HIGH-THROUGHPUT METAGENOMIC PROFILING OF FUNCTIONAL AND RESISTOME FEATURES IN ESTUARINE MICROPLASTIC MICROBIOMES.

Recognizing whether other species pose a threat is critical to survival. Learning from others avoids the need for dangerous encounters, so it can be particularly valuable, especially for young, vulnerable animals. Here, we tested whether young birds can learn socially about potential dangers even while still in the nest. Using playbacks, we presented wild jackdaw nestlings with calls from an unfamiliar predatory species (Eurasian goshawk) and an unfamiliar non-predator (American golden plover) in association with either conspecific alarm calls, implying danger, or contact calls, a neutral stimulus. When predator calls were paired with jackdaw alarm calls, nestlings learned to increase their vigilance rates. By contrast, vigilance rates were unchanged after predator calls were paired with jackdaw contact calls. Responses to the non-predator were not affected by pairing with either alarm or contact calls. This indicates that jackdaw nestlings can socially learn about unfamiliar calls and raises the possibility that they may show a predisposition (or 'preparedness') towards learning fear-relevant stimuli. Understanding the interplay between preparedness and social learning in the development of anti-predator responses is increasingly important as anthropogenic influences are altering predator compositions.

Summary The Tietê River is an anthropogenically disturbed urban water body polluted by a combination of untreated domestic sewage releasing (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus pollution) and diffuse pollution that cross São Paulo State in Southeast of Brazil. Along its course, it presents contrasting sites showing elevated levels of nutrients and contaminants (eutrophic sites) and oligotrophic environments, in both water and sediments. In this study, we investigated how pollution influences the taxonomic and functional diversity of microbial communities in the Tietê River watershed, with the aim of understanding their role in pollutant transformation during downstream transport. Four sampling sites along a pollution gradient—from São Paulo city to a relatively pristine area near the river mouth—were evaluated. Results indicated that diversity differences were primarily linked to water quality, with higher diversity observed in less contaminated sites. Heterotrophic metabolism was more prominent in polluted regions, whereas photoautotrophic and lithotrophic microorganisms were more abundant in clean areas. Additionally, genes associated with the metabolism of aromatic compounds and virulence factors were more prevalent in environments with higher anthropogenic influence, suggesting a functional shift geared toward environmental adaptation and bioremediation. We propose that, in areas with high organic matter concentrations, microbial communities tend to adopt an r-strategy lifestyle, characterized by rapid growth and reproduction, while in oligotrophic, less polluted sites, more competitive k-strategists predominate. Although the following hypothesis was not extensively studied, the lower abundance of genes involved in secondary metabolic synthesis in eutrophic sites suggests that pollution may reduce the availability of novel species or traits relevant for biotechnological applications. Additionally, community shifts appear to be influenced by "conditionally rare taxa," which temporarily alter their activity and abundance in response to environmental constraints, playing a critical role in water self-purification processes. Overall, these findings offer new insights into the environmental factors driving self-purification in the Tietê River and shed light on the ecological mechanisms underpinning river resilience.

Quantitative source apportionment deciphering hydrogeological and anthropogenic contributions to selenium enrichment in groundwater against deficiency context.

Early antidepressant exposure rewrites the script of coping.

Century-long coral evidence of climate and anthropogenic influences on tropical coastal phosphorus cycling in the northern South China Sea

Environmental aquatic chemistry in the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences: Efforts for cleaner water.

