Impacts of pollution on coastal and marine ecosystems including coastal and marine fisheries and approach for management: a review and synthesis

The history of aquatic environmental pollution goes back to the very beginning of the history of human civilization. However, aquatic pollution did not receive much attention until a threshold level was reached with adverse consequences on the ecosystems and organisms. Aquatic pollution has become a global concern, but even so, most developing nations are still producing huge pollution loads and the trends are expected to increase. Knowledge of the pollution sources and impacts on ecosystems is important not only for a better understanding on the ecosystem responses to pollutants but also to formulate prevention measures. Many of the sources of aquatic pollutions are generally well known and huge effort has been devoted to the issue. However, new concepts and ideas on environmental pollution are emerging (e.g., biological pollution) with a corresponding need for an update of the knowledge. The present paper attempts to provide an easy-to-follow depiction on the various forms of aquatic pollutions and their impacts on the ecosystem and organisms.     

Response of aquatic plants to abiotic factors: a review

This review aims to determine how environmental characteristics of aquatic habitats rule species occurrence, life-history traits and community dynamics among aquatic plants, and if these particular adaptations and responses fit in with general predictions relating to abiotic factors and plant communities. The way key abiotic factors in aquatic habitats affect (1) plant life (recruitment, growth, and reproduction) and dispersal, and (2) the dynamics of plant communities is discussed. Many factors related to plant nutrition are rather similar in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats (e.g. light, temperature, substrate nutrient content, CO₂ availability) or differ markedly in intensity (e.g. light), variations (e.g. temperature) or in their effective importance for plant growth (e.g. nutrient content in substrate and water). Water movements (water-table fluctuations or flow velocity) have particularly drastic consequences on plants because of the density of water leading to strong mechanical strains on plant tissues, and because dewatering leads to catastrophic habitat modifications for aquatic plants devoid of cuticle and support tissues. Several abiotic factors that affect aquatic plants, such as substrate anoxia, inorganic carbon availability or temperature, may be modified by global change. This in turn may amplify competitive processes, and lead ultimately to the dominance of phytoplankton and floating species. Conserving the diversity of aquatic plants will rely on their ability to adapt to new ecological conditions or escape through migration.     

The exotic aquatic mud snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Hydrobiidae, Mollusca): state of the art of a worldwide invasion

Biological invasions represent a relevant ecological and economic problem of our globalized world. While a few species have been classified as invasive due to their ecological and economic impacts on the invaded ecosystems (e.g., zebra mussel), others show contrasting invasive potential, depending on the invaded ecosystem and/or the traits of the exotic species. This paper reviews the worldwide distribution, ecological impacts and the reasons that explain the invasive success of the aquatic mud snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum Gray (Hydrobiidae, Mollusca), which is native to New Zealand. This review shows that most studies on P. antipodarum distribution have been conducted in Europe, North America and Australia, and few studies in Asia. The distribution of this snail is still unknown in other parts of the world (e.g., Africa, South and Central America). The range of invaded aquatic ecosystems varies from fresh to salt water and from lentic to lotic ecosystems. The ecological impact of this species is due to the fast population growth rate and to the extremely high densities that it can reach, leading to altered C and N cycles in invaded ecosystems. However, at low densities mud snails have been shown to enhance secondary production. Additionally, P. antipodarum has been found to overcome the negative effects of predators and parasites (e.g., it survives the pass through the digestive tracts of fish). This review contributes to assess the magnitude and ecological risk of P. antipodarum invasion throughout the world.     

Seabirds as indicators of aquatic ecosystem conditions: A case for gathering multiple proxies of seabird health

The use of seabirds as sentinels of the condition of aquatic ecosystems has been well-established. Large environmental perturbations to aquatic food webs (e.g., chemical contamination, overfishing, particulate pollution) have all been detected or monitored by tracking seabirds at colonies. However, seabirds may elicit more subtle, sublethal responses that can also be used to track ecosystem health, or the health of seabird populations. In this article, we advocate for field researchers to plan a priori to collect a broader suite of samples when handling seabirds, and to reach out for collaboration with specialists (e.g., parasitologists, wildlife veterinarians). Collectively, such efforts will greatly improve our ability to establish baseline physiological and chemical levels for seabirds, against which we can detect future changes in aquatic ecosystems.     

