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The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on fish skin, gills and intestines bacterial microbiome. Whole gilthead seabream was packed aerobically or under modified atmospheres (60% CO2, 30% N2, 10% O2) and stored isothermally at 0 °C. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) analysis was applied for the characterization of fish microbiome on fish skin, gills, and intestines initially (time of packaging, 1 day after harvesting) and after 10 days of isothermal storage at 0 °C. NGS results indicated statistically significant differences in families’ richness and diversity in the tested fish tissues between aerobic and MAP packaging during storage at 0 °C. The most persistent bacteria were Proteobacteria for both packaging types. For fish skin microbiota, the initially prevailing families were Comamonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Moraxellaceae while in the intestines Comamonadaceae, Anaplasmataceae, Bacillaceae and Enterobacteriaceae were the dominant bacteria. At the end of storage period, the fish microbiota was dominated by psychotropic and psychrophilic families (Pseudoalteromonadaceae, Psychromonadaceae, and Shewanellaceae), while families such as Comamonadaceae were persistent under MAP conditions. By 8 days of fish storage at 0 °C, ΜΑΡ samples exhibited higher sensory scorings than the respective aerobically stored fish, indicating better retention of fish freshness and fish quality attributes under MAP. Based on the results of the study, MAP modified significantly the microbiological status and extended the shelf life of fish. NGS was a powerful tool that provided a more complete assessment compared to a culture-based analysis.

Pollen-based vegetation, biodiversity, and biome reconstructions over the last 15,500 years from sediment core data at Mbi Crater in the Cameroon highlands (6.089273° N, 10.348549° E; 2015 m above sea level) are used to discuss the behavior of the lower edge of the Afromontane forest facing climate change. The data reveal that the post-glacial forest change gradually happened at Mbi and that the forest-wooded grassland ecotone was highly influenced by the climate variability related to the North Atlantic. The forest disruption and diversity loss intermittently occurred over the whole period, and their vegetation changes temporally match dry-cold events at the northern latitudes during the Younger Dryas, at 9.5–9.1 ka, 8.6–8.0 ka, 6.7–6.0 ka, 3.2 ka, and during the Little Ice Age (LIA). During the LIA, the mountain forest was subject to unprecedented levels of disturbance at all altitudes, unlike the seasonal lowland forests, which appears to have been only marginally affected.

The Kuril Islands stretch southwest from Kamchatka, Russia, to Hokkaido, Japan and separate the Sea of Okhotsk from the northern Pacific Ocean. A series of transgressions and regressions linked to variations in climatically affected global ice volume are among the most important drivers of Holocene environmental changes in the region. Despite a long research history, reconstructions of the Holocene palaeoenvironment are sparse with inconsistent interpretations, arising from insufficient dating control, different temporal resolutions, and specific local geographical features, such as high tectonic activity and the isolated nature of the area. We have investigated a 550 cm lake sediment section from Iturup Island, the largest among the Kuril Islands. The 6600 year old sediment section was studied using sedimentological, geochemical, chironomid, diatom, and pollen analyses to reconstruct environmental and climatic changes and sea level fluctuations (transgression – regression stages). During the warm late phase of the Middle Holocene (6600–4400 cal BP) an open bay or lagoon with shallow overgrown littorals existed at the sampling site. The cooling between 5600 and 4400 cal BP can be correlated with Neoglacial cooling. The cool period between 4200 and 3200 cal BP was a transition towards the formation of a freshwater lagoon and can be related to a decline of the Japan Late Jomon transgression (Sakaguchi, 1983). Between 3200 and 2800 cal BP the lagoon separated from the marine environment in response to a further sea level decrease during the Japan Latest Jomon cold stage and regression. The following increase in the share of broad-leaved pollen indicated a slight warming (Yayoi transition stage) that was interrupted by a short-term cooling spell between 1500 and 1400 cal BP (cold Japan Kofun stage). The period between ca 1100 and 800 cal BP can be related to the European Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) or relatively dry Japan Nara-Heian-Kamakura warm stage. The Little Ice Age cooling and Edo regression were evident after ca 800 cal BP. Modern warming however is not well seen in the investigated core.

[poster presented at iMarCo congress, abstract from the Molecular Ecology related article] All metazoans are in fact holobionts, resulting from the association of several organisms, and organismal adaptation is then due to the composite response of this association to the environment. Deciphering the mechanisms of symbiont acquisition in a holobiont is therefore essential to understanding the extent of its adaptive capacities. In cnidarians, some species acquire their photosynthetic symbionts directly from their parents (vertical transmission) but may also acquire symbionts from the environment (horizontal acquisition) at the adult stage. The Mediterranean snakelocks sea anemone, Anemonia viridis (Forskål, 1775), passes down symbionts from one generation to the next by vertical transmission, but the capacity for such horizontal acquisition is still unexplored. To unravel the flexibility of the association between the different host lineages identified in A.viridis and its Symbiodiniaceae, we genotyped both the animal hosts and their symbiont communities in members of host clones in five different locations in the North Western Mediterranean Sea. The composition of within-host–symbiont populations was more dependent on the geographical origin of the hosts than their membership to a given lineage or even to a given clone. Additionally, similarities in host–symbiont communities were greater among genets (i.e. among different clones) than among ramets (i.e. among members of the same given clonal genotype). Taken together, our results demonstrate that A.viridis may form associations with a range of symbiotic dinoflagellates and suggest a capacity for horizontal acquisition. A mixed-mode transmission strategy in A.viridis, as we posit here, may help explain the large phenotypic plasticity that characterizes this anemone.

Aquaponics, one of the vertical farming methods, is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. To enhance the production capabilities of the aquaponics system and maximize crop yield on a commercial level, integration of Industry 4.0 technologies is needed. Industry 4.0 is a strategic initiative characterized by the fusion of emerging technologies such as big data and analytics, internet of things, robotics, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. The realization of aquaponics 4.0, however, requires an efficient flow and integration of data due to the presence of complex biological processes. A key challenge in this essence is to deal with the semantic heterogeneity of multiple data resources. An ontology that is regarded as one of the normative tools solves the semantic interoperation problem by describing, extracting, and sharing the domains’ knowledge. In the field of agriculture, several ontologies are developed for the soil-based farming methods, but so far, no attempt has been made to represent the knowledge of the aquaponics 4.0 system in the form of an ontology model. Therefore, this study proposes a unified ontology model, AquaONT, to represent and store the essential knowledge of an aquaponics 4.0 system. This ontology provides a mechanism for sharing and reusing the aquaponics 4.0 system’s knowledge to solve the semantic interoperation problem. AquaONT is built from indoor vertical farming terminologies and is validated and implemented by considering experimental test cases related to environmental parameters, design configuration, and product quality. The proposed ontology model will help vertical farm practitioners with more transparent decision-making regarding crop production, product quality, and facility layout of the aquaponics farm. For future work, a decision support system will be developed using this ontology model and artificial intelligence techniques for autonomous data-driven decisions.

The Rio Grande Rise in the western South Atlantic Ocean has been interpreted as either an oceanic plateau related to the Tristan-Gough mantle plume, or a fragment of detached continental crust. Here we present new major and trace element data for volcanic rocks from the western and eastern Rio Grande Rise and the adjacent Jean Charcot Seamount Chain. The eastern Rio Grande Rise and older parts of the western Rio Grande Rise are comprised of tholeiitic basalt with moderately enriched trace element compositions and likely formed above the Tristan-Gough mantle plume close to the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Younger alkalic lavas from the western Rio Grande Rise and the Jean Charcot Seamount Chain were formed by lower degrees of melting beneath thicker lithosphere in an intraplate setting possibly during rifting of the plateau. There is no clear geochemical evidence that remnants of continental crust are present beneath the Rio Grande Rise.

We have measured Cd/Ca ratios of several benthic foraminiferal species and studied benthic foraminiferal assemblages on two cores from the northern Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea and northern Bay of Bengal, BoB), in order to reconstruct variations in intermediate-water circulation and paleo-nutrient content since the last deglaciation. Intermediate water Cdw records estimated from the benthic Cd/Ca reflect past changes in surface productivity and/or intermediate–bottom-water ventilation. The benthic foraminiferal assemblages are consistent with the geochemical data. These results suggest that during the last deglaciation, Cdw variability was primarily driven by changes in intermediate-water properties, indicating an enhanced ventilation of intermediate–bottom water masses during both Heinrich Stadial 1 and the Younger Dryas (HS1 and YD, respectively). During the Holocene, however, surface primary productivity appears to have influenced Cdw more than intermediate water mass properties. This is evident during the early Holocene (from 10 to 6 cal ka) when benthic foraminiferal assemblages indicate that surface primary productivity was low, resulting in low intermediate-water Cdw at both sites. Then, from ∼ 5.2 to 2.4 cal ka, surface productivity increased markedly, causing a significant increase in the intermediate-water Cdw in the southeastern Arabian Sea and the northeastern BoB. The comparison of intermediate-water Cdw records with previous reconstructions of past Indian monsoon evolution during the Holocene suggests a direct control of intermediate-water Cdw by monsoon-induced changes in upper-water stratification and surface primary productivity.

