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Ocean Decade Vision 2030 White Papers – Challenge 1: Understand And Beat Marine Pollution.
No full textBy 2030, the success of Ocean Decade Challenge No.1 ‘Understand and Beat Marine Pollution’ will be demonstrated by the generation of scientifically sound data enabling a holistic understanding of the extent and impact of pollution across the land-ocean continuum, thereby supporting the achievement of a cleaner and healthier ocean where all ecosystems and their inhabitants thrive free from the impacts of marine pollution, allowing for their full functioning and service provision. This success will be based on completion of a comprehensive review of all available evidence about marine pollution, including an analysis of data gaps and the development and implementation of strategies for filling those gaps, as well as a comprehensive analysis of solutions for addressing and preventing the negative effects of marine pollution. Achieving this success will require knitting together existing and new data sets using AI and other technologies, identifying priority pollutants and areas for action, and providing globally consistent monitoring, data collection, storage and sharing protocols. Success will further be demonstrated through the establishment of new connections and partnerships among users across the public - private spectrum that lead to the funding, development and implementation of new technologies and projects aimed at monitoring, controlling, reducing, and/or mitigating marine pollution from any source, including the creation and sustainability of a global network of strategically positioned sentinel stations and regional laboratory hubs for sustained, long-term monitoring of marine pollution. Success will include fulfilment of the following critical knowledge gaps: • a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the impacts of priority pollutants (e.g., pollutants found or expected to emerge in high concentrations, or with high toxicity, or with significant adverse effects on biota or human health) across the land to ocean continuum; • a better understanding of the sources, sinks, fate and impacts of all pollutants, including the pollutants of emerging concern; • improved knowledge on the distribution and impacts of marine pollution, particularly in the Global South and deep ocean waters, which currently represent the largest geographical gaps. and the following priority datasets gaps: • long-term time series of marine pollutants; • baseline and toxicity data of pollutants across the land-ocean continuum; • data on the impacts of the co-occurrence of multiple pollutants; • data on the effects of climate change on the toxicity, bioavailability and impacts of multiple co-existent pollutants. • It will include development of: • a global network of strategically positioned sentinel stations for continuous, long-term monitoring; • cost-effective, real-time monitoring systems and technologies for tracking pollutant sources, distribution, and transfers across the land-ocean continuum; • a global network of regional laboratory hubs focused on generating high-quality data, promoting capacity building and facilitating technology transfer; • training programs on harmonized protocols for the acquisition, reporting and recording of quality-controlled data on marine pollution; • environmentally robust new technologies and processes for the control and mitigation of marine pollution.PublishedReferee
Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability - A Community Vision for the Ocean Decade.
No full textThe global ocean acidification research community responded to the Decade call by co-designing a pioneering UN Decade programme entitled “Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability” (OARS). The programme is led by three partners: Plymouth Marine Laboratory (UK), University of Washington (USA), and IOC-UNESCO. OARS provides the blueprint to foster cooperation of ocean acidification research, improve understanding of the impacts of the phenomenon and, ultimately, develop approaches for mitigating its effects by acting on sources and identify adaptation approaches. The OARS white papers in this publication summarize where the global community currently is on this path and what should be done in the future to include the ocean acidification dimension for combatting the degradation of ocean health under various anthropogenic stressors including the changing climate.PublishedReferee
Spatial distribution and habitat suitability of seaweed on West Simeulue Island, Aceh Province, Indonesia
