New understanding of a coastal erosion hotspot in a bimodal wave climate.

In previous studies addressing coastal erosion hotspots, evidence is presented to demonstrate that geology and nearshore seabed features can exert control on local beach dynamics. In this study, an episodic coastal erosion hotspot at Thorpeness, UK is examined. Antecedent wave conditions and changes in incident wave characteristics resulting from interaction with the seabed geology and/or temporal changes in nearshore bathymetry are measured and modelled. Observations of changing sea bed features derived from radar measurements and results from numerical modelling demonstrate links between nearshore bathymetry and beach erosion events. The study examines also the conditions frequently experienced at the study site whereby persistent waves from a narrow sector reduce beach levels and modify the nearshore bathymetry in such a way that the impacts from storms from an opposing direction are larger than would normally be the case

Sustainable natural resource management must recognise community diversity

Deforestation and overexploitation of mangrove forests are affecting the livelihoods of millions of families that rely on their ecosystem services. Understanding local perceptions about the status and threats to mangroves is therefore crucial in addressing this issue. This research aims to enhance understanding of how sociodemographic factors influence resource use and perceptions of environmental changes through a questionnaire survey (n = 592 households) in five locations in Lamu County, home to 62% of Kenya’s mangroves. The results highlight the variability of mangrove use, ecosystem service recognition, and perceptions and drivers of change across locations, which are influenced by sociodemographic factors such as gender, education, and occupation. Although 89% of respondents reported using mangrove products, only 56% were able to identify mangrove ecosystem services, with those without formal education being less likely to recognize them. Interestingly, 50% of respondents perceived an increase in mangrove cover, contrary to research showing mangrove loss in the area over the last decade. Results show that communities are diverse and perceptions vary between groups, suggesting that implementing uniform management measures may be incomplete or ineffective. Awareness campaigns and capacity-building efforts must be tailored to reduce misperceptions about the state of local resources and to address the specific needs and challenges faced by different groups. Recommendations made here are widely applicable to promote more inclusive and sustainable community engagement in the management of natural resources in developing countries worldwide

Impacts of a novel shellfishing gear on macrobenthos in a marine protected area: pump-scoop dredging in Poole Harbour, UK

Understanding the impact of bottom-fishing gears at various scales and intensities on habitats and species is necessary to inform management. In Poole Harbour, UK, a multiple use marine protected area, fishermen utilise a unique ̋“pump-scoop” dredge to harvest the introduced Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum. Managers need to balance the socio-economic benefits of the fishery with ecological concerns across the region, which has required a revision of by-laws that include both spatial and temporal measures. Within an operational fishery, we used a Before-After-Control-Impact sampling design to assess the impacts of pump-scoop dredging on benthic physical characteristics and community structure in an area where there was no dredging, an area newly opened to dredging and an area subject to high levels of historic dredging. A sampling grid was used in each area to best capture any fishing effort in the newly opened area. Core samples were taken to a depth of 30 cm within intertidal mudflats. A significant loss of fine sediments was observed in the site subject to high intensity dredging and a significant change in community structure also occurred in both dredged sites throughout the study period. In the newly opened site this was characterised by a relative increase in species richness, including increased abundance of annelid worms, notably Hediste diversicolor and Aphelochaeta marioni and a decline in the abundance of the bivalve mollusc Abra tenuis. These changes, albeit relatively small, are attributed to physical disturbance as a direct result of pump-scoop dredging, although no difference in the classification of the biotope of the site was observed. This is of particular interest to managers monitoring site condition within areas under the new by-laws as the Manila clam is spreading to other protected estuaries in the region

Population dynamics of a commercially harvested, non-native bivalve in an area protected for shorebirds: Ruditapes philippinarum in Poole Harbour, UK

The Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is one of the most commercially valuable bivalve species worldwide and its range is expanding, facilitated by aquaculture and fishing activities. In existing and new systems, the species may become commercially and ecologically important, supporting both local fishing activities and populations of shorebird predators of conservation importance. This study assessed potential fishing effects and population dynamics of R. philippinarum in Poole Harbour, a marine protected area on the south coast of the UK, where the species is important for oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus as well as local fishers. Sampling was undertaken across three sites of different fishing intensities before and after the 2015 fishing season, which extends into the key overwintering period for shorebird populations. Significant differences in density, size and condition index are evident between sites, with the heavily dredged site supporting clams of poorer condition. Across the dredge season, clam densities in the heavily fished area were significantly reduced, with a harvesting efficiency of legally harvestable clams of up to 95% in this area. Despite occurring at significantly higher densities and growing faster under heavy fishing pressure, lower biomass and condition index of R. philippinarum in this area, coupled with the dramatic reduction in densities across the fishing season, may be of concern to managers who must consider the wider ecological interactions of harvesting with the interest of nature conservation and site integrity