Fisheries discards have become a source of concern for the perennation of marine resources. To reduce discards, the European Union adopted a Landing Obligation under the reform of its Common Fisheries Policy. However, food web consequences of reducing discards remain uncertain since their degree and pathway of reintegration are understudied. We used multi-marker DNA metabarcoding of gut contents and an ecological network approach to quantify marine fauna reliance on discarded fish and functional importance of discard consumers in coastal fishing grounds. We show that potential discard consumption is widespread across fish and invertebrates, but particularly important for decapods, which were also pinpointed as functionally important. Potential discard consumption may represent up to 66% of all interactions involving fish prey in the reconstructed network. We highlight that discard reliance may be more important than previously assessed in some fishing areas and support functionally important taxa. While reducing discarding remains a conservation priority, it is crucial to understand discards reintegration in marine food webs to anticipate changes in the context of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management.

The hunting of marine mammals as a source of subsistence, trade, and commercial revenue has formed an important part of human cultures across the North Atlantic. One important prey species has been the Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus), sought after for meat, skin, blubber, ivory, and bone. Unfortunately, biological studies of current walrus populations and studies across the humanities and social sciences into past use and hunting of walruses, have been poorly integrated. Disciplinary boundaries have left a gap in understanding the reciprocal effects of human-walrus interactions. Emerging interdisciplinary methods offer new opportunities to write the historical ecology of Atlantic walruses. The integration of methods such as ancient DNA, isotopes, past population modelling, zooarchaeological assemblages, and ethnographic interviews can now be used to answer previously intractable questions. For example, how has walrus hunting shaped and been influenced by changes in human settlement and trade, what have been the cumulative impacts on walrus populations, the extent of anthropogenic selective pressures or the effect of changing hunting regimes on particular populations of walruses? New, collaborative research approaches applied to the wealth of Arctic archaeological faunal remains already housed in museum collections offer a unique chance to explore the past dynamics of human-animal interactions.

Marine litter is one of the main sources of anthropogenic pollution in the marine ecosystem, with plastic representing a global threat. This paper aims to assess the spatial distribution of plastic macro-litter on the seafloor, identifying accumulation hotspots at a northern Mediterranean scale. Density indices (items km–2) from the MEDITS trawl surveys (years 2013-2015) were modelled by generalized additive models using a Delta-type approach and several covariates: latitude, longitude, depth, seafloor slope, surface oceanographic currents and distances from main ports. To set thresholds for the identification of accumulation areas, the percentiles (85th, 90th and 95th) of the plastic spatial density distribution were computed on the raster data. In the northern Mediterranean marine macro-litter was widespread (90.13% of the 1279 surveyed stations), with plastic by far the most recurrent category. The prediction map of the plastic density highlighted accumulation areas (85th, 90th and 95th percentiles of the distribution, respectively, corresponding to 147, 196 and 316 items km–2) in the Gulf of Lions, eastern Corsica, the eastern Adriatic Sea, the Argo-Saronic region and waters around southern Cyprus. Maximum densities were predicted in correspondence to the shallower depths and in proximity to populated areas (distance from the ports). Surface currents and local water circulation with cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies were identified as drivers likely facilitating the sinking to the bottoms of floating debris, Sí

Special issueThe wrapping up of the IDEADOS project: International Workshop on Environment, Ecosystems and Demersal Resources, and Fisheries.-- 11 pages, 5 figures, 5 tables, The pelagic decapod crustacean fauna of two different zones (Sóller and Cabrera) with different hydrographic dynamics and oligotrophy levels was studied around Mallorca (western Mediterranean), the latter with a higher degree of oligotrophy than the former. Samples were taken with a Pelagic Trawl and an IKMT in the upper 600. m of the water column, targeting larger and middle-sized nektonic species, respectively. Fourteen species were collected: five dendrobranchiate shrimps, eight caridean shrimps and one scyllarid lobster. Some species were restricted to the shelf-break: Chlorotocus crassicornis and Plesionika heterocarpus. Others were exclusive of the middle slope: Pasiphaea multidentata, and Sergia robusta. Pasiphaea sivado and Gennadas elegans occurred in all pelagic strata. Multivariate analyses showed several distinct assemblages related to bathymetry and sampling depth. No significant differences were found concerning zone or sampled seasons. Bathymetrically, Deep Scattering Layers showed the highest diversity. No decapod crustaceans occurred in epipelagic daytime samples. The pelagic decapod community sampled was structured by both the geomorphology (and associated hydrographic characteristics over the shelf-break) and the influence of light in the water column. Size analysis showed species-specific patterns concerning size/age movements into the water column throughout the day-night cycle. © 2013 Elsevier B.V., Funding was provided by research projects CTM2008-04489-C03 and CTM2010-22218-C02. DSS acknowledges the pre-doctoral fellowship support by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. APT acknowledges pre-doctoral FPI Fellowship support from the Regional Government of the Balearic Islands, Conselleria d'Educació, Cultura i Universitats, selected as part of an operational program cofinanced by the Fondo Social Europeo. DSS and PA acknowledge partial support from research project CTM2010-22218-C02

The Blanes submarine canyon (BC) deeply incises the Catalan continental shelf in the NW Mediterranean Sea. As a consequence of the closeness (only 4 km) of its head to the coastline and the mouth of the Tordera River, the canyon has a direct influence on the shelf dispersal system as it collects large amounts of sediment, mainly during high-energy events. Multibeam bathymetry, backscatter imagery and very-high resolution seismic reflection profiles have allowed characterizing the morphology of the continental shelf around the canyon head, also identifying sediment sources and transport pathways into the canyon. The morphological data have also been used to reconstruct the evolution of the continental shelf during the last sea-level transgression so that the current understanding of shelf-to-canyon sediment exchanges through time could be improved. The continental shelf surrounding the BC consists of both depositional and erosional or non-depositional areas. Depositional areas display prominent sediment bodies, a generally smooth bathymetry and variable backscatter. These include: (i) an area of modern coarse-grained sediment accumulation that comprises the inner shelf; (ii) a modern fine-grained sedimentation area on the middle shelf offshore Tossa de Mar; and (iii) a modern sediment depleted area that covers most of the middle and outer shelf to the west of the canyon head. Erosional and non-depositional areas display a rough topography and high backscatter, and occur primarily to the east of the canyon head, where the arrival of river-fed inputs is very small. In agreement with this pattern, the continental shelf north and west of the canyon head likely is the main source of shelf sediment into the canyon. To the north, a pattern of very high backscatter extends from the coastline to the canyon head, suggesting the remobilization and off-shelf export of fines. Additionally, relict near-shore sand bodies developed over the Barcelona shelf that extend to the canyon head rim constitute a source of coarse sediment. High-energy processes, namely river floods and coastal storms, are the main controls over the river-shelf-canyon sediment exchange. River floods increase the delivery of terrigenous particles to the coastal system. Storms, mainly from the east, remobilize the sediment temporarily accumulated on the shelf towards the canyon head, so that the finer fractions are preferentially removed and a coarse lag is normally left on the shelf floor. Exceptionally, very strong storms also remove the coarse fractions from the shelf drive them into the canyon. Processes like dense shelf water cascading, which is much more intense in canyons to the north of BC, and the Northern Current also contribute to the transport of suspended sediment from far distant northern sources. During the last post-glacial transgression the BC had a strong influence on the evolution of the inner continental margin, as it interrupted the shelf sediment dispersal system by isolating the shelves to its north and south, named La Planassa and Barcelona shelves, respectively.

