scholarly journals Data-Driven Coral Reef Rehabilitation Using New Biomimicking, Advanced Materials Artificial Reefs

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 120-121
Author(s):  
Emily Higgins ◽  
Konstantin Sobolev
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Advanced Materials ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Coastal Protection ◽  
Reef Restoration ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
And Function

Abstract Globally, artificial reefs (ARs) are being increasingly used as a coral reef restoration strategy, and ARs made from conventional substrates (e.g. metal, concrete) have had limited success for coral reef conservation due to structure size and lack of pre-deployment engineering. To curb further deterioration on reefs, technological advances in restoration methods must be quickly tested and applied on a large scale. Here, we present the results of the first IntelliReefs biomimicking “Oceanite” nanotechnology ARs. We compared benthic community composition on three Oceanite ARs 14 months after deployment in Sint Maarten. We also examined fish abundance, diversity, and behaviour on the ARs. The results from this study suggest that Oceanite can enhance local biodiversity, attract coral recruits, provide food and protection for large fish communities, and develop a healthy early coral reef community in 14 months. IntelliReefs' future research will focus on large-scale deployments and further development of site-, species-, and function-specific substrates to optimize AR conservation goals and increase project success. Our Ocean-Shot will deploy durable, bio-enhanced reefs that build resilience to climate change, increase economic benefits, and coastal protection for seaside communities. Oceanite can further be customized for specific stressor mitigation (e.g., pathogens, warming, acidification, reduced water quality, invasive species).

scholarly journals Advanced Materials and Assembly Strategies for Wearable Biosensors: A Review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun Kwang Lee ◽  
Hocheon Yoo ◽  
Chi Hwan Lee
Keyword(s):  
Health Monitoring ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Functional Materials ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Advanced Materials ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Inorganic Nanomaterials ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Low Dimensional

Recent technological advances of soft functional materials and their assembly into wearable (i.e., on-skin) biosensors lead to the development of ground-breaking biomedical applications ranging from wearable health monitoring to drug delivery and to human-robot interactions. These wearable biosensors are capable of unobtrusively interfacing with the human skin and enabling long-term reliable monitoring of clinically useful biosignals associated with health and other conditions affecting well-being. Scalable assembly of diverse wearable biosensors has been realized through the elaborate combination of intrinsically stretchable materials including organic polymers or/and low-dimensional inorganic nanomaterials. In this Chapter, we review various types of wearable biosensors within the context of human health monitoring with a focus of their constituent materials, mechanics designs, and large-scale assembly strategies. In addition, we discuss the current challenges and potential future research directions at the end of this chapter.

scholarly journals An economic analysis of blast fishing on Indonesian coral reefs

1999 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. PET-SOEDE ◽  
H.S.J. CESAR ◽  
J.S. PET
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
High Potential ◽  
Coastal Protection ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
Vast Number ◽  
Potential Value ◽  
Blast Fishing

Characteristics, impacts and economic costs and benefits of blast fishing have been little investigated and they were therefore studied in Indonesia, at the scale of individual fishing households and of Indonesian society as a whole. Although illegal and highly destructive to coral reefs, blast fishing provides income and fish to a vast number of coastal fishers who claim that they have no alternative to make a living. Crew members in small-, medium- and large-scale blast fishing operations earned net incomes per month of US$55, 146 and 197 respectively. Boat owners in the same types of operations earned US$55, 393 and 1100 respectively. These incomes were comparable to the highest incomes in the conventional coastal fisheries. At the individual household level, the differences between the three types of operations show clear incentives for scale enlargement. The cost-benefit balance at the society level was calculated with an economic model. This analysis showed a net loss after 20 years of blast fishing of US$306 800 per km2 of coral reef where there is a high potential value of tourism and coastal protection, and US$33 900 per km2 of coral reef where there is a low potential value. The main quantifiable costs are through loss of the coastal protection function, foregone benefits of tourism, and foregone benefits of non-destructive fisheries. The economic costs to society are four times higher than the total net private benefits from blast fishing in areas with high potential value of tourism and coastal protection. This analysis of characteristics, impact and economics of blast fishing should help to raise the political will to ban blast fishing from Indonesian waters. Moreover, it allows for an evaluation of possible management solutions, taking into account their costs and the socio-economic framework that caused coastal fishers to start using explosives.

scholarly journals Bio-GO-SHIP: The Time Is Right to Establish Global Repeat Sections of Ocean Biology

2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Clayton ◽  
Harriet Alexander ◽  
Jason R. Graff ◽  
Nicole J. Poulton ◽  
Luke R. Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Sensors ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
And Function ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
Ocean Observing