No full textSeaweed is an important biological resource for human life, serving essential ecological functions, including providing shelter and feeding grounds for marine biota. Seaweed can be found in several Indonesian waters, growing naturally or through cultivation, including in the waters around Simeulue Island. This study aimed to assess the distribution of seaweed in relation to land suitability, using oceanographic parameters in Simeulue Island waters. The research was conducted at five stations within the West Teupah District, South Teupah District, and Alafan District. In situ measurements were taken to evaluate land suitability for seaweed growth based on oceanographic parameters such as current speed, depth, substrate type, salinity, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen. Results indicated that seaweed in Simeulue Island waters is distributed along the coastline and attached to coral reefs and rocks at depths of 2-5 meters. The total area of seaweed distribution is approximately 351.83 hectares along a coastline of 206.12 km. The measured parameters of seaweed habitats include a pH of 7.7 to 7.9, salinity of 31-35.3 ppt, temperature of 20-30 °C, dissolved oxygen levels of 3-4.8 mg/L, depth of 2-5 meters, current speed of 0.10 to 0.60 m/s, and a sandy coral substrate. Based on these water quality and substrate parameters, the seaweed habitats in Simeulue Island are classified as highly suitable, with suitability values ranging from 64 to 82. The recorded environmental conditions collectively support optimal seaweed growth.PublishedReferee
Comparison of biodegradable films derived from carrageenan extracted from red seaweeds along the Karachi coastline
No full textThis study aimed to assess and compare the properties of biodegradable films produced from carrageenan extracted from two indigenous seaweed species, Hypnea pannosa and Halymenia porphyraeformis, sourced from the Manora area of Karachi. Glycerol was employed as a plasticizer to enhance the tensile strength and elasticity of the biofilms. Results revealed a significant disparity in weight loss between Hypnea pannosa (40%) and Halymenia porphyraeformis (28%) during the soil burial test, while varying solubility rates were observed in different mediums. Moreover, Halymenia porphyraeformis exhibited higher tensile strength and elongation at break compared to Hypnea pannosa, indicating its superior gelling power and elasticity.PublishedReferee
At-sea application of the comet assay to a deep-sea fish
No full textGiven the go ahead, deep-sea mining operations are likely to continue for decades on a substantial spatial scale and the resulting sediment plumes combined, are likely to extend beyond the licenced mining areas, and could lead to the chronic exposure of deep-sea organisms to a mixture of metals, even mobile species, such as fish, that could conceivably display avoidance behaviour. The metal concentrations, often substantially below lethal doses, mean that individual mortality is too blunt a measure to allow assessment of “serious harm”. Commonly used cellular biomarkers of exposure in ecotoxicology include DNA damage using the Comet assay. True deep-sea ecotoxicological studies with fish are rare and to our knowledge, there are no published data or method optimizations for deep-sea fish. Coryphaenoides ssp. were collected during SMARTEX expedition 1 (Feb/Mar, 2023) to the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Eastern Pacific Ocean using a baited trap deployed between 4580–4,732m depth for 24–48 h. Blood and gill tissue were removed and processed for the Comet assay. In order to reduce artefactual DNA damage from cryopreservation observed previously, two sets of samples were prepared: a cryopreservative (10% DMSO) was added to one set of samples and stored at − 80 ◦C; the second set was used to perform a Comet assay within hours of collection. A custom-built gimble table enabled horizontal electrophoresis at sea after which Comet assay slides were dried and stored at room temperature until further analysis. The Comet assay was also assessed in freshly sampled and frozen rainbow trout cells as a proxy control in order to evaluate potential artefacts from the collection and sampling procedure of the deep-sea fish. The blood samples processed at sea had a significantly reduced level of DNA damage compared to the frozen samples. There was no significant difference between the fresh deep-sea and rainbow trout samples. However, the freshly prepared gill samples in Coryphaenoides ssp. showed substantial artefacts, possibly as a consequence of barotrauma. These results represent the first effort at establishing baseline DNA damage data for deep-sea fish, an essential component in understating and quantifying the impact of deep-sea mining.PublishedReferee
Yemaya No.69, June 2024
