Climate-driven changes in underwater irradiance and primary productivity in an Antarctic fjord (Potter Cove, Western Antarctic Peninsula).

The West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is a hotspot of climate warming, evidencing glacier retreat and a decrease in the fast-ice duration. This study provides a > 30-y time-series (1987-2022) on annual and seasonal air temperatures in Potter Cove (Isla 25 de Mayo/King George Island). It investigates the interaction between warming, glacial melt, fast-ice and the underwater conditions (light, salinity, temperature, turbidity) over a period of 10 years along the fjord axis (2010-2019), and for the first time provides a unique continuous underwater irradiance time series over 5 years (2014-2018).

Increasing microplastic concentrations have nonlinear impacts on the physiology of reef-building corals.

The pollution of marine environments with plastics, particularly microplastic (MP, i.e., plastic particles <5 mm), is a major threat to marine biota, including corals.

Photosymbiosis shaped animal genome architecture and gene evolution as revealed in giant clams.

Symbioses are major drivers of organismal diversification and phenotypic innovation. However, how long-term symbioses shape whole genome evolution in metazoans is still underexplored. Here, we use a giant clam (Tridacna maxima) genome to demonstrate how symbiosis has left complex signatures in an animal's genome.

Epidemiological and genetic charateristics of Vibrio vulnificus from diverse sources in China during 2012-2023.

Vibrio vulnificus is a significant zoonotic pathogen that causes severe vibriosis in humans and fish. The lack of a national annual surveillance program in China has hindered understanding of its epidemiological characteristics and genetic diversity. This study characterized 150 V.

Two types of heavy precipitation in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

The southeastern Tibetan Plateau (SETP) is the preeminent summer heavy precipitation region within the Tibetan Plateau (TP). However, the large-scale circulation types and dynamics driving summer heavy precipitation in the SETP remain inadequately elucidated. Using the hierarchical clustering method, two distinctive atmospheric circulation patterns associated with heavy precipitation were identified: the Tibetan Plateau vortex type (TPVT, constituting 56.

Chermesins I-N: Bioactive spiromeroterpenoids from the marine-sourced fungus Penicillium chermesinum AS-400.

Six previously undescribed spiromeroterpenoids, chermesins I-N (1-6), were isolated and identified from the marine-sourced fungus Penicillium chermesinum AS-400. Their structures were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopic data, and the relative and absolute configurations were confirmed based on nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopic experiments, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations and X-ray crystallographic analysis, and by comparisons of ECD Cotton effects with those of known congeners as well. Structurally, compound 1 represents the first example of spiromeroterpenoid demethylated at C-4.

Antimicrobial polyketides from the endophytic fungus Fusarium asiaticum QA-6 derived from medicinal plant Artemisia argyi.

Seven previously undescribed polyketide derivatives, fusariumtides A-G (1-7), together with three known analogues (8-10), were isolated from the culture extract of Fusarium asiaticum QA-6, an endophytic fungus obtained from the fresh stem tissue of the medicinal plant Artemisia argyi H. Lev. & Vaniot.

Comparative species delimitation of a biological conservation icon.

The United States Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 set a precedent for biodiversity conservation across the globe. A key requirement of protections afforded by the ESA is the accurate delimitation of imperiled species. We present a comparative reference-based taxonomic approach to species delimitation that integrates genomic and morphological data for objectively assessing the distinctiveness of species targeted for protection by governmental agencies.

Multi-generational exposure of Daphnia magna to pharmaceuticals: Effects on colonization, reproduction, and habitat selection behavior.

The presence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment is increasing due to their growing use for human health. Although most studies are based on short exposures to these contaminants, the present study has emerged from the need to study pharmaceuticals in aquatic organisms over a long-term exposure to understand any multi-generational chronic effects and alterations regarding habitat selection. Therefore, this study shows: (1) the ability of Daphnia magna to colonize environments contaminated with caffeine, ibuprofen and fluoxetine, and (2) the effect of these pharmaceuticals on reproduction and habitat selection (under two scenarios: with and without food) after a long-term exposure period of three generations.