CMIP6 model sea surface temperature (SST) seasonal extrema averaged over 1981–2010 are assessed against the World Ocean Atlas (WOA18) observational climatology. We propose a mask to identify and exclude regions of large differences between three commonly used climatologies (WOA18, WOCE-Argo Global Hydrographic climatology (WAGHC) and the Hadley Centre Sea Ice and Sea Surface Temperature data set (HadISST)). The biases in SST seasonal extrema are largely consistent with the annual mean SST biases. However, the amplitude and spatial pattern of SST bias vary seasonally in the 20 CMIP6 models assessed. Large seasonal variations in the SST bias occur in eastern boundary upwelling regions, polar regions, the North Pacific and the eastern equatorial Atlantic. These results demonstrate the importance of evaluating model performance not simply against annual mean properties. Models with greater vertical resolution in their ocean component typically demonstrate better representation of SST extrema, particularly seasonal maximum SST. No significant relationship of SST seasonal extrema with horizontal ocean model resolution is found.

Trophic cascade studies often rely on linear food chains instead of complex food webs and are typically measured as biomass averages, not as biomass variation. We study trophic cascades propagating across a complex food web including a measure of biomass variation in addition to biomass average. We examined whether different fishing strategies induce trophic cascades and whether the cascades differ from each other. We utilized an allometric trophic network (ATN) model to mechanistically study fishing-induced changes in food web dynamics. Different fishing strategies did not trigger traditional, reciprocal trophic cascades, as measured in biomass averages. Instead, fishing triggered a variation cascade that propagated across the food web, including fish, zooplankton and phytoplankton species. In fisheries that removed a large amount of top-predatory and cannibalistic fish, the biomass oscillations started to decrease after fishing was started. In fisheries that mainly targeted large planktivorous fish, the biomass oscillations did not dampen but slightly increased over time. Removing species with specific ecological functions might alter the food web dynamics and potentially affect the ecological resilience of aquatic ecosystems.

Several studies have investigated new particle formation (NPF) events from various sites ranging from pristine locations, including forest sites, to urban areas. However, there is still a dearth of studies investigating NPF processes and subsequent aerosol growth in coastal yet semi-urban sites, where the tropospheric layer is a concoction of biogenic and anthropogenic gases and particles. The investigation of factors leading to NPF becomes extremely complex due to the highly dynamic meteorological conditions at the coastline especially when combined with both continental and oceanic weather conditions. Herein, we engage in a comprehensive study of particle number size distributions and aerosol-forming precursor vapors at the coastal semi-urban site in Helsinki, Finland. The measurement period, 25 June–18 August 2019, was timed with the recurring cyanobacterial summer bloom in the Baltic Sea region and coastal regions of Finland. Our study recorded several regional/local NPF and aerosol burst events during this period. Although the overall anthropogenic influence on sulfuric acid (SA) concentrations was low during the measurement period, we observed that the regional or local NPF events, characterized by SA concentrations on the order of 107 molec.cm-3, occurred mostly when the air mass traveled over the land areas. Interestingly, when the air mass traveled over the Baltic Sea, an area enriched with algae and cyanobacterial blooms, high iodic acid (IA) concentration coincided with an aerosol burst or a spike event at the measurement site. Further, SA-rich bursts were seen when the air mass traveled over the Gulf of Bothnia, enriched with cyanobacterial blooms. The two most important factors affecting aerosol precursor vapor concentrations, and thus the aerosol formation, were speculated to be (1) the type of phytoplankton species and intensity of bloom present in the coastal regions of Finland and the Baltic Sea and (2) the wind direction. During the events, most of the growth of sub-3 nm particles was probably due to SA, rather than IA or methane sulfonic acid (MSA); however much of the particle growth remained unexplained indicative of the strong role of organics in the growth of particles, especially in the 3–7 nm particle size range. Further studies are needed to explore the role of organics in NPF events and the potential influence of cyanobacterial blooms in coastal locations.

SUMMARY Tsunamis generated by large earthquake-induced displacements of the ocean floor can lead to tragic consequences for coastal communities. Measurements of co-seismic ionospheric disturbances (CIDs) offer a unique solution to characterize an earthquake’s tsunami potential in near-real-time (NRT) since CIDs can be detected within 15 min of a seismic event. However, the detection of CIDs relies on human experts, which currently prevents the deployment of ionospheric methods in NRT. To address this critical lack of automatic procedure, we designed a machine-learning-based framework to (1) classify ionospheric waveforms into CIDs and noise, (2) pick CID arrival times and (3) associate arrivals across a satellite network in NRT. Machine-learning models (random forests) trained over an extensive ionospheric waveform data set show excellent classification and arrival-time picking performances compared to existing detection procedures, which paves the way for the NRT imaging of surface displacements from the ionosphere.

9 pages, 3 figures, 1 table.-- Open Access, Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus; BFT) is a large (up to 3.3 m in length) pelagic predator which has been exploited throughout the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean since prehistoric times, as attested by its archeological remains. One key insight derivable from these remains is body size, which can indicate past fishing abilities, the impact of fishing, and past migration behavior. Despite this, there exists no reliable method to estimate the size of BFT found in archeological sites. Here, 13 modern Thunnus spp. skeletons were studied to provide power regression equations that estimate body length from vertebra dimensions. In modern specimens, the majority of BFT vertebrae can be differentiated by their morphological features, and thus, individual regression equations can be applied for each rank (position in vertebral column). In an archeological context, poor preservation may limit one's ability to identify rank; hence, “types” of vertebrae were defined, which enable length estimates when rank cannot be determined. At least one vertebra dimension, height, width, or length correlated highly with body length when vertebrae were ranked (R2 > 0.97) or identified to types (R2 > 0.98). Whether using rank or type, length estimates appear accurate to approximately ±10%. Finally, the method was applied to a sample of Roman-era BFT vertebrae to demonstrate its potential. It is acknowledged that further studies with larger sample sizes would provide more precision in BFT length estimates, This work is a contribution to the MSCA SeaChanges ITN and was funded by EU Horizon 2020 (H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Grant Number: 813383). Open Access Funding provided by Universita degli Studi di Bologna within the CRUI-CARE Agreement

We investigate the effect of variable marine biogeochemical light absorption on Indian Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) and how this affects the South Asian climate. In twin experiments with a regional Earth system model, we found that the average SST is lower over most of the domain when variable marine biogeochemical light absorption is taken into account, compared to the reference experiment with a constant light attenuation coefficient equal to 0.06 m−1. The most significant deviations (more than 1 ∘C) in SST are observed in the monsoon season. A considerable cooling of subsurface layers occurs, and the thermocline shifts upward in the experiment with the activated biogeochemical impact. Also, the phytoplankton primary production becomes higher, especially during periods of winter and summer phytoplankton blooms. The effect of altered SST variability on climate was investigated by coupling the ocean models to a regional atmosphere model. We find the largest effects on the amount of precipitation, particularly during the monsoon season. In the Arabian Sea, the reduction of the transport of humidity across the Equator leads to a reduction of the large-scale precipitation in the eastern part of the basin, reinforcing the reduction of the convective precipitation. In the Bay of Bengal, it increases the large-scale precipitation, countering convective precipitation decline. Thus, the key impacts of including the full biogeochemical coupling with corresponding light attenuation, which in turn depends on variable chlorophyll a concentration, include the enhanced phytoplankton primary production, a shallower thermocline, and decreased SST and water temperature in subsurface layers, with cascading effects upon the model ocean physics which further translates into altered atmosphere dynamics.

This report provides an overview on the cooperation activities with relevant EU projects and other initiatives on negative emission technologies in the second reporting period of the OceanNETs project (01.01.2022 – 31.12.2022).

In this study, we investigate the maximum physical and biogeochemical potential of macroalgae open-ocean mariculture and sinking (MOS) as an ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR) method. Embedding a macroalgae model into an Earth system model, we simulate macroalgae mariculture in the open-ocean surface layer followed by fast sinking of the carbon-rich macroalgal biomass to the deep seafloor (depth>3000 m), which assumes no remineralization of the harvested biomass during the quick sinking. We also test the combination of MOS with artificial upwelling (AU), which fertilizes the macroalgae by pumping nutrient-rich deeper water to the surface. The simulations are done under RCP 4.5, a moderate-emissions pathway. When deployed globally between years 2020 and 2100, the carbon captured and exported by MOS is 270 PgC, which is further boosted by AU of 447 PgC. Because of feedbacks in the Earth system, the oceanic carbon inventory only increases by 171.8 PgC (283.9 PgC with AU) in the idealized simulations. More than half of this carbon remains in the ocean after cessation at year 2100 until year 3000. The major side effect of MOS on pelagic ecosystems is the reduction of phytoplankton net primary production (PNPP) due to the competition for nutrients with macroalgae and due to canopy shading. MOS shrinks the mid-layer oxygen-minimum zones (OMZs) by reducing the organic matter export to, and remineralization in, subsurface and intermediate waters, while it creates new OMZs on the seafloor by oxygen consumption from remineralization of sunken biomass. MOS also impacts the global carbon cycle by reducing the atmospheric and terrestrial carbon reservoirs when enhancing the ocean carbon reservoir. MOS also enriches dissolved inorganic carbon in the deep ocean. Effects are mostly reversible after cessation of MOS, though recovery is not complete by year 3000. In a sensitivity experiment without remineralization of sunken MOS biomass, the whole of the MOS-captured carbon is permanently stored in the ocean, but the lack of remineralized nutrients causes a long-term nutrient decline in the surface layers and thus reduces PNPP. Our results suggest that MOS has, theoretically, considerable CDR potential as an ocean-based CDR method. However, our simulations also suggest that such large-scale deployment of MOS would have substantial side effects on marine ecosystems and biogeochemistry, up to a reorganization of food webs over large parts of the ocean.

