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Factors sustaining the snail artisanal fishery in the San Matías Gulf, Patagonia, Argentina
No full textIn the San Matías Gulf, Argentina, artisanal fishers have adapted to declining stocks of traditional species by targeting alternative resources, such as the snail Buccinastrum deforme. This study investigates the sustainability of this artisanal diving fishery, emphasizing the role of informal rules and the socio-economic context of the fishers. We analyzed annual landings, fishing effort, and catch composition from 2000 to 2021 using mandatory landing reports and commercial data. Annual catches fluctuated, starting at 4 metric tons in 2000, peaking at 82 metric tons in 2011, and stabilizing at around 38 metric tons thereafter. Market demand, particularly from Asian markets between 2010 and 2016, influenced fishing dynamics, with a strong correlation between fishing effort and landings. Fishers exhibited adaptive strategies, alternating between mixed and non-mixed trips based on economic incentives. Analysis of size and sex composition of the catches revealed stable biological characteristics over time. Interviews with fishers revealed socio-economic challenges, including lack of health insurance, while highlighting the importance of fishing for household income. Informal management practices, such as selective harvesting and market-driven size preferences, have contributed to the stability of the fishery, although increased fishing effort raises concerns about sustainability. These findings provide valuable insights for the management of other small-scale fisheries facing similar challenges
Spatial structures of emerging hot & dry compound events over Europe from 1950 to 2023
Get PDFCompound events (CE), characterized by the combination of climate phenomena that are not necessarily extreme individually, can result in severe impacts when they occur concurrently or sequentially. Understanding past and potential future changes in their occurrence is thus crucial. The present study investigates historical changes in the probability of hot and dry compound events over Europe and North Africa, using ERA5 reanalyses spanning the 1950–2023 period. Two key questions are addressed: (1) Where and when did the probability of these events emerge from natural variability, and what is the spatial extent of this emergence? This is explored through the analysis of “time” and “periods” of emergence, noted ToE and PoE, defined as the year from which and the moments during which changes in compound event probabilities exceed natural variability. The new concept of PoE allows for more in-depth signal analysis. (2) What drives the emergence? More specifically, what are the relative contributions of changes in marginal distributions versus in the dependence structure to the change of compound events probability? The signal is modelled with bivariate copula, allowing for the decomposition of these contributions. A focus on the dependence component is explored to quantify its effect on the signal’s emergence. The results reveal clear spatial patterns in terms of emergence and contributions. Five areas are studied in greater depth, selected for their contrasted signal behaviors. In some regions, the frequency of hot and dry events increased, mainly due to a change in the marginals. However, other regions see a decrease of CE probabilities, mainly driven by a change in the drought index. Although the dependence component is rarely the main contributor to PoE, it remains necessary to detect signal’s emergence. Without considering the dependence component, the date of ToE and the duration of PoE can be overestimated as well as underestimated (even more than 20 years) depending on the area. These findings provide new insights into the drivers of CE probability changes and open avenues for advancing attribution studies, ultimately improving assessments of risks associated with past and future climate change
Ketogenic diet suppresses colorectal cancer through the gut microbiome long chain fatty acid stearate
Get PDFColorectal cancer (CRC) patients have been shown to possess an altered gut microbiome. Diet is a well-established modulator of the microbiome, and thus, dietary interventions might have a beneficial effect on CRC. An attenuating effect of the ketogenic diet (KD) on CRC cell growth has been previously observed, however the role of the gut microbiome in driving this effect remains unknown. Here, we describe a reduced colonic tumor burden upon KD consumption in a CRC mouse model with a humanized microbiome. Importantly, we demonstrate a causal relationship through microbiome transplantation into germ-free mice, whereby alterations in the gut microbiota were maintained in the absence of continued selective pressure from the KD. Specifically, we identify a shift toward bacterial species that produce stearic acid in ketogenic conditions, whereas consumers were depleted, resulting in elevated levels of free stearate in the gut lumen. This microbial product demonstrates tumor-suppressing properties by inducing apoptosis in cancer cells and decreasing colonic Th17 immune cell populations. Taken together, the beneficial effects of the KD are mediated through alterations in the gut microbiome, including, among others, increased stearic acid production, which in turn significantly reduces intestinal tumor growth
The genome sequence of the scorched wing moth, Plagodis dolabraria (Linnaeus, 1767)
Get PDFWe present a genome assembly from a male specimen of Plagodis dolabraria (scorched wing; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Geometridae). The genome sequence has a total length of 939.07 megabases. Most of the assembly (99.59%) is scaffolded into 31 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 16.97 kilobases in length
The genome sequence of the dotted ermel moth, Ethmia dodecea (Haworth, 1828)
Get PDFWe present a genome assembly from a male Ethmia dodecea (dotted ermel; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Depressariidae). The genome sequence has a total length of 457.55 megabases. Most of the assembly (99.87%) is scaffolded into 29 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.34 kilobases in length
First report of vivipary in Deschampsia antarctica: a new insight into Antarctic plant reproductive strategies [Short note]
Get PDFIn the extreme conditions of Antarctica two native vascular plants are present, Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) Bartl. (Caryophyllaceae) and Deschampsia antarctica Desv. (Poaceae), distributed along the western Antarctic Peninsula and the Scotia Arc archipelagos [...
