Conservation action should come before publication.

With regard to the recent discovery of the red imported fire ant in Sicily (Menchetti et al. 2023), Genovesi et al. highlight the delay in communicating the observation and call on the scientific communities, scientific journals, and local authorities to ensure that new invasive alien species records are immediately reported for enhancing action.

Assessment of contaminants of emerging concern in European apex predators and their prey by LC-QToF MS wide-scope target analysis.

Apex predators are good indicators of environmental pollution since they are relatively long-lived and their high trophic position and spatiotemporal exposure to chemicals provides insights into the persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) properties of chemicals. Although monitoring data from apex predators can considerably support chemicals' management, there is a lack of pan-European studies, and longer-term monitoring of chemicals in organisms from higher trophic levels. The present study investigated the occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in 67 freshwater, marine and terrestrial apex predators and in freshwater and marine prey, gathered from four European countries.

Ecological and human health risks of antibiotics in marine species through mass transfer from sea to land in a coastal area: A case study in Qinzhou Bay, the South China sea.

Antibiotics have been detected in aquatic environment around the world. Understanding internal concentrations of antibiotics in organisms could further improve risk governance. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of seven sulfonamides, four tetracyclines, five fluoroquinolones, and five macrolides antibiotics in six fish, four crustaceans, and five mollusks species collected from Qinzhou Bay, an important part of the Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea in 2018.

Unusual characteristics of the carbon cycle during the 2015-2016 El Niño.

The 2015-2016 El Niño was one of the strongest on record, but its influence on the carbon balance is less clear. Using Northern Hemisphere atmospheric CO observations, we found both detrended atmospheric CO growth rate (CGR) and CO seasonal-cycle amplitude (SCA) of 2015-2016 were much higher than that of other El Niño events. The simultaneous high CGR and SCA were unusual, because our analysis of long-term CO observations at Mauna Loa revealed a significantly negative correlation between CGR and SCA.

A roadmap for improving the representation of photosynthesis in Earth system models.

Accurate representation of photosynthesis in terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) is essential for robust projections of global change. However, current representations vary markedly between TBMs, contributing uncertainty to projections of global carbon fluxes. Here we compared the representation of photosynthesis in seven TBMs by examining leaf and canopy level responses of photosynthetic CO assimilation (A) to key environmental variables: light, temperature, CO concentration, vapor pressure deficit and soil water content.

Few multiyear precipitation-reduction experiments find a shift in the productivity-precipitation relationship.

Well-defined productivity-precipitation relationships of ecosystems are needed as benchmarks for the validation of land models used for future projections. The productivity-precipitation relationship may be studied in two ways: the spatial approach relates differences in productivity to those in precipitation among sites along a precipitation gradient (the spatial fit, with a steeper slope); the temporal approach relates interannual productivity changes to variation in precipitation within sites (the temporal fits, with flatter slopes). Precipitation-reduction experiments in natural ecosystems represent a complement to the fits, because they can reduce precipitation below the natural range and are thus well suited to study potential effects of climate drying.

Meeting report: the fifth Genomic Standards Consortium (GSC) workshop.

This meeting report summarizes the proceedings of the fifth Genomic Standards Consortium (GSC) workshop held December 12-14, 2007, at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI), Cambridge, UK. This fifth workshop served as a milestone event in the evolution of the GSC (launched in September 2005); the key outcome of the workshop was the finalization of a stable version of the MIGS specification (v2.0) for publication.

The histidine utilization (hut) genes of Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 are active on plant surfaces, but are not required for competitive colonization of sugar beet seedlings.

The ability to monitor the spatial and temporal distribution of signals in complex environments is necessary for an understanding of the function of bacteria in the wild. To this end, an existing recombinase-based transcriptional reporter strategy (recombinase-based in vivo expression technology, RIVET) has been extended and applied to the plant-colonizing bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25. Central to the project was a rhizosphere-inducible locus, rhi14, which functional analyses show is hutT, a histidine-inducible gene that is required for histidine utilization.

The indigenous Pseudomonas plasmid pQBR103 encodes plant-inducible genes, including three putative helicases.

Plasmid pQBR103 ( approximately 400 kb) is representative of many self-transmissible, mercury resistant plasmids observed in the Pseudomonas community colonising the phytosphere of sugar beet. A promoter trapping strategy (IVET) was employed to identify pQBR103 genes showing elevated levels of expression on plant surfaces. Thirty-seven different plant-inducible gene fusions were isolated that were silent in laboratory media, but active in the plant environment.

Spatial distribution of iron oxidation in the aerobic cells of the Wheal Jane Pilot Passive Treatment Plant.

The wetland cells of the Wheal Jane Pilot Passive Treatment Plant (PPTP) were designed to promote aerobic oxidation and precipitation of iron which could exceed a concentration of 100 mg l-1 in the raw mine water. The largest investment of land area was to the wetland (also called aerobic) cells and it was important to understand the processes of oxidation and precipitation of iron so that the performance of this part of the pilot passive treatment plant (PPTP) could be managed efficiently. The results of a high-resolution sampling programme on the distribution of Fe(II) within the first wetland cell of each treatment system are described.

PCB congener dynamics in a heavily industrialized river catchment.

PCB congener concentrations in the water column of a highly industrialized river catchment, the Aire/Calder, in N.E. England were determined weekly on a routine basis, and 2 hourly through selected high flow (flood) events.

Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (Acari: Ixodidae): dynamics of Thogoto virus infection in female ticks during feeding on guinea pigs.

Engorged nymphs (Rhipicephalus appendiculatus) were inoculated parenterally with Thogoto (THO) virus (approximately 1 microl per nymph; 10(6)-10(7) PFU/ml). The adult females which resulted were used as the source of infected ticks for this study. Hemolymph, salivary glands, synganglion, gut, ovary, and Malpighian tubules were collected on each day of the blood meal and titrated for THO virus by plaque assay.

A spatial analysis of atmospheric ammonia and ammonium in the U.K.

As measures are implemented internationally to reduce SO2 and NOx emissions, attention is falling on the contribution of NH3 emissions to acidification, nitrogen eutrophication, and aerosol formation. In the U.K.

Metals in bulk deposition and surface waters at two upland locations in northern England.

Concentrations of aluminium and minor metals (Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Cd, Ba, Pb) were measured in precipitation and surface water at two upland locations (Upper Duddon Valley, UDV; Great Dun Fell, GDF) in northern England for 1 year commencing April 1998. At both locations, the loads in bulk precipitation were at the lower ends of ranges reported for other rural and remote sites, for the period 1985-1995. The deposited metals were mostly in the dissolved form, and their concentrations tended to be greatest when rainfall volumes were low.

Calcite saturation in eastern UK rivers.

Calcite saturation in eastern UK rivers is assessed in relation to the potential kinetic inhibition of calcite precipitation. Two well established inhibitors are considered: soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP, i.e.

The phosphorus budget of the Thame catchment, Oxfordshire, UK: 1. Mass balance.

The relative magnitudes of annual diffuse and point source loads of phosphorus (P) to the River Thame were estimated from daily and monthly measurements of discharge and concentration. Existing data from gauging and monitoring sites on the river network and at point sources were supplemented by survey data at a range of spatial scales. Results showed that during low flow periods most of the P could be attributed to point sources, while at high flows the figure was less than 10%.