Key drivers of seasonal plankton dynamics in cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies off East Australia

© 2016 Laiolo, McInnes, Matear and Doblin. Mesoscale eddies in the south west Pacific region are prominent ocean features that represent distinctive environments for phytoplankton. Here, we examine the seasonal plankton dynamics associated with averaged cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies (CE and ACE, respectively) off eastern Australia. We do this through building seasonal climatologies of mixed layer depth (MLD) and surface chlorophyll-a for both CE and ACE by combining remotely sensed sea surface height (TOPEX/Poseidon, Envisat, Jason-1, and OSTM/Jason-2), remotely sensed ocean color (GlobColour) and in situ profiles of temperature, salinity and pressure from Argo floats. Using the CE and ACE seasonal climatologies, we assimilate the surface chlorophyll-a data into both a single (WOMBAT), and multi-phytoplankton class (EMS) biogeochemical model to investigate the level of complexity required to simulate the phytoplankton chlorophyll-a. For the two eddy types, the data assimilation showed both biogeochemical models only needed one set of parameters to represent phytoplankton but needed different parameters for zooplankton. To assess the simulated phytoplankton behavior we compared EMS model simulations with a ship-based experiment that involved incubating a winter phytoplankton community sampled from below the mixed layer under ambient and two higher light intensities with and without nutrient enrichment. By the end of the 5-day field experiment, large diatom abundance was four times greater in all treatments compared to the initial community, with a corresponding decline in pico-cyanobacteria. The experimental results were consistent with the simulated behavior in CE and ACE, where the seasonal deepening of the mixed layer during winter produced a rapid increase in large phytoplankton. Our model simulations suggest that CE off East Australia are not only characterized by a higher chlorophyll-a concentration compared to ACE, but also by a higher concentration of large phytoplankton (i.e., diatoms) due to the shallower CE mixed layer. The model simulations also suggest the zooplankton community is different in the two eddy types and this behavior needs further investigation

Volcanic Hot-Spot Detection Using SENTINEL-2: A Comparison with MODIS−MIROVA Thermal Data Series

In the satellite thermal remote sensing, the new generation of sensors with high-spatial resolution SWIR data open the door to an improved constraining of thermal phenomena related to volcanic processes, with strong implications for monitoring applications. In this paper, we describe a new hot-spot detection algorithm developed for SENTINEL-2/MSI data that combines spectral indices on the SWIR bands 8a-11-12 (with a 20-meter resolution) with a spatial and statistical analysis on clusters of alerted pixels. The algorithm is able to detect hot-spot-contaminated pixels (S2Pix) in a wide range of environments and for several types of volcanic activities, showing high accuracy performances of about 1% and 94% in averaged omission and commission rates, respectively, underlining a strong reliability on a global scale. The S2-derived thermal trends, retrieved at eight key-case volcanoes, are then compared with the Volcanic Radiative Power (VRP) derived from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and processed by the MIROVA (Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity) system during an almost four-year-long period, January 2016 to October 2019. The presented data indicate an overall excellent correlation between the two thermal signals, enhancing the higher sensitivity of SENTINEL-2 to detect subtle, low-temperature thermal signals. Moreover, for each case we explore the specific relationship between S2Pix and VRP showing how different volcanic processes (i.e., lava flows, domes, lakes and open-vent activity) produce a distinct pattern in terms of size and intensity of the thermal anomaly. These promising results indicate how the algorithm here presented could be applicable for volcanic monitoring purposes and integrated into operational systems. Moreover, the combination of high-resolution (S2/MSI) and moderate-resolution (MODIS) thermal timeseries constitutes a breakthrough for future multi-sensor hot-spot detection systems, with increased monitoring capabilities that are useful for communities which interact with active volcanoes

Living Labs and Partnerships for Progress: How Universities can Drive the Process towards the Sustainable City

Universities can play an active role in facilitating the deployment at a wide scale of the sustainability concept, strictly cooperating with public-private institutions and civil society. Following this path, the University of Genoa, Italy, decided to transform its Savona Campus into a Living Lab aimed at creating a model of a sustainable urban district, to be replicated at the city level with specific implementation projects. Different actions on sustainable energy, smart environment and social health & wellbeing have been deployed: energy efficiency interventions, smart grid connected to a zero-emission building, electrical mobility and outdoor sport activities. All the projects have been developed with the active involvement and the empowerment of the Campus community (students and faculty) and thanks to important collaborations with local public institutions and industrial companies. The main partnerships towards the achievements of sustainability goals are with the Italian Electricity company, Enel S.p.A. and with the Savona Municipality, which enabled the extension of the Smart City experimentation to Savona population. These projects are constantly promoted and disseminated to university students during lessons, to visiting schools and civil society during specific events on sustainability topics inside the city

