Mitigating marine debris: Addressing abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gears (ALDFGs) in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas through trilateral cooperation between the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Marine debris substantially threatens the world's marine ecosystems, national economies, and human well-being, particularly those living in the coastal areas. Among the types of marine debris, abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gears (ALDFGs) are the most challenging, contributing substantially to marine pollution. The Sulu-Sulawesi Seas, a region rich in biodiversity but heavily impacted by fishing activities and ALDFGs, is the focus of this study.

An evaluation of fish and invertebrate mercury concentrations in the Caribbean Region.

Mercury is a ubiquitous pollutant of global concern but the threat of exposure is not homogenously distributed at local, regional, or global scales. The primary route of human exposure to mercury is through consumption of aquatic foods, which are culturally and economically important in the wider Caribbean Region, especially for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). We compiled more than 1600 samples of 108 unique species of fish and aquatic invertebrates collected between 2005 and 2023 from eleven countries or territories in the wider Caribbean Region.

Modulations of ocean-atmosphere interactions on squid abundance over Southwest Atlantic.

Anthropogenic shifts in seas are reshaping fishing trends, with significant implications for aquatic food sources throughout this century. Examining a 21-year abundance dataset of Argentine shortfin squids Illex argentinus paired with a regional oceanic analysis, we noted strong correlations between squid annual abundance and sea surface temperature (SST) in January and February and eddy kinetic energy (EKE) from March to May in the Southwest Atlantic. A deeper analysis revealed combined ocean-atmosphere interactions, pinpointed as the primary mode in a rotated empirical orthogonal function analysis of SST.

A study on transboundary governance of marine plastic debris-the case of an adjacent waters between China and Taiwan.

This study aimed to construct a transboundary marine governance mechanism in the Kinmen-Xiamen waters through literature review, field survey, in-depth interview, and expert opinion survey. The study finds that monsoons, ocean currents, and tides are the main factors affecting the drift of marine debris in the Xiamen Sea area to the beaches of Kinmen. The marine debris mainly included marine plastic debris (MPD), bamboo, and wood in Kinmen and was documented impacting a variety of species, including the horseshoe crab to marine mammals the IndoPacific dolphin.

Malakichthys formosus, a new species of small seabass (Acropomatiformes: Malakichthyidae) from southwestern Taiwan.

A new species of Malakichthys is described based on six specimens collected from deepwaters off southwestern Taiwan, northwestern Pacific Ocean. The new species, M. formosus sp.

A 2 °C difference affecting the spatiotemporal distribution of small demersal fish assemblages in shallow tropical and subtropical waters of Western Taiwan.

Two OR3 research vessel cruises were conducted at seven nearshore sites from north to south in the western coastal waters off Taiwan in May (late spring) and November (late autumn) 2019 in order to gain insights into the 2 °C difference in the tropical-subtropical fish fauna. Totally, 37 families, 72 genera, and 99 taxas were recorded for the 1809 fishes. Three fish assemblages, the North, South, and Fall-Zhuoshui River (ZRf) groups, were identified as eurythermal, stenothermal, and croaker communities.

The consumer price index prediction using machine learning approaches: Evidence from the United States.

The consumer price index (CPI) is one of the most important macroeconomic indicators for determining inflation, and accurate predictions of CPI changes are important for a country's economic development. This study uses multivariate linear regression (MLR), support vector regression (SVR), autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL), and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) to predict the CPI of the United States. Data from January 2017 to February 2022 were randomly selected and divided into two stages: 80 % for training and 20% for testing.

Past and future trends of diurnal temperature range and their correlation with vegetation assessed by MODIS and CMIP6.

Temperature anomalies and changes in the diurnal temperature range (DTR) are expected to pose physiological challenges to biota; hence, both spatial and temporal variations in DTR provide important insights into temperature-induced stress in humans, animals, and vegetation. Furthermore, vegetation could dampen temperature variability. Here, we use the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) remote sensing data of Land Surface Temperature (LST) to evaluate the global variation in DTR and its rate of change in spatial and temporal scales for the two decades spanning from 2001 to 2020.

Okamejei picta sp. nov., a new rajid skate from the South China Sea (Rajiformes: Rajidae).

A new species of Okamejei is described based on two adult males collected from deep waters in the South China Sea. The new species, Okamejei picta sp. nov.

Occurrence of the milk-eye catshark Apristurus nakayai (Carcharhiniformes: Pentanchidae) from the South China Sea.

The milk-eye catshark Apristurus nakayai Iglésias, 2012 was known from three specimens in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Six specimens were recently collected from the South China Sea. It belongs to the brunneus group, and superficially resembles A.

Occurrence and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in the Blue Land Crab (Cardisoma guanhumi) from a Tropical Mangrove Swamp.

Coastal ecosystems in the Caribbean are vulnerable to pollution from land-based activities with possible impacts to human health. Ten heavy metals in the blue land crab, Cardisoma guanhumi, harvested from the Caroni Swamp, Trinidad, were investigated in the wet and dry seasons. Metal concentrations (µg g dry weight) in crab tissue were: As (0.

