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Dataset Schellenberg et al. Xenobiotic Distribution Around the Nearshore Waters of a Caribbean Island
No full textAnthropogenic pollutant known as xenobiotics, such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, or human metabolites, primarily originate on land and accumulate near populated coasts, where rainfall further increases their transport and harmful impacts on marine ecosystems. However, empirical evidence for such dynamics remains limited. Here, we investigate spatial and seasonal patterns of terrigenous xenobiotics along the land–sea continuum of Curaçao. Using solid-phase extraction and untargeted LC-HR-MS/MS metabolomics, we detected approximately 30,000 molecular features, including 1,394 xenobiotics that were most abundant in terrestrial waters, declined offshore, and correlated strongly with other terrestrial input indicators (fDOM). Results from three cross-seasonal campaigns (2021–2022) revealed that rainfall and increased water residence times were dominant drivers for xenobiotic abundances along the shore, with 3.5 times higher abundances during the 2022 wet season compared to drier periods. Additional factors were local landscape features, distance to fluvial runoff, hydrodynamic connectivity and for specific substance groups (e.g., human metabolites, or personal care products) human activities in proximity to sampling locations. Our findings show that terrigenous xenobiotics spread island wide, making them a broader concern beyond discharge sites. This first island-wide, seasonally resolved assessment provides a baseline for managing emerging contaminants and understanding their wider impact on Caribbean coastal ecosystems
MetalGate cruise data
No full textThe expedition 64PE474 aboard RV Pelagia started on the 18th of July 2021, leaving from Reykjavik (Iceland), half a day later than initially planned owing to delayed luggage that also contained essential equipment for the expedition. The expedition ended on August 16th 2021, also in Reykjavik (Iceland). During the expedition, samples were taken using several systems. The ‘Titan’ ultraclean CTD sampling system (UCC) for trace metal collection (De Baar, et al. 2008), mounted with pristine large volume samplers (Rijkenberg, et al. 2015), was used the most as part of the trace metal focal point of the expedition. The large volume Pristine samplers were made from polypropylene to allow sampling for light sensitive phytoplankton. After deployment, the complete CTD sampling system was placed in a cleanroom environment inside a modified high cube shipping container where subsamples were collected for trace metals, isotopes, ligands, and various auxiliary parameters (see section 2.4). The other deployed instruments included a conventional CTD rosette system (CTD), a multi-corer (MUC) to collect sediment cores from which samples were taken for both sediments and porewaters, and a novel bottom gradient sampler (BGS) to sample dissolved and particulate trace metals close to the seafloor.
Overall, 38 full depth stations were sampled with in total 38 UCC casts, 14 CTD casts, 19 BGS casts, and 13 MUC casts. Additionally, 2 shallow stations (station 4 and 26) were occupied to collect surface water to start the planned bioassays. During the expedition, 2 large, 6-day bio-assays were conducted (see section 2.5) to investigate the influence of Fe concentrations and temperature on phytoplankton biomass and composition. Another 2-day bioassay was also carried out to further investigate the influence of Fe and ammonium on phytoplankton productivity and composition. For these bioassays, 2 large custom-built temperature-controlled incubators where used that were place on the deck in front of the bridge of RV Pelagia where irradiance was mostly unobstructed. Additionally, 32 smaller bioassays were conducted by Willem Poll’s group at controlled temperature and irradiance levels inside a climate-controlled container laboratory on Pelagia
SCARIBOS hydrodynamic model outputs
No full textSCARIBOS is a high-resolution (1/100°) hydrodynamic model of the South CARIBbean Ocean System, developed using the Coastal and Regional Ocean Community (CROCO) model (version 1.3.1). The model simulates the 3D hydrodynamics of the Southern Caribbean region, providing detailed insights into ocean circulation and connectivity. SCARIBOS covers the period from April 2020 to March 2024, excluding the spin-up period.
This repository contains hourly averages of surface currents and water level time series for all grid points within the model domain, covering the period from April 2020 (Y2020M04) to March 2024 (Y2024M03). The full SCARIBOS dataset, including hourly averages for 3D variables such as velocity, temperature, and salinity, is available upon request.
