Locally developed models improve the accuracy of remotely assessed metrics as a rapid tool to classify sandy beach morphodynamics.

Classification of beaches into morphodynamic states is a common approach in sandy beach studies, due to the influence of natural variables in ecological patterns and processes. The use of remote sensing for identifying beach type and monitoring changes has been commonly applied through multiple methods, which often involve expensive equipment and software processing of images. A previous study on the South African Coast developed a method to classify beaches using conditional tree inferences, based on beach morphological features estimated from public available satellite images, without the need for remote sensing processing, which allowed for a large-scale characterization.

The relative contribution of non-selection and selection processes in marine benthic assemblages.

We tested the hypothesis that the ubiquity of marine meiofaunal nematodes and their indiscriminate passive dispersal create assemblages that are less limited by its environment; whereas the relatively smaller population sizes of macrofauna, associated with their ability to track environmental conditions before settlement, renders their distribution more environmentally-restricted. We compared the empirical distribution of macrofauna and nematode species with that of communities simulated under different assumptions of selection (e.g.

Laundering and textile parameters influence fibers release in household washings.

Synthetic fibers represent one of the main forms of microplastics in marine environment and recently were related to household washings as a source. Although other types of fiber, like natural, do not rely under this classification, there is a potential for them to act as a vector of toxic substances to biota in the same way as microplastics do. Consequently all types of fiber have the potential to cause variable ecologic and socioeconomic impacts.