In Europe, large carnivore populations have faced a history of persecution and habitat alteration, varying in magnitude across their distribution. Individual animals have developed diverse adaptations to these anthropogenic activities, in most cases to avoid them but in some cases to exploit novel resources in the human-modified environments they inhabit. Here, we used long-term GPS-telemetry data from 108 brown bears Ursus arctos collared across three European countries - Finland, Slovakia and Romania-to assess whether the behavioural movement patterns of brown bears are consistent across their range or vary regionally in response to local environmental and anthropogenic influences. We calculated speed, movement direction and daily displacement, and used mixed-effects models to analyse whether human infrastructure affected brown bear movement behaviour across the study areas. To examine whether the impact of these features varied by study area, and to capture contextual differences that may have affected the movement patterns of bears, we included interactions between environmental predictors and area in the regression models. Our results showed that Finnish bears exhibited consistently higher movement speeds and longer daily displacements than Slovak and Romanian bears, regardless of the proximity to roads, railways, or human settlements. In addition, in proximity to transport infrastructures, Finnish and Slovak bears increased speed, directionality and distance travelled whereas Romanian bears showed the opposite pattern. Conversely, near human settlements, Romanian bears showed higher speeds and less tortuous movements, whereas Finnish and Slovak bears reduced their speed and daily displacements. These contrasting responses suggest that bear movements in multi-use, human-modified landscapes are shaped by complex interactions between animal needs and local environmental conditions.

Human activities regulate the sources and composition pattern of organic matter in the coastal bays of the East China Sea during spring.

Nocturnality.

Comparison of the trace and major elements distribution in river waters from large-scale watersheds of the Tibetan Plateau.

This study investigates the prevalence and sources of microplastics (MPs, 300–5,000 µm) in the marine environment of Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE—an underexplored region with significant anthropogenic influence. Samples were collected from ten ecologically distinct site categories, including areas near oilfields, near desalination plants, port and marinas, aquaculture activities, public beaches, confined areas, newly developed areas, point sources, near offshore islands and natural habitats. “Natural habitats” showed the lowest MP levels (3.33 particles/100 g sediment; 4.5 P/L water), while sites near oilfields, ports, and offshore islands had the highest (8.2–9.3 P/L water; 5.0–6.6 P/100 g sediment). A total of 1,493 MPs were characterized by size, shape, and color. Polymer analysis of 240 MPs identified acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (31%), cellulose acetate (27%), nylon-66 (20%), and PET (10%) as dominant types. Smaller MPs (100–300 µm) were also quantified at selected categories. Pollution Load Index (PLI) analysis, using natural habitats as a baseline, indicated the greatest anthropogenic impact near offshore oilfields and islands, highlighting spatial variations in MP contamination.

Urban wetlands, encompassing both natural and constructed ecosystems, are vital for urban resilience. Understanding how plant functional traits adapt to these distinct habitats is crucial for ecological management. This study investigates the intraspecific variation and trait covariation patterns of the common reed (Phragmites australis) in two contrasting urban wetland types in Ganzhou City: a stagnant, engineered constructed wetland and a dynamic, natural riverine wetland. This contrast represents a key gradient in hydrological regime and anthropogenic influence. We measured 22 morphological and chemical traits to assess trait differences, variability (coefficient of variation), and correlation patterns. Volcano plot analysis revealed significant habitat effects: reed in natural wetlands exhibited higher levels of Cu, P, N, and leaf moisture content (LMC), whereas those in constructed wetlands had higher Ca content. Traits such as Na, Mn, and Al showed high intraspecific variability. Correlation analyses revealed significant trade-offs and integrations among traits, such as positive correlations between LMC and nutrients (K, Cu), and negative correlations between Ca and key leaf morphological traits. Principal component analysis (PCA) further confirmed a significant separation along PC1, driven primarily by nutrient elements (Cu, P, K) and LMC, with natural wetlands scoring higher. In contrast, PC2, associated with leaf morphological traits (e.g., leaf area, leaf width), showed no significant inter-habitat difference. Our findings demonstrate that P. australis employs distinct ecological strategies by adjusting its functional traits and resource allocation in response to different urban wetland environments. This highlights the critical role of intraspecific trait variation in plant adaptation and has important implications for wetland restoration and the design of constructed ecosystems.

