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Statistically downscaled CMIP6 ocean variables for European waters
Get PDFClimate change impact studies need climate projections for different scenarios and at scales relevant to planning and management, preferably for a variety of models and realizations to capture the uncertainty in these models. To address current gaps, we statistically downscaled (SD) 3–7 CMIP6 models for five key indicators of marine habitat conditions: temperature, salinity, pH, oxygen, and chlorophyll across European waters for three climate scenarios SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5. Results provide ensemble averages and uncertainty estimates that can serve as input data for projecting the potential success of a range of Nature-based Solutions, including the restoration of habitat-forming species such as seagrass in the Mediterranean and kelp in coastal areas of Portugal and Norway. Evaluation of the ensemble with observations from four European regions (North Sea, Baltic Sea, Bay of Biscay, and Mediterranean Sea) indicates that the SD projections realistically capture the climatological conditions of the historical period 1993–2020. Model skill (Liu-mean efficiency, Pearson correlation) clearly improves for both surface temperature and oxygen across all regions with respect to the original ESMs demonstrating a higher skill for temperature compared to oxygen. Warming is evident across all areas and large differences among scenarios fully emerge from the background uncertainties related to internal variability and model differences in the second half of the century. Scenario-specific differences in acidification significantly emerge from model uncertainty and internal variability leading to distinct trajectories in surface pH starting before mid-century (in some cases starting from present day). Deoxygenation is also present across all domains, but the climate signal was significantly weaker compared to the other two indicators when compared to model uncertainty and internal variability, and the impact of different greenhouse gas trajectories is less distinct. The substantial regional and local heterogeneity in these three abiotic indicators underscores the need for highly spatially resolved physical and biogeochemical projections to understand how climate change may impact marine ecosystems.publishedVersio
The benefits of restoring urban lakes in the tropics
Get PDFLake restoration in developing economies, particularly in the tropics, is a major challenge given the severe levels of pollution from untreated wastewater and the warm climate conducive to microbial and algal growth. Restoration goals are often ill-defined or unachievable. Here we describe the successes that can be achieved through a control, compared with intervention case study of the two urban lakes in Bengaluru, India, one of the world’s largest and fastest growing mega-cities. The unrestored control, Bellandur Lake, was severely polluted by 231 million litres per day (MLD) of untreated wastewater. The restoration site, Jakkur Lake, receives 10 MLD of treated wastewater and also receives some tertiary treatment by circulating the effluent through a constructed wetland before it enters the lake. The water quality of Bellandur Lake can only be described as extremely bad. Organic pollution levels in the main inflow were high (BOD5 of 199 mg/l, faecal coliforms 6.9 Log MPN/100 ml, total suspended solids (TSS) of 285 mg/l) leading to the complete deoxygenation of lake even at the surface. The levels exceeded use-base standards for bathing water and fisheries. The high levels of organic pollution and low oxygen conditions also led to extreme levels of methane emissions that occasionally led to the lake surface catching fire. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in the lake were extremely high (47 mg/l and 6.3 mg/l) respectively with low Secchi depth (SD). Despite the high nutrient levels, very little phytoplankton growth occurred (chlorophyll-a of 0 mg/l), most likely due to the high TSS loads which restricted light availability. In comparison, the wastewater treatment and wetland at Jakkur Lake markedly reduced organic pollution of the main inflow (BOD5 of 32 mg/l, faecal coliforms 4.1 Log MPN/100 ml, TSS of 48 mg/l). Levels of coliforms in the lake were above the standards for bathing waters. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in the lake reduced (10.5 mg/l, 2.4 mg/l) but still classify the lake as extremely hypereutrophic. The lower TSS levels did, however, enable dense phytoplankton blooms to develop (max chlorophyll-a of 600 µg/l) which are in part responsible for the higher levels of dissolved oxygen in the lake water, albeit and as expected with large diurnal fluctuations. The comparison highlights the benefits that standard wastewater treatment provides to restore urban tropical lakes in context of rapidly urbanising catchments, and even though Jakkur Lake is by no means fully restored, it sustains water quality that allow propagation of fisheries and shore-based recreation. It also greatly contributes to greenhouse gas emission reductions. Further restoration measures are likely needed for urban tropical lakes, particularly to tackle pollutant loads in monsoon periods, but restoring community pride in the uses of a lake is an important milestone of the restoration efforts.acceptedVersio
High levels of tire wear particles in soils along low traffic roads
Get PDFTraffic pollution has been linked to high levels of metals and organic contaminants in road-side soils, largely due to abrasion of tires, brake pads and the road surface. Although several studies have demonstrated correlations between different pollutants and various traffic variables, they mainly focused on roads with medium to high traffic density (>30,000 vehicles per day). In this study we have focused on investigating tire wear particles and road-related metals (zinc, copper, lead, chromium, nickel, and the metalloid arsenic) in the soils of low traffic roads in rural areas (650–14,250 vehicles per day). Different explanatory factors were investigated, such as traffic density, speed, % heavy vehicles, organic matter content, annual precipitation, soil types and roadside slope profiles. The results show high levels of tire wear particles, from 2000 to 26,400 mg/kg (0.2–2.6 % tire wear in d.w. soil), which is up to five times higher compared to previously reported values in roadside soils of high traffic density areas. A weak but significant correlation was found between tire wear particles, traffic speed and the annual precipitation. No significant relationship was found between tire wear particles metals. The concentrations of metals were comparable to previous studies of high traffic areas of Norway, as well as both urban and rural soils in other countries. For the metals, all factors together explained 45 % of the variation observed, with traffic density (11 %) and organic matter content (10 %) as the most important single variables. The analysis of tire wear particles in soils using Pyrolysis Gas chromatography Mass Spectrometry is challenging, and the results presented demonstrate the need for pretreatment to remove organic matter from the samples before analysis.High levels of tire wear particles in soils along low traffic roadspublishedVersio
Acute and Sublethal Effects of Deltamethrin Discharges from the Aquaculture Industry on Northern Shrimp (Pandalus borealis Krøyer, 1838): Dispersal Modeling and Field Investigations
Get PDFPharmaceutical deltamethrin (Alpha Max), used as delousing treatments in aquaculture, has raised concerns due to possible negative impacts on the marine environment. A novel approach combining different scientific disciplines has addressed this topic. Acute (mortality) and sublethal effects (i.e., fitness, neurological, immunological, and oxidative responses) of exposure of northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) were studied in laboratory experiments. Passive water sampling combined with sediment analyses revealed environmental concentrations. Finally, dispersal modeling was performed to predict environmental concentrations. Ecotoxicological analyses showed mortality in shrimp after 1 h of exposure to 2 ng L–1 (1000-fold dilution of treatment dose), revealing a high sensitivity to deltamethrin. Sublethal effects included induction of acetylcholinesterase and acyl CoA oxidase activities and oxidative impairment, which may be linked to neurotoxic responses. Field concentrations of 10–200 ng L–1 in water (100 m from the pens) and <LOD-0.19 ng g–1 dw in sediment (0–400 m from pens) were measured. Ecotoxicological values were compared with measured and modeled concentrations. They showed that concentrations higher than those causing mortality could be expected up to 4–5 km from point of release, in an area of 6.4 km2, with lethal concentrations remaining up to 35 h in some areas. Hence, the study demonstrates that there is a considerable risk for negative effects on the ecologically and commercially important shrimp.publishedVersio
