal stratification and oxygen depletion lead to methylmercury (MeHg) production, a key process governing the uptake of mercury in aquatic food webs. Once formed within a reservoir, the timing and magnitude of the biological uptake of MeHg and the relative importance of MeHg export in water versus biological compartments remain poorly understood. We examined the relations between the reservoir stratification state, anoxia, and the concentrations and export loads of MeHg in aqueous and biological compartments at the outflow locations of two reservoirs of the Hells Canyon Complex (Snake River, Idaho-Oregon). Results show that (1) MeHg concentrations in filter-passing water, zooplankton, suspended particles, and detritus increased in response to reservoir destratification; (2) zooplankton MeHg strongly correlated with MeHg in filter-passing water during destratification; (3) reservoir anoxia appeared to be a key control on MeHg export; and (4) biological MeHg, primarily in zooplankton, accounted for only 5% of total MeHg export from the reservoirs (the remainder being aqueous compartments). These results improve our understanding of the role of biological incorporation of MeHg and the subsequent downstream release from seasonally stratified reservoirs and demonstrate that in-reservoir physical processes strongly influence MeHg incorporation at the base of the aquatic food web.

ObjectivesStudies have demonstrated the efficacy of mechanical devices at delivering high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (HQ-CPR) in various transport settings. Herein, this study investigates the efficacy of manual and mechanical HQ-CPR delivery on a fire rescue boat.MethodsA total of 15 active firefighter-paramedics were recruited for a prospective manikin-based trial. Each paramedic performed two minutes manual compression-only CPR while navigating on a river-based fire rescue boat. The boat was piloted in either a stable linear manner or dynamic S-turn manner to simulate obstacle avoidance. For each session of manual HQ-CPR, a session of mechanical HQ-CPR was also performed with a LUCAS 3 (Stryker; Kalamazoo, Michigan USA). A total of 60 sessions were completed. Parameters recorded included compression fraction (CF) and the percentage of compressions with correct depth >5cm (D%), correct rate 100-120 (R%), full release (FR%), and correct hand position (HP%). A composite HQ-CPR score was calculated as follows: ((D% + R% + FR% + HP%)/4) * CF%). Differences in magnitude of change seen in stable versus dynamic navigation within study conditions were evaluated with a Z-score calculation. Difficulty of HQ-CPR delivery was assessed utilizing the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale.ResultsParticipants were mostly male and had a median experience of 20 years. Manual HQ-CPR delivered during stable navigation out-performed manual HQ-CPR delivered during dynamic navigation for composite score and trended towards superiority for FR% and R%. There was no difference seen for any measured variable when comparing mechanical HQ-CPR delivered during stable navigation versus dynamic navigation. Mechanical HQ-CPR out-performed manual HQ-CPR during both stable and dynamic navigation in terms of composite score, FR%, and R%. Z-score calculation demonstrated that manual HQ-CPR delivery was significantly more affected by drive style than mechanical HQ-CPR delivery in terms of composite HQ-CPR score and trended towards significance for FR% and R%. Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion was higher for manual CPR delivered during dynamic sessions than for stable sessions.ConclusionMechanical HQ-CPR delivery is superior to manual HQ-CPR delivery during both stable and dynamic riverine navigation. Whereas manual HQ-CPR delivery was worse during dynamic transportation conditions compared to stable transport conditions, mechanical HQ-CPR delivery was unaffected by drive style. This suggests the utility of routine use of mechanical HQ-CPR devices in the riverine patient transport setting.

Global industrialization has contributed substantial amounts of chemical pollutants in rivers, resulting in an uninhabitable state and impacting different life forms. Moreover, water macrophytes, such as water hyacinths, are abundantly present in polluted rivers, significantly affecting the overall water biogeochemistry. Bioremediation involves utilizing microbial metabolic machinery and is one of the most viable approaches for removing toxic pollutants. Conventional techniques generate limited information on the indigenous microbial population and their xenobiotic metabolism, failing the bioremediation process. Metagenomics can overcome these limitations by providing in-depth details of microbial taxa and functionality-related information required for successful biostimulation and augmentation. An in-depth summary of the findings related to pollutant metabolizing genes and enzymes in rivers still needs to be collated. The present study details bioremediation genes and enzymes functionally mined from polluted river ecosystems worldwide using a metagenomic approach. Several studies reported a wide variety of pollutant-degrading