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The loss and degradation of mangrove forests have triggered global restoration efforts to support biodiversity and ecosystem services, including fish stock enhancement. As mangrove restoration accelerates, it is important to evaluate outcomes for species that play functional roles in ecosystems and support services, yet this remains a clear knowledge gap. There is remarkably little information, for example, about how fish use of mangroves varies as restored vegetation matures, hampering efforts to include fisheries benefits in natural capital assessments of restoration. We used unbaited underwater cameras within two distinct zones of mangrove forests—fringe and interior—at five pairs of restored‐natural mangrove sites of increasing age from restoration in southeast Queensland, Australia. We used deep learning to automatically extract data for the four most common species: yellowfin bream (Acanthopagrus australis), sea mullet (Mugil cephalus), common toadfish (Tetractenos hamiltoni), and common silverbiddy (Gerres subfasciatus). The abundance of these species varied among sites and zones, but was equal or greater in restored sites compared to paired natural sites. Despite younger restored sites having dramatically lower structural vegetation complexity, abundances did not increase with restoration site maturity. Furthermore, while yellowfin bream and sea mullet were more abundant in the fringe zone, we observed similarities in how fish used fringe and interior zones across all sites. Our paired, space‐for‐time design provides a powerful test of restoration outcomes for fish, highlighting that even newly restored sites with immature vegetation are readily utilized by key fish species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As efforts to restore coastal habitats accelerate, it is critical that investments are targeted to most effectively mitigate and reverse habitat loss and its impacts on biodiversity. One likely but largely overlooked impediment to effective restoration of habitat-forming organisms is failing to explicitly consider non-habitat-forming animals in restoration planning, implementation, and monitoring. These animals can greatly enhance or degrade ecosystem function, persistence, and resilience. Bivalves, for instance, can reduce sulfide stress in seagrass habitats and increase drought tolerance of saltmarsh vegetation, whereas megaherbivores can detrimentally overgraze seagrass or improve seagrass seed germination, depending on the context. Therefore, understanding when, why, and how to directly manipulate or support animals can enhance coastal restoration outcomes. In support of this expanded restoration approach, we provide a conceptual framework, incorporating lessons from structured decision-making, and describe potential actions that could lead to better restoration outcomes using case studies to illustrate practical approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with an approximation scheme for rate-independent systems governed by a non-smooth dissipation and a possibly non-convex energy functional. The scheme is based on the local minimization scheme introduced in Efendiev and Mielke [J. Convex Anal. 13 (2006) 151–167], but relies on local stationarity of the underlying minimization problem. Under the assumption of Mosco-convergence for the dissipation functional, we show that accumulation points exist and are so-called parametrized BV-solutions of the rate-independent system. In particular, this guarantees the existence of parametrized BV-solutions for a rather general setting. Afterwards, we apply the scheme to a model for the evolution of damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with a priori error estimates for the local incremental minimization scheme, which is an implicit time discretization method for the approximation of rateindependent systems with nonconvex energies. We first show by means of a counterexample that one cannot expect global convergence of the scheme without any further assumptions on the energy. For the class of uniformly convex energies, we derive error estimates of optimal order, provided that the Lipschitz constant of the load is sufficiently small. Afterwards, we extend this result to the case of an energy, which is only locally uniformly convex in a neighborhood of a given solution trajectory. For the latter case, the local incremental minimization scheme turns out to be superior compared to its global counterpart, as a numerical example demonstrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat loss is accelerating a global extinction crisis. Conservation requires understanding links between species and habitats. Emerging research is revealing important associations between vegetated coastal wetlands and marine megafauna, such as cetaceans, sea turtles, and sharks. But these links have not been reviewed and the importance of these globally declining habitats is undervalued. Here, we identify associations for 102 marine megafauna species that utilize these habitats, increasing the number of species with associations based on current International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) species assessments by 59% to 174, accounting for over 13% of all marine megafauna. We conclude that coastal wetlands require greater protection to support marine megafauna, and present a simple, effective framework to improve the inclusion of habitat associations within species assessments. Marine megafauna and vegetated coastal wetland habitats (seagrasses, saltmarshes, and mangroves) are under intense threat and declining globally. Emerging research and novel methodologies have unveiled important, previously unknown habitat associations between marine megafauna and these habitats. Unless we can conceptualize and critically examine these habitat associations, management and conservation can be undermined. Identifying threatened species that are dependent on threatened habitats is essential for informing on actions to prevent population declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Fouling organisms in bivalve aquaculture cause significant economic losses for the industry. Husbandry strategies to reduce biofouling can involve avoidance, prevention, and treatment. In this way, the type of rope used to collect spat or grow bivalves may prevent or reduce fouling by particularly harmful species but remains largely untested. Further, while a range of eco-friendly control methods exist, their effect on widespread, common biofoulers is poorly known. We tested biofouling accumulation and spat collection for seven commercially used ropes, and evaluated treatments of ambient and heated seawater, acetic and citric acid, and combinations of both applied across a range of exposure times to two commercially grown shellfish (Mytilus galloprovincialis and Ostrea angasi) and three biofouling species (Ectopleura crocea , Ciona intestinalis and Styela clava). Rope types differed significantly in terms of fouling rates and spat collection, with specific rope types clearly advantageous, despite not being used commercially in our study area. Treatments proved variably successful, with E. crocea highly susceptible to all treatments, Ciona intestinalis moderately susceptible, and Styela clava relatively resistant. Excluding S. clava , efficacious treatments were attainable that did not adversely affect shellfish. Combining heat and acid treatments were more successful than individual treatments and provide a useful avenue for further trials. This study provides baseline evidence for treatment efficacy that will tailor longer-term, field trials to validate and streamline biofouling treatments in shellfish aquaculture. Highlights • Biofouling within shellfish culture operations reduces production efficiency. • Preventative measures and novel antifouling treatments are necessary to counteract this problem • Rope type strongly influenced fouling, and heat-acid treatment combinations are superior to individual treatments. • We provide baseline evidence that will tailor longer-term, field trials to validate and streamline biofouling treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite repeated calls to action, proposals for urban conservation are often met with surprise or scepticism. There remains a pervasive narrative in policy, practice, and the public psyche that urban