As top predators, seabirds can be indirectly impacted by climate variability and commercial fishing activities through changes in marine communities. However, high mobility and foraging behaviour enables seabirds to exploit prey distributed patchily in time and space. This capacity to adapt to environmental change can be described through the study of their diet. Traditionally, the diet of seabirds is assessed through the morphological identification of prey remains in regurgitates. This sampling method is invasive for the bird and limited in terms of taxonomic resolution. However, the recent progress in DNA-based approaches is now providing a non-invasive means to more comprehensively and accurately characterize animal diets. Here, we used a non-invasive metabarcoding approach to characterize the diet of the Westland petrel (Procellaria westlandica), which is an endangered burrowing species, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. We collected 99 fresh faecal samples at two different seasons and in two different sub-colonies. Our aims were to describe the diet of the Westland petrel, investigate seasonal and spatial variation in the petrels’ diet, and assess potential impacts of the New Zealand fishery industry. We found that amphipods were the most common prey, followed by cephalopods and fish. Our results could be the result of natural foraging behaviour, but also suggest a close link between the composition of prey items and New Zealand’s commercial fishing activities. In particular, the high abundance of amphipods could be the result of Westland petrels feeding on discarded fisheries waste (fish guts). Our results also showed significant differences in diet between seasons (before hatching vs chick-rearing season) and between sampling sites (two sub-colonies 1.5 km apart), indicating plasticity in the foraging strategy of the Westland petrel. Due to its non-invasive nature, metabarcoding of faecal samples can be applied to large numbers of samples to help describe dietary variation in seabirds and indicate their ecological requirements. In our example, dietary DNA (dDNA) provided valuable information regarding the dietary preferences of an iconic species in New Zealand’s unique biodiversity. dDNA can thus inform the conservation of endangered or at-risk species that have elusive foraging behaviours.

Knowledge of turtle hatchling ecology is fundamental for managing wild populations. Information on habitat selection by turtle hatchlings is particularly important to ensure that conservation programmes that release hatchlings into the wild give them the best chances of surviving to adulthood. Currently, knowledge of the ecology of turtle hatchlings worldwide is limited, which restricts evidence-based management for threatened species. Here, we used laboratory and field experiments to test for effects of captivity on habitat selection, movement, and short-term survival of Murray River turtle hatchlings (Emydura macquarii). This species has declined > 60% since the 1970s, and a conservation plan is urgently needed to manage their recovery. In both the laboratory and field, we found that hatchlings select aquatic vegetation when it is available. Hatchlings raised in captivity for a month, however, were radio-tracked in habitats significantly further from vegetation after release, and over three times as many of these hatchlings were attacked by predators, compared to those released immediately after hatching. Aquatic vegetation is clearly an important habitat for hatchling E. macquarii, and therefore, (i) hatchling conservation should prioritise areas with appropriate aquatic vegetation, and (ii) aquatic vegetation restoration should be prioritised to ensure E. macquarii hatchling survival in the wild. Moreover, since captivity affects hatchling habitat selection, E. macquarii hatchlings should be released immediately upon hatching. Further research on soft release techniques and longer-term captivity is required to determine whether the impact of captivity can be reduced.

Recent studies investigating future warming scenarios have shown that the ocean carbon sink will weaken over the coming century due to ocean warming and changes in oceanic circulation. However, significant uncertainties remain regarding the magnitude of the oceanic carbon cycle response to warming. Here, we investigate the Southern Ocean's (SO, south of 40∘ S) carbon cycle response to warmer conditions, as simulated under last interglacial boundary conditions (LIG, 129–115 ka). We find a ∼150 % increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) outgassing over the SO at the LIG compared to pre-industrial conditions (PI), due to a 0.5 ∘C increase in SO sea surface temperatures. This is partly compensated for by an equatorward shift of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) westerlies and weaker Antarctic Bottom Water formation, which both lead to an increase in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the deep ocean at the LIG compared to PI. These deep-ocean DIC changes arise from increased deep- and bottom-water residence times and higher remineralization rates due to higher temperatures. While our LIG simulation features a large reduction in SO sea ice compared to the PI, we find that changes in sea ice extent exert a minor control on the marine carbon cycle. The projected future strengthening and poleward shift of the SH westerlies coupled to warmer conditions at the surface of the SO should thus weaken the capacity of the SO to absorb anthropogenic CO2 over the coming century.

We described new sea surface CO2 observations in the south-western Indian Ocean obtained in January 2020 when a strong bloom event occurred south-east of Madagascar and extended eastward in the oligotrophic Indian Ocean subtropical domain. Compared to previous years (1991–2019) we observed very low fCO2 and dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations (CT) in austral summer 2020, indicative of a biologically driven process. In the bloom, the anomaly of fCO2 and CT reached respectively −33 µatm and −42 µmol kg−1, whereas no change is observed for alkalinity (AT). In January 2020 we estimated a local maximum of air–sea CO2 flux at 27∘ S of −6.9 mmol m−2 d−1 (ocean sink) and −4.3 mmol m−2 d−1 when averaging the flux in the band 26–30∘ S. In the domain 25–30∘ S, 50–60∘ E we estimated that the bloom led to a regional carbon uptake of about −1 TgC per month in January 2020, whereas this region was previously recognized as an ocean CO2 source or near equilibrium during this season. Using a neural network approach that reconstructs the monthly fCO2 fields, we estimated that when the bloom was at peak in December 2019 the CO2 sink reached −3.1 (±1.0) mmol m−2 d−1 in the band 25–30∘ S; i.e. the model captured the impact of the bloom. Integrated in the domain restricted to 25–30∘ S, 50–60∘ E, the region was a CO2 sink in December 2019 of −0.8 TgC per month compared to a CO2 source of +0.12 (±0.10) TgC per month in December when averaged over the period 1996–2018. Consequently in 2019 this region was a stronger CO2 annual sink of −8.8 TgC yr−1 compared to −7.0 (±0.5) TgC yr−1 averaged over 1996–2018. In austral summer 2019–2020, the bloom was likely controlled by a relatively deep mixed-layer depth during the preceding winter (July–September 2019) that would supply macro- and/or micro-nutrients such as iron to the surface layer to promote the bloom that started in November 2019 in two large rings in the Madagascar Basin. Based on measurements in January 2020, we observed relatively high N2 fixation rates (up to 18 nmol N L−1 d−1), suggesting that diazotrophs could play a role in the bloom in the nutrient-depleted waters. The bloom event in austral summer 2020, along with the new carbonate system observations, represents a benchmark case for complex biogeochemical model sensitivity studies (including the N2 fixation process and iron supplies) for a better understanding of the origin and termination of this still “mysterious” sporadic bloom and its impact on ocean carbon uptake in the future.

The oceanic phosphorus cycle describes how phosphorus moves through the ocean, accumulates with the sediments on the seafloor, and participates in biogeochemical reactions. We propose a new two-reservoir scenario of the glacial–interglacial phosphorus cycle. It relies on diagenesis in methane hydrate-bearing sediments to mobilize sedimentary phosphorus and transfer it to the oceanic reservoir during times when falling sea level lowers the hydrostatic pressure on the seafloor and destabilizes methane hydrates. The stock of solid phase phosphorus mobilizable by this process is of the same order of magnitude as the dissolved phosphate inventory of the current oceanic reservoir. The potential additional flux of phosphate during the glacial period is of the same order of magnitude as pre-agricultural, riverine dissolved phosphate fluxes to the ocean. Throughout the cycle, primary production assimilates phosphorus and inorganic carbon into biomass, which, upon settling and burial, returns phosphorus to the sedimentary reservoir. Primary production also lowers the partial pressure of CO2 in the surface ocean, potentially drawing down CO2 from the atmosphere. Concurrent with this slow “biological pump”, but operating in the opposite direction, a “physical pump” brings metabolic CO2-enriched waters from deep-ocean basins to the upper ocean. The two pumps compete, but the direction of the CO2 flux at the air–sea interface depends on the nutrient content of the deep waters. Because of the transfer of reactive phosphorus to the sedimentary reservoir throughout a glaciation cycle, low-phosphorus and high-CO2 deep waters reign at the beginning of a deglaciation, resulting in rapid transfer of CO2 to the atmosphere. The new scenario provides another element to the suite of processes that may have contributed to the rapid glacial–interglacial climate transitions documented in paleo-records.