The model is approximately 7 TB in size for the full dataset. Alternatively, individual months can be requested, covering the period from April 2020 (labeled as Y2020M04) to March 2024 (labeled at Y2024M03). Each individual month is approximately 165 GB in size. Please specify the months you require using the following format: Y####M##.
For more details about SCARIBOS, refer to the following publication: Bertoncelj, V., Mienis, F., Stocchi, P., and van Sebille, E.: Flow patterns, hotspots and connectivity of land-derived substances at the sea surface of Curaçao in the Southern Caribbean, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3112, 2024
For data access, please contact:
Vesna Bertoncelj: [email protected]
Furu Mienis: [email protected]
Erik van Sebille: [email protected]
RDM: [email protected]
Responses will be provided during regular working hours
Depth, potential T, practical S, density data 64PE529
No full textShallow-water coral reef ecosystems are positioned at the critical interface between terrestrial and marine environments, where ocean circulation patterns control the delivery and distribution of nutrients and land-derived substances. This study examines three-dimensional circulation patterns around Curaçao, a southern Caribbean reef island, using Lagrangian particle tracking analysis with the hydrodynamic model SCARIBOS over the period 2020-2024. We analyze two distinct surface flow regimes previously identified around the island: NW-flow periods dominated by the Caribbean Surface Current, and EDDY-flow periods characterized by cyclonic eddies or low-energy conditions. These regimes create contrasting patterns in horizontal surface circulation and vertical exchange, with significant differences in flow direction at the surface layer and enhanced upwelling during EDDY-flow conditions. However, analysis of offshore-to-nearshore connectivity using conditional pathways reveals that these large-scale surface regimes have no apparent influence on the delivery of deeper waters to nearshore coral reef areas. Spatial analysis reveals that volumetric transport decreases from east to west along the southern coastline. The West Point segment exhibits the lowest horizontal transport but the highest vertical exchange, receiving 48% of its volume transport from subsurface layers, contrasting with other segments where surface volume transport dominates (75-87%). These findings demonstrate that three-dimensional circulation patterns create spatially variable conditions for water renewal, nutrient delivery, and thermal regulation, improving our understanding of coral reef ecosystem dynamics and supporting reef management strategies
Bacteriohopanepolyols and glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers record redox regime shifts in a marine inlet in eastern Prydz Bay, Antarctica during the Holocene
No full textPrydz Bay is located in the Southern Ocean, at the terminus of one of the largest
glacial systems of East Antarctica. Consequently, its sedimentary record may hold
information on the response of marine biogeochemical cycling to past and future
changes in Antarctic oceanography. Bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) offer great
potential to trace such changes, as these bacterial membrane lipids have been linked
to distinct biogeochemical processes. Here, we present the BHP inventory of a
Holocene sediment record, recovered from a marine basin in Eastern Prydz Bay. BHP
lipidomics was combined with independent environmental proxies. Our results show
elevated nucleoside-BHPs in early Holocene sediments from ~9.1 to 10.7 cal ka BP.
As GDGT-based indices suggest terrestrial organic matter influx was insignificant, the
presence of nucleoside-BHPs is interpreted to reflect autochthonous production under
hypoxic-anoxic conditions, as inferred from BHT-x ratios ≥ 0.2. The record is
characterized by a large diversity of rare and novel BHPs. Their occurrence is
potentially related to membrane cold-adaptations of predominantly aerobic bacteria
(i.e., TEX86OH-reconstructed sea surface temperatures are -2.4 to -0.8°C). Increased
abundance and diversity of these BHPs between ~5.5– 7.5 and ~8.9– 9.8 cal ka BP is
likely associated with an oxygenation of the basin at this time. The late Holocene (<3.0
cal ka BP) water column experienced photic zone euxinia, high rates of nitrogen loss
and methanogenesis, as indicated by the presence of isorenieratene, enriched δ15N
values and GDGT-0/cren ratios, respectively. BHPs in these sediments likely derive
from two different ecological niches: i) the uppermost oxygenated waters where
aerobic methane oxidation occurs and ii) the deeper sulfidic waters. This study shows
that the Southern Ocean sedimentary record holds a diverse array of BHPs, including
novel BHPs and BHPs formerly solely associated with terrestrial environments. BHPdistributions
can be linked to distinct redox regime shifts within the basin, which are
regulated by changes in sea level and sea ice in Prydz Bay. Our findings highlight the
potential use of BHPs as tracers for biogeochemical cycling in marine polar regions
Optimizing salt marsh restoration with context-dependent emergent trait mimicry and donor material selection / data