environments, although useful for engaging people with nature or providing ecosystem services, are of little conservation value. We argue that the tendency to overlook the conservation value of urban environments stems from misconceptions about the ability of native species to persist within cities and towns and that this, in turn, hinders effective conservation action. However, recent scientific evidence shows that these assumptions do not always hold. Although it is generally true that increasing the size, quality, and connectivity of habitat patches will improve the probability that a species can persist, the inverse is not that small, degraded, or fragmented habitats found in urban environments are worthless. In light of these findings we propose updated messages that guide and inspire researchers, practitioners, and decision makers to undertake conservation action in urban environments: consider small spaces, recognize unconventional habitats, test creative solutions, and use science to minimize the impacts of future urban development. Article impact statement: Conserving native biodiversity is both important and achievable in urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban sprawl and the rising popularity of water‐sensitive urban design of urban landscapes has led to a global surge in the number of wetlands constructed to collect and treat stormwater runoff in cities. However, contaminants, such as heavy metals and pesticides, in stormwater adversely affect the survival, growth, and reproduction of animals inhabiting these wetlands. A key question is whether wildlife can identify and avoid highly polluted wetlands. We investigated whether pond‐breeding frogs are attempting to breed in wetlands that affect the fitness of their offspring across 67 urban wetlands in Melbourne, Australia. Frog species richness and the concentration of contaminants (heavy metals and pesticides) were not significantly related, even in the most polluted wetlands. The proportion of fringing vegetation at a wetland had the greatest positive influence on the number of frog species present and the probability of occurrence of individual species, indicating that frogs inhabited wetlands with abundant vegetation, regardless of their pollution status. These wetlands contained contaminant levels similar to urban wetlands around the world at levels that reduce larval amphibian survival. These results are, thus, likely generalizable to other areas, suggesting that urban managers could inadvertently be creating ecological traps in countless cities. Wetlands are important tools for the management of urban stormwater runoff, but their construction should not facilitate declines in wetland‐dependent urban wildlife. Article impact statement: That contaminated urban wetlands are readily occupied by frogs has implications for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As systems continue to grow in scale and complexity, the Systems Engineering community has turned to Model‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) to manage complexity, maintain consistency, and assure traceability during system development. It is different from “engineering with models,” which has been a common practice in the engineering profession for decades. MBSE is a holistic, systems engineering approach centered on the evolving system model, which serves as the “sole source of truth” about the system. It comprises system specification, design, validation, and configuration management. Even though MBSE is beginning to see a fair amount of use in multiple industries, specific advances are needed on multiple fronts to realize its full benefits. This paper discusses the motivation for MBSE, and its current state of maturity. It presents systems modeling methodologies and the role of ontologies and metamodels in MBSE. It presents model‐based verification and validation (V&V) as an example of MBSE use. An illustrative example of the use of MBSE for design synthesis is presented to demonstrate an important MBSE capability. The paper concludes with a discussion of challenges to widescale adoption and offers promising research directions to fully realize the potential benefits of MBSE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Many wetlands harbour highly diverse biological communities and provide extensive ecosystem services; however, these important ecological features are being altered, degraded and destroyed around the world. Despite a wealth of research on how animals respond to anthropogenic changes to natural wetlands and how they use created wetlands, we lack a broad synthesis of these data. While some altered wetlands may provide vital habitat, others could pose a considerable risk to wildlife. This risk will be heightened if such wetlands are ecological traps – preferred habitats that confer lower fitness than another available habitat. Wetlands functioning as ecological traps could decrease both local and regional population persistence, and ultimately lead to extinctions. Most studies have examined how animals respond to changes in environmental conditions by measuring responses at the community and population levels, but studying ecological traps requires information on fitness and habitat preferences. Our current lack of knowledge of individual‐level responses may therefore limit our capacity to manage wetland ecosystems effectively since ecological traps require different management practices to mitigate potential consequences. We conducted a global meta‐analysis to characterise how animals respond to four key drivers of wetland alteration: agriculture, mining, restoration and urbanisation. Our overarching goal was to evaluate the ecological impacts of human alterations to wetland ecosystems, as well as identify current knowledge gaps that limit both the current understanding of these responses and effective wetland management. We extracted 1799 taxon‐specific response ratios from 271 studies across 29 countries. Community‐ (e.g. richness) and population‐level (e.g. density) measures within altered wetlands were largely comparable to those within reference wetlands. By contrast, individual fitness measures (e.g. survival) were often lower, highlighting the potential limitations of using only community‐ and population‐level measures to assess habitat quality. Only four studies provided habitat‐preference data, preventing investigation of the potential for altered wetlands to function as ecological traps. This is concerning because attempts to identify ecological traps may detect previously unidentified conservation risks. Although there was considerable variability amongst taxa, amphibians were typically the most sensitive taxon, and thus, may be a valuable bio‐indicator of wetland quality. Despite suffering reduced survival and reproduction, measures such as time to and mass at metamorphosis were similar between altered and reference wetlands, suggesting that quantifying metamorphosis‐related measures in isolation may not provide accurate information on habitat quality. Our review provides the most detailed evaluation to date of the ecological impacts of human alterations to wetland ecosystems. We emphasise that the role of wetlands in human‐altered ecosystems can be complex, as they may represent important habitat but also pose potential risks to animals. Reduced availability of natural wetlands is increasing the importance of altered wetlands for aquatic animals. Consequently, we need to define what represents habitat quality from the perspective of animals, and gain a greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms of habitat selection and how these factors could be manipulated. Furthermore, strategies to enhance the quality of these wetlands should be implemented to maximise their conservation potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are strong conceptual links between riparian zones and freshwater fish via riparian influences on water quality, habitat quality and availability, and trophic dynamics. Many of the world's riparian zones are, however, severely degraded, and the key functions they provide for fish are lost or compromised. In response to their ongoing degradation, extensive works are underway globally to restore the structure and function of riparian zones. Despite intense effort, we lack clear empirical evidence of how fishes respond to changes in riparian