From national monitoring to transnational indicators: reporting and processing of aquatic biology data under the European Environment Agency’s State of the Environment data flow
Get PDFBiological monitoring data from aquatic ecosystems are collected from European countries on a yearly basis by the European Environment Agency (EEA) through the Water Information System for Europe (WISE). The WISE-SoE (State of Environment) data flows provide indicators of pressures, states and impacts of surface waters and groundwaters on a pan-European scale. The WISE-2 Biology was established to obtain a harmonised flow of biology data reported annually as Ecological Quality Ratios (EQRs) from European surface waters, as a supplement to the mandatory 6-yearly reporting of ecological status of water bodies for the Water Framework Directive. The purposes of this paper are 1) to describe the compilation of national aquatic biology monitoring data indicators and to inform about the public availability of these data, 2) to give an overview of the reported data and indicate the potential for assessments based on these data, and 3) to illustrate the potential for further use of the underlying species abundance data in biodiversity research and assessment. WISE-2 data are reported for the following biological quality elements: phytoplankton, phytobenthos, macrophytes, macroalgae, angiosperms, benthic invertebrates and fish in rivers, lakes, transitional and/or coastal waters. The EQR values represent the deviation from reference conditions. The final processed and quality-checked data are published in EEA’s database Waterbase - Biology, which currently holds data from more than 13,000 waterbodies in 26 countries from the reporting years 2011–2021. Examples of time series aggregated by geographic regions give an indication of the type of trends that can be obtained from the reported data at the nEQR scale. However, the current results are representative only for certain geographic regions with high coverage of water bodies. Within the European research project EuropaBON (Europa Biodiversity Observation Network), the use of WISE-2 data can be leveraged to support biodiversity policy and conservation planning. EuropaBON’s online database provides an overview of how biodiversity monitoring schemes across Europe flows through different integration nodes, to produce Essential Biodiversity Variables and other policy-relevant indicators. Here, we use the EuropaBON visualisation tool to illustrate the WISE-2 as a European integration node for 157 biology datasets via the national integration nodes.publishedVersio
Beach litter sources around Nuuk, Greenland: An analysis by UArctic summer school graduate course students
Get PDFModeling studies illustrate the potential for long-range transport of plastics into the Arctic, although the degree to which this occurs remains relatively undocumented. We utilised a teaching exercise at a UArctic summer school graduate course in Nuuk, Greenland to conduct a preliminary in-depth analysis of beach litter sources in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord. Students and instructors collected and analysed 1800 litter items weighing 200 kg from one location in the fjord and another at its mouth. The results suggest a predominance of local sources to macrolitter, rather than long-range transport from Europe. Fisheries-related items and rope were common. Packaging which could be identified was largely suspected to be products distributed in Greenland, and soft plastics, which rarely disperse far from its source, were also common. The results suggest local measures to reduce mismanaged waste and emissions from fisheries are important for reducing marine litter in West Greenland.publishedVersio
Detektion af miljø-DNA med ‘quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction’ (qPCR) sammenlignet med ‘droplet digital Polymerase Chain Reaction’ (ddPCR)
Get PDFProsjektleder: Steen W. KnudsenDetektion af miljø-DNA (engelsk: ‘environmental DNA’, forkortet: ‘eDNA’) kan gøres med blandt andet qPCR og ddPCR, hvor ddPCR ved detektion af DNA fra virus eller bakterier i human patologiske studier er blevet demonstreret som værende mere præcis i forhold til qPCR-baseret detektion af eDNA. I denne undersøgelse er målet at belyse om en sådan øget præcision også er gældende for detektion af eDNA fra marine ikke-hjemmehørende arter. Her analyseres de samme 48 ekstraktioner af eDNA fra filtervandprøver, indsamlet i 2021, med både qPCR og ddPCR for tilstedeværelsen af 17 forskellige ikke-hjemmehørende marine arter. Det kan konkluderes, at for de sjældne marine NIS-arter er der med ddPCR-platform en bedre chance for at detektere meget lave niveauer af eDNA. For 17 ud af 19 afprøvede artsspecifikke detektionssystemer på ddPCR-platform var der lige så præcis detektion af eDNA som på qPCR platform, såfremt der er tilstrækkeligt høje niveauer af eDNA til stede i vandprøven. For lave niveuaer af eDNA var ddPCR-platform bedre til at vurdere usikkerhed i eDNA koncentration end qPCR. Med reduceret arbejdstid for opsætning af ddPCR i forhold til med qPCR anbefales det at bruge ddPCR for fremtidig monitorering af eDNA fra marine invasive arter, for at opnå bedre præcision og reducere arbejdstid.MiljøstyrelsenpublishedVersio