enzymes involved in the metabolism of dyes, plastics, persistent organic pollutants, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Additionally, few studies also noted a shift in the microbiome of the rivers upon exposure to contaminants, crucially affecting the ecological determinant processes. Furthermore, minimal studies have focused on the role of water-hyacinth–associated microbes in the bioremediation potentials, suggesting the need for the bioprospecting of these lesser-studied microbes. Overall, our study summarizes the prospects and utilities of the metagenomic approach and proposes the need to employ it for efficient bioremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporating societal considerations into decisions related to invasive species management is desirable, but can be challenging because it requires a solid understanding of the ecological functions and socio- cultural and economic benefits and values of the invaded environment before and after invasion. The ecosystem service (ES) concept was designed to facilitate such decision-making by establishing direct connections between ecosystem properties and human well-being, but its application in invasive species management has not been systematic. In this Discussion paper, we propose the adoption of the ES cascade model as a framework for understanding the environmental effects, costs and benefits associated with controlling an invasive shrub (Tamarix spp.) in riparian systems of the western United States. The cascade model has the advantage of explicitly dissecting social-ecological systems into five components: ecosystem structure and processes, ecological functions, ecosystem services, benefits and the economic and socio-cultural valuation of these services and benefits. The first two have received significant attention in the evaluation of Tamarix control effectiveness. The last three have long been implicitly acknowledged over decades of Tamarix management in the region, but have not been formally accounted for, which we believe would increase the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of management efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental influences on species' functional traits are important ecological issues to assess biodiversity. Relationships among fish abundance, their functional traits, and environmental conditions across different levels of anthropogenic impacts in a tropical Brazilian river were evaluated. We combined RLQ and fourth-corner methods, utilizing local environmental variables and the Human Footprint Index (HFI) as a human activities indicator. Three HFI levels (High, Intermediate, and Low) and short-term (1993–2009) impact changes at each location were assigned. Fish with internal fertilization and small body sizes were strongly associated with high HFI scores. Grass-dominated riparian areas were common in altered locations, whereas less altered localities exhibited the riparian cover dominated by trees. Highly altered areas showed high HFI, grass-covered riparian zones, and small-sized species with internal fertilization (e.g., Cyprinodontiformes like Poecilia vivipara, Poecilia reticulata, and Phalloceros caudimaculatus). In contrast, less altered areas had tree-lined riparian zones and medium to large-sized species with external fertilization and diverse traits. Underlying deterministic processes shape species distribution, tied to environment and traits. Filtering of traits in the most altered locations may favor small-sized species with internal fertilization. This approach, utilizing HFI and local variables to assess trait–environment relationships of riverine fish, facilitates understanding organisms' responses to environmental constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The loose‐equilibrium concept (LEC) predicts that ecological assemblages change transiently but return towards an earlier or average structure. The LEC framework can help determine whether assemblages vary within expected ranges or are permanently altered following environmental change.Long‐lived, slow‐growing animals typically respond slowly to environmental change, and their assemblage dynamics may respond over decades, which transcends most ecological studies. Unionid mussels are valuable for studying dynamics of long‐lived animals because they can live >50 years and occur in dense, species‐rich assemblages (mussel beds). Mussel beds can persist for decades, but disturbance can affect species differently, resulting in variable trajectories according to differences in species composition within and among rivers.We used long‐term data sets (10–40 years) from seven rivers in the eastern United States to evaluate the magnitude, pace and directionality of mussel assemblage change within the context of the LEC.Site trajectories varied within and among streams and showed patterns consistent with either the LEC or directional change. In streams that conformed to the LEC, rank abundance of dominant species remained stable over time, but directional change in other streams was driven by changes in the rank abundance and composition of dominant species.Characteristics of mussel assemblage