zones., We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore how trout (specifically brook, brown, cutthroat, rainbow and steelhead), fish with globally important social, cultural, economic and ecological value, respond to key drivers of riparian alteration. We also identified where and with which species current research is being undertaken and examined the broad characteristics of different studies (e.g. location, focal species, length of study, study design) to better understand potential knowledge gaps in our understanding of how trout respond to changes in riparian zones., ISI Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched for relevant peer-reviewed studies, and from an initial 6514 papers, 55 were included in the formal meta-analysis. From these, we extracted data to calculate response ratios comparing biological attributes at sites with altered riparian characteristics to suitable unmanipulated control sites. We used linear mixed effects models to assess general and species-specific trout responses to eight key 'drivers' of change in riparian condition., Most studies were undertaken in North America using control-impact designs. We found little evidence for species-specific responses to riparian change, and surprisingly, many drivers deemed important in the literature (e.g. revegetation, managed canopy removal, grazing, and forestry clearing) did not consistently influence trout population- or individual-level metrics. Nonetheless, trout populations did respond positively to increasing woody debris and livestock exclusion (+87.7 and +66.6% respectively), and negatively to bushfire and afforestation (−67.4 and −88.2% respectively). We found some evidence that positive riparian changes may just attract fish (i.e. increased abundance or density) rather than enhance actual population production (i.e. individual size and growth). While this conclusion necessarily needs to be interpreted with caution, it does suggest that targeted research on the 'production versus attraction' hypothesis would be beneficial., Several key drivers of riparian change, such as revegetation activities, have been the focus of only limited research. More generally, long-term data are lacking for most drivers. Both of these key information gaps limit our ability to predict the likely timing and trajectory of responses to riparian management. Robust monitoring programmes in areas with altered riparian zones - particularly using BACI designs to allow changes to be attributed to management - are required. The knowledge gaps present for fishes as ecologically, socially and environmentally important as trout are likely to be even more pronounced for the majority of less-studied freshwater fish species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to maximize the growth potential of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar L.) in the on-growing phase in open sea cages, the dissolved oxygen (DO, % of air saturation) level must exceed the minimum DO required for maximal feed intake (DO maxFI ). The main aim of this study was to determine the effect of temperature on this important threshold DO, and secondly, to provide aquaculturists with a model that estimates feed intake as function of both temperature and DO. Quadruple tank groups of Atlantic salmon post-smolts (~ 0.3–0.5 kg) were kept at 7, 11, 15 and 19 °C, and subjected to seven DO levels per temperature, ranging from ≈ 32–92, 42–102, 52–112 and 62–122% O 2 , respectively, for 42 days. DO levels were changed every second day, in random order. Fish were fed a known amount of feed in excess twice daily, waste feed was collected and daily feed intake (DFI, % of biomass, BM, per day) estimated. The routine oxygen consumption rate (MO 2 rout , measured in partially fasted and active fish) and the DO below which MO 2 rout started to decline (termed the routine limiting oxygen saturation, LOS rout ) was determined in fasted fish at all four temperatures at the end of experimentation, and the latter was used to estimate the “zero feed intake DO” in the DFI model. The data demonstrate sustained appetite with decreasing DO until a threshold level (DO maxFI ) is reached, at which point appetite gradually decreases. Both the maximal level of feed intake (DFI max ) and the DO maxFI were highly dependent on temperature, increasing from 0.47 to 0.88% of BM/day, and from 42 to 76% O 2 , respectively, within the temperature range tested. The LOS rout ranged from 24 to 40% O 2 . The present study is the first to present the pronounced effect of temperature on DO maxFI , and results suggest that the DO requirement of A. salmon has previously been considerably over-estimated, particularly at lower temperatures. Statement of relevance The study links growth performance to environmental temperature and oxygen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As systems are called on to participate on demand within system-of-systems (SoS), system-of-systems integration (SoSI) has become a key concern. This capability is especially important in defense and aerospace where systems are increasingly required to interoperate on demand to satisfy mission requirements. SoSI is also becoming increasingly important in healthcare and energy domains. SoSI involves interfacing and enabling the interactions of component systems to create the needed SoS capability to accomplish mission or business goals. SoSI, which is part of the overall SoS development life cycle, increases in complexity when there are legacy systems that need to be integrated, and when humans are tasked to perform in various capacities within the SoS. An added layer of complexity is introduced when the SoS has to exhibit certain quality attributes such as adaptability and resilience in the face of contingencies and disruptions in the operational environment. This paper addresses key considerations and challenges in SoSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT As systems continue to grow in scale and complexity, systems integration ( SI) has become a key concern. This is especially the case in defense and aerospace. SI involves interfacing and enabling the interactions of component elements to collectively provide the functionality needed by the system to accomplish its goals. SI is part of the overall system development life cycle. SI increases in complexity when there are legacy systems that need to be integrated, and when humans are an integral part of the system. An added layer of complexity is introduced when the system has to exhibit resilience and adaptability in the face of contingencies in the operational environment. This paper addresses key perspectives and challenges in SI. Specifically, it presents the integration continuum, ranging from loose to tight integration. It presents a SI ontology that captures the key issues and concerns in a standard language. It also presents various categories of integration and their unique challenges. This paper is intended to clarify various types of integration and to stimulate new ways of thinking about SI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Coordinated conservation requires clear indicator interrelationships. • We analyse and interrogate global ecosystem indicators for coastal wetlands. • We develop spatially explicit typologies of ecosystem status at the global scale. • Typologies identify diverse conservation and management needs of coastal wetlands. • Simplifying the complex global mosaic of status informs management and conservation. Global-scale conservation initiatives and policy instruments rely on ecosystem indicators to track progress towards targets and objectives. A deeper understanding of indicator interrelationships would benefit these efforts and help characterize ecosystem status. We study interrelationships among 34 indicators for mangroves, saltmarsh, and seagrass ecosystems, and develop data-driven, spatially explicit typologies of coastal wetland status at a global scale. After accounting for environmental covariates and gap-filling missing data, we obtained two levels of clustering at 5 and 18 typologies, providing outputs at different scales for different end users. We generated 2,845 cells (1° (lat) × 1° (long)) globally, of which 29.7% were characterized by high land- and marine-based impacts and a high proportion of threatened species, 13.5% by high climate-based impacts, and 9.6% were refuges with lower impacts, high fish