Coral reef conservation solution-scape white paper

In the face of climate change, warming oceans, and repeated mass coral bleaching, coral reef conservation is at a timely crossroads. There is a new urgency to support and strengthen a rich history of conservation partnerships and actions, while also building toward new actions to meet unparalleled global threats. The goal of this white paper is to synthesize and summarize the diversity of tools, approaches and solutions for coral reef conservation implemented to date and to understand the enabling conditions that lead to successful coral reef conservation. Framed as a “solution-scape,” this white paper seeks to support ongoing decisions to strengthen existing assets and build new investments into portfolios of global coral reef conservation that are equitable and aligned with diverse cultures and worldviews

Platelets as autonomous drones for hemostatic and immune surveillance

Platelets participate in many important physiological processes, including hemostasis and immunity. However, despite their broad participation in these evolutionarily critical roles, the anucleate platelet is uniquely mammalian. In contrast with the large nucleated equivalents in lower vertebrates, we find that the design template for the evolutionary specialization of platelets shares remarkable similarities with human-engineered unmanned aerial vehicles in terms of overall autonomy, maneuverability, and expendability. Here, we review evidence illustrating how platelets are uniquely suited for surveillance and the manner in which they consequently provide various types of support to other cell types.J.L. Li is supported by Agency for Science, Technology and Research funding. A. Zarbock is supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (ZA428/13-1 and INST211/604-2 A05). A. Hidalgo is supported by Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2013–2016 (SAF2015-65607-R and PCIN-2014-103), Programa Estatal de I+D+i Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad Retos Investigación I+D+i from MECI, and cofunding from Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional. Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III is supported by the MECI and the Pro CNIC Foundation and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (MECI award SEV-2015-0505).S

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Patterns and effects of disturbance in Caribbean macrophyte communities

This thesis examines a number of natural and anthropogenic disturbances within marine macrophyte habitats of the Caribbean. Understanding the effects of disturbance and the patterns associated with such dynamics is fundamental to ecological studies. Dynamics of interest included: interactions between populations; interactions between life history strategies; successional regimes; and alterations of community structure including loss of trophic heterogeneity and the possibility of "alternate" states. First I explored natural physical disturbance and succession. The dominance of macroalgae in the mid-shore, between areas of seagrass, challenged "classic" succession in such communities. I therefore proposed a model that included chronic "stress" by wave energy that could lead to a reversal in the climax state. Next, I investigated the importance of other grazers (i.e. trophic heterogeneity) in mediating the strength of trophic cascades (e.g. overgrazing). The enclosure experiments used suggested that different life history strategies respond differently to experimental conditions and that interference competition between specialist (conch) and generalist (urchins) grazers results in urchins switching to alternate resources and displaying lower condition. This dynamic may indirectly "buffer" the community against population expansions of urchins and overgrazing of diversity enhancing detritus. Under high nutrient enrichment, urchins maintained themselves, the trophic cascade and low diversity by switching to "expanded" autochthonous and "new" allochthonous resources. I continued to examine the effects of increasing nutrient enrichment, which correlated well with increasing human density, by examining eleven seagrass beds. The patterns of increasing consumer density and decreasing consumer diversity corresponded well to increasing enrichment and loss of autochthonous detritus. At high levels of enrichment, the community was dominated (> 90%)

Spiny lobster fisheries status across time and a mosaic of spatial management regimes

Abstract In Belize, the commercial harvest of spiny lobsters has occurred for ∼100 years, provides critical livelihoods, and is the primary seafood export. We determined the first empirical estimate of size at maturity in Belize as well as eight fishery status indicators on several fishing grounds. The carapace lengths (CLs) at 50% maturity varied between males (98 mm) and females (86 mm) and are higher than the existing legal minimum of 76 mm. Time series analysis indicated decreasing proportions of mature individuals, decreasing size, and low spawning potential ratios (SPR) as well as high fishing mortality within fishing grounds. The pattern of decline in population status indicators across fishing grounds is consistent with a historical expansion of effort from north to south and offshore. Many indicators of population status within fishing grounds were improved with increasing area of replenishment zone and opposite to the historical expansion. However, overfishing is a problem across all areas examined. An increase in the legal minimum CL to 86 mm and examination of a maximum size limit will likely have significant positive effects on productivity and SPR, respectively, as well as protecting the pivotal role of spiny lobsters within the ecosystem

Fish community and single-species indicators provide evidence of unsustainable practices in a multi-gear reef fishery

