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Since seagrasses are efficient sinks for marine organic carbon, there is growing interest in incorporating seagrass protection and restoration into climate mitigation schemes, that is, offering credit for accumulated carbon to offset carbon dioxide emissions. However, patterns and drivers of organic carbon storage by seagrasses are not well resolved, especially at scales relevant to management decisions. Here, we quantified geographic variation in standing stocks of sedimentary organic carbon (Mg Corg ha−1) associated with seagrasses along the northern Florida Gulf Coast using field surveys and sediment cores. We measured plant biomass, organic carbon, and sediment composition in each core. Using a multivariate modeling approach, we evaluated the relative importance of ecological, physical, oceanographic, and seascape drivers, developing the first spatially explicit predictions of seagrass‐associated carbon stocks for this region. Applying model predictions to confirmed seagrass beds and potential recovery areas, we also estimated the carbon storage value of potential seagrass conservation and restoration as the resulting stock enhancement value per hectare of seagrass (Δ Mg Corg ha−1). We found that organic carbon stored by seagrass sediments varied considerably across this region, with stocks significantly increasing with seagrass cover, proximity to oyster reefs, and distance from river outlets, highlighting potential synergies for coordinated management. We also found that current seagrass beds could offer nearly double the carbon storage value of potential recovery areas, emphasizing the importance of conservation as well as restoration. Our results have important implications for management, restoration, and understanding biogeographic patterns of seagrass ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Seasonally mobile species are globally prevalent and often provide vital ecosystem functions and services along their seasonal movement pathways. However, owing to the challenges of planning for features that are spatially and temporally variable, mobile species are rarely accounted for in conservation planning. To protect this dynamic process, planners need a temporally explicit surrogate for species seasonal movement pathways. Because reserve networks typically aim to represent the full spectrum of biodiversity, these surrogates also need to capture the assemblage‐level organization of species in order to preserve the full range of seasonal movement pathways that occur within a given planning region. To this end, this study introduces a new assemblage‐level surrogate strategy for species seasonal movements that preserves variation in biodiversity across the 12 months. Two monthly, assemblage‐level attributes were integrated: discrete species assemblages and continuous assemblage suitability, thereby allowing planners to select complementary combinations of sites that achieve comprehensive assemblage coverage in each month. As a marine case‐study, this strategy was applied to the US Mid‐Atlantic, and a gap analysis was used to evaluate the ability of the Mid‐Atlantic's current spatial management scheme to accommodate species' seasonal movements. The results indicate that current protected areas in the Mid‐Atlantic will be unable to meet even modest quantitative objectives for protecting seasonal movements, and priority conservation areas are identified for designing a reserve network that offers year‐round protection. Planning for processes remains a significant gap in conservation planning, and this study seeks to address this gap by proposing a surrogate strategy that will aid the incorporation of a widespread dynamic process into reserve design. This strategy uses public, predominantly global datasets that have terrestrial and marine counterparts, making it applicable to planning for species seasonal movements both on land and at sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) places multiple instruments in close, parallel proximity, an orientation that may have implications in the production of stray current from the monopolar "Bovie" instrument. The purpose of this study was to compare the energy transferred during SILS compared to traditional four-port laparoscopic surgery (TRD).Method: In a laparoscopic simulator, instruments were inserted via SILS or TRD setup. The monopolar generator delivered energy to a laparoscopic L-hook instrument for 5-s activations on 30-Watts coag mode. The primary outcome (stray current) was quantified by measuring the heat of liver tissue held adjacent to the non-electrically active 10-mm telescope tip and Maryland grasper in both the SILS and TRD setups. To control for the potential confounder of stray energy coupling via wires outside the surgical field, the camera cord and active electrode wires were oriented parallel or completely separated.Results: SILS and TRD setups create similar amounts of stray current as measured by increased tissue temperature at the non-electrically active telescope tip (41 ± 12 vs. 39 ± 10 °C; p = 0.71). Stray current was greater in SILS compared to TRD at the tip of the non-electrically active Maryland forceps (38 ± 9 vs. 20 ± 10 °C; p < 0.01). Separation of the active electrode and camera cords did not change the amount of stray energy in the SILS orientation for either telescope (39 ± 10 °C bundled vs. 36 ± 10 °C separated; p = 0.40) or grasper (38 ± 9 °C bundled vs. 34 ± 11 °C separated; p = 0.19) but did in the TRD orientation (41 ± 12 bundled vs. 24 ± 10 separated; p < 0.01). When SILS was compared to TRD with the cords separated, SILS increased stray energy at both the telescope tip and grasper tip (36 ± 10 vs. 24 ± 10 °C; p < 0.01 and 34 ± 11 vs. 17 ± 8 °C; p < 0.01).Conclusion: SILS increases stray energy transfer nearly twice as much as TRD with the use of the monopolar instrument. Strategies to mitigate the amount of stray energy in the TRD setup such as separation of the active electrode and camera cords are not effective in the SILS setup. These practical findings should enhance surgeons using the SILS approach of increased stray energy that could result in injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]