No full textYemaya No. 69, dated June 2024, features articles from Barbados, India, Spain, a regional study focusing on Kenya, Sri Lanka and Cambodia and Women in Fisheries Action plans from ICSF’s IYAFA workshops from Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean Islands. A series of regional workshops were held through the years 2022 and 2023 in Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia to mark the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) 2022. The workshops raised several issues that were common across regions. In these workshops, women fishers discussed the multiple roles they played. Women are active in primary fishing activities, including shore-based subsistence fishing and fishing on boats; they are the main producers of processed fish products; they contribute significantly to fish trade; they provide allied services in sales and transportation. Women in Africa and Asia also participate in fish exports through cross-border trade. However, women’s work is also largely invisible, and lacks recognition by policy makers. The discussions highlighted the need to make the roles of women more visible, through better research into their roles, and improved data collection by the government, The need for capacity building among women was stressed, so that they can gain the skills to be more competitive in the sector. The workshop discussions also noted with concern the persistence of violence that women experienced at homes, in communities, and in their workplaces. The need to ensure greater gender sensitivity, through training, advocacy and positive policy measures was repeatedly stressed. Arguably, the single most important takeaway from the IYAFA workshops was the need for women to organize to gain visibility and amplify their demands.PublishedReferee
Use of habitat and migratory patterns of large coastal sharks in the argentinian sea
No full textEl objetivo general de esta tesis es la descripción y análisis de los patrones espaciales y temporales en el uso de hábitat de las cuatro especies de grandes tiburones costeros más comunes del Mar Argentino, Galeorhinus galeus (cazón), Notorynchus cepedianus (gatopardo), Carcharhinus brachyurus (bacota) y Carcharias taurus (escalandrún), relacionando estos patrones con su entorno ambiental. Se plantearon dos enfoques, uno a nivel poblacional para determinar la distribución potencial, el patrón migratorio y las asociaciones de hábitat de las especies a gran escala espacial (Atlántico Sudoccidental, ~23-58ºS), y un segundo enfoque a una escala espacio-temporal más pequeña para el estudio específico del uso de hábitat de una de las especies (N. cepedianus) en un área de agregación (Caleta Valdés).The general objective of this thesis is the description and analysis of spatial and temporal patterns in the habitat use of the four most common species of large coastal sharks in the Argentinian Sea, Galeorhinus galeus (school shark), Notorynchus cepedianus (sevengill shark), Carcharhinus brachyurus (copper shark), and Carcharias taurus (sand tiger shark), and the relationship of these patterns with their environmental surroundings. Two approaches were considered: one at the population level to determine potential distribution, migratory patterns, and habitat associations of the species on a large spatial scale (Southwest Atlantic, ~23-58ºS), and a second approach on a smaller spatial-temporal scale to specifically study the habitat use of one of the species (N. cepedianus) in an aggregation area (Caleta Valdés).PhDTesis (doctorado
Consolidated Outcomes of the Vision 2030 Process.
No full textThe proposal for a United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (Ocean Decade) was first brought to the international community by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC) in 2016 in a period where ocean science was largely invisible on the international policy landscape. While the 2030 Agenda included the major milestone of a Sustainable Development
Goal (SDG) related to the ocean in the form of SDG14
- Life below water, there was little other recognition of the importance of the contribution of the ocean to the achievement of many of the other SDGs, and limited discussion of the role of the ocean, or ocean science, in achieving global aspirations for climate change, biodiversity conservation or food security just to name a few.
Fast forward to 2024 and the context has radically
changed, and the role of the ocean as a key influence
in the condition of social, economic, and ecological
systems has never been more visible. The recent
adoption of the Agreement under the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation
and sustainable use of marine biological diversity
of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ
Agreement), the Ocean-Climate Dialogue under the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC), as well as the coastal and marine
targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity
Framework are key examples of change at the
international level. At the national level, increasing
numbers of governments are focusing on the role of
the ocean and maritime sectors as an integral part
of sustainable and equitable economic development.
This welcome evolution only increases the relevance
and role of the Ocean Decade. Achievement of these
ambitious global, regional, and national policy
frameworks requires relevant and timely ocean
science and knowledge. However, critical gaps
remain in ocean science and knowledge – whether
they be thematic, geographical or for certain biomes.
