NIVA Open Access Archive
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Monitoring of current-use pesticides along a Europe-Arctic transect using ships of opportunity
Get PDFUnderstanding the occurrence and fate of current-use pesticides (CUPs) in coastal and open marine waters is essential for conducting exposure and risk assessments to ensure the protection of marine ecosystems from chemical pollution. While CUPs have been frequently studied in freshwater systems, knowledge of their behavior in marine environments remains fragmentary. This study investigated 28 CUPs across 50 sites along a transect from the Baltic outflow to pristine Arctic waters using ships of opportunity with installed FerryBox system. Overall, 14 CUPs were detected at least at one site at concentrations ranging from sub-ng/L to ng/L. CUP concentrations were higher in the Baltic outflow and decreased along the transect. Atrazine, simazine, tebuconazole, and propiconazole were detected in > 40 % of samples, including remote open sea regions, suggesting their potential for long-range marine transport. This Baltic Sea was identified as a major source of CUPs to connected marine systems. Additional CUPs were detected in the Baltic outflow, encompassing diuron, isoproturon, metazachlor, metolachlor, pyrazon, terbuthylazine, and chlortoluron. Ecotoxicological assessment indicated a moderate risk posed by metolachlor to algae. The use of the described infrastructure holds great promise for advancing our understanding of the occurrence and fate of CUPs in marine environments.publishedVersio
Nature’s values in marine resource governance: an ethnographic case study of rockweed in Norway
Get PDFThis article addresses the shortcomings in the governance of the Norwegian macroscopic brown algae Ascophyllum nodosum (rockweed) that appeared when approaching rockweed as a socio-ecologic object in the Vega archipelago on the Norwegian Helgeland coast. A common seaweed along the Norwegian coast, rockweed constitutes an important species in Norway’s ‘blue forests’. Historically, rockweed harvesting was an important source of income for the local coastal population in Norway. Although not comparable to the newer and expanding kelp industry, rockweed harvesting is still profitable along the coast. Despite revived attention from the seaweed industry, state management of rockweed in 2024 is conspicuously absent. Combined with the lack of scientific knowledge of the consequences of rockweed harvesting on the local coastal ecosystems, the responsibility for ensuring sustainable harvesting of rockweed lies with the industry itself. On Vega, however, where rockweed is a highly valued and contested coastal species with a high economic, ecologic, and cultural significance, rockweed harvesting was a conflicted issue. In approaching rockweed as a socio-ecologic object from ‘below’, the article identifies hegemonic structures and discourses in Norwegian marine governance, suggesting how a narrow definition of ‘value’ comes to matter—not only for rockweed—but for sustainable governance of all marine and coastal ecosystems. This article is also an important contribution to the burgeoning interdisciplinary research on nature’s values, power, and knowledge in environmental management.publishedVersio
Three hundred years of past and future changes for native fish species in the upper Danube River Basin—Historical flow alterations versus future climate change
Get PDFAim: Rivers belong to the most threatened ecosystems on Earth. Historical anthropogenic alterations have, and future climate change will further affect rivers and the species therein. While many studies have projected climate change effects on species, little is known about the severity of these changes compared to historical alterations. Here, we used a unique 300-year time series of hydrological and climate data to explore the vulnerability of 48 native fish species in the upper Danube River Basin to past and potential future environmental changes. Location: Upper Danube River Basins (Germany and Austria). Methods: We applied a climate niche factor analysis and calculated species-specific vulnerability estimates based on modelled and observed hydrological and climate data from 1800 to 2100. We compared the estimated species vulnerabilities between two historical time intervals (1800–1830 and 1900–1930) and a future time interval (2070–2100, including the two representative concentration pathways 4.5 and 8.5) to an observed reference time interval (1970–2000). In addition, we identified the main environmental drivers of species vulnerability and their change over the past 200 years and for the predicted 100 years in the future. Results: Our results showed that (i) in the past, species vulnerability was mainly driven by changes in discharge, while (ii) future potential vulnerabilities would be due to temperature. Moreover, we found that (iii) future environmental conditions for riverine fish species driven by temperature would change at a similar magnitude as past hydrological changes, driven by anthropogenic river alterations. Future changes, projected for the RCP 4.5, would result in moderate species vulnerability, whereas for the RCP 8.5, the vulnerability for all species would substantially increase compared to the historical conditions. Main Conclusion: Accounting for an extended timeline uncovers the extent of historical pressures and provides unprecedented opportunities to proactively plan conservation strategies that are necessary to address future challenges.publishedVersio