Identifying and mitigating dam-induced declines in river health:Three case studies from the western United States

River health can be defined as the degree to which riverine energy source,water quality,flow regime, habitat and biota match the natural conditions.In a healthy river,physical process and form remain actively connected and able to mutually adjust,and biological communities have natural levels of diversity and are resilient to environmental stress.Both physical diversity and biodiversity influence river health.Physical diversity is governed by hydrology,hydraulics,and substrate,as reflected in the geometry of the river channel and adjacent floodplain,which create habitat for aquatic and riparian organisms.Biodiversity is governed by biological processes such as competition and predation,but biodiversity also reflects the diversity,abundance and stability of habitat,as well as connectivity. Connectivity within a river corridor includes longitudinal,lateral,and vertical dimensions.River health declines as any of these interacting components is compromised by human activities.The cumulative effect of dams and other human alterations of rivers has been primarily to directly reduce physical diversity and connectivity,which indirectly reduces biodiversity.Restoration and maintenance of physical diversity and biodiversity on rivers affected by dams requires quantifying relations between the driver variables of flow and sediment supply,and the response variables of habitat,connectivity,and biological communities.These relations can take the form of thresholds(e.g., entrainment of streambed sediment) or response curves(e.g.,fish biomass versus extent and duration of floodplain inundation).I use examples from Wyoming,Colorado,and Arizona in the western United States to illustrate how to quantify relations between driver and response variables on rivers affected by dams.     

A call for standardization of aeolian process measurements: moving beyond relative case studies

Progress in some areas of process‐based aeolian sediment transport research is hampered by limited opportunities for data comparison, synthesis, and integration. This is partially due to a lack of reliable comparison methods. Many comparison methods are forms of calibration that are either restrictive (e.g., time‐averages only) or non‐existent (e.g., for field‐based sediment transport thresholds or vertical mass flux profiles). It is believed that the adoption of standard methods for common measurements may improve inter‐study comparison, add value and longevity to data, and advance integrative modeling efforts. Examples of approaches in allied disciplines where standards are used routinely are reviewed and we discuss how the mutual benefits of standardized data could outweigh perceived disadvantages. Overall, the goal of this commentary is to encourage discussion, self‐assessment, and forethought with regard to measurement methods used in process‐based aeolian geomorphology. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the physical geometry concept at the basis of space/time geostatistical hydrology

The objective of this paper is to show that the structure of the spatiotemporal continuum has important implications in practical stochastic hydrology (e.g., geostatistical analysis of hydrologic sites) and is not merely an abstract mathematical concept. We propose that the concept of physical geometry as a spatiotemporal continuum with properties that are empirically defined is important in hydrologic analyses, and that the elements of the spatiotemporal geometry (e.g., coordinate system and space/time metric) should be selected based on the physical properties of the hydrologic processes. We investigate the concept of space/time distance (metric) in various physical spaces, and its implications for hydrologic modeling. More specifically, we demonstrate that physical geometry plays a crucial role in the determination of appropriate spatiotemporal covariance models, and it can affect the results of geostatistical operations involved in spatiotemporal hydrologic mapping.     

Vegetation recruitment in an enhanced floodplain: Ancillary benefits of salmonid habitat enhancement

