Detection of the Cyclic Imines Pinnatoxin G, 13-Desmethyl Spirolide C and 20-Methyl Spirolide G in Bivalve Molluscs from Great Britain.

Harmful algal biotoxins in the marine environment are a threat to human food safety due to their bioaccumulation in bivalve shellfish. Whilst official control monitoring provides ongoing risk management for regulated toxins in live bivalve molluscs, no routine monitoring system is currently in operation in the UK for other non-regulated toxins. To assess the potential presence of such compounds, a systematic screen of bivalve shellfish was conducted throughout Great Britain.

Coastal Lagoon's dual role as a sink and source for microplastics: A case study from India.

Coastal lagoons, acting as transitional zones, are increasingly threatened by microplastic (MP) pollution. This study investigates the spatio-seasonal distribution of MPs in Chilika Lagoon sediments to propose effective mitigation measures. MPs were extracted using density flotation and wet peroxide oxidation, followed by quantitative analysis with a stereomicroscope and qualitative analysis with micro-Fourier Transform Infrared (μ-FTIR) spectroscopy.

Does what we find depend on how we sample? Measured streambed microplastic concentrations can be affected by the choice of sampling method.

Microplastics (MPs) are prevalent in rivers worldwide and can adversely impact riverine ecosystems. To sample for MPs in streambeds, a variety of different sampling techniques is applied, including (i) scooping, (ii) coring, (iii) freeze coring, (iv) resuspension method, and (v) piezometer sampling. These common sampling techniques capture different parts of the streambed and different sampling volumes.

Realising a global One Health disease surveillance approach: insights from wastewater and beyond.

One Health is a recognition of the shared environment inhabited by humans, animals and plants, and the impact of their interactions on the health of all organisms. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for a framework of pathogen surveillance in a tractable One Health paradigm to allow timely detection and response to threats to human and animal health. We present case studies centered around the recent global approach to tackle antimicrobial resistance and the current interest in wastewater testing, with the concept of "one sample many analyses" to be further explored as the most appropriate means of initiating this endeavor.

Seafloor macrolitter as a settling platform for non-native species: A case study from UK waters.

Marine litter is increasingly recognised as a vector for the spread of non-native species (NNS). However, our understanding of its role in the propagation of NNS in UK waters remains limited. As part of the Clean Seas Environmental Monitoring Programme, we opportunistically analysed seafloor macrolitter items trawled from various locations around the coast of England and Wales and examined each for the presence of NNS.

We need to talk about the role of zooplankton in marine food webs.

Zooplankton are the key intermediary between primary production and the fish community and a cornerstone of marine food webs, but they are often poorly represented in models that tend to focus on fish, charismatic top predators, or ocean biogeochemistry. In this study, we use an intermediate complexity end-to-end food web model of the North Sea with explicit two-way coupling of zooplankton to phytoplankton and higher trophic levels to ask whether this matters. We vary the metabolic rate of omnivorous zooplankton (OZ) as a proxy for uncertainties in our understanding and modeling of zooplankton form and function, and moving beyond previous studies we look at the impacts on the food web in concert with climate warming and fishing.

Nanopore sequencing for identification and characterization of antimicrobial-resistant and spp. from tilapia and shrimp sold at wet markets in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Wet markets in low-and middle-income countries are often reported to have inadequate sanitation resulting in fecal contamination of sold produce. Consumption of contaminated wet market-sourced foods has been linked to individual illness and disease outbreaks. This pilot study, conducted in two major wet markets in Dhaka city, Bangladesh during a 4-month period in 2021 aimed to assess the occurrence and characteristics of and non-typhoidal spp.

Seasonal profile of common pharmaceuticals in edible bivalve molluscs.

Pharmaceuticals are recognised as environmental contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) due to their increasing presence in the aquatic environment, along with high bioactivity linked to their therapeutic use. Therefore, information on environmental levels is urgently required. This study examined the presence of a range of common pharmaceuticals in oysters and mussels intended for human consumption from England and Wales using stable isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry.

Arthropod diversity in the alpine tundra using metabarcoding: Spatial and temporal differences in alpha- and beta-diversity.

All ecosystems face ecological challenges in this century. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the ecology and degree of local adaptation of functionally important Arctic-alpine biomes by looking at the most diverse taxon of metazoans: the Arthropoda. This is the first study to utilize metabarcoding in the Alpine tundra, providing insights into the effects of micro-environmental parameters on alpha- and beta-diversity of arthropods in such unique environments.

Pre-fertilization gamete thermal environment influences reproductive success, unmasking opposing sex-specific responses in Atlantic salmon ().

The environment gametes perform in just before fertilization is increasingly recognized to affect offspring fitness, yet the contributions of male and female gametes and their adaptive significance remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated gametic thermal plasticity and its effects on hatching success and embryo performance in Atlantic salmon (). Eggs and sperm were incubated overnight at 2°C or 8°C, temperatures within the optimal thermal range of this species.

Pasteurella sp. associated with fatal septicaemia in six African elephants.

