The long-term provision of ocean ecosystem services depends on healthy ecosystems and effective sustainable management. Understanding public opinion about marine and coastal ecosystems is important to guide decision-making and inform specific actions. However, available data on public perceptions on the interlinked effects of climate change, human impacts and the value and management of marine and coastal ecosystems are rare.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiological diversity in the marine and coastal environment is declining globally. Several layers of governance intertwine in the regulation of biodiversity with multiple strains of policy developments taking place at the international, national and subnational levels. In particular, the subnational level of governance has become crucial in the implementation of biodiversity protection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSoutheast Asia is considered to have some of the highest levels of marine plastic pollution in the world. It is therefore vitally important to increase our understanding of the impacts and risks of plastic pollution to marine ecosystems and the essential services they provide to support the development of mitigation measures in the region. An interdisciplinary, international network of experts (Australia, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam) set a research agenda for marine plastic pollution in the region, synthesizing current knowledge and highlighting areas for further research in Southeast Asia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA new technique for generating bulk nanobubble suspensions has been developed based on Henry's law which states that the amount of dissolved gas in a liquid is proportional to its partial pressure above the liquid. This principle which forms the basis of vacuum degasification has been exploited here to produce stable bulk nanobubbles in excess of 10 bubble mL in pure water, through successive expansion/compression strokes inside a sealed syringe. We provide evidence that the observed nano-entities must be gas-filled nanobubbles by showing that: (i) they cannot be attributed to organic or inorganic impurities; (ii) they disappear gradually over time whilst their mean size remains unchanged; (iii) their number density depends on the concentration of dissolved gas in water and its solubility; and (iv) added sparging of gas enhances process yield.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInternational institutions, understood as sets of rules contained in international agreements, are aimed at orienting national governments towards specific policy options. Nevertheless, they can determine a change in national policies and practices only if states are willing and capable of incorporating international obligations into their national legislations and ensuring their application and enforcement in areas that follow completely under national jurisdiction. The establishment of marine protected areas promoted by international agreements as a tool for the protection of marine resources represents an interesting case for revealing the complex interactions between international institutions and national actors.
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