No full textEcosystem restoration is increasingly promoted as a tool to halt and reverse ongoing losses of coastal ecosystems and the services they provide. Recent work highlights that, in ecosystems shaped by habitat-forming species, restoration yields can be enhanced by temporarily mimicking key emergent traits. These traits are not expressed by individuals, but emerge when organisms aggregate to locally suppress environmental stress and are often vital for species’ establishment and persistence. However, it remains unclear to what extent emergent-trait mimicry is context dependent and how donor material selection affects restoration success. Here, we experimentally studied the potential context dependency of trait mimicry and the effect of using donor source populations from contrasting environments in a three-year salt marsh restoration experiment. At two sites with contrasting hydrodynamic conditions – one relatively sheltered and the other exposed – we cross-transplanted plants from both sites into bare soil and 3D-printed biodegradable structures as trait-mimics, mimicking either sparse or dense vegetation patches. After three years, transplants from the sheltered site had two-fold higher survival and four-times more shoots compared to transplants from the exposed site. Furthermore, we found that in sheltered conditions, structures increased survival compared to control treatments, and plants in dense trait mimics grew the highest number of shoots. By contrast, most transplants in exposed conditions were lost after year one regardless of origin and treatment. We conclude that the donor source is a vital determinant for transplant establishment, and that emergent trait mimicry is context dependent for salt marshes, emphasizing the need for trait-mimics tailored to local conditions to increase restoration success
SEALINK ADCP Coastal Observations on Curaçao 2023
No full textThis dataset contains ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) measurements collected around Curaçao in 2023. The fieldwork included deployments at multiple reef locations using two ADCP instruments (Nortek AD2CP Signature 1000). This data was collected as a part of the SEALINK project
Warming winters promote biodiversity through reduced mortality of a habitat-forming species in soft-sediment intertidal systems - data
No full textHabitat-forming species enhance biodiversity by providing shelter, substrate, and feeding grounds for many species. Climate-change effects on these species may have wide ranging impacts on local species richness and abundance. Warmer winter temperatures in particular are an important driver of demographic parameters in temperate to polar environments. However, the extent of these effects on local biodiversity remains unclear. We address this topic by studying the abundance of the tube-worm Lanice conchilega, a habitat-forming species that shows mass mortalities in intertidal areas after cold winters. Using 15 years of data collected throughout the intertidal Dutch Wadden Sea, we modelled population dynamics of L. conchilega relative to inundation and winter temperatures, and related its population growth to changes in species richness. Winter temperature was positively associated with L. conchilega’s population growth, which in turn correlated with increased local species richness. Specifically, for every 10 fold increase in L. conchilega population, 0.69 additional species were found. We conclude that increases in winter temperature promote L. conchilega’s abundance and, in turn, species richness due to its role as a habitat-forming species. The direct positive effect of warmer winters on L. conchilega abundance and the subsequent indirect effect on biodiversity might represent a silver lining within the environmental and biodiversity crisis we are facing
Coarsening coasts: quantifying sensitivity of benthic communities to sandification - data and code
No full textSea level rise, increased storminess, and changes in sediment supply due to nourishments are all expected to drive coarsening (i.e., ‘sandification’) of muddy coastal sediments in the decades to come. Since the composition of soft-bottom benthic communities is associated with the sediment grain-size and mud content, this may result in habitats becoming less suitable for some species, leading to species shifts. Species-sediment relations can help to predict how this foreseen sandification may affect benthic fauna. We explore and quantify the sandification-sensitivity of benthic communities, with a tidal basin in the Dutch Wadden Sea as a model system. We identify the species’ sediment optima and tolerance ranges using non-linear quantile regression models, summarise preference and sensitivity at the community level, and determine the difference between optimal and realised sediment habitat. Here, we present the underlying data and the R-scripts used for spatial resampling, quantile regression analysis and obtaining and displaying taxon- and community sediment sensitivity parameters. Benthos and sediment samples were collected as part of the intertidal and subtidal benthic surveys performed by the Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ). Intertidal data was obtained through the synoptic intertidal benthic survey (SIBES) [1, 2]. This dataset covers 639 sampling stations in the Borndiep tidal basin, of which 525 are located on a regular 500x500m grid and 114 are randomly placed [3]. For details on the sampling procedure, we refer to Bijleveld et al. [1] and Compton et al. [4]. Subtidal samples were collected as part of NIOZ subtidal sampling campaigns and within the projects TRAILS and WaddenMozaïek. From the 186 subtidal stations in the Ameland inlet and at the ebb-tidal delta, 145 were placed on a 1000x1000 m grid and 41 were randomly placed. For more details on the subtidal sampling, we refer to Franken et al. (in prep) [5]. The combined dataset consists of a total of 2991 samples, collected over the period 2015-2020. The compiled data tables, with abundance (individuals m-2) or biomass (g ash-free dry weight m-2) summarised per taxon, are provided here.