density and a low proportion of threatened species. We identify instances where specific actions could have positive outcomes for coastal wetlands across regions facing similar issues. For example, land- and marine-based threats to coastal wetlands were associated with ecological structure and function indicators, suggesting that reducing these threats may reduce habitat degradation and threats to species persistence. However, several interdimensional relationships might be affected by temporal or spatial mismatches in data. Weak relationships mean that global biodiversity maps that categorize areas by single indicators (such as threats or trends in habitat size) may not be representative of changes in other indicators (e.g., ecosystem function). By simplifying the complex global mosaic of coastal wetland status and identifying regions with similar issues that could benefit from knowledge exchange across national boundaries, we help set the scene for globally and regionally coordinated conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For polymer induced flocculation processes, the effects of flow patterns in a gap of a conical stirrer on aggregate formation and subsequent sludge dewatering efficiency were analysed. Different flow regimes were identified by lab scale investigations with model substances and summarized in a Ta and Re number plane. An enhancement of sludge dewaterability for polymer induced flocculation processes was identified through post-treatment of flocculated sludge aggregates by the specific flow pattern of stable and wavy Taylor vortices. Photo-optical image analysis of flocculated aggregates shows a clear change of aggregate size distribution with less small particles during aggregate forming by Taylor vortices compared to classical flocculation procedure by stirrer. Results from technical scale dewatering analyses confirmed enhancement of sludge dewatering efficiency for six different dewatering machines using the identified wavy and stable Taylor vortex flow pattern regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately evaluating ecosystem status is vital for effective conservation. The Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the global standard for assessing the risk of ecosystem collapse. Such tools are particularly needed for large, dynamic ecosystem complexes, such as the Indian Sundarbans mangrove forest. This ecosystem supports unique biodiversity and the livelihoods of millions, but like many mangrove forests around the world is facing substantial pressure from a range of human activities. Holistic, standardised and quantitative environment risk assessment frameworks are essential here, because previous assessments have either been qualitative in nature, or have generally considered single threats in isolation. We review these threats and utilise the RLE framework to quantitatively assess the risk of ecosystem collapse. Historical clearing and diminishing fish populations drove a status of Endangered (range: Vulnerable to Endangered), and ongoing threats including climate change and reduced freshwater supply may further impact this ecosystem. However, considering recent change, the outlook is more optimistic. Mangrove extent has stabilised, and analysis of mangrove condition highlights that only a small proportion of the forest is degraded. Using the RLE provides an authoritative avenue for further protection and recognition of the issues facing this UNESCO World Heritage Site. We also identify knowledge and data gaps in the Sundarbans that are likely common to coastal systems globally. By articulating these and presenting opportunities and recommendations, we aim to further the conservation goals of the IUCN and the implementation of its new assessment framework. Unlabelled Image • The Red List of Ecosystems is the global standard for assessing ecosystem collapse • The outcome for the Indian Sundarbans is Endangered, driven by historical clearing • The trend of clearing and degradation has since drastically slowed, giving cause for optimism • A novel, spatially explicit dataset indicates low levels of degradation • Ongoing threats remain, so effective management is highly pertinent [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We apply the Red List of Ecosystems framework to connected coastal wetlands. • Moreton Bay mangroves and seagrass were Least Concern; saltmarsh was Endangered. • Assessments of individual ecosystems can misrepresent risk of collapse. • Collapse in any one ecosystem can have seascape-wide consequences. • Integrating outcomes for connected ecosystems is thus important. Human-induced habitat clearing and pollution are leading drivers of biodiversity loss. Ecosystem assessments are required to identify ecosystems at risk of collapse, but they should account for cross-system linkages and dynamics where necessary. This is particularly true for coastal wetlands (e.g. seagrass, mangroves and saltmarsh), which exhibit high ecological connectivity and have individually suffered global declines over the last century. We use the coastal wetlands of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, as a model system to examine how integrating outcomes of multiple, simultaneously conducted, ecosystem assessments can assist in identifying appropriate management and conservation strategies. We simultaneously conducted separate assessments of seagrass, mangrove and saltmarsh ecosystems against the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems criteria. Despite substantial human population growth in the region, seagrass and mangroves were assessed as Least Concern. Mangroves were found to be rapidly encroaching on saltmarsh. This process, together with past clearing, were the major drivers behind saltmarsh being assessed as Endangered. Given the importance of connectivity among these connected ecosystems, collapse in any one ecosystem can have seascape-wide consequences, highlighting the benefit of conducting multi-ecosystem assessments. Consequently, a fully integrated assessment of the coastal wetlands as a single entity would miss key processes, such as mangrove encroachment, potentially underestimating overall risks. Our study highlights the plight of saltmarsh and the value of conducting simultaneous RLE assessments for multiple ecosystems comprising seascapes. We recommend that connectivity be accounted for explicitly in assessments of other connected, high-risk ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental contamination contributes to the threatened status of many amphibian populations. Many contaminants alter behaviour at concentrations commonly experienced in the environment, with negative consequences for individual fitness, populations and communities. A comprehensive, quantitative evaluation of the behavioural sensitivity of amphibians is warranted to better understand the population-level and resultant ecological impacts of contaminants. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating behavioural changes following exposure to contaminants. Most studies were conducted in North America and Europe on larval stages, and 64% of the 116 studies focussed on the effects of insecticides. We found that a suite of contaminants influence a wide range of behaviours in amphibians, with insecticides typically invoking the strongest responses. In particular, insecticides increased rates of abnormal swimming, and reduced escape responses to simulated predator attacks. Our analysis identified five key needs for future research, in particular the need: (1) for researchers to provide more details of experimental protocols and results (2) to develop a strong research base for future quantitative reviews, (3) to broaden the suite of contaminants tested, (4) to better study and thus understand the effects of multiple stressors, and (5) to establish the ecological importance of behavioural alterations. Behavioural endpoints provide useful sub-lethal indicators of how contaminants influence amphibians, and coupled with standard ecotoxicological endpoints, can provide valuable information for population models assessing the broader ecological consequences of environmental contamination. Unlabelled Image • Chemical contamination is driving amphibian declines, often at sub-lethal concentrations. • We used meta-analysis to quantify responses to a suite of contaminants. • Contaminants caused abnormal swimming