Widespread loss and degradation of riverine habitats due to dams, diversions, levees, and human development have led to an increase in river habitat enhancement projects in recent decades. These projects typically focus on improving either terrestrial (e.g., riparian vegetation) or aquatic (e.g., fish spawning and rearing) habitats, and do not commonly address the relationship between the two systems. However, there is abundant evidence that fundamental linkages exist between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and anthropogenic impacts such as urban expansion, agricultural activities, and river impoundment can synergistically degrade both systems. This study examines the effects of adult and juvenile salmonid habitat restoration on recruitment, density, and composition of riparian vegetation in an area heavily impacted by mining and flow regulation. For a year following in-channel coarse sediment placement and floodplain construction in an area previously covered with coarse mine tailings, we compared the abundance, richness and diversity of vegetation across four treatments: the newly constructed floodplain, isolated mine tailings, mine tailings near an access road, and a remnant riparian area that was less impacted by mining. Richness and diversity were higher in the floodplain than in any of the other treatments; we identified a total of 15 plant families in the floodplain treatments, as compared to three to five families in the other treatments. We observed significant differences in plant assemblage composition between treatments, with higher richness of primarily obligate or facultative wetland plant taxa in the floodplain treatment. This study demonstrates that restoring hydrological linkages between aquatic and terrestrial habitats, and redistribution of sediment size classes altered by mining, can create conditions that promote rapid wetland plant colonization, enhancing biodiversity and improving ecosystem function.     

Testing the potential of a standardized growth curve approach for improving the applicability and performance of fading correction

Following a general trend in paleo-environmental research, a considerable and still growing number of luminescence dating studies have been focusing on sediment archives providing information on environmental conditions beyond the last glacial-interglacial cycle. This trend caused a revival of IRSL-based dating approaches using feldspar minerals. As a consequence, the long-known but still poorly understood problem of anomalous fading and various correction methods are gaining increasing importance. In order to cope with the challenge of fading, several new measurement protocols aiming at reducing or completely avoiding fading were proposed. However, these approaches are either still experimental (e.g., infrared radiofluorescence), have only been applied to a limited number of natural samples (e.g., infrared photoluminescence) or are the subject of ongoing scientific discussions (e.g., postIRIR-protocols).Anomalous fading therefore remains a severe problem for feldspar-based luminescence measurements, and fading correction will thus be of crucial importance for reliable age calculations. Some of the proposed correction methods require fully-constructed dose response curves (DRCs) to accurately constrain D₀-and saturation values, which is indispensable for mathematically accurate corrections. Recording such DRCs requires the consideration of high-dose points for a large number of aliquots, corresponding to long-lasting measurement times that pose challenges for resources in routine dating applications.The concept of standardized growth curves (SGC) might provide a promising solution for this problem. Here, we present results obtained from a comprehensive study assessing the potential of SGC-based approaches for improving the applicability and performance of fading correction procedures. In particular, our study is focusing on the fading correction model proposed by Kars et al. (2008), which is fundamentally based on the findings published by Huntley (2006). The applied performance test comprises various natural samples representing a variety of fading rates and covering different locations as well as sedimentary environments.     

Dielectric anisotropy and deformation of crustal rocks: physical interaction theory and dielectric mylonites

The theory of physical interaction field by a differential geometrical approach combines the deformation field with the physical field (e.g., electromagnetic field), and derives a new tensorial relation between the deformation and the dielectric anisotropy of the crustal rocks. This relation can be applied to dielectric anisotropies of deformed natural rocks such as mylonites or gneisses. The dielectric anisotropies of mylonites are observed to increase as plastic strains of mylonites increase. Moreover, the derived tensorial relation can be linked to the electromagnetic potential field (deformational anomalies) in a deformed crust. A physico-geometrical consideration on this theory of physical interaction field is mathematically similar to ones on the theory of field in the Finsler space or on the concept of a unified gauge field.     

Simplification bias: lessons from laboratory and field experiments on flow through aquatic vegetation

We present a critical analysis of experimental findings on vegetation–flow–sediment interactions obtained through both laboratory and field experiments on tidal and coastal environments. It is well established that aquatic vegetation provides a wide range of ecosystem services (e.g. protecting coastal communities from extreme events, reducing riverbank and coastal erosion, housing diverse ecosystems), and the effort to better understand such services has led to multiple approaches to reproduce the relevant physical processes through detailed laboratory experiments. State-of-the-art measurement techniques allow researchers to measure velocity fields and sediment transport with high spatial and temporal resolution under well-controlled flow conditions, yielding predictions for hydrodynamic and sediment transport scenarios that depend on simplified or bulk vegetation parameters. However, recent field studies have shown that some simplifications on the experimental setup (e.g. the use of rigid elements, a single diameter, a single element height, regular or staggered layout) can bias the outcome of the study, by either hiding or amplifying some of the relevant physical processes found in natural conditions. We discuss some observed cases of bias, including general practices that can lead to compromises associated with simplified assumptions. The analysis presented will identify potential pathways to move forward with laboratory and field measurements, which could better inform predictors to produce more robust, universal and accurate predictions on flow–vegetation–sediment interactions. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Predicting river water temperatures using the equilibrium temperature concept with application on Miramichi River catchments (New Brunswick,Canada)