Beyond the pCO2 records provided by ice core measurements, the quantification of atmospheric CO2 concentrations and changes thereof relies on proxy data, the development of which represents a foremost challenge in paleoceanography. In the paleoceanographic toolbox, the coccolithophores occupy a notable place, as the magnitude of the carbon isotopic fractionation between ambient CO2 and a type of organic compounds that these photosynthetic microalgae synthesize (the alkenones) represents a relatively robust proxy to reconstruct past atmospheric CO2 concentrations during the Cenozoic. The isotopic composition of coeval calcite biominerals found in the sediments and also produced by the coccolithophores (the coccoliths) have been found to record an ambient CO2 signal through culture and sediment analyses. These studies have, however, not yet formalized a transfer function that quantitatively ties the isotopic composition of coccolith calcite to the concentrations of aqueous CO2 and, ultimately, to atmospheric CO2 levels. Here, we make use of a microseparation protocol to compare the isotopic response of two size-restricted coccolith assemblages from the North Atlantic to changes in surface ocean CO2 during Termination II (ca. 130–140 ka). Performing paired measurements of the isotopic composition (δ13C and δ18O) of relatively large and small coccoliths provides an isotopic offset that can be designated as a “differential vital effect”. We find that the evolution of this offset follows that of aqueous CO2 concentrations computed from the ice core CO2 curve and an independent temperature signal. We interpret this biogeochemical feature to be the result of converging carbon fixation strategies between large and small cells as the degree of carbon limitation for cellular growth decreases across the deglaciation. We are therefore able to outline a first-order trend between the coccolith differential vital effects and aqueous CO2 in the range of Quaternary CO2 concentrations. Although this study would benefit from further constraints on the other controls at play on coccolith geochemistry (growth rate, air–sea gas exchange, etc.), this test of the drivers of coccolith Δδ13C and Δδ18O in natural conditions is a new step in the development of a coccolith paleo-CO2 probe.

11 pags., 8 figs., Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) delivers real-time observation ofphysical perturbations such as vibrations or strain variations in conventional optical fibers with high sensitivity. The high density of sensing points and large network footprint provided by a single DAS system, along with the availability of a vast optical fiber network already deployed both in land and in oceanic regions, contrast with the high deployment and maintenance cost of conventional instrumentation networks for seismology. This situation has triggered a rapid growth of DAS deployments for seismic monitoring in recent years. Photonic engineers and geophysicists have joined efforts to prove the value of optical fibers as distributed seismometers, which has resulted in a wide panoply of tests demonstrating diverse applicability across the geosciences. For example, DAS has been successfully applied recording local to teleseismic earthquakes, monitoring glacial icequakes, and observing oceanographic phenomena at the sea floor. Most of the realized tests have been performed using commercially available optical fiber interrogators based on phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry. Among them, DAS based on chirped pulse distributed acoustic sensing have provided optimized performance in terms of both range and sensitivity, particularly at low frequencies. In this communication, we provide a comprehensive review of the current situation of DAS for seismology applications, focusing on near surface monitoring, where already deployed optical fibers can be repurposed as sensor networks., Z.Z. acknowledges support from the Moore Foundation and NSF under CAREER Award 1848166.

Uranium isotopes (δ238U values) in ancient sedimentary rocks (shales, carbonate rocks) are widely used as a tool to reconstruct paleo-redox conditions, but the behaviour of U isotopes under modern non-sulfidic anoxic vs. oxic conditions remains poorly constrained. We present U concentration and isotope data for modern sediments from the Peruvian margin, a highly productive open ocean environment with a range of redox conditions. To investigate U in different host fractions of the sediment (reactive, silicate, and HNO3-soluble fraction), we conducted a series of sequential extractions. Detrital-corrected authigenic U isotope compositions (δ238Uauth) in sediments deposited beneath an oxic water column show little deviation from the dissolved seawater U source, while anoxically deposited sediments have δ238Uauth values that are up to 0.4‰ heavier compared to seawater δ238U. Under anoxic, non-euxinic conditions, the U isotope offset between sediment and seawater is larger compared with oxic, but significantly smaller when compared with euxinic conditions from the literature. The results from sequential extractions show that the reactive sediment fraction records more pronounced differences in δ238Ureactive than δ238Uauth values depending on the oxidation state of the overlying water column. Furthermore, we found a strong correlation between total organic carbon (TOC) and both U concentrations (Uauth) and δ238Uauth values (R2 = 0.70 and 0.94, respectively) at the persistently anoxic site that we examined. These correlations can be caused by several processes including U isotope fractionation during microbially-mediated U reduction at the sediment-water interface (diffusive U input), during sorption onto and/or incorporation into organic matter in the water column (particulate U input) and diagenetic redistribution of U, or a combination of these processes. Our data show that several factors can influence δ238U values including oxidation state of U, the presence or absence of hydrogen sulfide and organic matter. These findings add new constraints to the degree of U isotope fractionation associated with U incorporation into sediments in different low-oxygen environments, thus aiding in interpretation of ancient paleo-redox conditions from U isotope data.

Studies on the impact of ocean acidification on marine organisms involve exposing organisms to future acidification scenarios as projected for open ocean, which has limited relevance for coastal calcifiers. Characterization of reaction norms across a range of pH and identification of tipping points beyond which detrimental effects are observed has been limited and focus on only a few macro-physiological traits. Here we filled this knowledge gap by developing a framework to analyze the broad macro-physiological and molecular responses over a wide pH range of juvenile Pacific oyster, a model species for which the tolerance threshold to acidification remains unknown. We identify low tipping points for physiological traits at pH 7.3-6.9 that coincide with a major reshuffling in membrane lipids and transcriptome. In contrast, shell parameters exhibit effects with pH drop well before tipping points, likely impacting animal fitness. These findings were made possible by the development of an innovative methodology to synthesize and identify the main patterns of variations in large -omic datasets, fit them to pH and identify molecular tipping-points. We propose the application of our framework broadly to the assessment of effects of global change on other organisms.

WOS:000753551000001; International audience; In recent decades, the increase in terrestrial inputs to freshwater and coastal ecosystems, especially occurring at northern latitudes, has led to a process of water color darkening known as "brownification." To assess how brownification affects plankton community composition and functioning in northern coastal areas, an in situ mesocosm experiment using a highly colored humic substance to simulate a brownification event was performed in a North Atlantic bay (Hopavagen, Norway) in August 2019. Manual sampling for analyses of nutrient concentrations, phytoplankton pigments and zooplankton abundances was combined with high-frequency (every 15 min) monitoring of key environmental variables to investigate the response of the plankton community in terms of oxygen metabolism and community composition. In response to brownification, the oxygen gross primary production (GPP) and community respiration (R) slowed down significantly, by almost one-third. However, GPP and R both decreased to the same extent; thus, the oxygen metabolic balance was not affected. Moreover, the chlorophyll-a concentration significantly decreased under brownification, by 9% on average, and the chemotaxonomic pigment composition of the phytoplankton changed, indicating their acclimation to the reduced light availability. In addition, brownification seemed to favor appendicularians, the dominant mesozooplankton group in the mesocosms, which potentially contributed to lowering the phytoplankton biomass. In conclusion, the results of this in situ mesocosm experiment suggest that brownification could induce significant changes in phytoplankton and zooplankton community composition and significantly alter the overall oxygen metabolism of plankton communities in a northern Atlantic bay.