The Dunes Contribution to the Ecosystem Service of Coastal Protection on the Northern Coast of RS

Coastal dunes have a crucial role in offering the ecosystem service of natural coastal protection. This paper investigates the importance of dunes in providing the ecosystem service of natural coastal protection on the North Coast of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) in southern Brazil. The Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST®) Coastal Vulnerability Model was used to quantify the relative susceptibility to coastal erosion and flooding within the study area. First, the model was run to assess the susceptibility to coastal hazards considering the presence of dunes. Then, the model was run again without the presence of dunes. By comparing the results of the two model simulations, it was possible to identify where dunes contribute to reducing coastal exposure, which indirectly reflects their role in providing the ecosystem service of natural coastal protection. There are two main dune fields in the study area, one in the northern coastal sector and one in the southern sector, respectively in the municipalities of Torres and Cidreira. The index of exposure values produced by the two model simulations were very similar for locations along the Torres coastline. In contrast, along the coast of Cidreira, results from the model simulation without dunes produced higher exposure values than the simulation with the presence of dunes, suggesting that the dunes have an important role in offering natural coastal protection. Dunes are a natural barrier against coastal erosion and flooding, but they are not the only factor influencing the ecosystem service of coastal protection. In Torres, for instance, the local topography and the wind patterns contribute to reducing local exposure. The greatest threat in this sector is the urban sprawl

Producing magnetic nanocomposites from paper sludge for the adsorptive removal of pharmaceuticals from water: a fractional factorial design

In view of a simple after-use separation, the potentiality of producing magnetic activated carbon (MAC) by intercalation of ferromagnetic metal oxide nanoparticles in the framework of a powder activated carbon (PAC) produced from primary paper sludge was explored in this work. The synthesis conditions to produce cost effective and efficient MACs for the adsorptive removal of pharmaceuticals (amoxicillin, carbamazepine, and diclofenac) from aqueous media were evaluated. For this purpose, a fractional factorial design (FFD) was applied to assess the effect of the most significant variables (Fe3+ to Fe2+ salts ratio, PAC to iron salts ratio, temperature, and pH), on the following responses concerning the resulting MACs: Specific surface area (SBET), saturation magnetization (Ms), and adsorption percentage of amoxicillin, carbamazepine, and diclofenac. The statistical analysis revealed that the PAC to iron salts mass ratio was the main factor affecting the considered responses. A quadratic linear regression model A = f(SBET, Ms) was adjusted to the FFD data, allowing to differentiate four of the eighteen MACs produced. These MACs were distinguished by being easily recovered from aqueous phase using a permanent magnet (Ms of 22-27 emu g-1), and their high SBET (741-795 m2 g-1) were responsible for individual adsorption percentages ranging between 61% and 84% using small MAC doses (35 mg L-1).publishe

Proposal of a general classification schema for museum objects

The current schema used by the Rio de Janeiro`s Museum Network website to classify the museum objects in different museums' collections contains 16 categories that are no longer enough to encompass all the collections of museums about to adhere to the network. These new collections include scientific and intangible cultural heritage objects that needed to be fitted in categories of their own. In order to expand the classification schema, an Ontological approach was used, as well as the Aristothelic classification theory, to analyze and distinguish the different types of museum objects, define new categories and clarify the present ones, including them on the new broadened schema proposed, guaranteeing compatibility with museums already connected to the network. The categories suggested include a broader one, Museum objects, which contains Natural objects (subdivided in Inorganic and Organic objects) and Physical or conceptual products of human culture - Man-made objects (comprising Material culture objects or Artifacts and Conceptual products of human Culture – the first one containing all 16 pre-existing categories); and a new broad category for Cultural heritage objects. This proposal constructs a broader schema then the one in use, while encompassing it and allowing the insertion of any new categories that may appear in the future

Coastal risk mitigation by green infrastructure in Latin America

This paper aims to highlight the prevailing experiences of Latin America and to clarify what ‘green infrastructure’ entails in addition to describing seven case studies from a range of coastal ecosystems (wetlands, coastal dunes, beaches and coral reefs) at scales varying from local to regional. The case studies are categorised according to their degree of naturalness (nature-based, engineered ecosystems, soft engineering, ecologically enhanced hard infrastructure and de-engineering). Generally, the implementation of green infrastructure projects aims to increase resilience, enhance the provision of ecosystem services, recover biodiversity, reduce the negative effects of hard infrastructure and implement corrective measures. The greatest benefits of these projects relate to the creation of multi-functional spaces, which often combine the above advantages with improved opportunities for recreation and/or economic activities. It is hoped that this paper will disseminate the experience in green infrastructure among academics and practitioners and stimulate wider adoption of green infrastructure projects and good practices