Water temperature influences most of the physical, chemical and biological properties of rivers. It plays an important role in the distribution of fish and the growth rates of many aquatic organisms. Therefore, a better understanding of the thermal regime of rivers is essential for the management of important fisheries resources. This study deals with the modelling of river water temperature using a new and simplified model based on the equilibrium temperature concept. The equilibrium temperature concept is an approach where the net heat flux at the water surface can be expressed by a simple equation with fewer meteorological parameters than required with traditional models. This new water temperature model was applied on two watercourses of different size and thermal characteristics, but within a similar meteorological region, i.e., the Little Southwest Miramichi River and Catamaran Brook (New Brunswick, Canada). A study of the long‐term thermal characteristics of these two rivers revealed that the greatest differences in water temperatures occurred during mid‐summer peak temperatures. Data from 1992 to 1994 were used for the model calibration, while data from 1995 to 1999 were used for the model validation. Results showed a slightly better agreement between observed and predicted water temperatures for Catamaran Brook during the calibration period, with a root‐mean‐square error (RMSE) of 1·10 °C (Nash coefficient, NTD = 0·95) compared to 1·45 °C for the Little Southwest Miramichi River (NTD = 0·94). During the validation period, RMSEs were calculated at 1·31 °C for Catamaran Brook and 1·55 °C for the Little Southwest Miramichi River. Poorer model performances were generally observed early in the season (e.g., spring) for both rivers due to the influence of snowmelt conditions, while late summer to autumn modelling performances showed better results. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Review of the Different Sources of Uncertainty in Single Polarization Radar-Based Estimates of Rainfall

It is well acknowledged that there are large uncertainties associated with radar-based estimates of rainfall. Numerous sources of these errors are due to parameter estimation, the observational system and measurement principles, and not fully understood physical processes. Propagation of these uncertainties through all models for which radar-rainfall are used as input (e.g., hydrologic models) or as initial conditions (e.g., weather forecasting models) is necessary to enhance the understanding and interpretation of the obtained results. The aim of this paper is to provide an extensive literature review of the principal sources of error affecting single polarization radar-based rainfall estimates. These include radar miscalibration, attenuation, ground clutter and anomalous propagation, beam blockage, variability of the Z–R relation, range degradation, vertical variability of the precipitation system, vertical air motion and precipitation drift, and temporal sampling errors. Finally, the authors report some recent results from empirically-based modeling of the total radar-rainfall uncertainties. The bibliography comprises over 200 peer reviewed journal articles.     

岱海生物群落结构的演变及其对渔业发展的影响

岱海水生生物种类贫乏,生物量低,渔产力不高,优化岱海水体生物群落组成,引种耐低温、耐盐碱的水生植和藻类,改善水体环境调整鱼类种群结构是渔业发展的重要措施。     

Integrating toxicology and ecology: putting the "eco" into ecotoxicology

Environmental toxicology has been and continues to be an important discipline (e.g., single-species testing for screening purposes). However, ecological toxicology (ecotoxicology--more realism in tests, test species and exposures) is required for predicting real world effects and for site-specific assessments. Ecotoxicology and ecology have shown similar developmental patterns over time; closer cooperation between ecologists and toxicologists would benefit both disciplines. Ecology can be incorporated into toxicology either extrinsically (separately, e.g., providing information on pre-selected test species) or intrinsically (e.g., as part of test species selection)--the latter is preferable. General guidelines for acute and chronic testing and criteria for species selection differ for ecotoxicology and environmental toxicology, and are outlined. An overall framework is proposed based on ecological risk assessment (ERA), for combining ecology and toxicology (environmental and ecological) for decision-making. Increased emphasis on ecotoxicology represents a shift from reductionist to holistic approaches.     

