Publications by authors named "S Gottstein"

As the human population in urban areas is continuously growing, urbanization is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. To mitigate the negative effects, the inclusion of blue zones (aquatic habitats) in modern urban development practices is strongly recommended, as they could be beneficial for the local biodiversity conservation. Odonata are a flagship group and are widely used in freshwater conservation as ecological indicators of habitat integrity and health.

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Article Synopsis
  • Research on the evolution of phenotypic traits during the transition to novel environments, particularly groundwater colonization by surface organisms, is limited due to challenges in studying diverse species.
  • The team has developed the World Asellidae database (WAD), which provides extensive data on freshwater isopods, including species occurrences, specimens, and genetic information, to aid in comparative evolutionary studies.
  • Through a phylogenetic analysis involving 34 species pairs, evidence is presented that male body size decreases when transitioning to groundwater habitats, suggesting evolutionary pressures from competition for females may drive this change.
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Given the increasing need to protect vulnerable freshwater ecosystems and make them more resilient to human use and climate change, biomonitoring of the hyporheic zone (HZ), which plays a critical role in pollution attenuation, is essential. The aim of the present study was to assess the potential of the amphipod species Synurella ambulans as a bioindicator of metal contamination in the HZ of the Sava River (Croatia). Amphipods were collected during the four seasons at two sampling sites (average sampling depth 55 cm) differing in type (agricultural and urban) and intensity (diffuse and point source contamination) of anthropogenic influence, one located upstream (Medsave), and the other downstream (Jarun) of the wastewater treatment plant discharge.

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Introduction: As patients, members of the public, and professional stakeholders engage in co-producing health-related research, an important issue to consider is trauma. Trauma is very common and associated with a wide range of physical and behavioural health conditions. Thus, it may benefit research partnerships to consider its impact on their stakeholders as well as its relevance to the health condition under study.

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