Global assessment of aquatic Isoëtes species ecology
Get PDF1. Isoëtes are iconic but understudied wetland plants, despite having suffered severe losses globally mainly because of alterations in their habitats. We therefore provide the first global ecological assessment of aquatic Isoëtes to identify their environmental requirements and to evaluate if taxonomically related species differ in their ecology. 2. The assessment resulted in an extensive new database on aquatic Isoëtes, ecological niche analyses, and descriptive species accounts. We compiled a global database that includes all known environmental data collected from 1935 to 2023 regarding aquatic Isoëtes. We then evaluated the environmental drivers of 16 species using 2,179 global records. Additionally, we used hypervolume analysis to quantify the ecological niches of the two species with the greatest number of records, finding significant differences and evidence that Isoëtes echinospora occupies a wider ecological niche than Isoëtes lacustris. 3. Fifty-nine species (30% of the c. 200 Isoëtes species known today) were categorised as aquatic and were mainly reported in the Americas and northern Europe. About 38% of the aquatic species are threatened with extinction or are endemic to a small region, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List in 2023. Many species were determined to be sensitive to certain water physical and chemical factors, generally preferring oligotrophic conditions such as low total phosphorus, moderate total nitrogen, moderate to low pH, and low conductivity. 4. This analysis includes ecological data in the assessment of rare/threatened aquatic plants globally. This new database and the ecological analyses completed defined the ecological requirements of several species and identified knowledge gaps, which can aid management actions and future research. 5. This paper highlights ecological significance and environmental sensitivities of aquatic Isoëtes. The current level of knowledge is inadequate for a large proportion of known taxa. We affirm the extreme need to support global, collaborative initiatives on which to build future conservation strategies.publishedVersio
Microalgae as a selenium vehicle for nutrition: a review
Get PDFSelenium (Se) is essential for human and animal nutrition, playing a key role in antioxidant and immune functions. Organic Se is better for supplementation because it is more efficiently assimilated and less toxic than its inorganic form. Due to the scarcity of Se in European soils, supplementation in feed and food is necessary. Currently, inorganic Se (sodium selenite and selenate) and organic Se in Se-enriched yeast are approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to address Se deficiency. However, Se-enriched microalgae present a promising alternative. By supplementing their growth media with Se, microalgae convert it into organic forms like Se-cysteine and Se-methionine, creating Se-enriched biomass. This biomass can serve as a valuable Se source with the additional benefits of microalgae. This review evaluates the viability of microalgae as a Se supplementation vehicle in food and feed and explores its commercial applications in the European Union (EU), along with emerging projects and innovations in the field.publishedVersio
Feasibility study merging data from Deep Dive with other macrolitter analysis platforms
Get PDFProsjektleder: Jannike Falk-AnderssonThis study evaluates the technical feasibility of merging data used in the Deep Dive platform for the Arctic with a selection of established platforms for macrolitter registrations.Grid-ArendalpublishedVersio
The Myanmar Norway Environmental Programme’s Capacity building achievements
Get PDFProsjektleder: Ingrid NesheimThis report presents the key capacity building achievements resulting from the Myanmar Norway Environment Programme (2015-2018, and 2019-2023). The programme, a bilateral collaboration, between institutions of the Governments of Norway and Myanmar for improved environmental management enabled high achievement. The Programme included the following partners: In Myanmar, under MONREC, the Forest Department with the Watershed Management Division and the Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division, and the Environmental Conservation Department. In Norway, the Norwegian Environment Agency, NIVA and SINTEF. The Environmental Programme addressed the following topics, water Management, conservation of biodiversity, hazardous waste management and waste management on local level. The main activities and capacity building achievements from the four projects in the programme are presented.Norwegian embassy
in Myanma
Tiltaksrettet overvåking av Glomma ved Borregaard 2023
Get PDFProsjektleder: Susanne Claudia SchneiderRapporten presenterer resultater fra undersøkelser av heterotrof begroing i Glomma ved Borregaard i 2023. Hensikten har vært å vurdere effekter av bedriftens utslipp på økologiske forhold i vassdraget, og identifisere mulige tidstrender. Resultatene fra undersøkelsen av heterotrof begroing tyder på at bedriftens utslipp påvirker nedre del av Glomma, men viser også tegn til bedring på flere stasjoner. Dette var i tråd med en reduksjon på drøyt 20 prosent i målt kjemisk- (KOF) og biologisk oksygenforbruk (BOF) i Borregaards utslippsvann siden 2018. Seks av ni stasjoner nedstrøms Borregaards hovedutslipp oppnår imidlertid fortsatt ikke god tilstand med hensyn til organisk forurensning.