REFERENCES
[1] Bijleveld, A. I., de la Barra, P., Danielson-Owczynsky, H., Brunner, L., Dekinga, A., Holthuijsen, S., Ten Horn, J., de Jong, A., Kleine Schaars, L., Kooij, A., Koolhaas, A., Kressin, H., van Leersum, F., Miguel, S., de Monte, L. G. G., Mosk, D., Niamir, A., Oude Luttikhuis, D., Peck, M. A., … Bom, R. A. (2025). SIBES: Long-term and large-scale monitoring of intertidal macrozoobenthos and sediment in the Dutch Wadden Sea. Scientific Data, 12(1), 239. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-04540-9
[2] Bijleveld, A. I., Tacoma, M., & Koolhaas, A. (2024). SIBES dataset. NIOZ. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.25850/nioz/7b.b.ug
[3] Bijleveld, A. I., van Gils, J. A., van der Meer, J., Dekinga, A., Kraan, C., van der Veer, H. W., & Piersma, T. (2012). Designing a benthic monitoring programme with multiple conflicting objectives. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 3(3), 526–536. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2041-210X.2012.00192.x
[4] Compton, T. J., Holthuijsen, S., Koolhaas, A., Dekinga, A., Smith, J., Galama, Y., Brugge, M., Wal, D. Van Der, & Meer, J. Van Der. (2013). Distinctly variable mudscapes: Distribution gradients of intertidal macrofauna across the Dutch Wadden Sea. Journal of Sea Research, 82, 103–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2013.02.002
[5] Franken, O., Holthuijsen, S. J., Meijer, K. J., Kleine Schaars, L., Rasch, B., Kooijman, J., van Weerlee, E., Miguel, S., Koolhaas, A., Witte, S., Rehlmeyer, K., Dickson, J., Smeele, Q., Bijleveld, A. I., Olff, H., van der Heide, T., & Govers, L. L. (n.d.). Below murky waters: Subtidal benthic species and sediment distributions in the Dutch Wadden Sea. In Prep
Structural complexity of hard substrates shapes shallow benthic communities
No full textHabitats with structural complexity provide a variety of niches where the biotic and abiotic conditions differ. This generally results in higher biodiversity in complex habitats than in simple habitats. Although the importance of structural complexity is acknowledged in many ecosystems (e.g., forests, streams, mangroves, coral reefs) there is discrepancy in how complexity is measured, which leads to ambiguous results. A part of the effect of structural complexity on biodiversity can often be attributed to increasing surface area or substrate material used. In a field experiment, we use 3D-printed structures to isolate the effect of structural complexity on recruitment in a coastal reef system from surface area or substrate material in a standardised manner. We deployed reef structures with fractal-like (self-similar) pyramid shapes of three standardised complexity in sandy intertidal and subtidal coastal zones. We determined effects on taxonomic diversity, abundances and densities, and spatial patterning of five dominant reef taxa: barnacles, mussels, tunicates, anemones, and algae. This offers insight in how the niche-diversity created by structural complexity controls epibenthic communities in soft-bottom coastal ecosystems, which can be applied in ecosystem restoration. This dataset and the correspponding R-script were used for the statistics as presented in the paper. It contains a metadata file, and datafiles containing the abundances and cover fractions of different taxa on the structures in the experiment and the script to analyse them