Dramatic ENSO related Southwestern Atlantic ecosystem shifts
Get PDFENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) events are becoming more frequent and more intense as climate change continues. Although ENSO effects are known to propagate into the southwest Atlantic, knowledge of how these anomalies result in ecological impacts is yet to be documented. A 3600 km transect in the southwest Atlantic from the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) to Tristan da Cunha during La Niña (March 2018) found a more abundant and speciose seabird assemblage, with more filter-feeding seabird and cetacean species, and a shallower and more concentrated pelagic biomass, than a near identical transect during El Niño (March 2019). Changes in wind and sea surface temperature anomalies correlated, through a one-to-three-month lag, to the peak BEST (Bivariate ENSO Index) index. Stronger winds and greater near surface ocean mixing are for the first time described as mechanisms through which ENSO events can propagate across the southwest Atlantic Ocean basin to alter pelagic ecosystem structure and communities
The Białowieża Forest as an example of the resilience of long-term studies in a changing world
Get PDFEffective conservation of biodiversity requires a good understanding of ecosystem dynamics in response to natural and anthropogenic influences. Long-term studies (LTS) conducted over multiple decades provide essential insights into ecological processes and interactions over time, which can inform conservation strategies, but they are anchored within their wider society and geopolitics. The context of any LTS is therefore vulnerable to temporal instability, including disruptions and challenges but also scientific opportunities. The resilience and adaptability of LTS in the face of political, social or environmental change is key to their continuity and relevance for science and society.
Poland's iconic Białowieża Forest hosts unique remnants of European old-growth forest, and also diverse LTS lasting up to nine decades, revealing a dynamic ecosystem. The Białowieża Forest is a hub of international science, providing an essential reference for ecosystem functioning and evolutionary processes, and a key benchmark for wider perceptions of ‘natural forest’, which is increasingly relevant to ecological restoration elsewhere. Nevertheless, the Białowieża LTS have persisted against a backdrop of profound sociopolitical and geopolitical change, which has challenged their scope and viability. The Białowieża experience has a wider resonance for LTS in other regions, because change can affect science anywhere, even in situations that currently appear stable.
We describe how Białowieża's LTS have maintained continuity and relevance for our understanding of forest ecosystems by embedding core expertise among diverse institutions, building collaborative teams around visionary leaders and dispersing risks of financial, political and security vulnerabilities. However, issues remain around centralised data archiving and availability. These perspectives provide general lessons for supporting LTS in a changeable world
The world is not enough: growing waste in HPC-enabled academic practice
Get PDFMost research depends to some extent on technologies and computational infrastructures including, and perhaps Especially, HCI. Despite the noted environmental impacts associated with information communication technology (ICT) globally, to date little consideration has been given as to how to limit the impact of research and innovation processes themselves. Working to understand the technical and cultural drivers of this impact within the specific but resource-intensive domain of High Performance Computing (HPC), we conducted 25 interviews with academic researchers, providers,
funders, and commissioners of HPC. We find intersecting socio-cultural and technical dimensions that link to research institutions like conferences, funders, and universities that reinforce and embed, rather than challenge, expectations of growth and waste. At a time when large scale cloud systems, generative AI and ever larger models are multiplying, we argue to de-escalate demand for computing, aiming for more moderate, responsible and meaningful use of computational infrastructures—including within HCI itself
Ozone exposure consistently increases δ13C in wheat grain
Get PDFTropospheric ozone (O3) is a regional air pollutant, formed by solar radiation from nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. It is known to impair crop yields. The mechanisms of O3 damage to plants are linked to gas exchange and carbon metabolism. The carbon isotopic signature in plant tissues represented by δ13C offers a time-integrating approach to assess the performance of plant gas exchange. We combined wheat grain δ13C data from seven O3 experiments performed in four countries (Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom). For one experiment δ13C data for stems were available. There was a significant positive relationship between grain δ13C and O3 exposure (R2=0.37). Using a relative scale to account for variation in the δ13C level among experiments, a stronger linear relationship was obtained (R2=0.77). Furthermore, the relative yield loss from O3 was negatively linked to the relative effect on δ13C (R2=0.72). Stems were more depleted in 13C than grain but also showed a significant, less steep, positive δ13C relationship with O3 exposure. The most important conclusion from the positive relationship between δ13C and O3 exposure is that the O3 effect on stomatal conductance dominates over the impairment of CO2 fixation by Rubisco. However, also discrimination associated with redistribution of carbohydrates from non-reproductive plant parts to grains can contribute to the O3 effect on δ13C. Based on the unified pattern of δ13C response over a range of experiments performed in different sites, we conclude that the mechanisms of O3 damage in wheat with respect to gas exchange are highly consistent
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