Drill-cored rock pools: an effective method of ecological enhancement on artificial structures

Coastal defences are proliferating in response to anticipated climate change and there is increasing need for ecologically sensitive design in their construction. Typically, these structures support lower biodiversity than natural rocky shores. Although several studies have tested habitat enhancement interventions that incorporate novel water-retaining features into coastal defences, there remains a need for additional long-term, fully replicated trials to identify alternative cost-effective designs. We created artificial rock pools of two depths (12cm, 5cm) by drill-coring into a shore-parallel intertidal granite breakwater, to investigate their potential as an intervention for delivering ecological enhancement. After 18 months the artificial rock pools supported greater species richness than adjacent granite rock surfaces on the breakwater, and similar species richness to natural rock pools on nearby rocky shores. Community composition was, however, different between artificial and natural pools. The depth of artificial rock pools did not affect richness or community structure. Although the novel habitats did not support the same communities as natural rock pools, they clearly provided important habitat for several species that were otherwise absent at mid-shore height on the breakwater. These findings reveal the potential of drill-cored rock pools as an affordable and easily replicated means of enhancing biodiversity on a variety of coastal defence structures, both at the design stage and retrospectively.

Download Full-text

Drill-Cored Artificial Rock Pools Can Promote Biodiversity and Enhance Community Structure on Coastal Rock Revetments at Reclaimed Coastlines of Penang, Malaysia

Tropical Conservation Science ◽

10.1177/1940082920951912 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

pp. 194008292095191

Author(s):

S. Y. Chee ◽

J. L. S. Wee ◽

C. Wong ◽

J. C. Yee ◽

Y. Yusup ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Structure ◽

Coastal Development ◽

Rock Pools ◽

Trade Off ◽

Tropical Regions ◽

Coastal Defence ◽

Topographic Complexity ◽

Granite Rock ◽

Artificial Rock ◽

Habitat Enhancement

Coastlines are drastically altered globally due to urbanisation and climate-related issues. As a response, communities build coastal defence structures to protect people and property. Although these infrastructures fulfil engineering demands of coastal defences, the trade-off to nature includes a decrease in biodiversity able to live on these structures because of the lack of topographic complexity. Several studies have tried to increase the surface complexity on coastal defence structures through eco-engineering habitat enhancements that mimic nature. However, few of these studies have been conducted in tropical regions where effects are more pronounce due to desiccation and extreme heat. In this study, water-retaining structures (in the form of rock-pools at depths 12 cm, and 5 cm) were drill-cored into coastal defence structures (i.e. granite rock revetments) on reclaimed coastlines in Penang Island, Malaysia. We found greater species richness and an increase in community structure in the drill-cored rock pools regardless of the depth of these artificial rock-pools. Positive habitat selection also occurred within micro-habitats of this scale. The drill-cored artificial rock pools in these tidal exposed revetments also provided niche-spaces for marine organisms found in low-tide or sub-tidal areas. These findings demonstrate the potential of this eco-engineered habitat enhancement as a means of promoting biodiversity on granite rock revetments, which can be applied either during design phase of a coastal development or retrospectively.

Download Full-text

Getting the Most From Surveys: How Method Selection and Method Modification Impact Butterfly Survey Data

Annals of the Entomological Society of America ◽

10.1093/aesa/saab004 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Katherine C Kral-O’Brien ◽

Adrienne K Antonsen ◽

Torre J Hovick ◽

Ryan F Limb ◽

Jason P Harmon

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

New Species ◽

Count Data ◽

Distance Sampling ◽

Line Transect ◽

Similar Species ◽

Method Selection ◽

M 10 ◽

Sampling Procedures

Abstract Many methods are used to survey butterfly populations, with line transect and area surveys being prominent. Observers are typically limited to search within 5 or 10 m from the line, while observers are unrestricted in larger specified search regions in area surveys. Although methods differ slightly, the selection is often based on producing defendable data for conservation, maximizing data quality, and minimizing effort. To guide method selection, we compared butterfly surveys using 1) line versus area methods and 2) varying width transects (5 m, 10 m, or unrestricted) using count data from surveys in North Dakota from 2015 to 2018. Between line and area surveys, we detected more individuals with area surveys, even when accounting for effort. However, both methods accumulated new species at similar rates. When comparing transect methodology, we detected nearly 60% more individuals and nine more species when transect width increased from 5 m to unrestricted, despite similar effort across methodology. Overall, we found line surveys slightly less efficient at detecting individuals, but they collected similar species richness to area surveys when accounting for effort. Additionally, line surveys allow the use of unrestricted-width transects with distance sampling procedures, which were more effective at detecting species and individuals while providing a means to correct count data over the same transect length. Methods that reduce effort and accurately depict communities are especially important for conservation when long-term datasets are unavailable.