Invasive alien species continue to spread and proliferate in waterways worldwide, but environmental drivers of invasion dynamics lack assessment. Knowledge gaps are pervasive in the Global South, where the frequent heavy human‐modification of rivers provides high opportunity for invasion. In southern Africa, the spatio‐temporal ecology of a widespread and high‐impact invasive alien snail, Tarebia granifera, and its management status is understudied. Here, an ecological assessment was conducted at seven sites around Nandoni Reservoir on the Luvuvhu River in South Africa. The distribution and densities of T. granifera were mapped and the potential drivers of population structure were explored. T. granifera was widespread at sites impacted to varying extents due to anthropogenic activity, with densities exceeding 500 individuals per square meter at the most impacted areas. T. granifera predominantly preferred shallow and sandy environments, being significantly associated with sediment (i.e., chlorophyll‐a, Mn, SOC, SOM) and water (i.e., pH, conductivity, TDS) variables. T. granifera seemed to exhibit two recruitment peaks in November and March, identified via size‐based stock assessment. Sediment parameters (i.e., sediment organic matter, sediment organic carbon, manganese) and water chemistry (i.e., pH, total dissolved solids, conductivity) were found to be important in structuring T. granifera populations, with overall snail densities highest during the summer season. We provide important autecological information and insights on the distribution and extent of the spread of T. granifera. This may help in the development of invasive alien snail management action plans within the region, as well as modelling efforts to predict invasion patterns elsewhere based on environmental characteristics., Alexander von Humboldt‐Stiftung http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100005156, National Research Foundation http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001321, University of Venda http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100008976

Microbial communities often harbor overwhelming species and gene diversity, making it challenging to determine the important units to study this diversity. We argue that the reduced, and thus tractable, microbial diversity of manmade salterns provides an ideal system to advance this cornerstone issue. We review recent time-series genomic and metagenomic studies of the saltern-dominating bacterial and archaeal taxa to show that these taxa form persistent, sequence-discrete, species-like populations. While these populations harbor extensive intra-population gene diversity, even within a single saltern site, only a small minority of these genes appear to be functionally important during environmental perturbations. We outline an approach to detect and track such populations and their ecologically important genes that should be broadly applicable., This work was partly funded by the US National Science Foundation, awards #1831582 and #1759831 (to KTK), and by the projects CLG2015_66686-C3-1-P, PGC2018-096956-B-C41 and RTC-2017-6405-1 of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (to RRM), which were also supported with European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) funds. RRM acknowledges the financial support of the sabbatical stay at Georgia Tech by the grant PRX18/00048 also from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

Genetic diversity varies among species due to a range of eco-evolutionary processes that are not fully understood. The neutral theory predicts that the amount of variation in the genome sequence between different individuals of the same species should increase with its effective population size (Ne). In real populations, multiple factors that modulate the variance in reproductive success among individuals cause Ne to differ from the total number of individuals (N). Among these, age-specific mortality and fecundity rates are known to have a direct impact on the ratio. However, the extent to which vital rates account for differences in genetic diversity among species remains unknown. Here, we addressed this question by comparing genome-wide genetic diversity across 16 marine fish species with similar geographic distributions but contrasted lifespan and age-specific survivorship and fecundity curves. We sequenced the whole genome of 300 individuals to high coverage and assessed their genome-wide heterozygosity with a reference-free approach. Genetic diversity varied from 0.2 to 1.4% among species, and showed a negative correlation with adult lifespan, with a large negative effect (slope = − 0.089 per additional year of lifespan) that was further increased when brooding species providing intense parental care were removed from the dataset (slope = −0.129 per additional year of lifespan). Using published vital rates for each species, we showed that the ratio resulting simply from life tables parameters can predict the observed differences in genetic diversity among species. Using simulations, we further found that the extent of reduction in with increasing adult lifespan is particularly strong under Type III survivorship curves (high juvenile and low adult mortality) and increasing fecundity with age, a typical characteristic of marine fishes. Our study highlights the importance of vital rates as key determinants of species genetic diversity levels in nature.Author SummaryUnderstanding how and why genetic diversity varies across species has important implications for evolutionary and conservation biology. Although genomics has vastly improved our ability to document intraspecific DNA sequence variation at the genome level, the range and determinants of genetic diversity remain partially understood. At a broad taxonomic scale in eukaryotes, the main determinants of diversity are reproductive strategies distributed along a trade-off between the quantity and the size of offspring, which likely affect the long-term effective population size. Long-lived species also tend to show lower genetic diversity, a result which has however not been reported by comparative studies of genetic diversity at lower taxonomic scales. Here, we compared genetic diversity across 16 European marine fish species showing marked differences in longevity. Adult lifespan was the best predictor of genetic diversity, with genome-wide average heterozygosity ranging from 0.2% in the black anglerfish (L. budegassa) to 1.4% in the European pilchard (S. pilchardus). Using life tables summarizing age-specific mortality and fecundity rates for each species, we showed that the variance in lifetime reproductive success resulting from age structure, iteroparity and overlapping generations can predict the range of observed differences in genetic diversity among marine fish species. We then used computer simulations to explore how combinations of vital rates characterizing different life histories affect the relationship between adult lifespan and genetic diversity. We found that marine fishes that display high juvenile but low adult mortality, and increasing fecundity with age, are typically expected to show reduced genetic diversity with increased adult lifespan. However, the impact of adult lifespan vanished using bird and mammal-like vital rates. Our study shows that variance in lifetime reproductive success can have a major impact on species genetic diversity and explains why this effect varies widely across taxonomic groups.

For Inuit in the subarctic transition zone of northeastern Canada, an intimate knowledge of the environment and local biodiversity is crucial for successful traditional activities. This study examines what kinds of landscape features and habitats Inuit of Nunatsiavut recognize and name. During interviews, community members (mostly Elders) were shown photographs from the region and were asked to describe and name salient types of places in Labrador Inuttitut. The most frequently reported geographical units dealt with the region’s topography (e.g., mountain, island, flat-place), hydrology (e.g., river, bay), and superficial characteristics (e.g., bedrock, permanent snow patch). Ecological considerations were also prominent, such as plant associations and animal habitats (e.g., shrubby-place, wetland, caribou-return-to-place). Areas were often characterized by a dominant species or substrate type, being named using the plural form of the species and (or)substrate (e.g., “napâttuk” meaning ‘tree’ and “napâttuit” meaning ‘forest’ or “siugak” meaning ‘sand’ and “siugalak” meaning ‘sandy-area’). Some types of places reported by Inuit were significant mainly for traditional activities (e.g., berry-patch, seal-place, dry-wood-place, danger-place), aiding navigation and resource finding. Integrating Inuit conceptions of ecosystems and their component landscape units with those of contemporary science can improve our understanding of subarctic ecology, benefit climate change adaptation strategies, and Inuit language as well as culture conservation initiatives.

International audience; Aquatic plants are crucial for the proper functioning of aquatic environments. So far, mixotrophy, widespread in aquatic microbial communities and in certain terrestrial plants, has been studied rarely in aquatic plants other than carnivorous ones. New evidence, particularly in Lemna and other close genera, suggests that mixotrophy is much more widespread than previously thought. Three processes could be involved, namely biotrophic associations, capture of prey (e.g., in carnivorous plants), and absorbotrophy (uptake of dissolved organic carbon). The latter process seems to be the most probable hypothesis in regard to the physiology of aquatic plants, but further research at both organism and cellular levels is needed to understand and clarify the processes involved and their importance. This opinion opens a new window of opportunity in aquatic ecology, with possible unsuspected applications in water management.

The South China Block has experienced multiple phases of tectonic deformation since the Middle Jurassic. Understanding this deformation history helps reveal the driving mechanisms responsible and sheds light on the associated magmatism and mineralization. Here, we construct deformable plate tectonic reconstructions for the South China Block from 170 Ma to the present using GPlates. The deformation starts with a NW–SE-oriented shortening phase from 170 to 136 Ma. Subsequently, South China experienced two episodes of extension in the Cretaceous, during 136–118 Ma and 100–80 Ma, respectively. The Cenozoic extension occurred mostly along the southeast continental margin, including the East China Sea Shelf Basin, and rift basins in the northern South China Sea margin and the Taiwan margin segment. The rifting was initiated nearly simultaneously along the continental margin at ~65 Ma and ceased at ~34–30 Ma. The northern portion of the Okinawa Trough started rifting at 15 Ma, while the southern portion rifted in the last few million years. The Luzon Volcanic Arc’ thrusting onto the southeasternmost South China Block since 6.5 Ma caused the still-active Taiwan Orogeny. The predicted accumulated deformation at present-day is characterized by overall shortening onshore with contraction factors mostly between 0.8 and 1 and extension offshore with stretching factors generally between 1 and 2. The Central China Orogen and Taiwan Orogen experienced more intense shortening relative to the interior South China by factors down to 0.6. The Okinawa Trough experienced intense stretching by factors up to 2.5 in its central part. The intraplate deformation in the South China Block is closely related to the subduction of the Izanagi and Pacific plates. The Jurassic and earliest Cretaceous shortening was likely induced by trench advance, and the extension during the Cretaceous and the Cenozoic was mostly driven by subduction retreat.

