El cambio climático y sus consecuencias para los ecosistemas costeros de las Islas Baleares

El cambio climático es el problema medioambiental más importante del siglo XXI, afectando a todas las actividades humanas, incluídas la provisión de agua y alimento para la humanidad. Este cambio afectará de manera particularmente importante a las áreas insulares, ya que tienen una mayor dependencia de las zonas costeras, las cuales se veran fuertemente afectadas por el cambio climático. Esta dependencia se materializa, en el caso de las Islas Baleares, en una dependencia económica, derivada del papel clave de la industria turística. Esta industria es especialmente sensible al cambio climático, por 10 que las consecuencias para los ecosistemas costeros que se discuten en este capítulo tendran también importantes repercusiones sobre la economia y sociedad baleares. En este capítulo examinamos primero los conceptos de cambio climático y cambio global, revisamos las consecuencias de los cambios que se han producido durante el siglo XX para los ecosistemas costeros y finalmente evaluamos los cambios adicionales que se esperan sobre la base de las predicciones de escenarios posibles para el siglo XXI, y las actuaciones que debieran emprenderse para minimizar las consecuencias negativas del cambio climático. Todo este ejercicio se lleva a cabo bajo una notable carència de datos específicos para las Islas Baleares, 10 que revela de inmediato la necesidad de contar con una base observacional, sujeta a un control de calidad riguroso, capaz de permitir, a traves de su integración en un sistema interdisciplinar de analisis, la deteccion de cambios en los ecosistemas costeros de las Islas Baleares.El canvi climàtic és el problema mediambiental més important del segle XXI, afectant a totes les activitats humanes, incloses la provisió d'aigua i aliment per a la humanitat. Aquest canvi afectarà de forma particularment important a les àees insulars, ja que tenen una major dependència de les zones costeres, que es veuran intensament afectades pel canvi climàtic. Aquesta dependència es materialitza, en el cas de les Illes Balears, en una dependència econòmica, derivada del paper clau de la industria turística. Aquesta industria es especialment sensible al canvi climàtic, pel que les conseqüències per als ecosistemes costaners que se discuteixen en aquest capítol tendran també importants repercusions sobre l'economia i la societat de les Balears. En aquest capítol s'examinen primer els conceptes de canvi climátic i canvi global, revisam les conseqüències dels canvis que s'han produït durant el segle XX per als ecosistemes costaners i finalment avaluam els canvis addicionals que s'esperen sobre la base de les prediccions d'escenaris possibles per al segle XXI, i les actuacions que es tendrien que emprendre per a minimitzar les conseqüències negatives del canvi climàtic. Tot aquest exercici es du a terme sota una notable carència de dades especifiques per a les Illes Balears, el que revela la necessitat de comptar amb una base observacional, subjecta a un control de qualitat rigurós, capaç de permetre, a través de la seva integració en un sistema interdisciplinar d'anàlisi, la detecció de canvis en els ecosistemes costaners de les Illes Balears.The climatic change is the most relevant environmental problem of the XXI century, affecting all human activities, including water and food supplies to mankind. This change will dramatically affect insular areas, since they have a greater dependence on coastal areas that will be strongly affected by the climatic change. In the case of the Balearic Islands, this dependence will be mainly economical, derived from its key role on the tourist industry. This industry is specially sensitive to the climatic change, and therefore aftermath for coastal ecosystems discussed in this chapter will also have important effects on the Balearic economy and society. In this chapter the concepts of climatic and global change will be examined first, consequences of changes suffered by coastal ecosystems through the XX century will be revised, and finally we will evaluate the added changes that can be expected based on the different scenarios predicted for the XXI century, and the actions to undertake to minimize the negative consequences of the climatic change. All this exercise is done under a remarkable lack of specific data for the Balearic Islands, thereby revealing the need to count with an observational basis, subject to a thorough quality control, able to permit, through its integration in an interdisciplinary analysis system, the detection of changes in the coastal ecosystems of the Balearic Islands

ECTRIMS/EAN consensus on vaccination in people with multiple sclerosis: Improving immunization strategies in the era of highly active immunotherapeutic drugs

