Petrological controls on the engineering properties of carbonate aggregates through a machine learning approach.

Rock aggregates have been extensively exploited in the construction sector, and the associated engineering features play a critical role in their application. The main aim of this research is to assess the impact of petrographic characteristics on the engineering properties of carbonate rocks. A total of 45 carbonate rock samples from different geological formations within the Salt Range (Western Himalayan Ranges, Pakistan) were subjected to comprehensive petrographic analyses and standard aggregate quality control tests.

Developing and testing a new Ecological Quality Status index based on marine nematode metabarcoding: A proof of concept.

Nematodes are the most diverse and dominant group of marine meiofauna with high potential as bioindicators of the ecological quality status (EcoQS). The present study explores, for the first time, the applicability of the nematode metabarcoding to infer EcoQS index based on the calibration of ecological behaviors of nematodes Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs). To achieve this, we analyzed the nematode community in sediment eDNA samples collected in 2018 and 2021 in areas around three offshore oil platforms in the Danish west coast of the North Sea.

Foraminifera and geomicrobiology as indicators of the environmental recovery in a mangrove affected by oil spills in the Guanabara Bay (Brazil).

Foraminifera could be used as indicators to evaluate the impacts of oil spills because the crude oil causes several disturbances on the development and reproduction of the species. However, little is known about the relationship between mangrove species and this pollutant. Foraminiferal assemblages were studied in 22 surface sediment samples collected from a mangrove in Guanabara Bay (Brazil) that was severely impacted by an oil spill six years earlier.

Environmental Diagnosis through a Flow Cytometric Approach.

In an era when ecological and environmental needs and responsibilities apply pressure on the world's countries and sustainability takes centre stage, ecologic/environmental (E/E) laboratories stand as beacons of scientific inquiry, innovating, optimising, and applying various tests for a better knowledge of our natural resources and the quality status of ecosystems. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the use of flow cytometry (FC) as a tool for assessing environmental quality, mainly using living organisms and their biological changes as bioindicators. Cytometric approaches applied to both marine and terrestrial ecosystems ensure the detection of biochemical and functional status of the cells composing either an organ thereof or the organism itself.

Assessing the Ecological Quality Status in tropical Indian estuaries: testing the applicability of benthic foraminiferal indices.

The ecological quality status (EcoQS) of Vellar and Uppanar estuaries (Southeast coast of India) has been monitored monthly, using a combination of foraminiferal (Foram Stress Index: FSI and exp(H') indices and abiotic (Pollution Load Index: PLI, Dissolved Oxygen: DO, and Total Organic Carbon: TOC) parameters. The Uppanar Estuary shows relatively higher values of PLI and TOC and lower DO values than Vellar Estuary. The highest value of TOC and PLI are recorded during the monsoon season.

Exploring the underwater life in transitional environments: Benthic foraminifera, ostracods, and dinoflagellate cysts - Biotic trends and EcoQS assessment in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian sea, southern Italy).

Coastal areas have historically thrived as centers of human activities due to their resources, economic opportunities, and natural allure. The rapid growth of coastal populations has however brought forth a multitude of challenges to tackle, with pollution emerging as a significant and far-reaching issue. Our study focuses on the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea, Southern Italy), a lagoon-like coastal basin (separated in two sub-basins) that, since decades, has been heavily affected by human activities and aquaculture, leading to environmental deterioration.

Assessing the potential of nematode metabarcoding for benthic monitoring of offshore oil platforms.

Environmental DNA metabarcoding is gaining momentum as a time and cost-effective tool for biomonitoring and environmental impact assessment. Yet, its use as a replacement for the conventional marine benthic monitoring based on morphological analysis of macrofauna is still challenging. Here we propose to study the meiofauna, which is much better represented in sediment DNA samples.

Deciphering the impact of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) on benthic foraminiferal communities: Insights from Cell-Tracker Green staining and eDNA metabarcoding.

This study investigates the ecotoxicological effects of BDE-209, a persistent organic pollutant (POP) prevalent in Kuwait's coastal-industrial areas, on benthic foraminiferal communities. We conducted a mesocosm experiment in which we exposed benthic foraminiferal communities sampled from the coastal-industrial areas of Kuwait to a gradient of BDE-209 concentrations (0.01 to 20 mg/kg).

Assessment of the ecological quality status of the Sepetiba Bay (SE Brazil): When metabarcoding meets morphology on foraminifera.

In recent years, the region surrounding Sepetiba Bay (SB; SE Brazil) has become a hub of intense urban expansion and economic exploitation in response to ore transport and industrial and port activities. As a result, contaminants have been introduced into the bay, leading to an overall worsening of the environmental quality. The present work applies for the first time a foraminiferal morphology-based approach (M) and eDNA-based metabarcoding sequencing (G), along with geochemical data to assess the ecological quality status (EcoQS) in the SB.

Developing and testing an Arduino-based microcurrent stimulator to mimic marine electric pollution on benthos.

The lack of economic funds commonly represents a limiting factor in scientific research and prevents scientists from developing brilliant ideas. Indeed, a new project may involve using appropriate scientific instruments and concurrently dealing with the costs before pursuing new research fields. The innovative concept of investigating the effects of electric fields, as a simulation of marine electrical pollution, on benthic organisms such as foraminifera (marine protozoa) has been recently explored by our research group.

Benthic foraminifera as bioindicators of marine pollution: A bibliometric approach to unravel trends, patterns and perspectives.

Benthic foraminifera, single-celled marine organisms, are known for their wide distribution, high abundance and species diversity, test (i.e., shell) preservation in the sedimentary (e.

Fine-grained interplanetary dust input during the Turonian (Late Cretaceous): evidence from osmium isotope and platinum group elements.