Perceived organizational support and organizational citizenship behavior-A study of the moderating effect of volunteer participation motivation, and cross-level effect of transformational leadership and organizational climate.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between perceived organizational support and organizational citizenship behavior, and to explore the moderating effect of volunteer participation motivation on the relationship between the variables, as well as the cross-level effect of transformational leadership and organizational climate. In this study, the front-liners of Taiwan's National Immigration Agency were the study subjects. A total of 289 employee questionnaires were filled out and returned.

High seas treaty within reach.

The ocean is Earth's greatest climate mitigator, but it cannot do its work without biodiversity. Yet, accelerating climate change, unsustainable fishing, and widespread plastic and other pollutants, combined with increased resource demands, are threatening life throughout our global ocean. This is particularly acute in the two-thirds of the ocean (the high seas and seabed below) located beyond national boundaries, and as such, no state can solve these problems alone.

Assessment of the Impact on 20 Pelagic Fish Species by the Taiwanese Small-Scale Longline Fishery in the Western North Pacific Using Ecological Risk Assessment.

Ecological risk assessment (ERA) has been applied on assessing the relative risk of bycatch species in recent years. ERA index is calculated by productivity of species and susceptibility of fisheries on fish species. In this study, a semi-quantitative method was used to evaluate the risks of exploitation for 20 pelagic fish species by the small-scale longline fisheries in the western North Pacific Ocean.

The status of marine debris/litter and plastic pollution in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME): 1980-2020.

Plastic pollution is one of several anthropogenic stressors putting pressure on ecosystems of the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME). A 'Clean Ocean' is one of the ambitious goals of the United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. If this is to be realized, it is imperative to build upon the work of the previous decades (1980-2020).

Quantity and type of coastal debris pollution in Taiwan: A rapid assessment with trained citizen scientists using a visual estimation method.

Ongoing monitoring of the distribution and composition of coastal debris is a prerequisite for efficient management and cleanups. Therefore, we conducted a rapid assessment of coastal debris along the 1210 km coastline of Taiwan using a visual estimation method. Forty-nine citizen scientists were intensively trained to correctly identify the volume and types of debris.

Assessment of microplastics in oysters in coastal areas of Taiwan.

Microplastic contamination in ecosystems has emerged as an environmental issue of global significance. This research quantified microplastics in oysters from 22 sites along Taiwan coastlines. In total, 6630 microplastic items were found in 660 oysters of two genera (Crassostrea and Saccostrea).

Global political responsibility for the conservation of albatrosses and large petrels.

Migratory marine species cross political borders and enter the high seas, where the lack of an effective global management framework for biodiversity leaves them vulnerable to threats. Here, we combine 10,108 tracks from 5775 individual birds at 87 sites with data on breeding population sizes to estimate the relative year-round importance of national jurisdictions and high seas areas for 39 species of albatrosses and large petrels. Populations from every country made extensive use of the high seas, indicating the stake each country has in the management of biodiversity in international waters.

Half a century of global decline in oceanic sharks and rays.

Overfishing is the primary cause of marine defaunation, yet declines in and increasing extinction risks of individual species are difficult to measure, particularly for the largest predators found in the high seas. Here we calculate two well-established indicators to track progress towards Aichi Biodiversity Targets and Sustainable Development Goals: the Living Planet Index (a measure of changes in abundance aggregated from 57 abundance time-series datasets for 18 oceanic shark and ray species) and the Red List Index (a measure of change in extinction risk calculated for all 31 oceanic species of sharks and rays). We find that, since 1970, the global abundance of oceanic sharks and rays has declined by 71% owing to an 18-fold increase in relative fishing pressure.

Profile and consumption risk assessment of trace elements in megamouth sharks (Megachasma pelagios) captured from the Pacific Ocean to the east of Taiwan.

Focusing on 27 rare filter-feeding megamouth sharks (Megachasma pelagios) captured as a by-catch of drift gillnet fishery in the Pacific Ocean to the east of Taiwan, this study analyzes the concentrations of 24 elements in their muscle, discusses the bioaccumulation of each element and the correlation between different elements, and assesses the potential health risks of consuming megamouth shark muscle. Among the 24 elements, mean concentrations of Ga, Ag, Li, Bi, Hg, Co, and Cd were relatively low ranging from 10 to 10 mg/kg, those of Pb, Ba, Mn, Ni, As, Cr, B, Sr, Cu, and Zn ranged from 10-10 mg/kg, and those of Fe, Ca, Al, K, Mg, Ti, and Na were relatively high ranging from 10 to 10 mg/kg. The toxic element content index was most significantly correlated with the concentration of Cu.

Using citizen science to investigate the spatial-temporal distribution of floating marine litter in the waters around Taiwan.

Marine litter is currently one of the most widespread pollutants. However, monitoring the spatial-temporal changes of floating marine litter remains challenging. In this study, with data collected by citizen scientists, we investigated the distribution and density of floating marine litter in the waters around Taiwan.

Causal effects of population dynamics and environmental changes on spatial variability of marine fishes.

Populations with homogeneous distributions have better bet-hedging capacity than more heterogeneously distributed populations. Both population dynamics and environmental factors may influence the spatial variability of a population, but clear empirical evidence of such causal linkages is sparse. Using 25-year fish survey data from the North Sea, we quantify causal effects of age structure, abundance, and environment on nine fish species.