and affected escape responses. • Behaviours were typically altered in meaningful ways. • Understanding behavioural alterations help predict ecological implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofouling of ship hulls is one of the most important vectors for the transfer of aquatic invasive species. These species cause widespread impacts to native environments and ecological communities, in addition to imposing financial costs for industry. Targeted surveillance and effective adaptive management require knowledge on the likelihood of new introductions of non-indigenous species (NIS). We develop a model of the likelihood of introduction and invasion of NIS for the port of Arzew (Algeria), based on the length of stay of vessels in the ports of call, the latitude of these ports, the geographical distance from the port of Arzew, ship's speed, effectiveness of the antifouling system and antifouling strategy used in port of origin. We identified areas that represent a source of high risk species invasion, according to the environmental similarity of the ports of origin with the Arzew port using the Mahalanobis distance. We show that over one year, 738 trips have been made at the port of Arzew, inflicting a very high risk of invasion, in particular from six coastal ecoregions, (the Western Mediterranean ecoregion, the Northern and Central Red Sea, the South European Atlantic Shelf, the Ionian Sea ecoregion, the North Sea, and the Aegean Sea). These results can be used for invasive species management purposes, such as: the application of specific regulations to high-risk vessels and ports in order to minimize the transfer of these species. The methods and models developed here are transferable to any region around the world with similar data availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The condition of fish relates to their energy reserves, and a suite of proxies exist to approximate condition, including biochemical and morphometric indices. Biochemical indices directly measure energy stores but are expensive and sometimes lethal. Morphometrics offer several advantages, but their utility as condition proxies is debated and largely untested experimentally. Here, we manipulated the condition of yellowfin bream (Acanthopagrus australis, Günther, 1859) via food reduction to simulate the effect of poor habitat quality and calculated a variety of condition indices through time. We measured four non‐lethal morphometrics (Fulton's K, Le Cren's relative condition, width‐to‐length ratio and girth), the hepatosomatic index and a biochemical benchmark (liver lipid content). Girth and width‐to‐length ratio were reasonably well correlated with lipid content (R2 = 0.74 and 0.56, respectively). The hepatosomatic index was only weakly or uncorrelated to other indices, including lipid content (R2 = 0.35). Where precise estimates of body condition are not needed or repeat measures on the same individual are useful, non‐lethal morphometrics provide a fast, cheap and non‐lethal alternative to biochemical and lethal morphometric methods for this species. We finish by outlining how artificial intelligence‐based automation can be combined with morphometrics to further enhance ethical monitoring by eliminating the need to capture and handle fish entirely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how salinity affects marine parasites is vital to understanding their ecology and treatment, particularly for host-parasite systems that traverse marine and freshwater realms such as the globally important Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) system. Growing concerns for wild fish populations, and decreased efficiencies and burgeoning costs of lice treatments for farmed fish has necessitated more environmentally and socially acceptable delousing procedures, such as hyposaline treatments. The effect of brackish water on L. salmonis following primary attachment is largely unknown, with experimental evidence derived mostly from unattached or newly attached copepodids, or adult stages. We aimed to understand how attached lice respond to hyposaline environments to assess effectiveness as a parasite management strategy and to help better define delousing areas used by wild fish. Louse development at 4, 12, 19 and 26 ppt, and survival at 4 ppt, decreased as exposure times increased, but survival was otherwise unaffected. Subjecting salmon to fluctuating, repeat exposures did not influence efficacy. We confirm that free-swimming stages are susceptible, and show that attached copepodids were more tolerant than previously predicted based on experiments on alternate development stages. These results improve our understanding of the utility of hyposaline treatments in aquaculture and self-treating in wild fish, and could apply to other fish-lice parasite systems. Further, these data are important for models predicting host-parasite interactions and can contribute to predictive models on the transmission dynamics of sea lice from farm to wild fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with a space-time discretization of a rate-independent evolution governed by a non-smooth dissipation and a non-convex energy functional. For the time discretization, we apply the local minimization scheme introduced in Efendiev and Mielke (J Convex Anal 13(1):151-167, 2006), which is known to resolve time discontinuities, which may show up due to the non-convex energy. The spatial discretization is performed by classical linear finite elements. We show that accumulation points of the sequence of discrete solutions for mesh size tending to zero exist and are so-called parametrized solutions of the continuous problem. The discrete problems are solved by means of a mass lumping scheme for the non-smooth dissipation functional in combination with a semi-smooth Newton method. A numerical test indicates the efficiency of this approach. In addition, we compared the local minimization scheme with a time stepping scheme for global energetic solutions, which shows that both schemes yield different solutions with differing time discontinuities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of process parameters on the H2O2 yield of gas diffusion electrodes (GDE) are investigated. The investigated GDEs consist of Vulcan XC72 carbon black and PTFE on gold‐plated nickel wire cloth. An electrolysis cell is used to evaluate the influence of various process parameters, such as temperature, pH value, oxygen pressure and stoichiometric factor, electrolyte flow regime, current density and separator material at steady‐state conditions. It is found that the investigated GDE enables current efficiencies greater than 90 % at up to 2 kA m−2, whereby lower electrolyte temperatures and higher pH values contribute to higher H2O2 yields above 90 % current efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global recognition of climate change and its predicted consequences has created the need for practical management strategies for increasing the ability of natural ecosystems to capture and store atmospheric carbon. Mangrove forests, saltmarshes and seagrass meadows, referred to as blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs), are hotspots of atmospheric CO2 storage due to their capacity to sequester carbon at a far higher rate than terrestrial forests. Despite increased effort to understand the mechanisms underpinning blue carbon fluxes, there has been little synthesis of how management activities influence carbon stocks and greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in BCEs. Here, we present a global meta‐analysis of 111 studies that measured how carbon stocks and GHG fluxes in BCEs respond to various coastal management strategies. Research effort has focused mainly on restoration approaches, which resulted in significant increases in blue carbon after 4 years compared to degraded sites, and the potential to reach parity with natural sites after 7–17 years. Lesser studied management alternatives, such as sediment manipulation and altered hydrology, showed only increases in biomass and weaker responses for soil carbon stocks and sequestration. The response of GHG emissions to management was complex, with managed sites emitting less than natural reference sites but emitting more compared to degraded sites. Individual GHGs also differed in their responses to management. To date, blue carbon management studies