change varied widely, ranging from those conforming to the LEC to those showing strong directional change. Conservation approaches that attempt to maintain or create a desired assemblage condition should acknowledge this wide range of possible assemblage trajectories and that the environmental factors that influence those changes remain poorly understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinization is a global threat to freshwater habitats that has been intensified by climate change. Monitoring, assessment and management of salinity is therefore essential. The first step is to set criteria that are sufficiently stringent to protect ecosystem health. However, many countries have not yet defined criteria, and there are substantial differences between criteria. This has been noted in the EU, where salinity is a required “supporting element” for ecological status in inland waters but also for implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 6.3.2. for “good ambient water quality” where different approaches and widely different threshold values were reported for salinity criteria. Much of this information has not been published and is difficult to access, hindering further efforts to address the problem. We first discuss the implications of salinization for freshwater ecological health. We go on to discuss the principles and guidelines on how salinity criteria to protect ecology should be established. Next, we review salinity criteria submitted as part of implementation of SDG indicator 6.3.2 and the EU Water Framework Directive. Finally, we discuss setting salinity thresholds in an already-warming world and the challenges facing anyone trying to develop salinity criteria to protect freshwater ecosystems. This article is categorized under: Water and Life > Stresses and Pressures on Ecosystems Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness Science of Water > Water Quality [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Kirkuk University for Agricultural Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: Anthropogenic land use change has caused an increase in particulate nutrient loads from catchments draining to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The research in GBR catchments has indicated that particulate nutrients are bioavailable to both freshwater and marine phytoplankton, but relative importance of this source of nutrients to the GBR is unknown. We quantified the contribution of this source of bioavailable nitrogen in a dry-tropics grazing and a wet-tropics fertilized mixed land use catchment of the GBR. Materials and methods: The different bioavailable nitrogen pools and associated processes through which dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) is generated from eroded sediment (mass of DIN generated per mass of sediment) were identified. These pools and processes were quantified from a range of representative sediment sources (e.g. surface and subsurface soil and different land uses). We collected 17 sediment source samples in the wet tropics and 41 in the dry tropics. We combined the N pool concentration data with spatial and hydrological fine sediment modelling to estimate the contribution from different sources and processes/pools to the end-of-catchment DIN load. Results and discussion: The modelled load of DIN generated from sediment accounted for all the monitored DIN load in the grazing-dominated catchment but was insignificant in the fertilized mixed land use catchment. Sediment from surface erosion (hillslope erosion) and some soil types contributed disproportionally to the modelled DIN generation. Fast solubilisation of DIN was the main process in the catchments studied. The importance of mineralisation of the organic fraction increased with the time the sediment was in suspension. Conclusion: Particulate nutrients in sediment are a significant source of bioavailable nitrogen in eroding grazing catchments. The processes that drive this bioavailability are complex, vary with sediment source and operate at different timeframes and spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elevations of water surfaces hold important information on the earth's oceans and land surface waters. Ocean sea surface height is related to the internal change of the ocean's density and mass associated with ocean circulation and its response to climate change. The flow rates of rivers and volume changes of lakes are crucial to freshwater supplies and the hazards of floods and drought resulting from extreme weather and climate events. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Mission is a new satellite using advanced radar technology to make headway in observing the variability of the elevation of water surfaces globally, providing fundamentally new information previously not available to the study of earth's waters. Here, we provide the first results of SWOT over oceans, rivers, and lakes. We demonstrate the potential of the mission to address science questions in oceanography and hydrology. Plain Language Summary: Earth is a water planet. The vast amount of ocean water has stored most of the heat released to the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution through burning fossil fuels. Climate change is thus moderated by the ocean. Over land the freshwater in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, a critical natural resource, is affected by the warming climate and direct human modifications. Processes of oceanic uptake of heat and carbon from the atmosphere and cycling of freshwater on land take place at spatial scales too small to have been adequately quantified from space. A new satellite, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission, was launched in December 2022. Using advanced radar technology, SWOT provides unprecedented global observations for understanding the ocean's role in climate change and how freshwater resources respond to human influence. SWOT observations near coasts will also advance understanding of how rising sea levels impact those coasts. Key Points: The first space observations of submesoscale ocean surface topography for understanding ocean's role in heat uptake from the atmosphereThe first space observations of the change of water storage of lakes and flow rates of rivers for understanding the freshwater cycleThe first space observations of the details of the change of coastal water levels to assess the impact of local sea level rise [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial and environmental granular flows commonly exhibit a phenomenon known as “granular segregation,” in which grains separate according to physical characteristics (size, shape, density), interfering with industrial applications (cement mixing, medicine, and food production) and fundamentally altering the behavior of geophysical flows (landslides, debris flows, pyroclastic flows, riverbeds). While size-induced segregation has been well studied, the role of grain shape has not. Here we conduct numerical experiments to investigate how grain shape affects granular segregation in dry and wet flows. To isolate the former, we compare dry, bidisperse mixtures of spheres alone with mixtures of spheres and cubes in a rotating drum. Results show that while segregation level generally increases with particle size ratio, the presence of cubes decreases segregation levels compared to cases with only spheres. Further, we find differences in the segregation level depending on which shape makes up each size class, reflecting differences in mobility when smaller grains are cubic or spherical. We find similar dynamics in simulations of a shear-driven coupled fluid-granular flow (e.g., a simulated riverbed), demonstrating that this phenomenon is not unique to rotating drums; however, in contrast to the dry system, we find that the segregation level increases in the presence of cubic grains, and fluid drag effects can qualitatively change segregation trends. Our findings demonstrate competing shape-induced segregation patterns in wet and dry flows that are independent from grain size controls, with implications for many industrial and geophysical processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work is to contribute to the knowledge of the freshwater macroinvertebrate communities of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico. For this region, there is only limited knowledge of its aquatic crustaceans and mollusks. A total of 13,399 freshwater macroinvertebrates were collected from four river sections in each of the three sub-basins of the region using the Surber network in four seasons of an annual cycle (2021–2022) and were preserved in 70° alcohol. Organisms belonging to seven phyla, nine (sub)classes, 21 (sub)orders and 65 families were identified. The most abundant orders were Ephemeroptera (42.03%), with greatest abundance of the family Baetidae, and the orders Trichoptera (19.11%), Diptera (15.43%), and Coleoptera (3.98%). Four families exceeded 10% relative abundance, and together they total 61.02%: Baetidae (23.84%), Hydroptilidae (13.58%), Leptohyphidae (13.03%), Chironomidae (10.57%), and Elmidae (3.23%). The order Plecoptera was recorded for the first time in Los Tuxtlas, with three families. The orders Hydrachnidae and Ostracoda, as well as six families of the order Ephemeroptera, with only one previously recorded family, and six more families of the order Diptera, were also documented. Two species of invasive aquatic mollusks were found in several rivers and basins. In this work, a high diversity of freshwater macroinvertebrates occurred compared to other sites studied in Veracruz and Mexico, and new records of these taxa are provided for the region of Los Tuxtlas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In times of rapid environmental changes, baseline biodiversity data are crucial for management. In freshwaters, fish inventories are commonly based on the capture and morphological identification of specimens. The sampling of environmental DNA (eDNA) provides an alternative to assess diversity across large catchments. Here, we used extensive historic data of fish communities collected across 89 river sites in all major catchments of Switzerland and compared their diversity and community composition to a single campaign of eDNA and