Spatio-temporal population dynamics of six phytoplankton taxa

Studying aquatic population dynamics using spatio-temporal monitoring data is associated with a number of challenges and choices. One can let several samples represent the same population over larger areas, or alternatively model the dynamics of each sampling location in continuous space. We analysed the spatio-temporal population dynamics of six phytoplankton taxa in the Baltic Sea applying multivariate state-space models with first-order density dependence. We compared three spatial scales and three models for spatial correlation between predefined subpopulations using information theoretic model selection. We hypothesised that populations close to each other display similar dynamic properties and spatial synchrony decreasing with the distance. We further hypothesize that intermediate-scale grouping of data into subpopulations may parsimoniously represent such dynamics. All taxa showed constant density dependence across space and strong spatial synchrony, consistently requiring a parameter for spatial correlation whenever models included several population states. The most parsimonious spatial structure varied between taxa, most often being one panmictic population or ten intercorrelated population states. Evidently, longer time-series, containing more information, provide more options for modelling detailed spatio-temporal patterns. With a few decade-long plankton time-series data, we encourage determining the appropriate spatial scale on biological grounds rather than model fit

Environmental variables driving species and genus level changes in annual plankton biomass

Abiotic variables subject to global change are known to affect plankton biomasses, and these effects can be species-specific. Here, we investigate the environmental drivers of annual biomass using plankton data from the Gulf of Finland in the northern Baltic Sea, spanning years 1993–2016. We estimated annual biomass time-series of 31 nanoplankton and microplankton species and genera from day-level data, accounting for the average phenology and wind. We found wind effects on day-level biomass in 16 taxa. We subsequently used state-space models to connect the annual biomass changes with potential environmental drivers (temperature, salinity, stratification, ice cover and inorganic nutrients), simultaneously accounting for temporal trends. We found clear environmental effects influencing the annual biomasses of Dinobryon faculiferum, Eutreptiella spp., Protoperidinium bipes, Pseudopedinella spp., Snowella spp. and Thalassiosira baltica and indicative effects in 10 additional taxa. These effects mostly concerned temperature, salinity or stratification. Together, these 16 taxa represent two-thirds of the summer biomass in the sampled community. The inter-annual variability observed in salinity and temperature is relatively low compared to scenarios of predicted change in these variables. Therefore, the potential impacts of the presented effects on plankton biomasses are considerable

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Drivers of plankton populations in the Baltic Sea

-Plankton are at the base of the food chain, and identifying their drivers is important for understanding how climate change will impact populations and communities. The main aim of my thesis was to quantify the effects of environmental drivers on population dynamics of natural phyto- and zooplankton populations (mainly species and genera) using population dynamical modelling of time-series data. However, using time-series data for modelling population dynamics presents multiple challenges as data are never perfect. All data collection and observation processes contain multiple sources of uncertainty and in my thesis, I make an effort to account for such sources, with more detailed consideration of seasonality and wind. In a case study investigating the spatio-temporal population dynamics of six phytoplankton species, populations displayed a high level of synchrony in their annual biomass dynamics across the northern Baltic Sea, likely caused by the Moran effect. When I further investigated abiotic drivers in the Gulf of Finland, individual auto- and heterotrophic plankton taxa were mainly driven by temperature, salinity and stratification. Identifying temperature effects on abundance can be challenging, as temperature can also affect seasonal timing of populations. While there were few direct effects of temperature on zooplankton abundances, there were changes in their seasonal occurrence to earlier spring, likely connected to warming. I also investigated potential biotic interaction between zooplankton and zoobenthos, as zooplankton can have resting eggs in the sediment. The results indicate that biotic interactions were important on annual scale within zoobenthos, but no interactions between zooplankton and zoobenthos were apparent. Based on the findings in my thesis, many of the identified environmental effects on densities were large in relation to the environmental variability. There is also a need to consider seasonality when investigating plankton populations, as ignoring changes in phenology can lead to noisier estimates or to issues with interpreting temporal patterns

Identifying biotic drivers of population dynamics in a benthic–pelagic community

Benthic species and communities are linked to pelagic zooplankton through life-stages encompassing both benthic and pelagic habitats and through a mutual dependency on primary producers as a food source. Many zooplankton taxa contribute to the sedimentary system as benthic eggs. Our main aim was to investigate the nature of the population level biotic interactions between and within these two seemingly independent communities, both dependent on the pelagic primary production, while simultaneously accounting for environmental drivers (salinity, temperature, and oxygen conditions). To this end, we applied multivariate autoregressive state-space models to long (1966–2007) time series of annual abundance data, comparing models with and without interspecific interactions, and models with and without environmental variables included. We were not able to detect any direct coupling between sediment-dwelling benthic taxa and pelagic copepods and cladocerans on the annual scale, but the most parsimonious model indicated that interactions within the benthic community are important. There were also positive residual correlations between the copepods and cladocerans potentially reflecting the availability of a shared resource or similar seasonal dependence, whereas both groups tended to correlate negatively with the zoobenthic taxa. The most notable single interaction within the benthic community was a tendency for a negative effect of Limecola balthica on the amphipods Monoporeia affinis and Pontoporeia femorata which can help explain the observed decrease in amphipods due to increased competitive interference

