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Extension of the validation cases of a numerical model of the flow within the scour protection around monopile foundations
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Genetic variation of the mud crab <em>Scylla serrata</em> in relation to heavy metals pollution in Indonesia
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Finding native oysters in the Belgian North Sea using eDNA
Get PDFWhen initiating native oyster aquaculture, the use of local spat is essential. For native oyster reef restoration and oyster construction, connectivity Is necessary for safeguarding genetic diversity and thus robustness of the reef. Applying eDNA technology to historical and recent water samples taken in summer and winter (BNZ), will give important geographical information on the presence of native populations and spat distribution
Decision-making of the benthic diatom <i>Seminavis robusta</i> searching for inorganic nutrients and pheromones
Get PDFMicroorganisms encounter a diversity of chemical stimuli that trigger individual responses and influence population dynamics. However, microbial behavior under the influence of different incentives and microbial decision-making is poorly understood. Benthic marine diatoms that react to sexual attractants as well as to nutrient gradients face such multiple constraints. Here, we document and model behavioral complexity and context-sensitive responses of these motile unicellular algae to sex pheromones and the nutrient silicate. Throughout the life cycle of the model diatom Seminavis robusta nutrient-starved cells localize sources of silicate by combined chemokinetic and chemotactic motility. However, with an increasing need for sex to restore the initial cell size, a change in behavior favoring the attraction-pheromone-guided search for a mating partner takes place. When sex becomes inevitable to prevent cell death, safeguard mechanisms are abandoned, and cells prioritize the search for mating partners. Such selection processes help to explain biofilm organization and to understand species interactions in complex communities
Can we generate robust species distribution models at the scale of the Southern Ocean?
Get PDFAim Species distribution modelling (SDM) represents a valuable alternative to predict species distribution over vast and remote areas of the ocean. We tested whether reliable SDMs can be generated for benthic marine organisms at the scale of the Southern Ocean. We aimed at identifying the main large-scale factors that determine the distribution of the selected species. The robustness of SDMs was tested with regards to sampling effort, species niche width and biogeography. Location Southern Ocean. Methods The impact of sampling effort was tested using two sets of data: one set with all presence-only data available until 2005, and a second set using all data available until 2015 including recent records from campaigns carried out during the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) and the International Polar Year (IPY) period (2005-2010). The accuracy of SDMs was tested using a ground-truthing approach by comparing recent presence/absence data collected during the CAML and IPY period to pre-CAML model predictions. Results Our results show the significance of the SDM approach and the role of abiotic factors as important drivers of species distribution at broad spatial scale. The addition of recent data to the models significantly improved the prediction of SDM and changed the respective contributions of environmental predictors. However, the intensity of change varied between models depending on sampling tools, species ecological niche width and biogeographic barriers to dispersal. Main conclusions We highlight the need for new data and the significance of the ground-truthing approach to test the accuracy of SDMs. We show the importance of data collected through international initiatives, such as the CAML and IPY to the improvement of species distribution modelling at broad spatial scales. Finally, we discussed the relevance of SDM as a relevant marine conservation tool particularly in the context of climate change and the definition of Marine Protected Areas