The authors thank all the people involved in collecting/providing material or organising sampling campaigns: Peter Schuchert (MHNG, Switzerland), Tullia Isotta Terraneo (KAUST, Saudi Arabia), Malek Amr Gusti (KAUST, Saudi Arabia), Timothy Ravasi (OIST, Japan), the captain and crew of the MV Dream-Master (Saudi Arabia), the KAUST Coastal and Marine Resources Core Lab, Inga Dehnert (UNIMIB, Italy), Nicholas WL Yap (NUS, Singapore), Sudhanshi S Jain (NUS, Singapore), Stephen Keable (Australian Museum), Penny Berents (Australian Museum), Anne Hoggett (Australian Museum), Lyle Vail (Australian Museum). Additionally, we wish to thank Leen P. van Ofwegen (Naturalis, The Netherlands) for his valuable help in identifying the octocoral Paralemnalia sp., Peter Schuchert for his comments on an earlier version of the manuscript, and two anonymous referees for their thorough revision of this work. Permissions relevant to undertake the research have been obtained from the applicable governmental agencies. Fieldwork at St. Eustatius was funded through a Martin Fellowship from Naturalis Biodiversity Center to SM, while logistic support was supplied by St. Eustatius Marine Parks (STENAPA), the Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute (CNSI) and Scubaqua Dive Centre. Samples from Eilat (Israel) were collected during the HyDRa Project funded by the EU FP7 Research Infrastructure Initiative ‘ASSEMBLE’ (Grant #227799) to DP. Financial support to DP for collecting samples at Lizard Island (Australia) was provided by the 2018 John and Laurine Proud Fellowship and the Australian Museum’s Lizard Island Research Station. Fieldwork in Mozambique was conducted during the Green Bubbles financed by EU’s H2020 research and innovation programme to DP, under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement no 643712 (Permit n° 09/2018 ANAC). Fieldwork in Singapore was partially funded by the National Research Foundation, Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore under its Marine Science R&D Programme (MSRDP-P03) to DH.

Severe ice conditions in the Bohai Sea could cause serious harm to maritime traffic, offshore oil exploitation, aquaculture, and other economic activities in the surrounding regions. In addition to providing sea ice forecasts for disaster prevention and risk mitigation, sea ice numerical models could help explain the sea ice variability within the context of climate change in marine ecosystems, such as spotted seals, which are the only ice-dependent animal that breeds in Chinese waters. Here, we developed NEMO-Bohai, an ocean–ice coupled model based on the Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean (NEMO) model version 4.0 and Sea Ice Modelling Integrated Initiative (SI3) (NEMO4.0-SI3) for the Bohai Sea. This study will present the scientific design and technical choices of the parameterizations for the NEMO-Bohai model. The model was calibrated and evaluated with in situ and satellite observations of the ocean and sea ice. The model simulations agree with the observations with respect to sea surface height (SSH), temperature (SST), salinity (SSS), currents, and temperature and salinity stratification. The seasonal variation of the sea ice area is well simulated by the model compared to the satellite remote sensing data for the period of 1996–2017. Overall agreement is found for the occurrence dates of the annual maximum sea ice area. The simulated sea ice thickness and volume are in general agreement with the observations with slight overestimations. NEMO-Bohai can simulate seasonal sea ice evolution and long-term interannual variations. Hence, NEMO-Bohai is a valuable tool for long-term ocean and ice simulations and climate change studies.

The marine nitrogen cycle is a main driver of ocean productivity and affects global climate. Despite decades of study, we still have an incomplete understanding of the role of the marine nitrogen cycle in the Earth system. While marine sediments play a major role in nitrogen cycling in the ocean, magnitudes and mechanisms are largely unconstrained. Recent research suggests that permeable sandy sediments on the highly energetic and dynamic continental shelf are key components of the marine nitrogen cycle, but data to quantify their contribution are lacking. Here, we use insights from measurements and modeling studies to substantiate the hypothesis that shelf sediments are an overlooked driver of the marine nitrogen cycle. Specifically, we propose that permeable shelf sediments are sites for intense nitrogen conversions and suggest a three‐pronged approach to address unresolved controversies.

The Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS), including an ice shelf component, has been applied on a circum-Antarctic domain to derive estimates of ice shelf basal melting. Significant improvements made compared to previous models of this scale are the inclusion of tides and a horizontal spatial resolution of 2 km, which is sufficient to resolve on-shelf heat transport by bathymetric troughs and eddy-scale circulation. We run the model with ocean–atmosphere–sea ice conditions from the year 2007 to represent nominal present-day climate. We force the ocean surface with buoyancy fluxes derived from sea ice concentration observations and wind stress from ERA-Interim atmospheric reanalysis. Boundary conditions are derived from the ECCO2 ocean state estimate; tides are incorporated as sea surface height and barotropic currents at the open boundary. We evaluate model results using satellite-derived estimates of ice shelf melting and established compilations of ocean hydrography. The Whole Antarctic Ocean Model (WAOM v1.0) qualitatively captures the broad scale difference between warm and cold regimes as well as many of the known characteristics of regional ice–ocean interaction. We identify a cold bias for some warm-water ice shelves and a lack of high-salinity shelf water (HSSW) formation. We conclude that further calibration and development of our approach are justified. At its current state, the model is ideal for addressing specific, process-oriented questions, e.g. related to tide-driven ice shelf melting at large scales.

The Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) is the second most exploited bivalve in the world but remains threatened by diseases and global changes. Their associated microbiota play a key role in their fitness and acclimation capacities. This study aimed at better understanding the behavior of clam digestive glands and extrapallial fluids microbiota at small, but contrasting spatial and temporal scales. Results showed that environmental variations impacted clam microbiota differently according to the considered tissue. Each clam tissue presented its own microbiota, and showed different dynamics according to the intertidal position and sampling period. Extrapallial fluids microbiota was modified more rapidly than digestive glands microbiota, for clams placed on the upper and lower intertidal position, respectively. Clam tissues could be considered as different microhabitats for bacteria as they presented different responses to small-scale temporal and spatial variabilities in natural conditions. These differences underlined a more stringent environmental filter capacity of the digestive glands.

Complex assemblages of microbes in the surface ocean are responsible for approximately half of global carbon fixation. The persistence of high taxonomic diversity despite competition for a small suite of relatively homogeneously distributed nutrients, that is, 'the paradox of the plankton', represents a long-standing challenge for ecological theory. Here we find evidence consistent with temporal niche partitioning of nitrogen assimilation processes over a diel cycle in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. We jointly analysed transcript abundances, lipids and metabolites and discovered that a small number of diel archetypes can explain pervasive periodic dynamics. Metabolic pathway analysis of identified diel signals revealed asynchronous timing in the transcription of nitrogen uptake and assimilation genes among different microbial groups-cyanobacteria, heterotrophic bacteria and eukaryotes. This temporal niche partitioning of nitrogen uptake emerged despite synchronous transcription of photosynthesis and central carbon metabolism genes and associated macromolecular abundances. Temporal niche partitioning may be a mechanism by which microorganisms in the open ocean mitigate competition for scarce resources, supporting community coexistence.

Climate change and deoxygenation are affecting fish stocks on a global scale, but disentangling the impacts of these stressors from the effects of overfishing is a challenge. This study was conducted to distinguish between climate change and mismanagement as possible causes for the drastic decline in spawning stock size and reproductive success in cod (Gadus morhua) and herring (Clupea harengus) in the Western Baltic Sea, when compared with the good or satisfactory status and reproductive success of the other commercial species in the area. Available data on water temperature, wind speed, and plankton bloom during the spawning season did not reveal conclusive correlations between years with good and bad reproductive success of cod or herring. Notably, the other commercial species in the area have very similar life history traits suggesting similar resilience against stress caused by climate change or fishing. The study concludes that severe, sustained overfishing plus inappropriate size selectivity of the main fishing gears have caused the decline in spawning stock biomass of cod and herring to levels that are known to have a high probability of impaired reproductive success. It is pointed out that allowed catches were regulated by management and adhered to by the fishers, meaning that unregulated fishing did not occur. Thus, mismanagement (quotas that were too high and gears that selected too small sizes) and not climate change appears to be the primary cause of the bad status of cod and herring in the Western Baltic Sea.