Recreational land use contributes to the loss of marine biodiversity

Coastal areas are at the centre of human-nature relationship, shaped by recreation, tourism and aesthetic values. However, socioeconomic drivers of biodiversity change in coastal areas have received less attention. Soft sediment seafloors support diverse species communities and contribute to ecosystem functionality. One of the main threats is dredging, which sweeps resident organisms. Dredgings are commonly done to deepen waterways, but also for the purposes of private housing. The ecological impacts of these small-sized dredgings are not well known over broad environmental and geographical gradients. We developed a simple approach for spatial integration of ecological and socioeconomic system, to describe how recreational land use change contributes to the loss of marine biodiversity. It shows how human behaviour, such as preference for a location of second home, can be derived from spatial data and coupled with ecological change. We characterize typical locations of second homes based on accessibility, aesthetics and environment, and with the information identified suitable areas for new second homes. We also quantified typical areas of dredging, based on the depth and substrate of the sea floor, and the extent of the reed beds, influencing the access to properties. We then simulate an annual increase of new second homes and expected land-use change, namely dredging of shores. Finally, we quantified the realized and projected loss of marine biodiversity from dredged sites, based on species distribution models, relying on extensive ecological data collected from over 170,000 underwater sites. We found that small-sized dredging can be detrimental to coastal biodiversity, as dredging targets shallow, photic bays and lagoons, with diverse algal and aquatic plant communities, with limited recovery potential. Dredgings also had broad impacts on benthic faunal habitats, which maintain ecosystem processes and functions. Our results reveal a significant ecological change driven by recreational land use. Reversing the trend of biodiversity loss requires a holistic understanding of socioecological systems. Our results highlight the need for integrating land-sea interactions into conservation policies and reforming current land-use regulation for the benefit of marine biodiversity. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.Peer reviewe

Ekosysteemipalveluiden arvoalueet Suomen merialueilla

Raportissa kuvataan ekosysteemipalveluiden kannalta arvokkaimpia alueita Suomen merialueilla, eli niin sanottuja ESPA-alueita. Alueet rajattiin osana Suomen ympäristökeskuksen Merituulivoiman kehittäminen Suomen merialueilla (MeriTV) -hanketta. Tarkoituksena oli tunnistaa alueita, jonne merituulivoimaa voidaan sijoittaa vaarantamatta ekosysteemipalveluiden kannalta merkittäviä alueita. ESPA-alueet noudattelevat kansainvälistä ekosysteemipalveluiden luokitusta, The Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services CICES (versio 5.1.), ja jakautuvat luokituksen mukaisesti säätely- ja ylläpitopalveluihin, tuotantopalveluihin sekä kulttuuripalveluihin. ESPA-alueet perustuvat kattaviin paikkatietoaineistoihin vedenalaisesta meriluonnosta ja ihmisen toiminnasta rannikolla, sekä kyselyaineistoihin ihmisille merkityksellisistä paikoista merellä. Raportissa kuvataan ESPA-alueiden rajaamiseen käytetyt aineistot, menetelmät, kriteerit alueiden rajaukselle, ja käydään läpi sidosryhmäyhteistyössä päätetyt aluerajaukset. ESPA-alueita voidaan hyödyntää merialuesuunnittelussa erilaisten toimintojen yhteensovittamisessa sekä sellaisten alueiden tunnistamisessa, joilla ekosysteemipalveluiden hyödyntämistä, tai käytön rajaamista, voitaisiin lisätä. Tavoitteena on tuottaa uutta tietoa ekosysteemipalveluiden kannalta arvokkaista merialueista, jotta ekosysteemit ja niiden tarjoamat palvelut voitaisiin säilyttää tulevaisuudessa. Tärkeiksi tuotantopalvelualueiksi tunnistettiin alueita, joilla sijaitsee tiheästi merelliseen ruoantuotantoon sekä ruovikkomateriaalin ja geologisten resurssien potentiaaliseen hyödyntämiseen liittyviä kohteita. Tuotantopalvelualueita sijaitsee kaikilla merialueilla, niin saaristossa kuin avomerellä, palvelukategoriasta riippuen. Säätelypalveluista tarkastelussa olivat vedenalaisen kasvillisuuden tarjoamat palvelut. Arvokkaiksi säätelypalvelualueiksi tunnistettiin alueita, joilla esiintyy kasvillisuuden tarjoamia palveluja kytkeytyen tulvansuojeluun, eroosion ehkäisyyn, haitallisten aineiden sidontaan ja pilkkomiseen, hapen tuotantoon, ravinteiden ja hiilen sitomiseen sekä kaloille tärkeisiin elinympäristöihin. Säätelypalveluja ja niiden potentiaalia ilmenee eniten merenlahdissa, jokisuistoissa ja saarten ympärillä. Kulttuuripalveluiden arvokkaat kohteet muodostuvat alueista, joilla sijaitsee paljon luonnon virkistyskäytön ja luontomatkailun mahdollistavia palveluita. Kulttuuristen ekosysteemipalveluiden kuvaus keskittyy virkistyspotentiaalin kartoittamiseen, koska kävijämääristä ei ollut kattavia tietoja saatavilla. Virkistyspotentiaalin tunnistamiseksi hyödynnettiin erilaisia paikkatietoaineistoja palveluista, jotka mahdollistavat retkeilyn ja yöpymisen, sekä tietoja vapaa-ajan kalastuksesta, metsästyksestä ja kulttuuriperinnöstä. Työssä huomioitiin myös maisema-aineistoja ja osallistavia karttakyselyjä ihmisille merkityksellisistä paikoista. Kaupallisessa toiminnassa (hotellit, leirintäalueet ja satamat) huomioitiin lisäksi palveluiden saavutettavuus laskemalla matka-aika maalla ja merellä. Kulttuuripalveluiden arvoalueet sijaitsevat valtaosin rannikon tuntumassa sekä sisä- ja ulkosaaristossa. Tuloksia tarkasteltiin yhdessä merialuesuunnittelijoiden ja merellisten sidosryhmien kanssa projektin järjestämässä ekosysteemipalvelutyöpajassa marraskuussa 2023. Saadun palautteen perusteella päätettiin ESPA-alueiden lopulliset rajaukset. Alueet esitellään kartoilla ja sanallisin kuvauksin tämän raportin lopussa.Valuable areas for ecosystem services in Finland´s marine areas The report describes the most valuable Finnish marine areas in terms of ecosystem services, known as the ESPA areas. These areas were delineated as part of the Finnish Environment Institute's Developing offshore wind power in Finland's marine areas (MeriTV) project. The purpose was to identify areas where offshore wind farms could be located without jeopardizing areas important for ecosystem services. ESPA areas follow the international classification of ecosystem services, The Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES, version 5.1), and are divided into regulating services, provisioning services, and cultural services. The ESPA areas are based on comprehensive spatial data on underwater marine nature, human activities along the coast, as well as on participatory survey data on meaningful places at sea. The report describes the data, methods, criteria for delineating the areas, and discusses the areas determined in collaboration with stakeholders. ESPA areas can be used in marine spatial planning to coordinate various activities and identify areas, where the utilization or protection of ecosystem services could be increased. The goal is to generate new information about valuable marine areas for ecosystem services to preserve ecosystems and their services also in the future. Provisioning service areas were identified as areas, where the present marine food production takes place, where the potential for using reed material could be high, and where the extraction of geological resources could take place. Provisioning service areas, depending on the category, can be found in all marine areas, including coastal waters, archipelagos, and open sea. Regulating services were identified as areas with abundant underwater vegetation and the services it provides, linked to flood protection, erosion control, binding of harmful substances, nutrients and carbon, oxygen production, and essential fish habitats. Regulating services are most prevalent in bays, river estuaries, and around islands. Areas with valuable cultural services consist of areas with high potential for recreational use and nature tourism. The description of cultural ecosystem services focuses on mapping recreational potential in marine and coastal areas, as information of number of visitors was unavailable. Various spatial data sets, that allow outdoor activities and overnight stays, as well as information on leisure fishing, hunting, and cultural heritage, were used to identify recreational potential. For commercial activities (hotels, campsites, and marinas) accessibility was also considered, by calculating travelling times on land and at sea. Cultural service value areas are mainly located near the coastline and in the inner and outer archipelago. The results were reviewed together with marine spatial planners and maritime stakeholders in an ecosystem service workshop organized by the project in November 2023. Based on the feedback received, the final delineations of the ESPA areas were determined. The areas are presented on maps and accompanying descriptions at the end of this report.Värdeområden för ekosystemtjänster i Finlands havsområden I denna rapport beskrivs de mest värdefulla områdena för ekosystemtjänster i Finlands havsområden, så kallade ESPA-områden. Områdena avgränsades som en del av Finlands miljöcentrals projekt för utveckling av havsbaserad vindkraft i Finland (MeriTV). Syftet var att identifiera områden där havsbaserad vindkraft kan placeras utan att äventyra områden av betydelse för ekosystemtjänster. ESPA-områdena följer den internationella klassificeringen av ekosystemtjänster, The Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services CICES (version 5.1), och delas in i reglerande- och stödjande tjänster, försörjningstjänster och kulturella tjänster enligt klassificeringen. ESPA-områdena är baserade på omfattande rumsliga data om undervattensnatur och mänsklig verksamhet vid kusten, samt på enkätdata om platser till sjöss som är betydelsefulla för människor. I rapporten behandlas de data, metoder och kriterier som använts för att avgränsa ESPA-områden, och dessutom beskrivs de slutliga områdena som valts i samråd med intressenter. ESPA-områden kan utnyttjas inom havsplaneringen för att samordna olika aktiviteter, samt för att identifiera områden där användningen eller skyddet av ekosystemtjänster kunde ökas. Målet var att producera ny information om havsområden med värdefulla ekosystemtjänster för att också i framtiden kunna säkerställa bevarandet av ekosystem och dess tjänster. Områden som identifierades som viktiga för försörjningstjänster omfattade platser där marin livsmedelsproduktion förekom koncentrerat, samt platser med potential för utnyttjande av vassmaterial och geologiska resurser. Områden med försörjningstjänster förekom i kustvattnen, skärgården och det öppna havet. För de reglerande tjänsterna granskades tjänster som produceras av undervattensväxtlighet. Områdena som identifierades som viktiga för reglerande tjänster innefattade rikligt med undervattensväxtlighet som i sin tur bidrar till ekosystemtjänster som översvämningsskydd, erosionsskydd, bindning och nedbrytning av skadliga ämnen, syreproduktion, bindande av näringsämnen och kol, samt viktiga livsmiljöer för fisk. Reglerande tjänster förekom mest i havsvikar, flodmynningar och runt öar. Ställen rika på kulturella tjänster består av områden där det fanns många tjänster som möjliggör naturrekreation och ekoturism. Beskrivningen av kulturella ekosystemtjänster fokuserade på kartläggning av rekreationspotential till sjöss och längs kusten, eftersom information om besökarantal inte fanns att tillgå. För att identifiera rekreationspotentialen utnyttjades olika rumsliga data som beskrev möjligheterna för vandring och övernattning samt information om fritidsfiske, jakt och kulturarv. Också data om landskap och kartundersökningar om platser av betydelse för människor användes. Dessutom beaktades tillgängligheten av tjänster för kommersiell verksamhet (hotell, campingplatser, hamnar), genom att beräkna restiden både på land och till sjöss. De viktigaste identifierade områdena med kulturella tjänster förekom huvudsakligen nära kusten samt i den inre och yttre skärgården. Resultaten granskades tillsammans med havsplanerare och intressentgrupper i en verkstad om ekosystemtjänster som arrangerades i november 2023. De slutliga avgränsningarna för ESPA-områdena definierades baserat på responsen från verkstaden. Områdena beskrivs och presenteras som kartor i slutet av denna rapport

Luonnon köyhtyminen kannattaa pysäyttää

Ihmisen aiheuttama luontokato tarkoittaa, että luonto köyhtyy ja yksipuolistuu. Luonnon ekosysteemipalvelut, kuten ruuantuotannolle välttämätön pölytys, heikkenevät. Suomi voi vaikuttaa tehokkaasti luonnon monimuotoisuuden suojeluun osana EU:ta.Biodiversity loss caused by human action results in nature becoming degraded and uniform. This hampers the provision of ecosystem services, such as pollination, which is essential for food production. As an EU member, Finland plays an important role in nature conservation

Stopping biodiversity loss makes sense

Biodiversity loss caused by human action results in nature becoming degraded and uniform. This hampers the provision of ecosystem services, such as pollination, which is essential for food production. As an EU member, Finland plays an important role in nature conservation.Ihmisen aiheuttama luontokato tarkoittaa, että luonto köyhtyy ja yksipuolistuu. Luonnon ekosysteemipalvelut, kuten ruuantuotannolle välttämätön pölytys, heikkenevät. Suomi voi vaikuttaa tehokkaasti luonnon monimuotoisuuden suojeluun osana EU:ta