The sudden mortality of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Botswana and Zimbabwe in 2020 provoked considerable public interest and speculation. Poaching and malicious poisoning were excluded early on in the investigation. Other potential causes included environmental intoxication, infectious diseases, and increased habitat stress due to ongoing drought.

The Presence of in North Atlantic Aquaculture Sites, Implications for Monitoring Amnesic Shellfish Toxins.

The farming of shellfish plays an important role in providing sustainable economic growth in coastal, rural communities in Scotland and acts as an anchor industry, supporting a range of ancillary jobs in the processing, distribution and exporting industries. The Scottish Government is encouraging shellfish farmers to double their economic contribution by 2030. These farmers face numerous challenges to reach this goal, among which is the problem caused by toxin-producing microplankton that can contaminate their shellfish, leading to harvesting site closure and the recall of product.

Evidence of hybridization between genetically distinct Baltic cod stocks during peak population abundance(s).

Range expansions can lead to increased contact of divergent populations, thus increasing the potential of hybridization events. Whether viable hybrids are produced will most likely depend on the level of genomic divergence and associated genomic incompatibilities between the different entities as well as environmental conditions. By taking advantage of historical Baltic cod () otolith samples combined with genotyping and whole genome sequencing, we here investigate the genetic impact of the increased spawning stock biomass of the eastern Baltic cod stock in the mid 1980s.

Combining Nanopore Sequencing with Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Enables Identification of Dinoflagellates from the Genus, Providing a Rapid, Field Deployable Tool.

The armoured dinoflagellate can be found throughout many of the world's temperate and tropical marine environments. The genus has been studied extensively since approximately half of its members produce a family of potent neurotoxins, collectively called saxitoxin. These compounds represent a significant threat to animal and environmental health.

Evaluating the suitability of close-kin mark-recapture as a demographic modelling tool for a critically endangered elasmobranch population.

Estimating the demographic parameters of contemporary populations is essential to the success of elasmobranch conservation programmes, and to understanding their recent evolutionary history. For benthic elasmobranchs such as skates, traditional fisheries-independent approaches are often unsuitable as the data may be subject to various sources of bias, whilst low recapture rates can render mark-recapture programmes ineffectual. Close-kin mark-recapture (CKMR), a novel demographic modelling approach based on the genetic identification of close relatives within a sample, represents a promising alternative approach as it does not require physical recaptures.

Microplastics in Freshwater Sediments Impact the Role of a Main Bioturbator in Ecosystem Functioning.

While microplastic transport, fate, and effects have been a focus of studies globally, the consequences of their presence on ecosystem functioning have not received the same attention. With increasing evidence of the accumulation of microplastics at sediment-water interfaces there is a need to assess their impacts on ecosystem engineers, also known as bioturbators, which have direct and indirect effects on ecosystem health. This study investigated the impact of microplastics on the bioturbator alongside any effects on the biogeochemical processes at the sediment-water interface.

Understanding and improving biosecurity among recreational anglers in Great Britain.

Recreational fishing with the principal motivation of leisure is associated with important economic, social and conservation values. Nonetheless, it is also a primary pathway for the introduction and spread of invasive non-native species and aquatic animal disease. Several studies have explored the overall biosecurity risk posed by recreational anglers based on self-reported behaviours and the awareness of biosecurity campaigns.

A Feasibility Study into the Production of a Mussel Matrix Reference Material for the Cyanobacterial Toxins Microcystins and Nodularins.

Microcystins and nodularins, produced naturally by certain species of cyanobacteria, have been found to accumulate in aquatic foodstuffs such as fish and shellfish, resulting in a risk to the health of the seafood consumer. Monitoring of toxins in such organisms for risk management purposes requires the availability of certified matrix reference materials to aid method development, validation and routine quality assurance. This study consequently targeted the preparation of a mussel tissue reference material incurred with a range of microcystin analogues and nodularins.

Modelling of marine debris pathways into UK waters: Example of non-native crustaceans transported across the Atlantic Ocean on floating marine debris.

The long-distance transfer of non-native, potentially invasive species via floating marine debris is an increasing threat to biodiversity and conservation efforts. To address the lack of understanding around mechanisms and pathways of species transfer via marine debris, a novel modelling approach was applied to recreate the likely trajectory and source of a large piece of debris fouled by non-native species collected from UK marine waters. This approach applied the Oil Spill Contingency and Response (OSCAR) simulation tool, an adapted oil spill modelling programme, which was informed by a combination of biological trait information for the foulant species, marine debris characteristics and hydrodynamic data.

Paralytic Shellfish Toxins of (Dinophyceae) in the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico.

In September and November 2016, eight marine sampling sites along the coast of the southeastern Gulf of Mexico were monitored for the presence of lipophilic and hydrophilic toxins. Water temperature, salinity, hydrogen potential, dissolved oxygen saturation, inorganic nutrients and phytoplankton abundance were also determined. Two samples filtered through glass fiber filters were used for the extraction and analysis of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) by lateral flow immunochromatography (IFL), HPLC with post-column oxidation and fluorescent detection (FLD) and UHPLC coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS).