Temperature dependent sensitivity of the harpacticoid copepod Nitokra spinipes to marine algal toxins.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) - proliferated algae densities, often producing toxins - have increasingly been found in ocean and coastal areas. Recent studies show that rising temperatures contribute to HAB occurrence, but the broader influence of climate change on these outbreaks is less quantified. Of particular concern is the limited research on HAB toxin effects under varying temperatures, especially regarding primary consumers such as copepods, a crucial component of aquatic ecosystems.

Health risks associated with the consumption of sea turtles: A review of chelonitoxism incidents and the presumed responsible phycotoxins.

Consuming the meat of some marine turtles can lead to a specific type of seafood poisoning known as chelonitoxism. A recent poisoning event (March 2024) on the Tanzanian island Pemba, resulting in the death of 9 people and hospitalization of 78 others, underscores the need to obtain an up to date overview and understanding of chelonitoxism. Here, we document a global overview of poisoning incidents resulting from the consumption of sea turtle flesh worldwide.

Contribution of combined stressors on density and gene expression dynamics of the copepod Temora longicornis in the North Sea.

The impact of multiple environmental and anthropogenic stressors on the marine environment remains poorly understood. Therefore, we studied the contribution of environmental variables to the densities and gene expression of the dominant zooplankton species in the Belgian part of the North Sea, the calanoid copepod Temora longicornis. We observed a reduced density of copepods, which were also smaller in size, in samples taken from nearshore locations when compared to those obtained from offshore stations.

Assessment of road run-off and domestic wastewater contribution to microplastic pollution in a densely populated area (Flanders, Belgium).

Plastics are omnipresent in our daily life. Unfortunately, the produced plastics will partly end up in the environment including aquatic ecosystems. People often refer to littering or illegal waste dumping as sources of plastic emission to the environment.

Distribution of microplastics in freshwater systems in an urbanized region: A case study in Flanders (Belgium).

Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging pollutant of concern in all known aquatic ecosystems. However, studies at a regional scale on MP pollution in freshwater systems and the necessary risk assessments are limited. Therefore, in this study, we examined microplastic concentrations, size distributions, and polymer types in surface waters and sediments in the geographic region Flanders (Belgium), as a case study for a densely populated region and one of the most developed parts of Europe.

Toward a Better Understanding of the Contribution of Wastewater Treatment Plants to Microplastic Pollution in Receiving Waterways.

Microplastics (1 µm-5 mm), are ubiquitous in daily-use products and regularly end up in the wastewater. The main part of the wastewater is treated in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), which allow for at least partial removal of microplastics. The present study aimed to understand the contribution of domestic wastewater to microplastic pollution in Flanders (Belgium) via two main discharge routes of microplastics: (1) the effluent, and (2) removed fractions.

Allometric scaling improves the characterization of complex community transcriptomes.

Allometric scaling, that is scaling patterns in physiological processes relative to body size, can be used to overcome the current limitations in metatranscriptomics. Metatranscriptomics refers to the use of RNA transcripts to characterize a complex community. In contrast to metagenomics, metatranscriptomics allows one to simultaneously address community composition and functionality through the characterization of the community transcriptome.

Spatio-temporal patterns in the gene expression of the calanoid copepod Temora longicornis in the Belgian part of the North Sea.

Marine zooplankton are increasingly being affected by recent environmental changes, such as climate change, and respond with profound spatial relocations and shifts in phenology and physiology. In order to predict whether populations are able to persist or adapt to such new conditions, it is essential to understand the molecular basis of such adaptations, which ultimately get translated into these physiological responses. To explore variation in population gene expression across time and space, we investigated transcriptome-level profiles of the calanoid copepod Temora longicornis, that were collected at four different locations in the Belgian Part of the North Sea (BPNS) on three different time points (April, June, October) in 2018.

Evaluating the potential of direct RNA nanopore sequencing: Metatranscriptomics highlights possible seasonal differences in a marine pelagic crustacean zooplankton community.

The implementation of cost-effective monitoring programs for zooplankton remains challenging due to the requirements of taxonomical expertise and the high costs of sampling and species identification. To reduce costs, molecular methods have been proposed as alternatives to morphology-based monitoring. Metatranscriptomics can contribute to promote both cost-effectiveness and accuracy of biological assessments of aquatic ecosystems.

Genome-Wide Stress Responses to Copper and Arsenic in a Field Population of Daphnia.

Over the past decade, significant advances have been made to unravel molecular mechanisms of stress response in different ecotoxicological model species. Within this study, we focus on population level transcriptomic responses of a natural population of Daphnia magna Straus, (1820), to heavy metals. We aim to characterize the population level transcriptomic responses, which include standing genetic variation, and improve our understanding on how populations respond to environmental stress at a molecular level.

The transcriptome of the marine calanoid copepod Temora longicornis under heat stress and recovery.

Understanding the impacts of global change in zooplankton communities is crucial, as alterations in the zooplankton communities can affect entire marine ecosystems. Despite the economic and ecological importance of the calanoid copepod Temora longicornis in the Belgian part of the North Sea, molecular data is still very limited for this species. Using HiSeq Illumina sequencing, we sequenced the whole transcriptome of T.

Molecular phylogenetics of the genus Costularia (Schoeneae, Cyperaceae) reveals multiple distinct evolutionary lineages.

We investigated the monophyly of Costularia (25 species), a genus of tribe Schoeneae (Cyperaceae) that illustrates a remarkable distribution pattern from southeastern Africa, over Madagascar, the Mascarenes and Seychelles, to Malesia and New Caledonia. A further species, Tetraria borneensis, has been suggested to belong to Costularia. Relationships and divergence times were inferred using an existing four marker phylogeny of Cyperaceae tribe Schoeneae expanded with newly generated sequence data mainly for Costularia s.