Offshore Wind Power Reef Effects and Reef Fauna Roles

The German Bight is dominated by sandy and muddy sediments whilst rocky terrain is rare. The only rocky intertidal is present on the island of Helgoland. However, thousands of ship wrecks are distributed in the German Bight. Such wrecks have only recently become part of investigations into species settlement and the underwater ecosystem. During the next 30 years 5000 wind power foundations are planned to be built in the German Bight as part of the German renewable energy program. Twelve foundations are completed and 197 in progress. The knowledge of the impact such constructions have on the German Bight underwater ecosystem is poor. Prognoses are the only form of estimation. The present study was conducted at the research platform FINO 1 and different ship wrecks which are located in the German Bight. Consistent with FINO1 it is expected that 4,300 kg biofouling will inhabit the wind power foundations. This means that the foundations can be interpreted as hotspots with 35 times more macrozoobenthos biomass than there was prior to the construction. The 5,000 wind power foundations mean an increased biomass of 0.8% for the entire German Bight. In addition, at least half of this biomasses will be produced at the foundations and leave the foundations on a yearly basis. What impact the increased production and high biomass concentration will have on the energy flow in the North Sea remains unknown. Other scenarios are more obvious. Changes include the increased food supply for species, such as crabs, fish and seals as well as the proliferation of the mussel Mytilus edulis. The number of Mytilus edulis inhabiting all wind power foundations will be the same as half of the amount of mussels currently living in German Wadden Sea. The mussel shell litter fall may lead to changing sediments and additional reefs. The mussels will also add to the significant increase of the filtration of sea water with the possible result of clearer waters. The mussels are seen as the main contributor to changes taking place in the German Bight following the introduction of wind power foundations. The increased number of mussels as well as the effects such increasing numbers of Mytilus edulis on the ecosystem will be titled Mytilusation. The introduction of wind power foundations into the German Bight will also mean an increase in rocky shallow waters and intertidal zones in the German Bight. The result will be a proliferation and the development of exotic species, such as the pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) which relies on low water depths. Whilst wind power foundations will be colonized by a similar range of species, they will be inhabited by a smaller number than ship wrecks. 2.0 Million brown crabs (Cancer pagurus) which will inhabit the wind power foundations will be added to the already existing number of 2.3 Million living at the 1,300 ship wrecks. Ship wrecks also provide an ideal environment for the endangered European lobster (Homarus gammarus). No lobsters were sighted at the already existing wind power foundations and it is yet to be seen whether the foundations will add to the spread of this species. Behaviour observations of the striped bristletooth surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) in the Indo-Pacific Coral Reefs revealed that he swept 18% of the sediment. Reef Sweeping as well as the bioerosion entail two major ecological functions of that fish. Ctenochaetus striatus therefore plays a major role in the preservation of coral reefs. Ongoing studies will show how certain species, such as the edible crab, which inhabit the new wind power foundations, influence the faunal community and surrounding areas. As with the striped bristletooth surgeonfish it is recommended to use behavioural investigations as fauna quantifications and community analyses do not provide satisfying results regarding the relationship between the various species and their environment. As part of the present study, techniques and materials were developed to activate or minimise certain functions of the wind power foundations, i.e., to increase or decrease the development of species at such foundations. Individual techniques are described in detail. Whether to activate wind power foundations or to make them passive, whether the reef effects are positive, negative or neither depends on the interpretation of the individual. The qualitative data reveals that the thousands of future wind power foundations will indeed transform the German North Sea ecosystem. The on-going scientific research is necessary to analyse the extent of such changes and to lead the pathway of renewable energy into the right direction

Generalized changes of benthic communities after construction of wind farms in the southern North Sea

Over the last years, the development of offshore renewable energy installations such as offshore wind farms led to an increasing number of man-made structures in marine environments. Since 2009, benthic impact monitoring programs were carried out in wind farms installed in the southern North Sea. We collated and analyzed data sets from three major monitoring programs. Our analysis considered a total of 2849 sampling points converted to a set of biodiversity response metrics. We analyzed biodiversity changes related to the implementation of offshore wind farms and generalized the correlation of these changes with spatial and temporal patterns. Our results demonstrate that depth, season and distance to structure (soft-bottom community) consistently determined diversity indicators and abundance parameters, whereas the age and the country affiliation were significantly related to some but not all indices. The water depth was the most important structuring factor for fouling communities while seasonal effects were driving most of the observed changes in soft-sediment communities. We demonstrate that a meta-analysis can provide an improved level of understanding of ecological patterns on largescale effects of anthropogenic structures on marine biodiversity, which were not visible in single monitoring studies. We believe that meta-analyses should become an indispensable tool for management of offshore wind farm effects in the future, particularly in the view of the foreseen development of offshore renewable energies. This might lead to a better picture and more comprehensive view on potential alterations. However, this requires a modern open-source data policy and data management, across institutions and across national borders