The dispersal of marine organisms can be restricted by a set of isolation mechanisms including hard barriers or hydrological features. In the Western Atlantic Ocean, the Amazon River discharge has been shown to act as a biogeographical barrier responsible for the differences in reef fish communities between Caribbean Sea and Northeast Brazil continental shelves. Here, we compare the diversity of all Animalia phyla from biogeographic ecoregions along the Tropical Western Atlantic continental shelf to test the hypothesis that the Amazon River plume spatially structures species diversity. For that, we used beta diversity estimators and multivariate ecological analysis on a database of species occurrence of the whole animal kingdom including 175,477 occurrences of 8,375 species from six ecoregions along the Western Tropical Atlantic. Results of the whole animal kingdom and the richest phyla showed that the Caribbean Sea and Tropical Brazil ecoregions are isolated by the Amazon River Plume, broadening and confirming the hypothesis that it acts as a soft barrier to animal dispersal in the Western Tropical Atlantic. Species sharing is larger northwestwards, in direction of the Caribbean than the opposite direction. Beyond species isolation due to local characteristics such as low salinity and high turbidity, our results suggest the dominant northwestward currents probably play a major role in animal dispersion: it enhances the flux of larvae and other planktonic organisms with reduced mobility from Brazil to Caribbean and hinders their contrary movement. Thus, the Amazon area is a strong barrier for taxa with reduced dispersal capacity, while species of pelagic taxa with active swimming may transpose it more easily.

Rare Earth Elements, including the lanthanide series and Y (REYs), are important tracers and paleo-proxies of biogeochemical processes, water mass transport and oceanic mixing. At the interface between the continents and oceans, the geochemical behaviour of REYs in estuarine environments is generally described as being non-conservative, with large-scale removal by particle scavenging. This conventional interpretation stems from observations carried out in tropical or sub-tropical estuaries. However, major river systems in the mid- and high latitude regions are subjected to winter conditions when a frozen watershed and an ice cover may affect the continental input of particles and the REY geochemistry. Here, we investigate the geochemical behaviour of REYs in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (EGSL) in spring 2003 as well as winter and summer 2020. In contrast to the ice-free seasons, REYs and Fe behave conservatively in the estuary during the winter. In addition, we observed a higher REY affinity toward particles and fractionation in the REE patterns in the hypoxic deep waters of the estuary. The latter observation may reflect enhanced REY sorption to mineral-carrier surfaces exposed upon the remineralization of settling organic particles and to manganese oxides of benthic origin. Computed partition coefficient (Kd) values and strong correlations between Y/Ho, Er/Nd and Ce anomalies with dissolved oxygen concentrations support this hypothesis. The estimated annual dissolved load of REYs from the EGSL to the ocean ranges from 0.4 to 75 tons per year, thus contributing significantly to the global marine budget. The global river loading of dissolved Nd to the ocean was also revised to 4,000 tons per year based on data available for 21 river systems.

UNLABELLED: Allometric relationships between body properties of animals are useful for a wide variety of purposes, such as estimation of biomass, growth, population structure, bioenergetic modelling and carbon flux studies. This study summarizes allometric relationships of zooplankton and nekton species that play major roles in polar marine food webs. Measurements were performed on 639 individuals of 15 species sampled during three expeditions in the Southern Ocean (winter and summer) and 2374 individuals of 14 species sampled during three expeditions in the Arctic Ocean (spring and summer). The information provided by this study fills current knowledge gaps on relationships between length and wet/dry mass of understudied animals, such as various gelatinous zooplankton, and of animals from understudied seasons and maturity stages, for example, for the krill Thysanoessa macrura and larval Euphausia superba caught in winter. Comparisons show that there is intra-specific variation in length-mass relationships of several species depending on season, e.g. for the amphipod Themisto libellula. To investigate the potential use of generalized regression models, comparisons between sexes, maturity stages or age classes were performed and are discussed, such as for the several krill species and T. libellula. Regression model comparisons on age classes of the fish E. antarctica were inconclusive about their general use. Other allometric measurements performed on carapaces, eyes, heads, telsons, tails and otoliths provided models that proved to be useful for estimating length or mass in, e.g. diet studies. In some cases, the suitability of these models may depend on species or developmental stages. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00300-021-02984-4. ispartof: POLAR BIOLOGY vol:45 issue:2 pages:203-224 ispartof: location:Germany status: published

Fisher vectors (FVs) can capture multiple order information from superpixels (SPs) in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. Existing FV-based ship detectors mainly exploit the local contrast of FVs (LCFVs) but do not consider their global density features. This may lead to degraded performance in terms of discrimination between ship targets and the complex sea clutter. In this article, two new global cues from FVs are designed based on the fact that target FVs exhibit much lower densities than those of clutter FVs and also have large distances to the latter. Our two new global cues can suppress the sea clutter and significantly enhance ship targets throughout the SAR image. We also design an improved local cue from FVs for ship detection, in which the intensity contrast of SPs is incorporated into the existing LCFV indicator to reduce false alarms. By fusing the above two new global cues (and an improved local cue from FVs), we propose a new method for ship detection in SAR images. Experimental results based on Gaofen-3 SAR images show that the newly proposed detector provides better detection performance than other state-of-the-art detectors, especially in the presence of strong and highly heterogeneous sea clutter.

How we define our problems determines the solutions; yet problem framing within coastal management is rarely critiqued. Consequently, opportunities for comprehensive policy response, vital in addressing the complex challenges impacting the coast, are missed. To address this gap, we develop and apply coastal sustainability paradigms to critique 48 institutional instruments contributing to coastal management in Australia. In doing so, we uncover similarities and differences in the framing of coastal sustainability within Australian coastal management. An anthropocentric framing dominates, particularly at the local scale, prioritising humans over the environment. However, differences exist between and within jurisdictions based on sector and recency of policy reform. We also find evidence of problem-solution coupling, with some States prioritising hazard management over coastal management, through legislative backing of select instruments and sectors. The findings provide those involved in the complex system of coastal governance with the information needed to consider how the chosen framing supports or impedes public engagement and cross-scale and cross-sector coordination.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is increasingly being used to assess community composition in marine ecosystems. Applying eDNA approaches across broad spatial scales now provide the potential to inform biogeographic analyses. However, to date, few studies have employed this technique to assess broad biogeographic patterns across multiple taxonomic groups. Here, we compare eDNA‐derived communities of bony fishes and invertebrates, including corals and sponges, from 15 locations spanning the entire length of the Omani coast. This survey includes a variety of habitats, including coral and rocky reefs, and covers three distinct marine ecoregions. Our data support a known biogeographic break in fish communities between the north and the south of Oman; however, the eDNA data highlight that this faunal break is mostly reflected in schooling baitfish species (e.g., sardines and anchovies), whereas reef‐associated fish communities appear more homogeneous along this coastline. Furthermore, our data provide indications that these biogeographic breaks also affect invertebrate communities, which includes corals, sponges, and broader eukaryotic groups. The observed community shifts were correlated with local environmental and anthropogenic differences characteristic of this coastline, particularly for the eDNA‐derived bony fish communities. Overall, this study provides compelling support that eDNA sequencing and associated analyses may serve as powerful tools to detect community differences across biogeographic breaks and ecoregions, particularly in places where there is significant variation in oceanographic conditions or anthropogenic impacts.

In situ sensors are needed to further our understanding of phosphate flux dynamics in marine environments during short term events such as tidal cycles, algae blooms and runoff periods. Here, we present a fully automated in situ phosphate analyzer based on an inlaid microfluidic absorbance cell technology. The microfluidic device employs colorimetric absorbance spectrophotometry, using the phosphomolybdenum blue (PMB) assay modified by the addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), to measure phosphate concentrations in seawater. Bench top calibrations were performed with both copper(II) sulfate dye and the PMB assay, as well as temperature sensitivity studies to characterize the sensor’s performance in a range of conditions. It achieves a limit of detection of 15.2 nM, a limit of quantification of 50.8 nM, and a high in situ precision with a relative standard deviation of less than 1.5% across three consecutive measurements. Two consecutive field deployments are conducted as assessments for its intended in situ applications. The sensor is first deployed from a pier at a depth of 6 m, with simultaneous bottle samples taken to perform cross-validation. It is next deployed on the Stella Maris testbed, a multi-sensor seabed platform (MSSP), 100 m offshore and 9 m deep in the inlet to the Bedford Basin in Nova Scotia, Canada. Over 300 successful phosphate measurements were acquired, showing the influence of the tidal cycle, and confirming the sensor’s viability in observing nutrient flux dynamics with nanomolar variations.