In this article, we present Bio-GO-SHIP, a new ocean observing program that will incorporate sustained and consistent global biological ocean observations into the Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP). The goal of Bio-GO-SHIP is to produce systematic and consistent biological observations during global ocean repeat hydrographic surveys, with a particular focus on the planktonic ecosystem. Ocean plankton are an essential component of the earth climate system, form the base of the oceanic food web and thereby play an important role in influencing food security and contributing to the Blue Economy. Despite its importance, ocean biology is largely under-sampled in time and space compared to physical and chemical properties. This lack of information hampers our ability to understand the role of plankton in regulating biogeochemical processes and fueling higher trophic levels, now and in future ocean conditions. Traditionally, many of the methods used to quantify biological and ecosystem essential ocean variables (EOVs), measures that provide valuable information on the ecosystem, have been expensive and labor- and time-intensive, limiting their large-scale deployment. In the last two decades, new technologies have been developed and matured, making it possible to greatly expand our biological ocean observing capacity. These technologies, including cell imaging, bio-optical sensors and 'omic tools, can be combined to provide overlapping measurements of key biological and ecosystem EOVs. New developments in data management and open sharing can facilitate meaningful synthesis and integration with concurrent physical and chemical data. Here we outline how Bio-GO-SHIP leverages these technological advances to greatly expand our knowledge and understanding of the constituents and function of the global ocean plankton ecosystem.

scholarly journals Large-scale coral reef restoration could assist natural recovery in Seychelles, Indian Ocean

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phanor Hernando Montoya Maya ◽  
Kaylee Pamela Smit ◽  
April Jasmine Burt ◽  
Sarah Frias-Torres
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Natural Recovery ◽  
Reef Restoration

scholarly journals Nature-Based Coastal Protection by Large Woody Debris as Compared to Seawalls: A Physical Model Study of Beach Morphology and Wave Reflection

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 2020
Author(s):  
Pauline Falkenrich ◽  
Jessica Wilson ◽  
Ioan Nistor ◽  
Nils Goseberg ◽  
Andrew Cornett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Wave Reflection ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Large Woody Debris ◽  
Wall Structure ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Coastal Protection ◽  
Suitable Alternative ◽  
Beach Morphology ◽  
The North

Anchored Large Woody Debris (LWD) is increasingly being used as one of several nature-based coastal protection strategies along the north-western coasts of Canada and the US. As an alternative to conventional hard armoring (e.g., seawalls), its usage is widely considered to be less harmful to the coastal ecosystem while maintaining the ability to protect the beaches against wave attack and erosion. The effects of seawalls on beaches have been extensively studied; however, the performance and efficacy of LWD and its potential as a suitable alternative to seawalls (and other shoreline protection structures) are still understudied in current research. This paper presents and compares the effects of a conventional vertical seawall with two different LWD structures on beach morphology and wave reflection through large-scale physical modeling in a wave flume at a 1:5 scale. An assessment of techniques used to measure beach morphology and an assessment of model effects were included in the study. It was found that the wave reflection could be reduced by using a single log instead of a wall structure, while changes in the beach morphology response largely depended on the type of the LWD structure. A stacked log wall showed near-identical behavior as a conventional seawall. Visible model effects from the experiments, including the effect of the flume sidewalls on the beach morphology, were quantified and analyzed to inform future research.

scholarly journals Coral Reef Restorations Can Be Optimized to Reduce Coastal Flooding Hazards

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Floortje E. Roelvink ◽  
Curt D. Storlazzi ◽  
Ap R. van Dongeren ◽  
Stuart G. Pearson
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Reduction Potential ◽  
Coastal Flooding ◽  
Coastal Protection ◽  
Coastal Hazard ◽  
Fore Reef ◽  
Reef Restoration ◽  
Hazard Risk ◽  
Flooding Hazards

Coral reefs are effective natural coastal flood barriers that protect adjacent communities. Coral degradation compromises the coastal protection value of reefs while also reducing their other ecosystem services, making them a target for restoration. Here we provide a physics-based evaluation of how coral restoration can reduce coastal flooding for various types of reefs. Wave-driven flooding reduction is greatest for broader, shallower restorations on the upper fore reef and between the middle of the reef flat and the shoreline than for deeper locations on the fore reef or at the reef crest. These results indicate that to increase the coastal hazard risk reduction potential of reef restoration, more physically robust species of coral need to be outplanted to shallower, more energetic locations than more fragile, faster-growing species primarily being grown in coral nurseries. The optimization and quantification of coral reef restoration efforts to reduce coastal flooding may open hazard risk reduction funding for conservation purposes.

scholarly journals Livelihood Impacts of Plantation Forests on Farmers in the Greater Mekong Subregion: A Systematic Review of Plantation Forest Models

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1162
Author(s):  
Alexander van der Meer Simo
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Plantation Forest ◽  
Plantation Forests ◽  
Local Livelihoods ◽  
Forest Models ◽  
Local Farmers

