Table_1_Extremes in Benthic Ecosystem Services; Blue Carbon Natural Capital Shallower Than 1000 m in Isolated, Small, and Young Ascension Island’s EEZ.xlsx

Biodiversity tends to decrease with increasing isolation and reduced habitat size, and increase with habitat age. Ascension Island and its seamounts are small, isolated and relatively young, yet harbor patchily dense life. Large areas of these waters are soon to be designated as a major Marine Protected Area. Given the remote location there are few local threats to the region. However, global climate related stressors (e.g., temperature and acidification) and arguably plastic pollution are key issues likely to impact ecosystem services. We evaluate the accumulated carbon in benthos around Ascension Island’s EEZ shallower than 1000 m using data collected over two research cruises in 2015 and 2017 through seabed mapping, seabed camera imagery and collections of benthos using a mini-Agassiz trawl. Benthos shallower than 1000 m essentially comprises the coastal waters around Ascension Island and three seamounts (Harris-Stewart, Grattan, and Unnamed). There is considerable societal benefit from benthic carbon storage and sequestration through its mitigation value buffering climate change. This service is often termed “blue carbon.” Overall we estimate that there is at least 43,000 t of blue carbon, on the 3% of Ascension Island EEZ’s seabed which is 2 considered sequestered is £29–59. As 9000 t C this is equivalent to 33,070 t CO2, which in 2019 is valued at approximately £1–2 million. With time, this increases with rising value of carbon, but also annual increment of carbon deposition, to £2–4 million by 2030. Thus even when biogeographic values of isolation, size and age are least favorable to biodiversity, the natural capital stock and future services of benthic ecosystems can be considerable and generate quantifiable economic return on their conservation.</p

If you find me on the floor, stick some sugar in my mouth: The social production (and protection) of insulin risk among IPED communities

IntroductionInsulin is used among image and performance enhancing drug (IPED) communities for its anabolic effects, but its use carries significant risks, with the acute danger being hypoglycaemia, which can be life-threatening if not properly managed. Within these communities, harm reduction practices and informal peer knowledge exchange play a critical role in the way substances are consumed. This qualitative study sought to understand these community practices regarding non-medical insulin use among people who use IPEDs.MethodSemi-structured interviews were conducted with people who use IPEDs, and specifically, insulin. Participants were asked about their risk practices, harm reduction strategies, and the community dynamics that shape their use of insulin. Our analysis centred on how social and material networks of peers, technologies, and information flows contribute to the social production and protection of risk.ResultsThe study involved an international cohort of 14 participants (13 men, 1 woman, aged 25-45, M = 33.34) who used insulin for non-medical purposes. The analysis revealed two themes: Intersecting Risks, which encompassed the physical, psychosocial, and self-imposed risks associated with insulin use, and Social Protection of Risks, focusing on community-driven harm reduction strategies. People who use insulin actively construct risk through community-driven knowledge and informal education. Social protection is facilitated through peer networks, where harm reduction strategies are shared.DiscussionThis research underscores the importance of community-care in harm reduction and challenges individualised models of risk management. It highlights the need for community-centred health interventions that recognise the relational dynamics of risk management among IPED-using communities.</p

Table_2_Extremes in Benthic Ecosystem Services; Blue Carbon Natural Capital Shallower Than 1000 m in Isolated, Small, and Young Ascension Island’s EEZ.xlsx

Biodiversity tends to decrease with increasing isolation and reduced habitat size, and increase with habitat age. Ascension Island and its seamounts are small, isolated and relatively young, yet harbor patchily dense life. Large areas of these waters are soon to be designated as a major Marine Protected Area. Given the remote location there are few local threats to the region. However, global climate related stressors (e.g., temperature and acidification) and arguably plastic pollution are key issues likely to impact ecosystem services. We evaluate the accumulated carbon in benthos around Ascension Island’s EEZ shallower than 1000 m using data collected over two research cruises in 2015 and 2017 through seabed mapping, seabed camera imagery and collections of benthos using a mini-Agassiz trawl. Benthos shallower than 1000 m essentially comprises the coastal waters around Ascension Island and three seamounts (Harris-Stewart, Grattan, and Unnamed). There is considerable societal benefit from benthic carbon storage and sequestration through its mitigation value buffering climate change. This service is often termed “blue carbon.” Overall we estimate that there is at least 43,000 t of blue carbon, on the 3% of Ascension Island EEZ’s seabed which is 2 considered sequestered is £29–59. As 9000 t C this is equivalent to 33,070 t CO2, which in 2019 is valued at approximately £1–2 million. With time, this increases with rising value of carbon, but also annual increment of carbon deposition, to £2–4 million by 2030. Thus even when biogeographic values of isolation, size and age are least favorable to biodiversity, the natural capital stock and future services of benthic ecosystems can be considerable and generate quantifiable economic return on their conservation.</p

Table_3_Extremes in Benthic Ecosystem Services; Blue Carbon Natural Capital Shallower Than 1000 m in Isolated, Small, and Young Ascension Island’s EEZ.xlsx

Biodiversity tends to decrease with increasing isolation and reduced habitat size, and increase with habitat age. Ascension Island and its seamounts are small, isolated and relatively young, yet harbor patchily dense life. Large areas of these waters are soon to be designated as a major Marine Protected Area. Given the remote location there are few local threats to the region. However, global climate related stressors (e.g., temperature and acidification) and arguably plastic pollution are key issues likely to impact ecosystem services. We evaluate the accumulated carbon in benthos around Ascension Island’s EEZ shallower than 1000 m using data collected over two research cruises in 2015 and 2017 through seabed mapping, seabed camera imagery and collections of benthos using a mini-Agassiz trawl. Benthos shallower than 1000 m essentially comprises the coastal waters around Ascension Island and three seamounts (Harris-Stewart, Grattan, and Unnamed). There is considerable societal benefit from benthic carbon storage and sequestration through its mitigation value buffering climate change. This service is often termed “blue carbon.” Overall we estimate that there is at least 43,000 t of blue carbon, on the 3% of Ascension Island EEZ’s seabed which is 2 considered sequestered is £29–59. As 9000 t C this is equivalent to 33,070 t CO2, which in 2019 is valued at approximately £1–2 million. With time, this increases with rising value of carbon, but also annual increment of carbon deposition, to £2–4 million by 2030. Thus even when biogeographic values of isolation, size and age are least favorable to biodiversity, the natural capital stock and future services of benthic ecosystems can be considerable and generate quantifiable economic return on their conservation.</p

Metadata record for: Tracking vegetation phenology across diverse biomes using Version 2.0 of the PhenoCam Dataset

This dataset contains key characteristics about the data described in the Data Descriptor Tracking vegetation phenology across diverse biomes using Version 2.0 of the PhenoCam Dataset. Contents: 1. human readable metadata summary table in CSV format 2. machine readable metadata file in JSON format Versioning Note:Version 2 was generated when the metadata format was updated from JSON to JSON-LD. This was an automatic process that changed only the format, not the contents, of the metadata.</div