•Alternative methods to estimate fishing mortality rates from length-frequencies are consistent.•Methods to estimate overfished status are less consistent due to different selectivity assumptions.•The fishery at Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve, Belize, is experiencing overfishing.•Both spear and hook and line gear contribute to overfishing, but for different species. Using information on the species composition and length-frequencies of fish caught in the spear and hook and line fisheries of Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve, Belize, we evaluated changes between 2004–2010 and 2011–2017 in single-species and ecosystem sustainability indicators. The two gears differed in species caught, and both changed species composition between time periods, with the line fishers targeting smaller species, and the spear fishers responding to a parrotfish ban by catching more snappers and small groupers, as well as grey angels. Both gears caught smaller fish in 2011–2017 compared to 2004–2010, indicating overfishing. Species often caught immature were black grouper, Nassau grouper and mutton snapper with spears, and black snapper with lines. Most fish of other species were mature, but many were smaller than the optimal size for harvest. Fishing mortality rates were higher than natural mortality rates for most species in both gears in both time periods, whether calculated from average length or by length-based spawning potential ratio (LBSPR), implying that most populations were experiencing overfishing. Many species also had a low spawning potential ratio, implying a high probability that they were overfished. In general, many species were subject to unsustainable levels of fishing, and, according to the Froese indicators, some would benefit from size limits to protect immature individuals. These results are supported despite uncertainty in life history parameters for fishes in Belize, and differences between data poor assessment methods

Predator Diet and Trophic Position Modified with Altered Habitat Morphology

Empirical patterns that emerge from an examination of food webs over gradients of environmental variation can help to predict the implications of anthropogenic disturbance on ecosystems. This “dynamic food web approach” is rarely applied at the coastal margin where aquatic and terrestrial systems are coupled and human development activities are often concentrated. We propose a simple model of ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) feeding that predicts changing dominant prey (Emerita talpoida, Talorchestia sp., Donax variablis) along a gradient of beach morphology and test this model using a suite of 16 beaches along the Florida, USA coast. Assessment of beaches included quantification of morphological features (width, sediments, slope), macrophyte wrack, macro-invertebrate prey and active ghost crab burrows. Stable isotope analysis of carbon (13C/12C) and nitrogen (15N/14N) and the SIAR mixing model were used to determine dietary composition of ghost crabs at each beach. The variation in habitat conditions displayed with increasing beach width was accompanied by quantifiable shifts in ghost crab diet and trophic position. Patterns of ghost crab diet were consistent with differences recorded across the beach width gradient with respect to the availability of preferred micro-habitats of principal macro-invertebrate prey. Values obtained for trophic position also suggests that the generalist ghost crab assembles and augments its diet in fundamentally different ways as habitat morphology varies across a highly dynamic ecosystem. Our results offer support for a functional response in the trophic architecture of a common food web compartment (ghost crabs, macro-invertebrate prey) across well-known beach morphologies. More importantly, our “dynamic food web approach” serves as a basis for evaluating how globally wide-spread sandy beach ecosystems should respond to a variety of anthropogenic impacts including beach grooming, beach re-nourishment, introduction of non-native or feral predators and human traffic on beaches

Predator Diet and Trophic Position Modified with Altered Habitat Morphology

Empirical patterns that emerge from an examination of food webs over gradients of environmental variation can help to predict the implications of anthropogenic disturbance on ecosystems. This “dynamic food web approach” is rarely applied at the coastal margin where aquatic and terrestrial systems are coupled and human development activities are often concentrated. We propose a simple model of ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) feeding that predicts changing dominant prey (Emerita talpoida, Talorchestia sp., Donax variablis) along a gradient of beach morphology and test this model using a suite of 16 beaches along the Florida, USA coast. Assessment of beaches included quantification of morphological features (width, sediments, slope), macrophyte wrack, macro-invertebrate prey and active ghost crab burrows. Stable isotope analysis of carbon (13C/12C) and nitrogen (15N/14N) and the SIAR mixing model were used to determine dietary composition of ghost crabs at each beach. The variation in habitat conditions displayed with increasing beach width was accompanied by quantifiable shifts in ghost crab diet and trophic position. Patterns of ghost crab diet were consistent with differences recorded across the beach width gradient with respect to the availability of preferred micro-habitats of principal macro-invertebrate prey. Values obtained for trophic position also suggests that the generalist ghost crab assembles and augments its diet in fundamentally different ways as habitat morphology varies across a highly dynamic ecosystem. Our results offer support for a functional response in the trophic architecture of a common food web compartment (ghost crabs, macro-invertebrate prey) across well-known beach morphologies. More importantly, our “dynamic food web approach” serves as a basis for evaluating how globally wide-spread sandy beach ecosystems should respond to a variety of anthropogenic impacts including beach grooming, beach re-nourishment, introduction of non-native or feral predators and human traffic on beaches