The Turonian age (~ 90-94 Ma) was the hottest geological interval in the Cretaceous and also marked by the K3 event, a pronounced enrichment of He in pelagic sediments (i.e., massive input of extraterrestrial materials).

Benthic foraminifera as proxies for assessing the effects of a pier marina construction: A case study in the naturally stressed environment of the Saco da Ribeira (Flamengo Bay, SE Brazil).

Brazilian coastal areas have been exposed to various anthropic influences including physical alteration such as marina construction. To assess the impact of the pier marina construction in the Saco da Ribeira cove (Flamengo Bay, SE Brazil), sedimentological (grain size), geochemical (organic and trace elements) parameters and benthic foraminifera were analyzed on a 50-cm-long dated sediment core covering the last century. The multiproxy approach applied to a numerical hydrodynamic model shows that the circulation in the study area underwent an overall reduction (ca.

Evaluation of the Effects of Electrical Stimulation: A Pilot Experiment on the Marine Benthic Foraminiferal Species .

Environmental disturbances resulting from anthropogenic energy pollution are intensely growing and represent a concern for the marine environment. Benthic organisms are the significant fauna exposed to this kind of pollution; among them, foraminifera are largely used as pollution bioindicators in marine environments, but studies on the effects induced by electrical stimulation are not documented. In the present research, we evaluated the effects of short-term different electric current densities on the viability of benthic foraminiferal species by checking the pseudopodial activity and defined the threshold electrical density range.

Fascinating strategies of marine benthic organisms to cope with emerging pollutant: Titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (NPs) have numerous applications, and their demands have increased as an alternative for banned sunscreen filters. However, the underlying mechanisms of their toxicity, remain largely unknown. Here, we investigate the mechanism of TiO NP cytotoxicity and detoxification through time-course experiments (1, 6, and 24 h) based on cellular observations and single-cell transcriptome analyses in a marine benthic foraminifer strain, derived from a common unicellular eukaryotic organism worldwide.

Encapsulated in sediments: eDNA deciphers the ecosystem history of one of the most polluted European marine sites.

The Anthropocene is characterized by dramatic ecosystem changes driven by human activities. The impact of these activities can be assessed by different geochemical and paleontological proxies. However, each of these proxies provides only a fragmentary insight into the effects of anthropogenic impacts.

Inferring the ecological quality status based on living benthic foraminiferal indices in transitional areas of the Guanabara bay (SE Brazil).

Using benthic foraminifera, we evaluate the ecological quality status (EcoQS) of transitional waters of the Guanabara Bay (SE Brazil) by applying the diversity-based index exp (H') and the sensitivity-based Foram-AMBI for the first time in South America. The Guanabara Bay was selected for this study as it is one of the largest transitional ecosystems in the State of Rio de Janeiro and has been severely impacted by anthropogenic activities. Concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) were assessed by sequential chemical extraction in three phases (i.

Mercury-Induced Oxidative Stress Response in Benthic Foraminifera: An In Vivo Experiment on .

The evaluation of the effects of pollution (e.g., Hg pollution) is a difficult task and relies mostly on biomonitoring based on bioindicators.

Astronomical tuning of the Aptian stage and its implications for age recalibrations and paleoclimatic events.

The Aptian was characterized by dramatic tectonic, oceanographic, climatic and biotic changes and its record is punctuated by Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs). The timing and duration of these events are still contentious, particularly the age of the Barremian-Aptian boundary. This study presents a cyclostratigraphic evaluation of a high-resolution multiproxy dataset (δC, δO, MS and ARM) from the Poggio le Guaine core.

Factors driving sediment compositional change in the distal area of the Ria de Vigo (NW Spain): oceanographic processes vs. paleopollution.

We analyze potential Late Holocene metal contamination along a sediment core collected in the distal zone of Ria de Vigo (North Spain). Statistical treatment of the dataset based on a multiproxy approach enabled us to identify and disentangle factors influencing the depositional processes and the preservation of the records of this activity in the area over the last ≈3000 years BP. Some layers of the analyzed core have significant enrichment in Cu and a moderate enrichment in Ag, Mo, As, Sb, S, Zn, Ni, Sn, Cd, Cr, Co, Pb, and Li.

Benthic foraminifera as proxies for the environmental quality assessment of the Kuwait Bay (Kuwait, Arabian Gulf): Morphological and metabarcoding approaches.

The rapid urbanization and industrialization of Kuwait and the consequent effluent discharges into marine environments have resulted in a degradation of water and sediment quality in the coastal marine ecosystems such as in the Kuwait Bay. This study investigates the ecological response of benthic foraminifera (protists) to environmental stress in the Kuwait Bay. The traditional morphological approach was compared to the innovative environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to evaluate the ecological quality status (EcoQS).

Environmental RNA outperforms eDNA metabarcoding in assessing impact of marine pollution: A chromium-spiked mesocosm test.

Environmental (e)DNA metabarcoding holds great promise for biomonitoring and ecotoxicological applications. However, few studies have compared the performance of eDNA versus eRNA metabarcoding in assessing organismal response to marine pollution, in experimental conditions. Here, we performed a chromium (Cr)-spiked mesocosm experimental test on benthic foraminiferal community to investigate the effects on species diversity by analysing both eDNA and eRNA metabarcoding data across different Cr concentrations in the sediment.

Trace metals enrichment and potential ecological risk in sediments of the Sepetiba Bay (Rio de Janeiro, SE Brazil).

The Sepetiba Bay (SB; SE Brazil) has been severely affected by growing of urbanization and industrial activity. This work aims to analyze the evolution of contamination by metals of sediments in SB. The results show a marked increasing trend in the concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), which is consistent with the rapid populational and industrial growth, mostly since 1970 CE.