ABSTRACT Groundwater contamination in western Türkiye’s basins remains poorly understood because geogenic and anthropogenic influences overlap. This study assesses sources and human health risks associated with groundwater contamination in the Kula–Selendi region (Manisa), where geothermal, cold mineral-rich, and cold fresh groundwater types coexist. Thirty water samples (27 groundwater and 3 surface water) were analyzed for major ions, trace metal(loid)s (TMs), and physicochemical parameters. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified four dominant hydrogeochemical processes: silicate weathering, carbonate dissolution, anthropogenic contamination, and arsenic mobilization. Geothermal waters in the Vezirler mélange contained low arsenic (≤2 µg L−1), whereas cold groundwater in sedimentary aquifers reached 3050 µg L−1, indicating that arsenic enrichment is decoupled from the Kula Geothermal System. Elevated nitrate (up to 454.7 mg L−1) in shallow aquifers reflects inputs from agricultural and livestock activities. Health risk assessment (HRA) showed that arsenic in sedimentary aquifers posed high carcinogenic risk and dominated non-carcinogenic risk via drinking water, followed by lithium, nitrate, and boron. Dermal exposure generally posed low risk, although boron and lithium made relatively greater contributions. The combined PCA–HRA approach links hydrogeochemical processes to human health risks and supports targeted monitoring of naturally enriched TMs (As, B, Li) and mitigation of nitrate pollution.

Satellite-based monitoring of aquaculture impacts remains constrained by the absence of standardized, reproducible methodologies capable of capturing long-term environmental dynamics. This study introduces a novel framework that integrates Difference-in-Differences (DiD) causal inference with multi-decadal Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data and Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing to evaluate aquaculture-related changes in coastal ecosystems. Using 20 years of satellite observations (2002-2022) from the Karaburun Peninsula, İzmir, Türkiye, we compared three representative sites: an aquaculture zone, a coastal area influenced by human settlements, and an offshore reference site with minimal anthropogenic activity. The human-impacted coastal site consistently exhibited the highest concentrations of surface parameters, reflecting dominant background anthropogenic influences. However, DiD analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), particulate organic carbon (POC), or other parameters between the aquaculture and control sites, indicating that potential aquaculture-related effects remained below the detection threshold of the 1 km MODIS resolution. Despite these null results, the study demonstrates the feasibility and limitations of combining causal inference and cloud-based remote sensing for aquaculture monitoring. This methodological integration provides a scalable, cost-effective, and transferable framework for detecting and interpreting environmental change across large spatial and temporal domains. By defining the sensitivity limits of satellite-based detection, this work lays a foundation for future applications that merge high-resolution sensors, in-situ validation, and process-based modeling in sustainable aquaculture management.

ABSTRACT Background Phylogeny-based assessments of Holocene vegetation are rare. They are important for understanding eco-evolutionary dynamics of species assembly under environmental changes and ever-increasing anthropogenic pressure. Aims To reveal any spatio-temporal variation in the phylogenetic dispersion (PD, mean phylogenetic distance of co-occurring taxa) in angiosperm pollen assemblages in mainland Europe and North America and their relationship with regional climate and anthropogenic influence. Methods Using 12,250 and 14,898 fossil pollen assemblages from Europe and North America, respectively, we analysed family level spatio-temporal variation in Holocene PD by hierarchical generalised linear models and tested its concordance with Holocene climate and anthropogenic influence by Procrustes randomisation tests. Results Holocene PD exhibited a reverse-humped pattern along latitudinal gradients in both continents. A longitudinal pattern in Holocene PD in Europe was not pronounced. However, in North America, it declined irregularly along the gradient from west to east. PD in both continents varied significantly during the early- and late-Holocene in concordance with Holocene climate and anthropogenic influences. Complex fine-scale spatio-temporal variations in PD were also pronounced. Conclusion Profound and complex Holocene eco-evolutionary changes in angiosperm assemblages in Europe and North America correspond largely to changes in extrinsic and intrinsic drivers and mechanisms of ecological changes. Future environmental changes of similar or a greater magnitude may drive further changes in the phylogenetic structure of the assemblages. A more detailed study of their eco-evolutionary dynamics requires detailed spatio-temporal assemblage data with precise taxonomy and census, and a detailed and robust species-level phylogeny of the species pool.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Accumulation in Commercially Important Spiny Lobster Species from the Bay of Bengal and Implications for Consumer Health Risks.

