Publications by authors named "Andree De Cock"

Streams are biodiversity hotspots that provide numerous ecosystem services. Safeguarding this biodiversity is crucial to uphold sustainable ecosystem functioning and to ensure the continuation of these ecosystem services in the future. However, in recent decades, streams have witnessed a disproportionate decline in biodiversity compared to other ecosystems, and are currently considered among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide.

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Pesticide use has increased in the Lake Tana sub-basin due to increased agricultural activity, potentially endangering nontargeted organisms. To assess its potential impact on fish health and fish-consuming human populations, pesticide concentrations in the fillet and liver tissue of three fish species, namely Labeobarbus megastoma, Labeobarbus tsanensis, and Oreochromis niloticus, were investigated in Lake Tana. Fish samples were taken from the lake near the rivers of Ribb and Gumara, which flow through agricultural areas where considerable amounts of pesticides have been applied.

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Article Synopsis
  • Environmental epigenetics is increasingly important in understanding how climate change and pollutants affect aquatic ecosystems, particularly through DNA methylation changes that help organisms adapt to stress.
  • A review of 78 studies from 2016-2021 revealed that DNA methylation is the most commonly studied epigenetic mark in aquatic animals, with various analytical methods developed for its assessment, while histone modifications and ncRNA regulation are less explored due to limitations in available tools.
  • The study highlights potential for large-scale epigenetic research in the future, driven by advancements in sequencing technologies and alternative methods like mass spectrometry for analyzing histone modifications.
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Mangrove forests, provide vital food resources and are an endangered ecosystem worldwide due to pollution and habitat destruction. A risk-benefit assessment (RBA) was performed on the red mangrove crab (Ucides occidentalis) from the threatened Guayas mangroves in Ecuador. It was aimed to assess the combined potential adverse and beneficial health impact associated with crab consumption and define a recommended safe intake (SI) to improve the diet of the Ecuadoran population while ensuring safe food intake.

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Crabs are an outstanding source of many essential nutrients. Little research has been performed on the nutritional quality of the red mangrove crab (Ucides occidentalis). In this research we investigated the proximate composition, fatty acid profile, amino acid composition, and mineral concentrations of red mangrove crabs sampled at two reserves within the Guayas estuary in Ecuador.

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Mangrove wetlands provide essential ecosystem services such as coastal protection and fisheries. Metal pollution due to industrial and agricultural activities represents an issue of growing concern for the Guayas River Basin and related mangroves in Ecuador. Fisheries and the related human consumption of mangrove crabs are in need of scientific support.

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Mangroves are unique coastal ecosystems, located in tropical and subtropical regions. Yet, the functioning of these essential ecosystems is threatened by the presence of pollutants, including pesticides originating from agricultural activities. We investigated pesticide residues in the Guayas estuarine environment, since agricultural activities rapidly increased in the Guayas river basin over the past decades.

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