Download Full-text

Shelving the Coast With Vertipools: Retrofitting Artificial Rock Pools on Coastal Structures as Mitigation for Coastal Squeeze

Frontiers in Marine Science ◽

10.3389/fmars.2019.00456 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Alice E. Hall ◽

Roger J. H. Herbert ◽

J. Robert Britton ◽

Ian M. Boyd ◽

Nigel C. George

Keyword(s):

Rock Pools ◽

Coastal Structures ◽

Artificial Rock ◽

Coastal Squeeze

Download Full-text

Duplex DNA barcoding allows accurate species determination of morphologically similar limpets (Patella spp.) from non-destructive sampling

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315416000813 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 97 (7) ◽

pp. 1479-1482 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Thomas J. Ashton ◽

Meriem Kayoueche-Reeve ◽

Andrew J. Blight ◽

Jon Moore ◽

David M. Paterson

Keyword(s):

Dna Barcoding ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Microscopic Analysis ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Field Studies ◽

Similar Species ◽

Species Determination ◽

Destructive Sampling ◽

Species Specific ◽

Non Destructive

Accurate discrimination of two morphologically similar species of Patella limpets has been facilitated by using qPCR amplification of species-specific mitochondrial genomic regions. Cost-effective and non-destructive sampling is achieved using a mucus swab and simple sample lysis and dilution to create a PCR template. Results show 100% concurrence with dissection and microscopic analysis, and the technique has been employed successfully in field studies. The use of highly sensitive DNA barcoding techniques such as this hold great potential for improving previously challenging field assessments of species abundance.

Download Full-text

Use of Integrated Viscous Dampers to Control Wind Induced Vibrations in Tall Buildings

IABSE Congress, New York, New York 2019: The Evolving Metropolis ◽

10.2749/newyork.2019.0362 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Ian Ashcroft ◽

Melissa Burton ◽

David Farnsworth

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Real Life ◽

Tall Buildings ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Design Stage ◽

Viscous Dampers ◽

High Performing ◽

Space Efficiency ◽

Wind Events ◽

Wind Comfort

The tall building world is seeing a trend pushing building heights and slenderness ratios to levels previously unseen. The design of these buildings for both strength and serviceability is typically governed by the dynamic response of the building to wind. Comfort of building occupants during relatively low return period wind events is a key challenge, and engineers are increasingly turning to damping technologies to limit building accelerations rather than adding stiffness or mass. Large tuned mass dampers (TMDs) are a commonly used solution.This paper suggests that integrating viscous dampers within a tall building’s structure can deliver a cost- effective alternative to TMDs, delivering high performing buildings with additional benefits in terms of robustness and space efficiency.Two case studies are presented. Firstly, measured data from a tower in New York with viscous dampers integrated into the structure is provided, comparing design stage predictions to real-life performance. Furthermore, a case study for a super-slender tower is described, demonstrating the potential for enhanced performance and significant cost and space savings using integrated damping.

Download Full-text

Monitoring of small rock pools reveals differential effects of chronic anthropogenic disturbance on birds and mammals in the Calakmul region, southern Mexico

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467421000547 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Carlos M. Delgado-Martínez ◽

Fredy Alvarado ◽

Melanie Kolb ◽

Eduardo Mendoza

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Anthropogenic Disturbance ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Biosphere Reserve ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Small Scale ◽

Rock Pools ◽

Southern Mexico ◽

Wildlife Species ◽

The Impact

Abstract Great attention has been drawn to the impacts of habitat deforestation and fragmentation on wildlife species richness. In contrast, much less attention has been paid to assessing the impacts of chronic anthropogenic disturbance on wildlife species composition and behaviour. We focused on natural small rock pools (sartenejas), which concentrate vertebrate activity due to habitat’s water limitation, to assess the impact of chronic anthropogenic disturbance on the species richness, diversity, composition, and behaviour of medium and large-sized birds and mammals in the highly biodiverse forests of Calakmul, southern Mexico. Camera trapping records of fauna using sartenejas within and outside the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (CBR) showed that there were no effects on species richness, but contrasts emerged when comparing species diversity, composition, and behaviour. These effects differed between birds and mammals and between species: (1) bird diversity was greater outside the CBR, but mammal diversity was greater within and (2) the daily activity patterns of birds differed slightly within and outside the CBR but strongly contrasted in mammals. Our study highlights that even in areas supporting extensive forest cover, small-scale chronic anthropogenic disturbances can have pervasive negative effects on wildlife and that these effects contrast between animal groups.