ABSTRACT Textural characteristics of fluvial sediments are excellent proxies for deciphering: tectonic, geomorphic and climatic conditions at source‐sink and the depositional settings, prevalent environment and energy conditions and modes and medium of transport. In this paper, we have documented the textural characteristics and heavy mineral distribution in channel bed sediments ( n = 51) of the Thamirabarani River from its source to confluence, in order to understand current environmental characteristics, and to establish a baseline data for the future studies. The results show that the majority of the samples were coarse‐ to medium‐grained, and moderately sorted. The occurrences of monazite, garnet (almandine, spessartine), magnetite, zircon, tourmaline, hypersthene, kyanite, rutile, and ilmenite indicate the provenance and general lithological control over the heavy mineral distribution. Angular heavy mineral grains all through the stream, including the lower reaches of the channel, together with high fluctuations of heavy mineral (0%–30%) in addition to a perceptible decrease at the confluence, suggested ongoing exhumation of the source areas, lower sorting effect and recycling of sediments by natural and anthropogenic influences. The spatial distribution of the textural and morphological characteristics of all the sediments and the heavy mineral grains, togther with the inferences from discriminant functions and diagrams, revealed prevailing spatial heterogeneity in unroofing of catchment/provenance, dilution effects of sediment characteristics by tributaries, as well as anthropogenic pressures/land use changes. Collectively, the study implies corroboration with inferences drawn on sedimentary textural characteristics of adjacently located river basins, signifying the documented phenomena as a regional character rather than endemic to this basin.

ABSTRACT Apex predators are effective indicators of bioaccumulation and biomagnification of xenobiotics. In this study, we determined the concentrations of eight potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (Pb, Cd, As, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, Cr) in the faeces (spraints) of smooth-coated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata) from the Mandovi-Zuari estuarine complex, Goa, India. Sampling was conducted at two locations: Study site-1 in the Mandovi estuary and Study site-2 in the Zuari estuary. Both rivers originate in the Western Ghats and are characterised by similar anthropogenic influences, including agriculture, urban expansion, and industrial activity. Three spraint samples were collected from each site and analysed for PTEs using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The mean concentrations of PTEs (mg/kg d.w.) at study site-1 were as follows: Fe (365.4) > Zn (174.3) > Cu (38.5) > Mn (26.8) > Cr (21.4) > Pb (8) > Cd (2.3) > As (0.1). The mean concentrations of PTEs (mg/kg d.w.) at Study site-2 were as follows: Zn (167) > Fe (60.6) > Mn (45) > Cu (28) > Cr (20.2) > Pb (7.7) > Cd (2) > As (0.2). This study provides valuable preliminary insights into the exposure of L. perspicillata to PTEs in the estuarine landscape of Goa, India.

Coronaviruses (CoV) are RNA viruses associated with enteric and respiratory diseases and known for their emergence potential in humans and other mammals. CoVs originate from zoonotic transmission, in which bats are natural reservoirs. Previous studies suggest that CoV diversity is positively correlated with bat diversity, whereas anthropogenic influence can increase prevalence in bat hosts. The present study investigates the presence of CoVs in bats in the Amazon-Cerrado transition region in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. In total, 57 individuals were captured, belonging to 17 species in 7 subfamilies and 4 families. Among the captured bats in the region, the most abundant species were Carollia perspicillata (24.6%; 14/57), C. brevicauda (17.5%; 10/57), and Phyllostomus hastatus (10.5%; 6/57). Bat sampling richness evidenced a diversity pattern consistent with fragmented forests. A total of 16 faecal samples were collected and tested for CoV infection, with 2 positive samples sequenced (12.5%; 95% CI 3.49-36.02). Phylogenetic analyses characterised the CoVs found as divergent sequences within distinct branches of American Alphacoronavirus lineages previously reported. The RdRp phylogenetic tree exhibited biome-associated structuring as well as multiple bat host species within the clades, indicating a wide distribution within hosts and biomes. Nevertheless, further studies are necessary to ascertain the relationship between CoV spatial dynamics and the role of the Brazilian Amazon-Cerrado transition zone, where deforestation increases human-bat contact and access its spillover potential risk.