Background: With the new highly active drugs available for people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), vaccination becomes an essential part of the risk management strategy. / Objective: To develop a European evidence-based consensus for the vaccination strategy of pwMS who are candidates for disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). / Methods: This work was conducted by a multidisciplinary working group using formal consensus methodology. Clinical questions (defined as population, interventions, and outcomes) considered all authorized DMTs and vaccines. A systematic literature search was conducted and quality of evidence was defined according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence. The recommendations were formulated based on the quality of evidence and the risk–benefit balance. / Results: Seven questions, encompassing vaccine safety, vaccine effectiveness, global vaccination strategy and vaccination in sub-populations (pediatric, pregnant women, elderly and international travelers) were considered. A narrative description of the evidence considering published studies, guidelines, and position statements is presented. A total of 53 recommendations were agreed by the working group after three rounds of consensus. / Conclusion: This first European consensus on vaccination in pwMS proposes the best vaccination strategy according to current evidence and expert knowledge, with the goal of homogenizing the immunization practices in pwMS

Singularities of surface mixing activity in the Western Mediterranean influence bluefin tuna larval habitats

Understanding how the surface dynamics of the ocean influence the spawning and larval ecology of many large pelagic species, in particular tuna species, is a major challenge. For temperate tunas, the selection of geographically restricted spawning grounds is influenced by environmental conditions, but the influence of surface mixing properties on the early life stages of these species remains poorly understood. Here, based on ichthyoplankton samples collected over 4 yr and satellite-derived finite size Lyapunov exponents (FSLEs), we examined how horizontal mixing activity drives the probability of presence of Atlantic bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus larvae. We further analyzed the spatial and temporal scales of the FSLE variability at which the relationship between larval presence and mesoscale activity is maximized. We found that moderate mixing activity strongly favors the spatial-temporal distribution of larval habitats, evidencing an optimal environmental window of bluefin tuna spawning and early life development within the mesoscale dynamics. During the spawning season, the Balearic Sea presents a unique spatial and temporal hydrodynamic scenario within the Western Mediterranean. These results can be used for developing oceanographic indicators and improving larval abundance indices that are currently used in Atlantic bluefin tuna stock assessments.En prensa2,48

Glider data collected during the Algerian Basin Circulation Unmanned Survey

We present data collected in the framework of the Algerian BAsin Circulation Unmanned Survey (ABACUS) project. The main objective of ABACUS is the monitoring of the basin circulation and of the surface and intermediate water masses' physical and biological properties in a key region of the Mediterranean Sea circulation. Data presented here have been collected through deep glider cruises in the Western Mediterranean Sea during the autumns of 2014, 2015 and 2016; activities at sea are expected to be repeated during the coming years, so that the dataset will be extended. Glider missions were conducted in the Algerian Basin, between the island of Mallorca and the Algerian coast. Across the three glider missions, eight repeated transects were completed which enabled us to investigate the basin-scale circulation and the presence of mesoscale structures, utilising both the adaptive sampling capabilities of the gliders and the higher resolution of the data. After collection, all data passed a quality control procedure and were then made available through an unrestricted repository host by the SOCIB Data Centre at https://doi.org/10.25704/b200-3vf5. The actual dataset spans three autumn seasons, providing an important contribution to the data collection in the chronically undersampled Algerian Basin. Temperature and salinity data collected in the first 975&thinsp;m of the water column allowed us to identify the main water masses and describe their characteristics, improving the understanding of the dynamics of the region. On the timescale of the project, data show a large variability in the surface layer and reduced variability in the intermediate and deep layers. Our measurements have been successfully compared to data previously collected in the area from 1909 to 2011. Results showed similar overall distribution, ranges and variability to the historical data, with no outliers in the surface or deep layers.</p

A new Mean Dynamic Topography of the Mediterranean Sea based on model outputs, drifter data, hydrological profiles and altimeter measurements

Trabajo presentado en la EGU General Assemby 2013, celebrada del 7 al 12 de abril de 2013 en Viena (Austria)Peer Reviewe

Autonomous underwater gliders monitoring variability at "choke points" in our ocean system: a case study in Western Mediterranean Sea

Publicado