Økologisk tilstand i Norddalselva i Vanylven kommune i 2021/2022
Get PDFProsjektleder: Jonas PerssonDet ble i 2021/2022 gjennomført biologiske og vannkjemiske undersøkelser i Norddalselva i Møre. Hensikten var å vurdere økologisk tilstand og graden av eutrofipåvirkning, og hvorvidt reguleringen av vassdraget har bidratt til redusert økologisk tilstand. Middelkonsentrasjonene av næringssalter (Tot-P og Tot-N) var lave og viste svært god tilstand ved alle stasjoner. Begroingsalgene viste svært god økologisk tilstand ved samtlige stasjoner med tanke på eutrofiering (PIT-indeksen). Andelen næringskrevende arter var lav, og det ble ikke observert unormalt høy dekningsgrad ved noen av stasjonene. Resultatene fra bunndyrsundersøkelsene viste overlag god tilstand med hensyn til organisk forurensing/eutrofiering (ASPT-indeksen). Dette tyder på lite forurensing av lett nedbrytbart organisk stoff og gode oksygenforhold. Ved stasjon NK4 viste ASPT-indeksen moderat økologisk tilstand, men med en indeks-verdi veldig nær grensen til god tilstand og resultatene er basert på bare én prøvetaking. Den samlede økologiske tilstanden for biologien er god ved NK1, NK2 og NK3, samt moderat ved NK4. Samlet sett fremstår den økologiske tilstanden i Norddalselva som god med hensyn til eutrofiering (næringssaltforurensing) og organisk belastning, med små avvik fra naturtilstanden. Vi finner få tegn på at redusert vannføring som følge av reguleringen har økt konsentrasjonen av forurensing eller næringsstoffer i den grad at det har hatt tydelige negative konsekvenser for begroing eller bunndyr i elva.Tussa Energi ASpublishedVersio
Klorbehandling i Driva og Litldalselva 2022 - Første behandlingsår
Get PDFProsjektleder: Anders Gjørwad Hagen / Kjetil OlstadI august 2022 ble det gjennomført kjemisk behandling mot lakseparasitten Gyrodactylus salaris i Drivaregionen. I de to elvene Driva og Litldalselva ble kloramin brukt som hovedkjemikalium. Klorbehandlingene ble gjennomført av gruppen «Gyroklor» i henhold til kontrakt med Veterinærinstituttet som overordnet oppdragsgiver. I denne rapporten oppsummeres metodikk og resultater fra disse klorbehandlingene. Det ble gjort jevnlige målinger for å følge opp effekten av alle små og store doseringspunkter. I hovedelva viste analyse av disse prøvene at det generelt ble oppnådd en samlet behandlingseffekt på mer enn 90 mikrogramdøgn for alle stasjoner. I sidebekkene var det 14 stasjoner som ikke nådde målet på 90 mikrogramdøgn. Sannsynligheten for at G. salaris skal ha overlevd behandlingen på noen av disse stedene er diskutert og funnet svært lav. I løpet av behandlingen ble det gjort utvidede undersøkelser for å kontrollere om det var tilfredsstillende behandlingskjemi også i det som var definert som potensielt problematiske områder i hovedelva og i sidebekkene. Det ble påvist flere områder som vil bli fulgt opp i fremtidige behandlinger. Kunnskap om stasjoner og områder med for lave klorkonsentrasjoner i vannet vil bli lagt til grunn for utvidet innsats både i form av løpende undersøkelser og konkrete tiltak for utbedring i fremtidige behandlinger. Behandlingen var totalt sett vellykket, og særlig vellykket gitt de vannføringsmessige utfordringene som rådet i sidebekkene. Dette gir grunn til å forvente at en samlet behandling over totalt to år vil ha god sannsynlighet for å lykkes.VeterinærinstituttetpublishedVersio
Revisjon av kystvannsdelen av veileder 02:2018
Get PDFProsjektleder: Mats WaldayNIVA har på oppdrag fra Miljødirektoratet utført oppgaver relatert til kystvannsdelen av veileder 02:2018 «Klassifisering av miljøtilstand i vann». Rapporten gir en beskrivelse av gjennomført arbeid og en rekke konkrete innspill til revisjon av veilederen. Innspillene omfatter anbefalinger for både støtteparametere og de biologiske kvalitetselementene planteplankton, makroalger og bløtbunn. Det gis også anbefalinger om behov for videre arbeid med veilederen.MiljødirektoratetpublishedVersio