Common environmental descriptors of two benthic amphi-atlantic mollusc assemblages

Duas associações de moluscos bênticos litorais foram estudadas em ambos os lados do oceano Atlântico, uma tropical no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, e outra temperada na Galicia, Espanha, procurando-se por descritores ambientais comuns, a ambas, que pudessem explicar, em macro escala, o porquê de essas associações estarem onde estão. As duas associações apresentam, aproximadamente, a mesma riqueza de espécies, cerca de 150 táxons cada uma. Ambas as faunas malacológicas habitam sedimentos arenosos em profundidades variando entre 2-12 m, na Galicia, e 10-40 m, no Rio de Janeiro. As associações malacológicas foram definidas através de Análise de Grupamento e caracterizadas ambientalmente com a aplicação da Análise Discriminante Múltipla realizada sobre os dados abióticos. Não existem espécies em comum entre as associações estudadas; contudo estes táxons apresentam caracteres fenológicos similares em função de habitarem as mesmas fácies sedimentológicas. Um mesmo conjunto de variáveis ambientais (tamanho médio do grão do sedimento, assimetria, curtose, grau de selecionamento, frações de areias fina e média e a profundidade) foram identificadas por condicionarem a presença dessas associações, sugerindo que possam ter um papel relevante como descritores ambientais gerais.Two benthic mollusc assemblages of the continental shelf on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, a tropical one in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and another, temperate, in Galicia, Spain were investigated, with a view to finding common environmental descriptors which would explain, on a macro-scale, why these assemblages are there. Both of the assemblages concerned show approximately the same species richness, about 150 taxa each. The molluscan fauna of both regions live on sandy sediments. The Galician assemblages are at about 2-12 m depth, while those in Rio de Janeiro are at about 10-40 m depth. Malacological assemblages were defined through Cluster Analysis and Multiple Discriminant Analysis of the environmental data showed that each assemblage has its own environmental space. These assemblages have no species in common, but show the same phenological characters associated with each sedimentological facies. The same set of environmental variables (median sediment grain size, skewness, kurtosis, sorting, fine and medium sand fractions and depth) were selected as controlling these assemblages, suggesting that they play their role as general environmental descriptors

Understanding technological, cultural, and environmental motivators explaining the adoption of citizen science apps for coastal environment monitoring

Cardoso-Andrade, M., Cruz-jesus, F., Souza Troncoso, J., Queiroga, H., & Gonçalves, J. M. S. (2022). Understanding technological, cultural, and environmental motivators explaining the adoption of citizen science apps for coastal environment monitoring. Global Environmental Change, 77, 1-17. [102606]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102606--- Funding: This work was supported by national funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia): CESAM through projects UIDP/50017/2020, UIDB/50017/2020, and LA/P/0094/2020; CCMAR through projects UIDP/04326/2020, UIDB/04326/2020, and LA/P/0101/2020; and Centro de Investigação em Gestão de Informação (MagIC)/NOVA IMS through project UIDB/04152/2020. Mariana Cardoso-Andrade also wishes to acknowledge the financial support of FCT through the doctoral grant PD/BD/143087/2018.Environmental and nature conservation authorities are calling for a collective effort to break or reduce the current cycle of environmental degradation. Much of the response depends on scientific knowledge production based on thematically and geographically comprehensive datasets. Citizen science (CS) is a cost-effective support tool for scientific research that provides means for building large and comprehensive datasets and promoting public awareness and participation. One of the greatest challenges of CS is to engage citizens and retain participants in the project. Our work addresses this challenge by (1) defining the role that technological, cultural, and environmental dimensions play in the adoption of CS apps for coastal environment monitoring, and (2) providing base knowledge about the profile of the apps’ most likely users and the functional features they require to be successful. Collectivists and people who assume a green identity are the most likely users of these apps. Drivers of their use are the promotion of citizen empowerment, habit development, provision of facilitating conditions, and proof of environmental performance. The outcome of this study is a set of guidelines for project managers, app developers, and policymakers for citizens’ engagement and retention in CS coastal environment monitoring projects through their apps.publishersversionpublishe