Son of a beach: Coastal development and the loss of natural beaches over time (1919 to 2018) on Okinawa Island, southern Japan.

The coastline of Okinawa Island, Japan, has been affected by human-made alterations for decades, often from land reclamation and coastal defense construction. Here, we use an Imperial Japanese Army map made between 1919 and 1921 to describe the composition of the Okinawan coastline approximately 100 years ago, and by overlapping this old map with a modern-day map of Okinawa (2018), we identified 131 sites where coastlines showed clear human-made alterations. For these sites, we examined what kinds of ecosystems were lost and what has replaced them.

Assessment of coastal litter trends in tourist vs. non-tourist beaches: A case study from Indian coastal smart city.

Coastal ecosystems are increasingly threatened by the accumulation of marine litter globally. Limited data availability along India's eastern coast hinders targeted mitigation efforts. This study assesses coastal litter along Visakhapatnam, a smart city on India's eastern coast, using the NOAA shoreline debris protocol.

Copper and zinc removal from anaerobic digestates via Sporosarcina pasteurii induced precipitation: Effect of volatile fatty acids on process performance.

Microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) shows great potential for metals recovery from secondary sources, which is vital for circular economy. This study explores the feasibility of using Sporosarcina pasteurii for MICP to recover copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) from acidogenic anaerobic digestates at laboratory scale. Pre-cultured S.

Spatial distribution and driving factors of soil selenium on the Leizhou Peninsula, southern China.

Selenium (Se) is an essential element for humans, playing a critical role in the functioning of the immune system. The global prevalence of dietary Se deficiency is a significant public health concern, largely attributed to the low levels of Se present in crops. The sufficient Se in plants and humans is determined by the presence of stable Se sources in the soil.

Land Use Change Consistently Reduces α- But Not β- and γ-Diversity of Bees.

Land use change threatens global biodiversity and compromises ecosystem functions, including pollination and food production. Reduced taxonomic α-diversity is often reported under land use change, yet the impacts could be different at larger spatial scales (i.e.

Evidence for microbially-mediated tradeoffs between growth and defense throughout coral evolution.

Background: Evolutionary tradeoffs between life-history strategies are important in animal evolution. Because microbes can influence multiple aspects of host physiology, including growth rate and susceptibility to disease or stress, changes in animal-microbial symbioses have the potential to mediate life-history tradeoffs. Scleractinian corals provide a biodiverse, data-rich, and ecologically-relevant host system to explore this idea.

Unravelling the outcome of L-glutaminase produced by Streptomyces sp. strain 5 M as an anti-neoplasm activity.

Background: Actinomycetes are a well-known example of a microbiological origin that may generate a wide variety of chemical structures. As excellent cell factories, these sources are able to manufacture medicines, agrochemicals, and enzymes that are crucial.

Results: In this study, about 34 randomly selected Streptomyces isolates were discovered in soil, sediment, sea water, and other environments.

Establishing bio-logging data collections as dynamic archives of animal life on Earth.

Rapid growth in bio-logging-the use of animal-borne electronic tags to document the movements, behaviour, physiology and environments of wildlife-offers opportunities to mitigate biodiversity threats and expand digital natural history archives. Here we present a vision to achieve such benefits by accounting for the heterogeneity inherent to bio-logging data and the concerns of those who collect and use them. First, we can enable data integration through standard vocabularies, transfer protocols and aggregation protocols, and drive their wide adoption.

Evaluating multiannual sedimentary nutrient retention in agricultural two-stage channels.

The two-stage channel (TSC) design with a vegetated man-made floodplain has been recommended as an alternative to conventional re-dredging for managing suspended sediment (SS) and nutrient loads in agricultural streams. However, there are currently uncertainties surrounding the efficiency of TSCs, since mass balances covering the whole annual hydrograph and including different periods of the channel life cycle are lacking. This paper aims to improve understanding of the medium-term morphological development and sedimentary nutrient retention when a dredged, trapezoidal-shaped channel is converted into a TSC, using a mass balance estimate of nutrient and carbon retention from immediately after excavation until the establishment of approximate biogeochemical equilibrium retention.

