Shelled pteropods in peril: Assessing vulnerability in a high CO2 ocean

The impact of anthropogenic ocean acidification (OA) on marine ecosystems is a vital concern facing marine scientists and managers of ocean resources. Euthecosomatous pteropods (holoplanktonic gastropods) represent an excellent sentinel for indicating exposure to anthropogenic OA because of the sensitivity of their aragonite shells to the OA conditions less favorable for calcification. However, an integration of observations, experiments and modelling efforts is needed to make accurate predictions of how these organisms will respond to future changes to their environment. Our understanding of the underlying organismal biology and life history is far from complete and must be improved if we are to comprehend fully the responses of these organisms to the multitude of stressors in their environment beyond OA. This review considers the present state of research and understanding of euthecosomatous pteropod biology and ecology of these organisms and considers promising new laboratory methods, advances in instrumentation (such as molecular, trace elements, stable isotopes, palaeobiology alongside autonomous sampling platforms, CT scanning and high-quality video recording) and novel field-based approaches (i.e. studies of upwelling and CO2 vent regions) that may allow us to improve our predictive capacity of their vulnerability and/or resilience. In addition to playing a critical ecological and biogeochemical role, pteropods can offer a significant value as an early-indicator of anthropogenic OA. This role as a sentinel species should be developed further to consolidate their potential use within marine environmental management policy making

Multiple Trophic Markers Trace Dietary Carbon Sources in Barents Sea Zooplankton During Late Summer

We investigated diets of 24 Barents Sea zooplankton taxa to understand pelagic food-web processes during late summer, including the importance of sea ice algae-produced carbon. This was achieved by combining insights derived from multiple and complementary trophic marker approaches to construct individual aspects of feeding. Specifically, we determined proportions of algal-produced fatty acids (FAs) to reflect the reliance on diatom- versus dinoflagellate-derived carbon, highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) lipids that distinguish between ice-associated and pelagic carbon sources, and sterols to indicate the degree of carnivory. Copepods had the strongest diatom signal based on FAs, while a lack of sea ice algae-associated HBIs (IP25, IPSO25) suggested that they fed on pelagic rather than ice-associated diatoms. The amphipod Themisto libellula and the ctenophores Beroë cucumis and Mertensia ovum had a higher contribution of dinoflagellate-produced FAs. There was a high degree of carnivory in this food web, as indicated by the FA carnivory index 18:1(n−9)/18:1(n−7) (mean value &amp;lt; 1 only in the pteropod Clione limacina), the presence of copepod-associated FAs in most of the taxa, and the absence of algal-produced HBIs in small copepod taxa, such as Oithona similis and Pseudocalanus spp. The coherence between concentrations of HBIs and phytosterols within individuals suggested that phytosterols provide a good additional indication for algal ingestion. Sea ice algae-associated HBIs were detected in six zooplankton species (occurring in krill, amphipods, pteropods, and appendicularians), indicating an overall low to moderate contribution of ice-associated carbon from late-summer sea ice to pelagic consumption. The unexpected occurrence of ice-derived HBIs in pteropods and appendicularians, however, suggests an importance of sedimenting ice-derived material at least for filter feeders within the water column at this time of year.</jats:p

Rapid landscape changes in plastic bays along the Norwegian coastline

The Norwegian Coastal Current transports natural debris and plastic waste along the Norwegian coastline. Deposition occurs in so-called wreck-bays and includes floating debris, such as seaweed, driftwood and volcanic pumice, and increasing amounts of plastics during the last decades. Deposition in these bays is controlled by ocean currents, tidal movements, prevailing winds and coastal morphology. We have compared soil profiles, analyzed the vegetation and inspected aerial photos back to 1950 in wreck-bays and defined three zones in the wreck-bays, where accumulation follows distinct physical processes. Zone 1 includes the foreshore deposition and consists of recent deposits that are frequently reworked by high tides and wave erosion. Thus, there is no accumulation in Zone 1. Zone 2 is situated above the high tide mark and includes storm embankments. Here, there is an archive of accumulated debris potentially deposited decades ago. Zone 3 starts above the storm embankments. The debris of Zone 3 is transported by wind from Zone 1 and Zone 2, and the zone continues onshore until the debris meets natural obstacles. Plastic accumulation seems to escalate soil formation as plastic is entangled within the organic debris Mapping and characterizing the soil layers indicates that deep soils have been formed by 50 or more years’ accumulation, while the pre-plastic soil layers are thin. The plastic soil forms dams in rivers and wetlands, changing the shape and properties of the coastal landscape, also altering the microhabitat for plants. This case-study describes an ongoing landscape and vegetation change, evidently co-occurring with the onset of plastic accumulation. Such processes are not limited to the Norwegian coastline but are likely to occur wherever there is accumulation of plastic and organic materials. If this is allowed to continue, we may witness a continued and escalating change in the shape and function of coastal landscapes and ecosystems globally

Rapid Landscape Changes in Plastic Bays Along the Norwegian Coastline

The Norwegian Coastal Current transports natural debris and plastic waste along the Norwegian coastline. Deposition occurs in so-called wreck-bays and includes floating debris, such as seaweed, driftwood and volcanic pumice, and increasing amounts of plastics during the last decades. Deposition in these bays is controlled by ocean currents, tidal movements, prevailing winds and coastal morphology. We have compared soil profiles, analyzed the vegetation and inspected aerial photos back to 1950 in wreck-bays and defined three zones in the wreck-bays, where accumulation follows distinct physical processes. Zone 1 includes the foreshore deposition and consists of recent deposits that are frequently reworked by high tides and wave erosion. Thus, there is no accumulation in Zone 1. Zone 2 is situated above the high tide mark and includes storm embankments. Here, there is an archive of accumulated debris potentially deposited decades ago. Zone 3 starts above the storm embankments. The debris of Zone 3 is transported by wind from Zone 1 and Zone 2, and the zone continues onshore until the debris meets natural obstacles. Plastic accumulation seems to escalate soil formation as plastic is entangled within the organic debris Mapping and characterizing the soil layers indicates that deep soils have been formed by 50 or more years’ accumulation, while the pre-plastic soil layers are thin. The plastic soil forms dams in rivers and wetlands, changing the shape and properties of the coastal landscape, also altering the microhabitat for plants. This case-study describes an ongoing landscape and vegetation change, evidently co-occurring with the onset of plastic accumulation. Such processes are not limited to the Norwegian coastline but are likely to occur wherever there is accumulation of plastic and organic materials. If this is allowed to continue, we may witness a continued and escalating change in the shape and function of coastal landscapes and ecosystems globally

Status Report: European Energy Research Alliance - joint Program Geothermal

The European Energy Research Alliance Joint Programme Geothermal (EERA Geothermal) was established in 2009 and formally started as one of the first four joint programmes of EERA in 2010. As of 2019, EERA Geothermal had 30 Full Participants and 6 Associate Participants. Over the last 10 years, EERA Geothermal has been central in establishing a number of European projects, contributing to crucial research for utilization of geothermal energy in Europe and beyond. It is estimated that more than 40% of the European public research capacity on geothermal energy is integrated into EERA Geothermal. The utilization of common capacity speeds up the implementation of new research ideas to matured developments. The participants of EERA Geothermal are active in geothermal energy research and have active international collaboration across sectors. The research of EERA Geothermal is structured into eight Sub-Programmes, representing topics that will provide important contributions to realize the aims of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) Implementation Plan Deep Geothermal

The Arctic pteropod Clione limacina: seasonal lipid dynamics and life strategy.

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