And, where knowledge exists, it is not always
available in a form that allows fluid transmission and
thus application across the science – policy – society
interface.
With its vision of the ‘science we need for the ocean
we want’, and its broad adopted definition of ocean
science that encompasses all forms of ocean
knowledge and which is founded on principles of
inclusivity, equity, and diversity, the Ocean Decade
is an agile framework that convenes diverse
stakeholders to co-create and co-deliver the science
and knowledge that is needed for decision making.
Since its debut in January 2021, the Ocean Decade
which is being led by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC) on
behalf of the United Nations system, has become the
largest coordinated global ocean science initiative
ever undertaken. In just over three years, the Decade
has catalysed the emergence of over 50 global ocean
science programmes in which transdisciplinary
teams of international partners from across society
are working to contribute to fulfilment of the
Ocean Decade Challenges. Contributing to these
programmes are over 400 national and regional
projects, and close to 100 formal contributions of
in-kind or financial resources. Over 4,500 institutions
are involved in these Decade Actions, and over 20,000
individuals are directly or indirectly contributing
to their success. Close to USD 1 billion has been
mobilised by the Decade Actions, although resourcing
remains a critical challenge to the success of the
Decade.
This report summarises the results and priority
recommendations of the Vision 2030 process that
was undertaken to refine the future direction of the
Ocean Decade and further strengthen engagement
and impact to 2030 and beyond.PublishedReferee
Marine luminescent bacteria: the phenomenon of light emission and its biotechnological application
No full textLa bioluminiscencia se refiere a la luz producida por organismos vivos, entre los que se encuentran algunas especies de bacterias de origen marino. El mecanismo de luminiscencia bacteriano está dado por una reacción bioquímica en la que participan la luciferina, el oxígeno, la enzima luciferasa y el ATP, para dar como resultado la emisión de luz y la formación de agua. La expresión de los genes Lux que codifican la maquinaria enzimática está regulada para algunas especies por el quorum sensing, fenómeno que posibilita que la emisión de luz solo ocurra cuando existe una alta densidad celular. Los contaminantes químicos y biológicos, así como algunos factores físicos del ambiente, pueden afectar la emisión de luminiscencia. Dada su sensibilidad a las condiciones ambientales y baja toxicidad, las bacterias luminiscentes han sido empleadas en una amplia variedad de campos, incluyendo los análisis de expresión de genes, descubrimiento de medicamentos, estudios de la dinámica de las proteínas, mapeo de las vías de transducción de señales y monitoreo ambiental. El objetivo de esta revisión es presentar el estado de las investigaciones sobre el fenómeno de la bioluminiscencia, con especial atención en las bacterias marinas luminiscentes y su posible aplicación en el campo de la biotecnología y el monitoreo ambiental.Bioluminescence refers to light produced by living organisms, including some species of bacteria of marine origin. The mechanism of bacterial luminescence is given by a biochemical reaction in which luciferin, oxygen, the enzyme luciferase and ATP participate, to result in the emission of light and the formation of water. The expression of the Lux genes that encode the enzymatic machinery is regulated for some species by quorum sensing, a phenomenon that allows light emission to only occur when there is a high cell density. Chemical and biological contaminants, as well as some physical factors in theenvironment can affect the luminescence emission. Given their sensitivity to environmental conditions and low toxicity, luminescent bacteria have been employed in a wide variety of fields, including gene expression analyses, drug discovery, studies of protein dynamics, mapping of signal transduction pathways and environmental monitoring. The objective of this review is to present the state of research on the phenomenon of bioluminescence, with a special focus on luminescent marine bacteria and their potential application in the field of biotechnology and environmental monitoring.PublishedReferee
Impacts of global change on aquatic ecosystems: a analysis of the responses of microorganisms under different environmental stressors.