are underrepresented in the southern hemisphere and are usually limited in duration (61% of studies <3 years duration). Our meta‐analysis describes the current state of blue carbon management from the available data and highlights recommendations for prioritizing conservation management, extending monitoring time frames of BCE carbon stocks, improving our understanding of GHG fluxes in open coastal systems and redistributing management and research effort into understudied, high‐risk areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regarding the treatment of (waste)water, electrochemical processes have various advantages over other methods. They are robust, easy to operate and flexible in case of fluctuating wastewater load. In addition, a relatively broad spectrum of organic and inorganic impurities can be removed. This contribution provides an overview of electrochemical reactors for water, process water and wastewater treatment, which are already in technical‐scale operation or subject of research. Some essential basics of electrochemical processes for the treatment of water are presented and examples for applications are given. This is followed by a description of the reactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Wetlands are increasingly being constructed to mitigate the effects of urban stormwater, such as altered hydrological regimes and reduced water quality, on downstream aquatic ecosystems. While the primary purpose of these wetlands is to manage stormwater, they also attract animals whose growth, survival and breeding (i.e. 'fitness') may be compromised. Such deleterious effects will be exacerbated if animals are caught in 'ecological traps', mistakenly preferring wetlands with unsuitable environmental conditions. Alternatively, wetlands that offer suitable habitat conditions for animals could be beneficial, especially in fragmented urban landscapes. Consequently, a thorough understanding of the potential ecological impacts of stormwater treatment wetlands is critical for managing unintended consequences to urban biodiversity. To help facilitate this understanding, we draw upon findings from a four-year research program conducted in the city of Melbourne in south-eastern Australia as a case study. First, we summarise our research demonstrating that some stormwater wetlands can be ecological traps for native frogs and fish in the study region, whilst others likely provide important habitat in areas where few natural waterbodies remain. We use our work to highlight that while stormwater wetlands can be ecological traps, their effects can be properly managed. We propose the need for a better understanding of the ecological consequences of changes to wetland quality and their population-level impacts across the landscape. We hope that this study will generate discussions about how to most effectively manage constructed wetlands in urban landscapes and more research for a better understanding of the issues and opportunities regarding potential ecological traps. Highlights • Urban stormwater wetlands can have both ecological benefits and costs. • Some urban stormwater wetlands are ecological traps. • Better understanding the ecological consequences of changes to wetlands is vital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystems remain under enormous pressure from multiple anthropogenic stressors. Manipulative experiments evaluating stressor interactions and impacts mostly apply stressors under static conditions without considering how variable stressor intensity (i.e. fluctuations) and synchronicity (i.e. timing of fluctuations) affect biological responses. We ask how variable stressor intensity and synchronicity, and interaction type, can influence how multiple stressors affect seagrass. At the highest intensities, fluctuating stressors applied asynchronously reduced seagrass biomass 36% more than for static stressors, yet no such difference occurred for photosynthetic capacity. Testing three separate hypotheses to predict underlying drivers of differences in biological responses highlighted alternative modes of action dependent on how stressors fluctuated over time. Given that environmental conditions are constantly changing, assessing static stressors may lead to inaccurate predictions of cumulative effects. Translating multiple stressor experiments to the real world, therefore, requires considering variability in stressor intensity and the synchronicity of fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Commission (EC) is trying to improve road safety and working conditions throughout Europe, and card technology is playing a role in achieving this. Current European Union (EU) regulations state that all newly registered commercial vehicles with a total weight in excess of 3.5 tonnes and buses with more than nine seats must now be equipped with a digital tachograph. This regulation – stipulated by the EC''s Directorate General for Energy and Transport – is intended to increase safety and make it possible to monitor working conditions in every EU country. In the future, high-performance cards will reliably record vehicle speeds and the times drivers are behind the wheel or resting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Predicting the impacts of multiple stressors is important for informing ecosystem management but is impeded by a lack of a general framework for predicting whether stressors interact synergistically, additively or antagonistically. Here, we use process‐based models to study how interactions generalise across three levels of biological organisation (physiological, population and consumer‐resource) for a two‐stressor experiment on a seagrass model system. We found that the same underlying processes could result in synergistic, additive or antagonistic interactions, with interaction type depending on initial conditions, experiment duration, stressor dynamics and consumer presence. Our results help explain why meta‐analyses of multiple stressor experimental results have struggled to identify predictors of consistently non‐additive interactions in the natural environment. Experiments run over extended temporal scales, with treatments across gradients of stressor magnitude, are needed to identify the processes that underpin how stressors interact and provide useful predictions to management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enable the evaluation of water treatment efficiency of electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs), an approach to remove H2O2 as a catalytic pretreatment was investigated to avoid interference in chemical oxygen demand (COD) measurements. Four wastewater types with COD and H2O2 concentrations up to 1,300 mg/L and 90 mmol/L , respectively, were investigated with a novel method. The method requires the addition of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), which decomposes H2O2 at ambient temperature within 24 h without changing COD. For synthetic wastewater (SWW), this time is reduced to 1 h by heating at 70°C. A side-by-side comparison of NaHCO3 and Na2CO3 experiments confirmed H2O2 removal without changes in COD via NaHCO3 , whereas a ∼20% decrease in original COD was observed using Na2CO3. The change in COD during catalytical H2O2 decomposition in Na2CO3 solution was highly correlated with the high pH value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seagrass meadows are threatened by multiple pressures, jeopardizing the many benefits they provide to humanity and biodiversity, including climate regulation and food provision through fisheries production. Conservation of seagrass requires identification of the main pressures contributing to loss and the regions most at risk of ongoing loss. Here, we model trajectories of seagrass change at the global scale and show they are related to multiple anthropogenic pressures but that trajectories vary widely with seagrass life-history strategies. Rapidly declining trajectories of seagrass meadow extent (>25% loss from 2000 to 2010) were most strongly associated with high pressures from destructive demersal fishing and poor water quality. Conversely, seagrass meadow extent was more likely to be increasing when these two pressures were low. Meadows dominated by seagrasses with persistent life-history strategies tended to have slowly changing or stable trajectories, while those with opportunistic species were more variable, with