Special Issue Overview: Advances in Remote Sensing and Mapping for Integrated Studies of Reef Ecosystems in Oceania (Great Barrier Reef and Beyond)

The recent widespread and recurrent coral bleaching events over the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef system on Earth and a hotspot of marine biodiversity, are a reminder of the vulnerability of reef ecosystems to human activities and a warming world. Protection of the Great Barrier Reef and similar reef ecosystems across Oceania requires a better understanding of environmental and socio-economic pressures, as well as the development of integrated management strategies. The rapid expansion of Earth Observation technologies and data has greatly advanced our capability to map and monitor reef habitats, ecological processing and exposure risk, providing spatially rich data essential to support and evaluate management and conservation strategies. However, these technologies are proportionally still under-utilized, and it is important to synthesise remote-sensing-derived tools and methods currently available for mapping reef ecosystems in Oceania to facilitate their intake in coral reefs studies. Publications in this Special Issue contribute toward filling this gap and explore recent advances in remote sensing of the Great Barrier Reef and other reef ecosystems in Oceania, from novel methodological approaches (sensors, algorithm development and improved thematic classification) to applications for environmental monitoring and management

A Machine Learning Algorithm for Himawari-8 Total Suspended Solids Retrievals in the Great Barrier Reef

Remote sensing of ocean colour has been fundamental to the synoptic-scale monitoring of marine water quality in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). However, ocean colour sensors onboard low orbit satellites, such as the Sentinel-3 constellation, have insufficient revisit capability to fully resolve diurnal variability in highly dynamic coastal environments. To overcome this limitation, this work presents a physics-based coastal ocean colour algorithm for the Advanced Himawari Imager onboard the Himawari-8 geostationary satellite. Despite being designed for meteorological applications, Himawari-8 offers the opportunity to estimate ocean colour features every 10 min, in four broad visible and near-infrared spectral bands, and at 1 km2 spatial resolution. Coupled ocean–atmosphere radiative transfer simulations of the Himawari-8 bands were carried out for a realistic range of in-water and atmospheric optical properties of the GBR and for a wide range of solar and observation geometries. The simulated data were used to develop an inverse model based on artificial neural network techniques to estimate total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations directly from the Himawari-8 top-of-atmosphere spectral reflectance observations. The algorithm was validated with concurrent in situ data across the coastal GBR and its detection limits were assessed. TSS retrievals presented relative errors up to 75% and absolute errors of 2 mg L−1 within the validation range of 0.14 to 24 mg L−1, with a detection limit of 0.25 mg L−1. We discuss potential applications of Himawari-8 diurnal TSS products for improved monitoring and management of water quality in the GBR

Adults with Cerebral Palsy have Higher Prevalence of Fracture Compared with Adults Without Cerebral Palsy Independent of Osteoporosis and Cardiometabolic Diseases

Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) have an increased risk of fracture throughout their lifespan based on an underdeveloped musculoskeletal system, excess body fat, diminished mechanical loading, and early development of noncommunicable diseases. However, the epidemiology of fracture among adults with CP is unknown. The purpose of this cross‐sectional study was to determine the prevalence of fracture among a large sample of privately insured adults with CP, as compared with adults without CP. Data were from the Optum Clinformatics Data Mart (Eden Prairie, MN, USA), a deidentified nationwide claims database of beneficiaries from a single private payer. Diagnostic codes were used to identify 18‐ to 64‐year‐old beneficiaries with and without CP and any fracture that consisted of osteoporotic pathological fracture as well as any type of fracture of the head/neck, thoracic, lumbar/pelvic, upper extremity, and lower extremity regions. The prevalence of any fracture was compared between adults with (n = 5,555) and without (n = 5.5 million) CP. Multivariable logistic regression was performed with all‐cause fracture as the outcome and CP group as the primary exposure. Adults with CP had a higher prevalence of all‐cause fracture (6.3% and 2.7%, respectively) and fracture of the head/neck, thoracic, lumbar/pelvic, upper extremity, and lower extremity regions compared with adults without CP (all p < 0.01). After adjusting for sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables, adults with CP had higher odds of all‐cause fracture compared with adults without CP (OR 2.5; 95% CI, 2.2 to 2.7). After further adjusting for cardiometabolic diseases, adults with CP had higher odds of all‐cause fracture compared with adults without CP (OR 2.2; 95% CI, 2.0 to 2.5). After further adjusting for osteoporosis, adults with CP still had higher odds of all‐cause fracture compared with adults without CP (OR 2.0; 95% CI, 1.8 to 2.2). These findings suggest that young and middle‐aged adults with CP have an elevated prevalence of all‐cause fracture compared with adults without CP, which was present even after accounting for cardiometabolic diseases and osteoporosis. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150537/1/jbmr3694_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150537/2/jbmr3694.pd