Mussel Shells from Marine Aquaculture Act like Ecosystem Engineers: Legacy Effects on Benthic Communities

Ecosystem engineers are organisms that cause changes in the physical state of biotic and abiotic structures that modulate the availability of resources to other species, thus affecting biochemical cycles. Molluscs, especially bivalves such as mussels, are widespread in coastal environments and they are excellent ecosystem engineers because of the durability of their shells, which add complexity and heterogeneity to benthic environments. The presence of mussel farms favours the accumulation of shells in benthic environments and may influence surrounding bare sediments, with potential legacy effects on benthic communities. We studied the effects of the accumulation of mussel shells at finfish farms and mussel farms by experimentally comparing bare sediment and sediment with fragmented shells in terms of the abundance of the most relevant faunal groups, specifically polychaete families as well as physical–chemical variables in sediment water samples, specifically organic matter (OM), redox potential, and acid-volatile sulphides (AVS) NH4+ and PO43−. The experiment was replicated under two environmental conditions over a period of 35 days: eutrophic muddy sediments and oligotrophic sandy sediments. The OM and AVS values were significantly higher in the eutrophic sediment with mussel shells. Only NH4+ was positively affected by the mussel shells in the oligotrophic conditions. Differences between the two environments were observed, and the effect of the mussel shells on the polychaete assemblages was more significant in the oligotrophic conditions. Mussel shell accumulations affected the structure of benthic assemblages by modifying their heterogeneity and complexity, which suggests that the presence of mussel farms above bare sediment may affect ecosystem functioning. Aquaculture has potentially negative or positive effects that must be addressed on a large scale, considering the increased input of organic matter and also the simultaneous presence of mussel shell waste, both of which alter the surrounding environment. This is particularly important in oligotrophic sandy sediment.This research was funded by the project CGL2015-70136-R from the Spanish National Agency for Research (MINECO/FEDER)

A marine biodiversity observation network for genetic monitoring of hard-bottom communities (ARMS-MBON)

Marine hard-bottom communities are undergoing severe change under the influence of multiple drivers, notably climate change, extraction of natural resources, pollution and eutrophication, habitat degradation, and invasive species. Monitoring marine biodiversity in such habitats is, however, challenging as it typically involves expensive, non-standardized, and often destructive sampling methods that limit its scalability. Differences in monitoring approaches furthermore hinders inter-comparison among monitoring programs. Here, we announce a Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) consisting of Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) with the aim to assess the status and changes in benthic fauna with genomic-based methods, notably DNA metabarcoding, in combination with image-based identifications. This article presents the results of a 30-month pilot phase in which we established an operational and geographically expansive ARMS-MBON. The network currently consists of 20 observatories distributed across European coastal waters and the polar regions, in which 134 ARMS have been deployed to date. Sampling takes place annually, either as short-term deployments during the summer or as long-term deployments starting in spring. The pilot phase was used to establish a common set of standards for field sampling, genetic analysis, data management, and legal compliance, which are presented here. We also tested the potential of ARMS for combining genetic and image-based identification methods in comparative studies of benthic diversity, as well as for detecting non-indigenous species. Results show that ARMS are suitable for monitoring hard-bottom environments as they provide genetic data that can be continuously enriched, re-analyzed, and integrated with conventional data to document benthic community composition and detect non-indigenous species. Finally, we provide guidelines to expand the network and present a sustainability plan as part of the European Marine Biological Resource Centre (www.embrc.eu).Peer reviewe

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans – anteaters, sloths, and armadillos – have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with 24 domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, ten anteaters, and six sloths. Our dataset includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data-paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the south of the USA, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to its austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n=5,941), and Cyclopes sp. has the fewest (n=240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n=11,588), and the least recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n=33). With regards to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n=962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n=12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other datasets of Neotropical Series which will become available very soon (i.e. Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans dataset

Genome-wide Analyses Identify KIF5A as a Novel ALS Gene

To identify novel genes associated with ALS, we undertook two lines of investigation. We carried out a genome-wide association study comparing 20,806 ALS cases and 59,804 controls. Independently, we performed a rare variant burden analysis comparing 1,138 index familial ALS cases and 19,494 controls. Through both approaches, we identified kinesin family member 5A (KIF5A) as a novel gene associated with ALS. Interestingly, mutations predominantly in the N-terminal motor domain of KIF5A are causative for two neurodegenerative diseases: hereditary spastic paraplegia (SPG10) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2 (CMT2). In contrast, ALS-associated mutations are primarily located at the C-terminal cargo-binding tail domain and patients harboring loss-of-function mutations displayed an extended survival relative to typical ALS cases. Taken together, these results broaden the phenotype spectrum resulting from mutations in KIF5A and strengthen the role of cytoskeletal defects in the pathogenesis of ALS.Peer reviewe

International nosocomial infection control consortium (INICC) report, data summary of 36 countries, for 2004-2009

The results of a surveillance study conducted by the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) from January 2004 through December 2009 in 422 intensive care units (ICUs) of 36 countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe are reported. During the 6-year study period, using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN; formerly the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance system [NNIS]) definitions for device-associated health care-associated infections, we gathered prospective data from 313,008 patients hospitalized in the consortium's ICUs for an aggregate of 2,194,897 ICU bed-days. Despite the fact that the use of devices in the developing countries' ICUs was remarkably similar to that reported in US ICUs in the CDC's NHSN, rates of device-associated nosocomial infection were significantly higher in the ICUs of the INICC hospitals; the pooled rate of central line-associated bloodstream infection in the INICC ICUs of 6.8 per 1,000 central line-days was more than 3-fold higher than the 2.0 per 1,000 central line-days reported in comparable US ICUs. The overall rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia also was far higher (15.8 vs 3.3 per 1,000 ventilator-days), as was the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (6.3 vs. 3.3 per 1,000 catheter-days). Notably, the frequencies of resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates to imipenem (47.2% vs 23.0%), Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to ceftazidime (76.3% vs 27.1%), Escherichia coli isolates to ceftazidime (66.7% vs 8.1%), Staphylococcus aureus isolates to methicillin (84.4% vs 56.8%), were also higher in the consortium's ICUs, and the crude unadjusted excess mortalities of device-related infections ranged from 7.3% (for catheter-associated urinary tract infection) to 15.2% (for ventilator-associated pneumonia). Copyright © 2012 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Mollusc-shell debris derived from aquaculture can promote macrofaunal communities with a high bioturbation capacity

Marine aquaculture releases mollusc shell debris which can accumulate on the seabed. Due to its low degradability, mollusc shell debris becomes integrated into the sediment, modifying both its structure and associated biogeochemical processes. These changes are expected to influence the biological assemblages within the sediment, which play a key role in the biogeochemical processes due to bioturbation. We performed an in-situ experiment to test the effects of mollusc shell-hash on the bioturbation capacity of the macrofaunal assemblages within the sediments affected by marine aquaculture. The aquaculture facilities chosen were a fish farm in an oligotrophic area of the Mediterranean over a sandy sediment, and a mussel farm in the Atlantic located in an estuary over silty sediment. Mollusc shell-hash promoted macrofaunal assemblages with a high bioturbation potential, regardless of the influence of aquaculture. Nevertheless, in the sediment from the mussel-farm, the shell-hash did not have a marked effect on the macrofaunal assemblages. The effect of shell-hash on promoting macrofaunal communities with a high bioturbation potential capacity is therefore dependent on the existing environmental conditions in the area, including the natural organic matter input and grain size of the sediment. Shell-hash could be used a strategy to improve the ecosystem function of sediments as a circular economy-oriented management practice.This research was funded by the project CGL2015-70136-R from the Spanish National Agency for Research (MINECO/FEDER). CS was funded by the University of Alicante (Ref. UATALENTO 17-11)