electrofishing, respectively. Locally, we found that eDNA provided diversity estimates similar to the integrated historic richness, while the electrofishing campaign captured a significantly lower local richness. Fish species locally recorded by electrofishing were nested (Jaccard's dissimilarity index) within the respective eDNA community for most sites. Finally, eDNA sequence reads positively correlated with the overall electrofishing biomass. Despite the congruences, the eDNA data did not correlate well with the electrofishing water quality index. Overall, eDNA was more accurately assessing overall diversity than a simultaneous electrofishing campaign, but yet cannot be directly used to calculate fish-based water quality indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) population characteristics and distribution remain drastically understudied in the Caribbean region. We conducted the first island‐wide study to evaluate the distribution of density, length, and sex in relation to distance from the mouth of 23 stream reaches in five rivers in Puerto Rico. We found 287 American Eel at a mean density of 156.7 fish/ha. Sex ratios favored females (52:3) but most of the eel sampled were undifferentiated or undetermined. Generalized linear modeling indicated that upstream habitats with low eel density were optimal environments for production of large and female eel. Our findings indicate that Puerto Rico could significantly contribute to the spawning population and strengthen knowledge of American Eel in the Caribbean. Our findings could be used to guide local and range‐wide conservation efforts to ensure stream connectivity and access to optimal upstream habitat for survival of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzed the infection characteristics of metacercariae of Metagonimus spp. (MsMc) in fish from 9 major water systems in Korea. A total of 19,568 fish in 87 species were examined over a period of 10 years (2011-2020). MsMc were detected in fish from all 44 survey areas in 9 water systems. Most of the surveyed sites showed very low and low infection levels (66.7%), while 33.3% of the areas, such as Tamjin-gang and Seomjin-gang, revealed moderate and high infection levels. High endemicity depends on the abundance of susceptible fish species, especially sweet smelt (Plecoglosus altivelis). The susceptibility index (SI) with MsMc in index fish, Zacco spp., was very low and low levels in 62.0%, moderate in 28.0%, and high in 10.0% regions. The SI was highest in the following order: Yeongam-cheon (283.8), Hoeng-cheon (192.3), Togyo-jeosuji (131.2), Deokcheon-gang (119.1), and Joyang-gang (106.3). The recent infection status of MsMc in P. altivelis was analyzed by the survey localities. In addition, except for P. altivelis, 9 fish species were highly infected with MsMc in some survey areas, including Zacco platypus, Z. koreanus, Z. temminckii, Opsariichthys uncirostris, Rhynchocypris oxycephalus, Carassius auratus, Acheilognathus rhombeus, Onchorhynchus masou, and Tribolodon hakonensis. In Korea, 74 fish species (15 families) are collectively listed as second intermediate hosts of Metagonimus spp. This review provides several novel characteristics of MsMc infection and clarifies the fish species of second intermediate host of Metagonimus spp. in this country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how boat dwellers on the inland waterways of England and Wales - 'Boaters' - experience water and sanitation services. Boating populations are not counted as customers of private water utilities, so they exist within the 'dwelling paradox' and are positioned at greater risk of water and sanitation insecurity. Interviews and auto-ethnography document a myriad of ways in which participants use these resources on different vessels and waterways. The Capability Approach emerges as an apt framework for representing nuanced journeys from water and sanitation access to perceived quality of life. Findings suggest that equitable services can be defined as those which enable Boaters to live in ways they value. This entails reckoning with diverse - and potentially divergent - definitions of a 'good life', supported by the personal freedoms to achieve it. We argue this research makes a strong case for centring lived experiences in service design, particularly in instances of disagreement on the constitution of adequate service levels. Co-creating knowledge with people living in the dwelling paradox reveals complex relationships with authority and exclusion. We extend this theory, and the principles of equitable service delivery, to emphasise the situated desires, choices, and freedoms of the populations in question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluvial ecosystems are essential for life on Earth. Despite this recognition and the growing implementation of restoration programs, measures aimed at halting riverine biodiversity's decline have had limited success, so far. The implementation of protected areas has been the cornerstone of terrestrial and marine conservation. However, this strategy has only been seldomly applied to the protection of fluvial ecosystems and there is still no clear evidence