A tool for the ages: The Probabilistic Cosmogenic Age Analysis Tool (P-CAAT)

While revolutionary to the geomorphic community, the application of terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) dating is complicated by geological uncertainties, which often lead to skewed or poorly clustered TCN age distributions. Although a range of statistical approaches are typically used to detect and remove outliers, few are optimized for analysis of TCN datasets. Many are mean- or median-based and therefore explicitly assume a single probability distribution (e.g., Mean Squared Weighted Deviates, Chauvenet's Criterion, etc.). Given the ubiquity of pre- and post-depositional modification of rock surfaces, which occur at different rates in different geomorphic settings, these approaches struggle with multimodal distributions which often characterize TCN datasets. In addition, most statistical approaches do not propagate measurement or production rate uncertainties, which become increasingly important as dataset size or clustering increases. Finally, most approaches provide arithmetic single solutions, irrespective of geologic context.To address these limitations, we present the Probabilistic Cosmogenic Age Analysis Tool (P-CAAT), a new approach for outlier detection and landform age analysis. This tool incorporates both sample age and geologic uncertainties and uses Monte Carlo simulations to eliminate dataset skewness by isolating component normal distributions from a cumulative probability density estimate for datasets with three or more samples. This approach allows geologic context to inform post-analysis interpretations, as researchers can assign landform ages based upon statistically distinct subpopulations, informed by the characteristics of geomorphic systems (e.g., exhumation of boulders as moraines degrade through time). To evaluate the effectiveness of P-CAAT, we analyzed a range of synthetic TCN datasets and compared the results to commonly used statistical approaches for outlier detection. Irrespective of dataset size or clustering, P-CAAT outperformed other approaches and returned accurate solutions that improve in precision as sample size increases. To enable more comprehensive utilization of our approach, P-CAAT is packaged with a GUI interface and is available for download at kgs. uky.edu/anorthite/PCAAT.     

Estimating distributional patterns of non-marine Ostracoda (Crustacea) and habitat suitability in the Burdur province (Turkey)

We explored distributional patterns and habitat preferences of ostracods in the Burdur province (Turkey). At 121 sites we recorded 35 taxa (22 recent, 13 sub-recent), of which 23 represent new records for the province. According to the Index of Dispersion and d-statistics, the individual species exhibited clumped distributions. Cosmopolitan species dominated (63.64%). A direct effect of regional factors (e.g., elevation) was not observed, while local factors (e.g., water temperature) best explained species distribution among habitats. Based on alpha diversity values, natural habitats (springs, ponds, creeks) were more suitable than artificial habitats (e.g., troughs, dams), suggesting that natural habitats define regional species diversity. Twenty-two of the recorded species had wider ecological ranges than previously reported. Cosmopolitan species appeared to suppress non-cosmopolitan species due to their wider ecological range.     

Modeling microbial transport in porous media: Traditional approaches and recent developments

A substantial research effort has been aimed at elucidating the role of various physical, chemical and biological factors on microbial transport and removal in natural subsurface environments. The major motivation of such studies is an enhanced mechanistic understanding of these processes for development of improved mathematical models of microbial transport and fate. In this review, traditional modeling approaches used to predict the migration and removal of microorganisms (e.g., viruses, bacteria, and protozoa) in saturated porous media are systematically evaluated. A number of these methods have inherent weaknesses or inconsistencies which are often overlooked or misunderstood in actual application. Some limitations of modeling methods reviewed here include the inappropriate use of the equilibrium adsorption approach, the observed breakdown of classical filtration theory, the inability of existing theories to predict microbial attachment rates, and omission of physical straining and microbe detachment. These and other issues are considered with an emphasis on current research developments. Finally, recently proposed improvements to the most commonly used filtration model are discussed, with particular consideration of straining and microbe motility.