Can Forel–Ule Index Act as a Proxy of Water Quality in Temperate Waters? Application of Plume Mapping in Liverpool Bay, UK

The use of ocean colour classification algorithms, linked to water quality gradients, can be a useful tool for mapping river plumes in both tropical and temperate systems. This approach has been applied in operational water quality programs in the Great Barrier Reef to map river plumes and assess trends in marine water composition and ecosystem health during flood periods. In this study, we used the Forel–Ule colour classification algorithm for Sentinel-3 OLCI imagery in an automated process to map monthly, annual and long-term plume movement in the temperate coastal system of Liverpool Bay (UK). We compared monthly river plume extent to the river flow and in situ water quality data between 2017–2020. The results showed a strong positive correlation (Spearman’s rho = 0.68) between the river plume extent and the river flow and a strong link between the FUI defined waterbodies and nutrients, SPM, turbidity and salinity, hence the potential of the Forel–Ule index to act as a proxy for water quality in the temperate Liverpool Bay water. The paper discusses how the Forel–Ule index could be used in operational water quality programs to better understand river plumes and the land-based inputs to the coastal zones in UK waters, drawing parallels with methods that have been developed in the GBR and Citclops project. Overall, this paper provides the first insight into the systematic long-term river plume mapping in UK coastal waters using a fast, cost-effective, and reproducible workflow. The study created a novel water assessment typology based on the common physical, chemical and biological ocean colour properties captured in the Forel–Ule index, which could replace the more traditional eutrophication assessment regions centred around strict geographic and political boundaries. Additionally, the Forel–Ule assessment typology is particularly important since it identifies areas of the greatest impact from the land-based loads into the marine environment, and thus potential risks to vulnerable ecosystems

Test–Retest Reliability and Correlates of Vertebral Bone Marrow Lipid Composition by Lipidomics Among Children With Varying Degrees of Bone Fragility

The reliability of lipidomics, an approach to identify the presence and interactions of lipids, to analyze the bone marrow lipid composition among pediatric populations with bone fragility is unknown. The objective of this study was to assess the test–retest reliability, standard error of measurement (SEM), and the minimal detectable change (MDC) of vertebral bone marrow lipid composition determined by targeted lipidomics among children with varying degrees of bone fragility undergoing routine orthopedic surgery. Children aged 10 to 19 years, with a confirmed diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (n = 13) or neuromuscular scoliosis and cerebral palsy (n = 3), undergoing posterior spinal fusion surgery at our institution were included in this study. Transpedicular vertebral body bone marrow samples were taken from thoracic vertebrae (T11, 12) or lumbar vertebrae (L1 to L4). Lipid composition was assessed via targeted lipidomics and all samples were analyzed in the same batch. Lipid composition measures were examined as the saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated index and as individual fatty acids. Relative and absolute test–retest reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), SEM, and MDC. Associations between demographics and index measures were explored. The ICC, SEM, and MDC were 0.81 (95% CI, 0.55–0.93), 1.6%, and 4.3%, respectively, for the saturated index, 0.66 (95% CI, 0.25–0.87), 3.5%, and 9.7%, respectively, for the monounsaturated index, and 0.60 (95% CI, 0.17–0.84), 3.6%, and 9.9%, respectively, for the polyunsaturated index. For the individual fatty acids, the ICC showed a considerable range from 0.04 (22:2n‐6) to 0.97 (18:3n‐3). Age was positively correlated with the saturated index (r2 = 0.36; p = 0.014) and negatively correlated with the polyunsaturated index (r2 = 0.26; p = 0.043); there was no difference in index measures by sex (p > 0.58). The test–retest reliability was moderate‐to‐good for index measures and poor to excellent for individual fatty acids; this information can be used to power research studies and identify measures for clinical or research monitoring. © 2020 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163414/2/jbm410400_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163414/1/jbm410400.pd