Genotype-Phenotype Correlation in 153 Adult Patients With Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia due to 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency: Analysis of the United Kingdom Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Adult Study Executive (CaHASE) Cohort

CONTEXT: In congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, a strong genotype-phenotype correlation exists in childhood. However, similar data in adults are lacking. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to test whether the severity of disease-causing CYP21A2 mutations influences the treatment and health status in adults with CAH. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We analyzed the genotype in correlation with treatment and health status in 153 adults with CAH from the United Kingdom Congenital adrenal Hyperplasia Adult Study Executive cohort. RESULTS: CYP21A2 mutations were distributed similarly to previously reported case series. In 7 patients a mutation was identified on only 1 allele. Novel mutations were detected on 1.7% of alleles (5 of 306). Rare mutations were found on 2.3% of alleles (7 of 306). For further analysis, patients were categorized into CYP21A2 mutation groups according to predicted residual enzyme function: null (n = 34), A (n = 42), B (n = 36), C (n = 34), and D (n = 7). Daily glucocorticoid dose was highest in group null and lowest in group C. Fludrocortisone was used more frequently in patients with more severe genotypes. Except for lower female height in group B, no statistically significant associations between genotype and clinical parameters were found. Androgens, blood pressure, lipids, blood glucose, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance were not different between groups. Subjective health status was similarly impaired across groups. CONCLUSIONS: In adults with classic CAH and women with nonclassic CAH, there was a weak association between genotype and treatment, but health outcomes were not associated with genotype. The underrepresentation of males with nonclassic CAH may reflect that milder genotypes result in a milder condition that is neither diagnosed nor followed up in adulthood. Overall, our results suggest that the impaired health status of adults with CAH coming to medical attention is acquired rather than genetically determined and therefore could potentially be improved through modification of treatment

Intrathecal antibody production against Epstein-Barr and other neurotropic viruses in pediatric and adult onset multiple sclerosis

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Recent reports proposed an increased EBV-targeted humoral immune response in MS, which appears to be more pronounced in pediatric patients. However, little is known about the CNS-derived antibody production against EBV in patients with MS. The objective of this study was to assess the frequency and intensity of intrathecal antibody production against EBV as compared to other neurotropic viruses in pediatric and adult onset MS. In cohorts of 43 childhood, 50 adult onset MS patients, 20 children and 12 adults with other CNS disorders, paired CSF and serum samples were studied. Frequency and intensity of intrathecal antibody production against EBV as compared to measles, rubella, varicella zoster (VZV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) were analyzed by determination of virus-specific CSF-to-serum Antibody Indices (AI). Intrathecally synthesized EBV antibodies were detectable in 26% pediatric and 10% adult onset MS patients, compared to frequencies ranging in both groups from 10 to 60% for the other viruses. Median AIs for EBV were lower than those for all other viruses, with more than twofold higher median AI for measles, rubella and VZV. The EBV-targeted humoral immune response in the CNS is only part of the intrathecal polyspecific antibody production in MS, directed against various neurotropic viruses. Our results do not rule out the possibility that EBV is involved in the pathogenesis of MS by triggering diverse cellular immune mechanisms, but they argue against a direct pathogenic role of EBV-targeted humoral immune response within the CNS

Half a century of amyloids: past, present and future

Amyloid diseases are global epidemics with profound health, social and economic implications and yet remain without a cure. This dire situation calls for research into the origin and pathological manifestations of amyloidosis to stimulate continued development of new therapeutics. In basic science and engineering, the cross-ß architecture has been a constant thread underlying the structural characteristics of pathological and functional amyloids, and realizing that amyloid structures can be both pathological and functional in nature has fuelled innovations in artificial amyloids, whose use today ranges from water purification to 3D printing. At the conclusion of a half century since Eanes and Glenner's seminal study of amyloids in humans, this review commemorates the occasion by documenting the major milestones in amyloid research to date, from the perspectives of structural biology, biophysics, medicine, microbiology, engineering and nanotechnology. We also discuss new challenges and opportunities to drive this interdisciplinary field moving forward. This journal i

Secondary use of offshore wind farms - Settlement of juvenile European lobsters (Homarus gammarus)

The area and the underwater structures of offshore wind farms along the German coast could be potentially used secondary as artificial reefs for endangered hard-bottom species such as the European lobster (Homarus gammarus). A small lobster population is only present at the rocky subtidal of the island of Helgoland (North Sea, German Bight), which has declined dramatically below a critical density since the 1960s. Here, the results of a pilot project for restocking European lobster at Helgoland could be transferred to offshore areas to test if a successful settlement of hatchery-reared juvenile lobsters at wind turbine foundations is feasible and ensure the persistence of this species in the German Bight