of its effectiveness. We reviewed existing literature in scientific journals and reports from conservation agencies and analysed existing protection policies dedicated to rivers as well as several case studies throughout the world. Our main aim is to understand the potential advantages and drawbacks of dedicated fluvial protected areas, comparing to terrestrial protected areas and even to the total absence of protection. We also delved in the process of implementing fluvial protected areas, namely in what concerns relevant spatial scales, conservation priorities, stakeholders' involvement and mitigation measures to potential threats. In total 173 references were retained after a comprehensive search on Google Scholar, SpringerLink, Scopus and ResearchGate. These studies revealed that, despite contradictory results, terrestrial protected areas provide some degree of protection to riverine ecosystems contained within their borders, namely through increased abundances and species richness of some specific groups. Comparatively, however, dedicated fluvial protected areas, designed to accommodate the uniqueness of these systems, hold a much higher potential. Yet, data regarding its effectiveness is still scarce, mainly due to the lack of general guidelines and resources to evaluate performance following establishment, which prevents stronger conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to fairly good knowledge of dissolved carbon and major elements in great Arctic rivers, seasonally resolved concentrations of many trace elements remain poorly characterized, hindering assessment of the current status and possible future changes in the hydrochemistry of the Eurasian Arctic. To fill this gap, here we present results for a broad suite of trace elements in the largest rivers of the Russian Arctic (Ob, Yenisey, Lena, and Kolyma). For context, we also present results for major elements that are more routinely measured in these rivers. Water samples for this study were collected during an international campaign called PARTNERS from 2004 through 2006. A comparison of element concentrations obtained for Arctic rivers in this study with average concentrations in the world's rivers shows that most elements in the Arctic rivers are similar to or significantly lower than the world average. The mineral content of the three greatest rivers (Ob, Yenisey, and Lena) varies within a narrow range (from 107 mg/L for Yenisey to 123 mg/L for Ob). The Kolyma's mineral content is significantly lower (52.4 mg/L). Fluxes of all major and trace elements were calculated using average concentrations and average water discharge for the 2004–2006 period. Based on these flux estimates, specific export (i.e., t/km2/y) for most of the elements was greatest for the Lena, followed by the Yenisey, Ob, and Kolyma in decreasing order. Element pairwise correlation analysis identified several distinct groups of elements depending on their sources and relative mobility in the river water. There was a negative correlation between Fe and DOC concentration in the Ob River, which could be linked to different sources of these components in this river. The annual yields of major and trace elements calculated for each river were generally consistent with values assessed for other mid-size and small rivers of the Eurasian subarctic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rivers serve as vital water sources, maintain ecological equilibrium, and enhance landscapes. However, the looming issue of floating debris stemming from improper waste disposal and illegal discharge, poses an imminent threat to river ecosystems and their aesthetic appeal. Conventional human-led inspections prove labor-intensive, inefficient, and prone to errors. This study introduces an innovative approach for river debris detection, employing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) imagery in conjunction with a refined YOLOv5n model. This approach offers three key contributions. Primarily, the YOLOv5n model is bolstered by integrating the Efficient Channel Attention (ECA) module and reshaping the MobileNetV3 backbone to align with MobileNetV3S, thereby significantly streamlining computational demands and model intricacy. Additionally, precision and speed are augmented by eliminating the detection head for larger targets, while decreasing computational requirements. Subsequently, to counter dataset scarcity, we curate a UAV-derived river debris dataset, encompassing five prevalent debris types, serving as an indispensable resource for method refinement and assessment. Lastly, the upgraded model's evaluation on Jetson Nano yields an mAP of 87.2%, merely 0.7% lower than the original YOLOv5n model. Remarkably, the refined model achieves substantial reductions of 57.1% in parameters, 52.6% in volume, and 54.8% in GFLOPs. Additionally, inference time is abbreviated to 57.3ms per Jetson Nano image, 13.4ms faster than the original. These findings underscore edge computing's potential in river restoration. In conclusion, the fusion of deep learning object detection and UAV imagery empowers adept river debris detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]