a higher probability of either rapidly declining or rapidly increasing. Global predictions of regions most at risk for decline show high-risk areas in Europe, North America, Japan, and southeast Asia, including places where comprehensive long-term monitoring data are lacking. Our results highlight where seagrass loss may be occurring unnoticed and where urgent conservation interventions are required to reverse loss and sustain their essential services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangroves have among the highest carbon densities of any tropical forest. These 'blue carbon' ecosystems can store large amounts of carbon for long periods, and their protection reduces greenhouse gas emissions and supports climate change mitigation. Incorporating mangroves into Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement and their valuation on carbon markets requires predicting how the management of different land‐uses can prevent future greenhouse gas emissions and increase CO2 sequestration. We integrated comprehensive global datasets for carbon stocks, mangrove distribution, deforestation rates, and land‐use change drivers into a predictive model of mangrove carbon emissions. We project emissions and foregone soil carbon sequestration potential under 'business as usual' rates of mangrove loss. Emissions from mangrove loss could reach 2391 Tg CO2 eq by the end of the century, or 3392 Tg CO2 eq when considering foregone soil carbon sequestration. The highest emissions were predicted in southeast and south Asia (West Coral Triangle, Sunda Shelf, and the Bay of Bengal) due to conversion to aquaculture or agriculture, followed by the Caribbean (Tropical Northwest Atlantic) due to clearing and erosion, and the Andaman coast (West Myanmar) and north Brazil due to erosion. Together, these six regions accounted for 90% of the total potential CO2 eq future emissions. Mangrove loss has been slowing, and global emissions could be more than halved if reduced loss rates remain in the future. Notably, the location of global emission hotspots was consistent with every dataset used to calculate deforestation rates or with alternative assumptions about carbon storage and emissions. Our results indicate the regions in need of policy actions to address emissions arising from mangrove loss and the drivers that could be managed to prevent them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple stressors are ubiquitous in coastal ecosystems as a result of increased human activity and development along coastlines. Accurately assessing multiple stressor effects is essential for predicting stressor impacts and informing management to efficiently and effectively mitigate potentially complex ecological responses. Extracting relevant information on multiple stressor studies conducted specifically within coastal wetlands is not possible from existing reviews, posing challenges in highlighting knowledge gaps and guiding future research. Here, we systematically review manipulative studies that assess multiple anthropogenic stressors within saltmarsh, mangrove, and seagrass ecosystems. In the past decade, there has been a rapid increase in publications, with seagrasses receiving the most attention (76 out of a total of 143 studies). Across all studies, nutrient loading and temperature were tested most often (N = 64 and N = 48, respectively), while the most common stressor combination was temperature with salinity (N = 12). Stressor application and study design varied across ecosystems. Studies are mostly conducted in highly controlled environments, without considering how natural variations in the physicochemical environment of coastal ecosystems may influence stressor intensity and timing under these conditions. This may result in vastly different ecological responses across levels of biological organisation. Shifting focus from univariate analytical approaches to multivariate, particularly path analysis, will help elucidate complex ecological relationships and highlight direct and indirect effects of multiple stressors in coastal ecosystems. There is a solid foundation of multiple stressor research in coastal wetlands. However, we recommend future research enhance ecological realism in experimental design by studying the effects of stressor combinations whilst accounting for spatiotemporal variability that reflects natural conditions of coastal ecosystems. Image 1 • Combinations of anthropogenic stressors are degrading coastal wetlands globally. • Multiple stressor studies focus on seagrass, and effects of nutrients and temperature. • Relevant stressor pairs, such as sedimentation and contaminants, are unstudied. • Experiments are conducted in controlled conditions with reduced ecological realism. • Varying stressor intensity and timing to reflect natural systems will enhance realism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities that threaten ecosystems often vary across small spatial scales, though they can be driven by large-scale factors like national governance. Here, we use two decades of data on global mangrove deforestation to assess whether landscape-scale indirect pressures – cumulative impacts, population density, mangrove forest fragmentation, the global human footprint – and management responses (protected areas) are related to rates of mangrove loss, and whether the impacts of these activities vary by nation. By integrating rates of loss at different spatial scales into a Bayesian hierarchical model, we also assess whether national-scale patterns in mangrove loss are predicted by national regulatory quality. Globally, less fragmented forests had lower rates of mangrove loss. We observed variability among nations in the effect of pressures and management responses on mangrove loss. National regulatory quality mediated how pressures and management interact to influence mangrove loss. Protected areas had a greater benefit for slowing mangrove loss rates in countries with low, rather than high, regulatory quality, ostensibly because countries with higher regulatory quality have greater protection of mangroves outside of protected areas. High population densities were also associated with greater mangrove loss, but only in nations with low regulatory quality. We suggest that efforts to protect mangrove forests will benefit from developing solutions that consider national context and address differences in the effect of pressures and cumulative impacts. Our model can also be applied to other globally threatened ecosystems to understand how variation in local context can affect national-scale conservation outcomes. • Increasingly fragmented mangrove forests were associated with higher rates of forest loss • National regulatory quality mediated how pressures and management influence mangrove loss • In nations with low regulatory quality, protected areas provide greatest benefits for mangrove protection. • Considering national variation in the effect of pressures and management actions will benefit mangrove conservation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) are becoming increasingly attractive for use in wastewater treatment. A reactor with a boron-doped diamond anode and a gas diffusion cathode seems to be a promising approach for water purification, because of the in situ generation of highly reactive species such as anodic •OH radicals and cathodic H 2 O 2. To evaluate the application potential of this EAOP concept, the treatment efficiency and energy efficiency were compared with those of well-established AOPs such as ozonation and peroxone processes (O 3 + H 2 O 2). In this study, the innovative electrochemical batch treatment of artificial toilet wastewater showed a COD degradation efficiency of 38.1%, which is higher than that obtained using ozonation (17.0%) or the peroxone process (25.7%). Additionally, the specific energy demand is lower for EAOP (93.6 kWh/kg m COD) than for ozonation (125.4 kWh/kg m COD) or the peroxone process (134.5 kWh/kg m COD). • Simultaneous generation of two strong oxidants • No H 2 generation at the cathode → no oxyhydrogen reaction → minimizes chance of explosions. • In comparable experiments, the best COD degradation was achieved with electrochemical reactor. • Lowest specific energy demand achieved with electrochemical reactor. • Electrochemical reactor has low space requirements (good for use in trains). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective methods for graphite felt (GF) treatment based on Fenton's reagent treatment and thermal modification have been used to improve microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance. The effects of the HO content in Fenton's reagent on the performances of MFCs with two different GFs (GFD and ACN-211) have been investigated. For GFD, a maximum performance of 190 mW/m was achieved with HO volume of 100 ml, while for ACN-211, the maximum performance of 450 mW/m is reached with HO volume of 150 ml. MFCs with both treated and untreated ACN-211 consistently showed higher power densities and greater durabilities than those with treated and untreated GFD. The degree of fouling on the surface of ACN-211 was much less than that on the surface of GFD. The higher surface area and better anti-fouling performance of ACN-211 are responsible for its relatively high power density during long-term operation. Thermal modification of ACN-211 was performed at different temperatures and for different durations, and the effects of treatment conditions on the performances of MFCs were studied. Results showed that an MFC fabricated with ACN-211 treated under 400 °C for 2 h exhibited the highest power density, with a maximum value of 470 mW/m, which is higher than that of an MFC fabricated with ACN-211 treated by Fenton's reagent. A Coulombic efficiency of 35% and an energy efficiency of 10% were achieved for an MFC fabricated with ACN-211. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preface for the June 15, 2007 issue of "Water Science & Technology" is presented.

There is an urgent need to halt and reverse loss of mangroves and seagrass to protect and increase the ecosystem services they provide to coastal communities, such as enhancing coastal resilience and contributing to climate stability. 1,2 Ambitious targets for their recovery can inspire public and private investment in conservation, 3 but the expected outcomes of different protection and restoration strategies are unclear. We estimated potential recovery of mangroves and seagrass through gains in ecosystem extent to the year 2070 under a range of protection and restoration strategies implemented until the year 2050. Under a protection-only scenario, the current trajectories of net mangrove loss slowed, and a minor net gain in global seagrass extent (∼1%) was estimated. Protection alone is therefore unlikely to drive sufficient recovery. However, if action is taken to both protect and restore, net gains of up to 5% and 35% of mangroves and seagrasses, respectively, could be achieved by 2050. Further, protection and restoration can be complementary, as protection prevents losses that would otherwise occur post-2050, highlighting the importance of implementing protection measures. Our findings provide the scientific evidence required for setting strategic and ambitious targets to inspire significant global investment and effort in mangrove and seagrass conservation. • We estimated potential global recovery of mangroves and seagrass • Protection reduces net losses and supports long-term recovery • Restoration is critical to achieve net gains in ecosystem extent • Both protection and restoration are required to achieve and sustain global recovery Conservation action is needed to maintain and recover mangrove and seagrass ecosystems world-wide. Scenario-based models can inform ambitious and achievable global targets for coordinated action. Buelow et al. demonstrate that only protection and restoration combined can support substantial gains in mangrove and seagrass extent into the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the use of ozone for the treatment of pentylacetate contaminated waters is evaluated. Pentylacetate has started to be used in the drycleaning process as a new solvent due to its economic benefits. However, in the technical literature experimental data involving pentylacetate ozonation has not yet been reported. This article presents experimental results on the effect of pH on the rate of pentyalcetate removal by ozonation of contaminated waters. At acid pH, pentylacetate is removed by a combination of single sparging and direct ozone reaction. As pH increases, the rate of pentylacetate removal also increases, showing the importance of free radical mechanism. The constant of indirect reaction rate for pentylacetate removal due to radicals is 2.6x 109 M-1s-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Global ecosystem assessments inform conservation funding priorities. • Seagrass, saltmarsh and mangroves are under-recognized in global assessments. • Ecosystem assessments often overlook important functions, like fishery nurseries. • Synthesis could fill gaps in data for global scale assessments. • We recommend priorities for filling gaps in global assessments. Vegetated coastal wetlands, including seagrass, saltmarsh and mangroves, are threatened globally, yet the need to avert these losses is poorly recognized in international policy, such as in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals. Identifying the impact of overlooking coastal wetlands in ecosystem assessment frameworks could help prioritize research efforts to fill these gaps. Here, we examine gaps in the recognition of coastal wetlands in globally applicable ecosystem assessments. We address both shortfalls in assessment frameworks when it comes to assessing wetlands, and gaps in data that limit widespread application of assessments. We examine five assessment frameworks that track fisheries, greenhouse gas emissions, ecosystem threats, and ecosystem services. We found that these assessments inform management decisions, but that the functions provided by coastal wetlands are incompletely represented. Most frameworks had sufficient complexity to measure wetland status, but limitations in data meant they were incompletely informed about wetland functions and services. Incomplete representation of coastal wetlands may lead to them being overlooked by research and management. Improving the coverage of coastal wetlands in ecosystem assessments requires improving global scale mapping of wetland trends, developing global-scale indicators of wetland function and synthesis to quantitatively link animal population dynamics to wetland trends. Filling these gaps will help ensure coastal wetland conservation is properly informed to manage them for the outstanding benefits they bring humanity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Moving flexible cathode for deposit removal allows long-term water treatment. • These are promising counter electrodes for water treatment applications. • Degree of hardness reduction depends on reactor configuration and operation point. • Artificial toilet wastewater was successfully treated for reuse as flushing water. An electrochemical reactor based on a moving graphite–polymer composite (GPC) cathode and boron-doped diamond anode is developed and used for the electrochemical water softening and treatment of artificial vacuum toilet wastewater. The magnetically actuated cathode is designed for the in situ removal of insoluble compounds, which usually precipitate on the cathode during electrochemical water treatment processes. To obtain a suitable GPC cathode, the chemical stability and conductivity of various composites and their flexion and magnetic actuator characteristics are investigated. The most suitable GPC cathode is a 0.5 mm thick polypropylene-based composite, which presents chemical stability, the lowest resistivity of all analyzed samples (5.06 ± 1.80 mΩ cm), and enables flexions up to 2.4 mm. The water softening performance of the reactor featuring this electrode was evaluated using two configurations. Water hardness was decreased up to 72% and more than 90% in mixed and separated electrolyte modes, respectively. Further investigations demonstrate that this reactor can also be used for wastewater treatment. Artificial toilet wastewater was successfully discolored for reuse as toilet flushing water. Lastly, a treatment test over 120 h demonstrates that the magnetically actuated flexible GPC cathode removes in situ deposits on its surface and requires low maintenance. The performance of the new electrode configuration is similar to that of the state-of-the-art polarity reversal system and does not shorten the electrode service life. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]