El-fiske av laks ble ikke gjennomført i 2023 på grunn av høy vannføring.
Vi anbefaler at overvåkingen opprettholdes på samtlige stasjoner i Glomma ved Borregaard for å få et mer presist bilde av vassdragets selvrensingsevne på den aktuelle strekningen.Borregaard AS, SarpsborgpublishedVersio
Improving impact assessments to reduce impacts of deep-sea fisheries on vulnerable marine ecosystems
Get PDFRobust impact assessments (IAs) for deep-sea fisheries are essential for safeguarding deep-sea ecosystems against the impacts of bottom fishing. In the high seas, United Nations Resolution commitments require States (independently or through Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs)) to conduct IAs to evaluate if fishing is putting vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) at risk. To enhance the efficacy of future IAs, this study evaluated nine IAs against the criteria in the FAO International Guidelines for the Management of Deep-Sea Fisheries in the High Seas. We find that in all IAs, the information required by the FAO Guidelines is either completely lacking or only partially addressed. The main shortcoming of the IAs was inadequate description of the ecosystems potentially affected by fishing. Additional shortcomings include incomplete description of the proposed fishing activities, lack of baseline data and risk assessments, and limited consideration of the indirect impacts of fishing. This study identifies several ways to strengthen the IA process; i) making IAs publicly available; ii) improved collection of baseline data and VME identification; iii) assessment of impacts on broader range of species associated with VMEs or potentially impacted by deep-sea fishing; iv) enhanced cooperation between RFMOs and more streamlined IA processes; v) comprehensive assessment of different types of impacts from fishing and climate change, and vii) improved consideration of uncertainty. Fully compliant IAs are a minimum requirement for the effective function of RFMOs, since they are the primary tool for preventing significant adverse impacts upon vulnerable marine ecosystems and the wider deep-sea environment.publishedVersio
Nano zerovalent Fe did not reduce metal(loid) leaching and ecotoxicity further than conventional Fe grit in contrasting smelter impacted soils: A 1-year field study
Get PDFThe majority of the studies on nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) are conducted at a laboratory-scale, while field-scale evidence is scarce. The objective of this study was to compare the metal(loid) immobilization efficiency of selected Fe-based materials under field conditions for a period of one year. Two contrasting metal(loid) (As, Cd, Pb, Zn) enriched soils from a smelter-contaminated area were amended with sulfidized nZVI (S-nZVI) solely or combined with thermally stabilized sewage sludge and compared to amendment with microscale iron grit. In the soil with higher pH (7.5) and organic matter content (TOC = 12.7 %), the application of amendments resulted in a moderate increase in pH and reduced As, Cd, Pb, and Zn leaching after 1-year, with S-nZVI and sludge combined being the most efficient, followed by iron grit and S-nZVI alone. However, the amendments had adverse impacts on microbial biomass quantity, S-nZVI being the least damaging. In the soil with a lower pH (6.0) and organic matter content (TOC = 2.3 %), the results were mixed; 0.01 M CaCl2 extraction data showed only S-nZVI with sludge as remaining effective in reducing extractable concentrations of metals; on the other hand, Cd and Zn concentrations were increased in the extracted soil pore water solutions, in contrast to the two conventional amendments. Despite that, S-nZVI with sludge enhanced the quantity of microbial biomass in this soil. Additional earthworm avoidance data indicated that they generally avoided soil treated with all Fe-based materials, but the presence of sludge impacted their preferences somewhat. In summary, no significant differences between S-nZVI and iron grit were observed for metal(loid) immobilization, though sludge significantly improved the performance of S-nZVI in terms of soil health indicators. Therefore, this study indicates that S-nZVI amendment of soils alone should be avoided, though further field evidence from a broader range of soils is now required.publishedVersio