Vessel strike encounter risk model informs mortality risk for endangered North Atlantic right whales along the United States east coast.

Vessel strikes are a critical threat to endangered North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), significantly contributing to their elevated mortality. Accurate estimates of these mortality rates are essential for developing effective management strategies to aid in the species' recovery. This study enhances existing vessel strike models by incorporating detailed regional data on vessel traffic characteristics as well as whale distribution and behavior.

Adaptive loss of tRNA gene expression leads to phage resistance in a marine Synechococcus cyanobacterium.

Synechococcus is a significant primary producer in the oceans, coexisting with cyanophages, which are important agents of mortality. Bacterial resistance against phage infection is a topic of significant interest, yet little is known for ecologically relevant systems. Here we use exogenous gene expression and gene disruption to investigate mechanisms underlying intracellular resistance of marine Synechococcus WH5701 to the Syn9 cyanophage.

Two decades of bacterial ecology and evolution in a freshwater lake.

Ecology and evolution are considered distinct processes that interact on contemporary time scales in microbiomes. Here, to observe these processes in a natural system, we collected a two-decade, 471-metagenome time series from Lake Mendota (Wisconsin, USA). We assembled 2,855 species-representative genomes and found that genomic change was common and frequent.

Unravelling viral ecology and evolution over 20 years in a freshwater lake.

As freshwater lakes undergo rapid anthropogenic change, long-term studies reveal key microbial dynamics, evolutionary shifts and biogeochemical interactions, yet the vital role of viruses remains overlooked. Here, leveraging a 20 year time series from Lake Mendota, WI, USA, we characterized 1.3 million viral genomes across time, seasonality and environmental factors.

Transition from multi-year La Niña to strong El Niño rare but increased under global warming.

El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) exhibits a strong asymmetry between warm El Niño and cold La Niña in amplitude and temporal evolution. An El Niño often leads to a heat discharge in the equatorial Pacific conducive to its rapid termination and transition to a La Niña, whereas a La Niña persists and recharges the equatorial Pacific for consecutive years preconditioning development of a subsequent El Niño, as occurred in 2020-2023. Whether the multiyear-long heat recharge increases the likelihood of a transition to a strong El Niño remains unknown.

Efficient removal of direct dyes and heavy metal ion by sodium alginate-based hydrogel microspheres: Equilibrium isotherms, kinetics and regeneration performance study.

Improving the adsorption capacity of materials for pollutants by means of modification is an important direction in the research of water treatment technology. To improve the applicability of sodium alginate composites in the field of adsorption, magnetic sodium alginate-based hydrogel microsphere adsorbent material FeO@SA/PEI-Fe (FSPF) was synthesized in a single step by using polyethyleneimine grafting modification of sodium alginate by sol-gel method. The material was used for the removal of direct blue GL (DB 200) and direct date red B (DR 13) from simulated wastewater, as well as Cu(II) and Pb(II) from simulated wastewater with heavy metal ions.

Prevalence of lipophilic phycotoxins with different forms in the benthic environments of a typical mariculture bay.

Lipophilic phycotoxins (LPTs) are toxic and lipophilic secondary metabolites produced by toxic microalgae, which pose a serious threat to marine shellfish culture industries. LPTs were systematically investigated in bottom seawater, suspended particulate matter (SPM), sediment, and sediment porewater of Laizhou Bay, a typical mariculture bay in China, to understand the chemical diversity and environment behaviors of LPTs in the benthic environments. Okadaic acid (OA), pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2), dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1), azaspiracid-2 (AZA2), gymnodimine (GYM), pectenotoxin-2 seco acid (PTX2 SA), 7-epi- pectenotoxin-2 seco acid (7-epi-PTX2 SA), 13-desmethylspirolide C (SPX1), yessotoxin (YTX) and homo YTX (h-YTX) were detected in the benthic environment of Laizhou Bay in spring, indicating that LPTs are rich in chemical diversity.