Habitat fragmentation affects culture transmission: Patterns of song matching in Dupont's lark

1. Males of many bird species match song with neighbours during territorial interactions. Although bird vocal mimicry has received much attention, the relationships between song variation and ecological factors such as landscape geometry and habitat fragmentation are still poorly known, and most previous research has been limited to one or a few populations of a species. In this study we analysed the spatial patterns and ecological determinants of song matching in Dupont's lark Chersophilus duponti, a rare and specialized steppe passerine. 2. By recording bird songs from 21 Spanish and Moroccan localities, we analysed the effect of habitat fragmentation and the availability of suitable steppe habitat on the patterns of song matching in Dupont's lark, controlling for other potential determinants such as period in the breeding season, intensity of competition, geographical location and spatial distribution of individuals. 3. Both song-type sharing (match of song types in the repertoire) and spectrotemporal matching (convergence in the acoustic features of the same song type) were greater between counter-singing neighbours than between non-neighbours, and spatial autocorrelation (similarities between singing individuals) only occurred at short distances. The study localities differed in the amount of overall acoustic matching between individuals, seemingly as a consequence of local differences in the intensity of male competition and in the availability of suitable habitat. 4. The levels of song-type sharing between non-neighbours tended to increase and those among neighbours to decrease with the increase of steppeland availability. Moreover, the existing differences in sharing between neighbours and non-neighbours were significantly affected by the presence of elements of fragmentation in the steppe. In fragmented habitats, song sharing among neighbours was enhanced, possibly because of harsher competition for limited resources; conversely, sharing among non-neighbours dropped, probably because of the lack of interactions among individuals isolated by habitat barriers. 5. Synthesis and applications. Anthropogenic habitat barriers could alter bird perception of the spatial distribution of rivals over distance, leading to a contraction of the spatial range of the individual acoustic niche. We suggest that communication systems of habitat-sensitive species might be used as a behavioural indicator of anthropogenic environmental deterioration. Because of their rapidly evolving cultural nature, bird vocalizations might become an early warning system detecting the effects of fragmentation over relatively short times and before other indicators (such as genetic markers) show any change. © 2005 British Ecological Society.Peer Reviewe

Plastic Responses to Temperature Versus Local Adaptation at the Cold Extreme of the Climate Gradient

Climate is a strong selection agent at high elevations, but experimental examinations of how animals exclusive of highlands cope with its variation are scarce. We analysed temperature-induced variation of early ontogenetic traits in the alpine grasshopper Chorthippus cazurroi, and compared populations from the elevational extremes of the species distribution under laboratory conditions spanning natural temperature ranges. Neither elevation of origin, nor different growing temperatures, had a direct effect on nymph body size, but both factors contributed to size at hatching indirectly, via their effect on the duration of embryo development. Large emerging nymphs had a consistently greater survival, although small and fast-developing nymphs from highlands also performed well at low temperatures. Viability selection favoured fast-developing phenotypes in conditions in which plasticity delayed development, in a typical countergradient pattern. Growth in the successive stage did not compensate for slow development at hatching, thus responses at this early stage have potential long-lasting consequences. Although phenotypic selection during early development certifies the strength of selection imposed by cold temperatures in the laboratory, elevation clines of body size did not emerge in either nymphs or the wild parental generation. Differentiation in the wild may be levelled out by fecundity selection for large sizes, drift and gene flow resulting from the fragmentation and proximity of populations, or by micro-climatic differences that reduce the likelihood of directional selection. There is therefore potential for local adaptation to temperature, but a series of conditions typical of alpine environments and ectotherms may impair, confound or constrain full differentiation along the gradient.We are grateful to M. Martini and A. Segura for their help during grasshopper rearing and to J. Moya for borrowing us HOBO sensors. We also thank Picos de Europa National Park for the permissions to capture adult grasshoppers in the study area, S. Young for editing the English, and two anonymous referees for providing useful comments on a former version of the manuscript. Funding for this study was provided by the British Ecological Society (Grant N. 4278/5250) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CGL2011-28177, CGL2014-53899-P).Peer reviewe