Download Full-text

A Web-Based Process/Material Advisory System

10.1115/imece2000-1056 ◽

2000 ◽

Author(s):

Yusheng Chen ◽

Satyandra K. Gupta ◽

Shaw Feng

Keyword(s):

Conceptual Design ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Design Stage ◽

Material Combination ◽

Web Based ◽

Advisory System ◽

Conceptual Design Stage ◽

Design Requirements ◽

Parameter Ranges ◽

Process Material

Abstract This paper describes a web-based process/material advisory system that can be used during conceptual design. Given a set of design requirements for a part during conceptual design stage, our system produces process sequences that can meet the design requirements. Quite often during conceptual design stage, design requirements are not precisely defined. Therefore, we allow users to describe design requirements in terms of parameter ranges. Parameter ranges are used to capture uncertainties in design requirements. Our system accounts for uncertainties in design requirements in generating and evaluating process/material combinations. Our system uses a two step algorithm. During the first step, we generate a material/process option tree. This tree represents various process/material options that can be used to meet the given set of design requirements. During the second step, we evaluate various alternative process/material options using a depth first branch and bound algorithm to identify and recommend the least expensive process/material combination to the designer. Our system can be accessed on the World Wide Web using a standard browser. Our system allows designs to consider a wide variety of process/material options during the conceptual design stage and allows them to find the most cost-effective combination. By selecting the process/material combination during the early design stages, designers can ensure that the detailed design is compatible with all of the process constraints for the selected process.

Download Full-text

A New Fluorescence Probe for Rapid Detection of Amyloid

10.26434/chemrxiv.6982895.v1 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Nidhi Gour ◽

Vivek Shinh Kshtriya ◽

Bharti Koshti ◽

Shradhey Gupta ◽

khashti Ballabh Joshi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rapid Detection ◽

Control Experiment ◽

Fluorescence Probe ◽

Photophysical Properties ◽

Cost Effective ◽

The Novel ◽

High Quantum Yield ◽

Turn On ◽

Heat Treated ◽

Amyloidogenic Peptides

We report efficient synthesis and photophysical properties of a novel fluorescent pyridothiazole based construct by a facile methodology and its application as a sensor for rapid, selective as well as sensitive detection of amyloid fibres. The novel compound has exceptionally high quantum yield and sensitivity. The fluorescence of pyridothiazole construct is completely quenched (Turn-OFF) upon addition of cupric ions and the fluorescence is recovered on addition of amyloidogenic peptides like Aβ42 (Turn-ON). The control experiment with native and heat treated BSA suggest that the new probe binds to beeta/β sheets present in amyloid. The new probe offers direct visualization of fluorescence ‘Turn-OFF’ ‘Turn-ON’ under long UV without the use of sophisticated instrumentation. Hence, a very simple, facile and cost-effective methodology for the rapid detection of amyloid is presented and it may in all possibility pave the way for the design of a better probe for sensing amyloids than conventional ThT.

Download Full-text

Options for solving the problem of parts of the Shelter object located outside the New Safe Confinement

Nuclear Power and the Environment ◽

10.31717/2311-8253.20.4.7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 57-65

Author(s):

O. V. Balan ◽

◽

S. Gh. Brylka ◽

V. V. Derengovskyi ◽

V. V. Yehorov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cost Effective ◽

Radiation Condition ◽

Design Stage ◽

Final Decision ◽

Building Structures ◽

Short Term ◽

Design Studies ◽

Financial Costs ◽

Work Area ◽

Goals And Objectives

The parts of the Shelter object structures remained outside the New Safe Confinement (protruding parts) are considered in the article. The analysis of the building structures condition of the turbine hall and the deaerator stack protruding parts on the east and west sides is carried out and the necessity of works on strengthening and/or dismantling of bearing structures is confirmed. Possible variants of reconstruction of the Shelter object protruding parts are stated and the technological sequence of works is provided. The analysis of the possibilities of performing works in the conditions of functioning of the New Safe Confinement — Shelter object system proved that such activity is rather difficult task, which can cause significant physical and financial costs. As there is no guarantee of trouble-free operation of the building structures of the protruding parts during the entire service life of the New Safe Confinement, it is necessary to make every effort to solve this problem in the short term. The results of the analysis allow to choose the most advantageous solution to the goals and objectives for the safest and most cost/effective dismantling and/or strengthening of structures of protruding parts, taking into account a number of different criteria. These criteria may be different in nature, which allowed to build a generalized efficiency indicator for individual criteria with certain weights that determine the importance of each of the criteria for decision making. Based on the results of the analysis, these options can be considered equivalent. The final decision on the choice of the optimal variant for the Shelter object protruding parts reconstruction can be made after detailing the technological decisions at the design stage of protruding parts reconstruction and before the design studies of the radiation condition in the work area. The obtained information can be used as input data during the design of the reconstruction of the deaerator stack and the turbine hall parts of the Shelter object, which protrude beyond the New Safe Confinement.

Download Full-text