Background and Objectives: Plantation forests remain a highly contested element of rural development. Successive reviews of large-scale plantations established under land concessions identify predominantly negative impacts on local farmers’ livelihoods. Although concession models of plantation development have been common in the global South, other models characterised by different forms of land tenure, labour arrangements, and plantation design have also emerged. The impacts of these models on the livelihoods of local farmers are likely to be more varied. This paper presents the results of a systematic review on the impacts of different models of plantation forests on the livelihoods of local farmers in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. Materials and Methods: Seventy-two of more than 1000 publications were identified as meeting review criteria and were assessed systematically to identify how plantation forests impacted on the natural, financial, human, physical, and social assets of proximate rural communities. Plantation models included: state forest plantations; land and land-sharing concessions; land purchase programs; and “enrolled”, contracted, and independent smallholders. Results: The results confirm those of earlier studies that land concessions delivered lasting livelihoods benefits only to few communities. A small number of positive examples among these cases demonstrate, however, that these plantation models are not necessarily detrimental to local livelihoods. Other plantation forest models, based on contract farming, land purchase, and independent smallholders have generally brought economic benefits to local people, although differentially. Research Highlights and Conclusions: Overall, this review suggests that plantation forests are not inherently positive or negative for local livelihoods, and all plantation models have the potential to contribute positively to local livelihoods. Future research on this topic needs to adopt more holistic livelihoods perspectives.

scholarly journals An open MRI dataset for multiscale neuroscience

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Royer ◽  
Raul Rodriguez-Cruces ◽  
Shahin Tavakol ◽  
Sara Lariviere ◽  
Peer Herholz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resting State ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
Integrative Framework ◽  
Data Portal ◽  
Multimodal Mri ◽  
Brain Microstructure ◽  
And Function

Multimodal neuroimaging grants a powerful window into the structure and function of the human brain at multiple scales. Recent methodological and conceptual advances have enabled investigations of the interplay between large-scale spatial trends (also referred to as gradients) in brain microstructure and connectivity, offering an integrative framework to study multiscale brain organization. Here, we share a multimodal MRI dataset for Microstructure-Informed Connectomics (MICA-MICs) acquired in 50 healthy adults (23 women; 29.54±5.62 years) who underwent high-resolution T1-weighted MRI, myelin-sensitive quantitative T1 relaxometry, diffusion-weighted MRI, and resting-state functional MRI at 3 Tesla. In addition to raw anonymized MRI data, this release includes brain-wide connectomes derived from i) resting-state functional imaging, ii) diffusion tractography, iii) microstructure covariance analysis, and iv) geodesic cortical distance, gathered across multiple parcellation scales. Alongside, we share large-scale gradients estimated from each modality and parcellation scale. Our dataset will facilitate future research examining the coupling between brain microstructure, connectivity, and macroscale function. MICA-MICs is available on the Canadian Open Neuroscience Platform data portal (https://portal.conp.ca).

scholarly journals Effects of global warming on plateau plants

2021 ◽  
pp. 963-968
Author(s):  
Dan Wu ◽  
Hui Kong
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Response Patterns ◽  
Physiological Level ◽  
Survival And Development ◽  
Response Modes ◽  
Different Response ◽  
And Function ◽  
Change Response

Biological and ecological environment in the plateau climate warming, abiotic environmental factors to different degrees of change were summed up from the macroscopic level to microcosmic individual physiological level of global climate change response model. The study summarized the research achievements at home and abroad, pointed out the plant phenology, photosynthesis, nutrient structure and presents different response patterns. These different response modes, from micro to macro, will eventually lead to changes in the structure and function of the Plateau ecosystem. This will threaten the survival and development of the Plateau plants on a large scale. Finally, the future research emphases in this field would be prospected. Bangladesh J. Bot. 50(3): 963-968, 2021 (September) Special

Parasite defense mechanisms in bees: behavior, immunity, antimicrobials, and symbionts

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison E. Fowler ◽  
Rebecca E. Irwin ◽  
Lynn S. Adler
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Immune Priming ◽  
Social Bees ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Landscape Scales ◽  
And Function ◽  
Solitary Species

Parasites are linked to the decline of some bee populations; thus, understanding defense mechanisms has important implications for bee health. Recent advances have improved our understanding of factors mediating bee health ranging from molecular to landscape scales, but often as disparate literatures. Here, we bring together these fields and summarize our current understanding of bee defense mechanisms including immunity, immunization, and transgenerational immune priming in social and solitary species. Additionally, the characterization of microbial diversity and function in some bee taxa has shed light on the importance of microbes for bee health, but we lack information that links microbial communities to parasite infection in most bee species. Studies are beginning to identify how bee defense mechanisms are affected by stressors such as poor-quality diets and pesticides, but further research on this topic is needed. We discuss how integrating research on host traits, microbial partners, and nutrition, as well as improving our knowledge base on wild and semi-social bees, will help inform future research, conservation efforts, and management.

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