Petri nets for modelling and analysing trophic networks

We consider trophic networks, a kind of networks used in ecology to represent feeding interactions (what-eats-what) in an ecosys- tem. We observe that trophic networks can be naturally modelled as Petri nets and this suggests the possibility of exploiting Petri nets for the analysis and simulation of trophic networks. Some preliminary steps in this directions and some ideas for future development are presented

Complexity of the marine ecosystem in view of the human health factors: role of network science

Anthropogenic and natural factors impacting health and well-being in coastal waters, regional seas, and the global ocean have long been recognized by the marine scientists, however not as much by the medical and public health community. Although establishing causal effects that directly or indirectly affect human health-related conditions is problematic and depends on the complex marine ecosystem, significant influences are present at both local and global levels, i.e., specific to coastal areas but also associated with sea activities referred to the ‘ocean health’ status. This offers a good rationale for an assessment of the human-marine environment interaction, evolution and complexity landscape. The health ecosystem as a whole (humans and environment, especially marine in our interests) is a complex bio-entity whose dynamics are largely unknown due to the presence of biodiversity and heterogeneity. In parallel, this complexity translates into various new processes that the stakeholders face to establish possible interventions and preserve the sustainability. A major checkpoint in our discussion refers to how to leverage the consolidated and indeed pervasive role of digital information across multiple fields and disciplines, supported by developments in artificial intelligence, machine learning and network science. This is an urgency, as the scientific marine community and the public health policy makers are struggling to gather big data from multiple sources and/or devices that help reveal the marine environmental status. Improvements in the ability of analyzing efficiently and effectively data are needed, and we suggest to profitably look at knowledge transfer strategies. In particular, considering and valuing how the scientific biomedical community has made use of network inference approaches to better understand complex biosystems in both structural and functional terms, we believe that the existing knowledge base can be further generalized to deal with the marine environmental ecosystem context

Marine litter, microplastics and marine megafauna

Over the last sixty years, the development of synthetic and durable materials, namely plastic, coupled with a growing human population, has resulted in a rapid increase in the levels of anthropogenic debris in rivers, along coastlines and in the wider marine ecosystem. Currently, an estimated 4.8 to 12.7 million tons of plastic enter the oceans every year but this is expected to increase to between 9.6 and 25.4 million tons by 2025. As such, it is one of the most widely recognised pollution issues facing the planet due to its wide-ranging ecological and socio-economic implications. The main aims of this thesis were to i) examine citizen-science beach clean data to better understand the composition of anthropogenic litter deposited on British beaches by determining the most common items, materials, sources and pathways, and exploring the data for spatial patterns and temporal trends in litter density; ii) investigate an indirect pathway (trophic transfer) of microplastic (<5mm in size) ingestion in marine top predators by analysing scat (faeces) from captive grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and the wild-caught fish they were fed upon; iii) explore the extent to which wild marine mammals ingest microplastics and consider the potential implications by examining the digestive tracts of 50 marine mammals from 10 species that stranded around the British coast; iv) develop a method of investigating dietary exposure of marine mammal top predators to microplastics, by combining scat-based molecular techniques (metabarcoding) with a microplastic isolation method. The research carried out for this thesis reveals that i) plastic is the main constituent of marine litter on British beaches and the majority of traceable items originate from land-based activities, such as public littering. The coasts of the southwest England and south Wales have the highest litter levels and certain items - small plastic fragments, plastic food packaging, wet wipes, polystyrene foam, balloons and large fishing net – are increasing; ii) trophic transfer is an indirect and under-studied, but potentially major, route of microplastic ingestion for marine top predators; iii) microplastics are ubiquitous within the digestive tracts of wild marine mammals stranded around the British coast but the overall low abundance suggests they may be egested; iv) the rate of microplastic ingestion by marine top predators may be related to the type of prey they consume but further work is needed to assess the impacts of this omnipresent pollutant.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC

Advanced reliability analysis of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells in automotive applications

Hydrogen fuel cells have the potential to dramatically reduce emissions from the energy sector, particularly when integrated into an automotive application. However, there are three main hurdles to the commercialisation of this promising technology; one of which is reliability. Cur- rent standards require an automotive fuel cell to last around 5000 h of operation (equivalent to around 150,000 miles), which has proven difficult to achieve to date. This hurdle can be overcome through in-depth reliability analysis including techniques such as Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and Petri-net simulation. This research has found that the reliability field regarding hydrogen fuel cells is still in its infancy, and needs development, if the current standards are to be achieved. In this research, a detailed reliability study of a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is undertaken. The results of which are a qualitative and quantitative analysis of a PEMFC. The FMEA and FTA are the most up to date assessments of failure in fuel cells developed using a comprehensive literature review and expert opinion. Advanced modelling of fuel cell degradation logic was developed using Petri-net modelling techniques. 20 failure modules were identfied that represented the interactions of all failure modes and operational parameters in a PEMFC. Petri-net simulation was used to overcome key pitfalls observed in FTA to provide a verfied degradation model of a PEMFC in an automotive application, undergoing a specific drive cycle, however any drive cycle can be input to this model. Overall results show that the modeled fuel cell's lifetime would reach 34 hours before falling below the industry standard degradation rate of more than 5%. The degradation model has the capability to simulate fuel cell degradation under any drive cycle and with any operating parameters. A fuel cell test rig was also developed that was used to verify the simulated degradation. The rig is capable of testing single cells or stacks from 0-470W power. The results from the verification experimentation agreed strongly with the degradation model, giving confidence in the accuracy of the developed Petri-net degradation model. This research contributes greatly to the field of reliability of PEMFCs through the most up-to-date and comprehensive FMEA and FTA presented. Additionally, a degradation model based upon Petri-nets is the first degradation model to encompass a 1D performance model to predict fuel cell life time under specific drive cycles

Guidance on Monitoring of Marine Litter in European Seas

This publication is a Reference Report by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.The MSFD Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter was tasked to deliver guidance so that European Member States could initiate programmes for monitoring of Descriptor 10 of the MSFD. The present document provides the recommendations and information needed to commence the monitoring required for marine litter, including methodological protocols and categories of items to be used for the assessment of litter on the Beach, Water Column, Seafloor and Biota, including a special section on Microparticles