A seagrass mapping toolbox for South Pacific environments

Seagrass beds provide a range of ecosystem services but are at risk from anthropogenic pressures. While recent progress has been made, the distribution and condition of South Pacific seagrass is relatively poorly known and selecting an appropriate approach for mapping it is challenging. A variety of remote sensing tools are available for this purpose and here we develop a mapping toolbox and associated decision tree tailored to the South Pacific context. The decision tree considers the scale at which data are needed, the reason that monitoring is required, the finances available, technical skills of the monitoring team, data resolution, site safety/accessibility and whether seagrass is predominantly intertidal or subtidal. Satellite mapping is recommended for monitoring at the national and regional scale, with associated ground-reference data where possible but without if time and funds are limiting. At the local scale, satellite, remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), kites, underwater camera systems and in situ surveys are all recommended. In the special cases of community-based initiatives and emergency response monitoring, in situ or satellite/RPA are recommended, respectively. For other types of monitoring the primary driver is funding, with in situ, kite and satellite recommended when finances are limited and satellite, underwater camera, RPA or kites otherwise, dependent on specific circumstances. The tools can be used individually or in combination, though caution is recommended when combining tools due to data comparability

A probabilistic approach to mapping the contribution of individual riverine discharges into Liverpool Bay using distance accumulation cost methods on satellite derived ocean-colour data

Assessments of the water quality in coastal zones often rely on indirect indicators from contributing river inputs and the neighbouring ocean. Using a novel combination of distance accumulation cost methods and an ocean-colour product derived from SENTINEL-3 data, we developed a probabilistic method for the assessment of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) in Liverpool Bay (UK) for the period from 2017 to 2020. Using our approach, we showed the annual and monthly likelihood of DIN exposure from its 12 major contributory rivers. Furthermore, we generated monthly risk maps showing the probability of DIN exposure from all rivers, which revealed a seasonal variation of extent and location around the bay. The highest likelihood of high DIN exposure throughout the year was in the estuarine regions of the Dee, Mersey, and Ribble, along with near-shore areas along the north Wales coast and around the mouth of the rivers Mersey and Ribble. There were seasonal changes in the risk of DIN exposure, and this risk remained high all year for the Mersey and Dee estuary regions. In contrast, for the mouth and near the coastal areas of the Ribble, the DIN exposure decreased in spring, remained low during the summer and early autumn, before displaying an increase during winter. Our approach offers the ability to assess the water quality within coastal zones without the need of complex hydrodynamic models, whilst still having the potential to apportion nutrient exposure to specific riverine inputs. This information can help to prioritise how direct mitigation strategies can be applied to specific river catchments, focusing the limited resources for coastal zone and river basin management

Impaired recovery of the Great Barrier Reef under cumulative stress

Corals of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) have declined over the past 30 years. While reef state depends on the balance between disturbance and recovery, most studies have focused on the effects of disturbance on reef decline. We show that coral recovery rates across the GBR declined by an average of 84% between 1992 and 2010. Recovery was variable: Some key coral types had close to zero recovery by the end of that period, whereas some reefs exhibited high recovery. Our results indicate that coral recovery is sensitive to chronic but manageable pressures, and is suppressed for several years following acute disturbances. Loss of recovery capacity was partly explained by the cumulative effects of chronic pressures including water quality, warming, and sublethal effects of acute disturbances (cyclones, outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish, and coral bleaching). Modeled projections indicate that recovery rates can respond rapidly to reductions in acute and chronic stressors, a result that is consistent with fast recovery observed on some reefs in the central and southern GBR since the end of the study period. A combination of local management actions to reduce chronic disturbances and global action to limit the effect of climate change is urgently required to sustain GBR coral cover and diversity

Identification of heparin modifications and polysaccharide inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite invasion that have potential for novel drug development

Despite recent successful control efforts, malaria remains a leading global health burden. Alarmingly, resistance to current antimalarials is increasing and the development of new drug families is needed to maintain malaria control. Current antimalarials target the intraerythrocytic developmental stage of the Plasmodium falciparum life cycle. However, the invasive extracellular parasite form, the merozoite, is also an attractive target for drug development. We have previously demonstrated that heparin-like molecules, including those with low molecular weights and low anticoagulant activities, are potent and specific inhibitors of merozoite invasion and blood-stage replication. Here we tested a large panel of heparin-like molecules and sulfated polysaccharides together with various modified chemical forms for their inhibitory activity against P. falciparum merozoite invasion. We identified chemical modifications that improve inhibitory activity and identified several additional sulfated polysaccharides with strong inhibitory activity. These studies have important implications for the further development of heparin-like molecules as antimalarial drugs and for understanding merozoite invasion