No full textEnvironmental changes occur at a global level and are enhanced by human activities, with significant impacts on natural ecosystems by affecting the temperature, nutrient load and input of organic debris in freshwater bodies or aquatic systems. In the first section, we investigated the impacts of increased temperature, nutrient input, predation by fish and a reduction in organic detritus on the community of testate amoebae, rotifers and periphytic cladocerans over 49 experimental days. The second section analyzed the effects of increased temperature, nutrient input and reduced organic detritus on the testate amoeba community during 160 experimental days. The experiments were carried out in mesocosms with three temperature conditions: control (referring to the ambient temperature), constant increase of +4°C and fluctuation between 2°C and 6°C above the control, with and without enrichment by nitrogen and phosphorus, and reduction of organic detritus, controlled by previous additions of this detritus. In relation to the results of the first section, the density of the groups analyzed was significantly impacted by the increase in temperature, while the other stressors explored in this work did not represent a significant influence on the abundance of the communities. As for community composition, the presence of nutrients had a more predominant impact on community structure, although specific species distribution patterns were not identified. For the second section, it was evident that warming resulted in a reduction in species diversity (demonstrated by the Shannon index), with a tendency for species richness to decrease in the face of this stressor. On the other hand, nutrient enrichment was responsible for an increase in richness, with time being a relevant factor in this context. As for changes in community density, nutrients and time emerged as the main factors influencing these changes. Analysis of species diversity using the Shannon index revealed greater diversity in the temperature control treatments, with time exerting a significant influence on community structure throughout the experiment. For species composition, the βtotal diversity analysis highlighted the importance of temperature, presence of detritus and time. The βrepl and βrich components were notably affected by temperature and time, indicating changes in species identity.Alterações ambientais ocorrem em níveis globais e são potencializadas por atividades humanas, apresentando impactos expressivos nos ecossistemas naturais ao afetar a temperatura, a carga de nutrientes e o aporte de detritos orgânicos dos corpos de água doce/ ou sistemas aquáticos. Deste modo, investigou-se os impactos do aumento de temperatura, da entrada de nutrientes, da predação por peixes e da redução de detritos orgânicos na comunidade de amebas testáceas, rotíferos e cladóceros perifíticos por 49 dias experimentais. Analisou-se os efeitos do aumento da temperatura, aporte de nutrientes e diminuição de detritos orgânicos na comunidade de amebas testáceas durante 160 dias experimentais. Os experimentos foram realizados em mesocosmos com três condições de temperatura: controle (referente à temperatura ambiente), aumento constante de +4°C e flutuação entre 2°C e 6°C acima do controle, com e sem enriquecimento por nitrogênio e fósforo, e redução de detritos orgânicos, controlado por adições prévias deste detrito. Em relação aos resultados, a densidade dos grupos analisados foi significativamente impactada pelo aumento da temperatura, enquanto os demais estressores explorados neste trabalho não representaram uma influência significativa para a abundância das comunidades. Quanto à composição das comunidades, a presença de nutrientes teve um impacto de maior predominância na estrutura da comunidade, embora padrões específicos de distribuição de espécies não tenham sido identificados. Em evidência, destaca-se que o aquecimento resultou na redução da diversidade de espécies (demonstrada pelo índice de Shannon), com tendência de diminuição da riqueza de espécies frente a este estressor. Em contrapartida, o enriquecimento por nutrientes foi responsável pelo aumento da riqueza, sendo o tempo um fator relevante nesse contexto. Quanto às alterações na densidade da comunidade, os fatores nutrientes e tempo emergiram como os principais influenciadores dessas mudanças. A análise da diversidade de espécies utilizando o índice de Shannon, revelou maiores diversidades nos tratamentos com temperatura controle, com o tempo exercendo uma influência significativa na estrutura da comunidade ao longo do experimento. Para a composição das espécies, a análise de diversidade βtotal destacou a importância da temperatura, presença de detritos e tempo. Os componentes βrepl e βrich foram notavelmente afetados por temperatura e tempo, indicando mudanças na identidade das espécies.Master