Effects of electromagnetic fields from an alternating current power cable on the embryogenesis of three benthic associated marine species.

Mining liabilities as a source of toxic metals and physicochemical contaminants in tropical rivers.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of a highly dynamic estuarine-coastal ocean continuum on the southwest coast of India: Seasonal distribution, source apportionment, and toxicological implications.

A rapid method to assess sediment deposition and stress on coral reef benthic taxa resulting from dredging and other sediment disturbances.

Integrated risk assessment of heavy metals in marine sediments from Salwa Bay, Qatar using pollution indices and multivariate analysis.

Ecological risk assessment of PAHs in surface sediments near Longkou Artificial Island (Laizhou Bay, China): Insights from content, source and toxicity equivalents.

When nanoplastics (NPs) meet algae: Heteroaggregates exacerbate bioaccumulation, immunotoxicity, and microbial dysbiosis in the green mussel (Perna viridis).

Concerns about the toxic effects of chemical mixtures have led to regulatory organizations considering how best to address exposures to complex mixtures in the environment. The ubiquitous nature of metals means that they are always present in the environment, even if only at very low levels. It is appropriate to consider whether the mixtures of commonly regulated metals in the environment are likely to cause adverse effects on ecosystems if the environmental quality standards (EQSs) for all the individual metals are complied with. The total risk from four metals (copper, lead, nickel, and zinc) was evaluated in terms of the potential effects on freshwater benthic macroinvertebrate communities from the United Kingdom. The total risk was expressed as the sum of the individual risk characterization ratios for each metal (∑RCR). The ecological data are expressed relative to predicted reference conditions to provide an ecological quality ratio, which indicates whether the local community has been affected by any stressors by comparison to unaffected reference conditions. Very high metal exposures, expressed as the ∑RCR value, were found to be associated with reduced ecosystem diversity. However, a 10% reduction in community diversity relative to the predicted unaffected reference conditions is expected to occur only at ∑RCR values of greater than 8 ∑RCR units. This indicates that in "real world" situations, where a suite of inorganic and organic pollutants may be present, if the EQS for each of the individual metals is complied with (in this case, a ∑RCR value no higher than 4), there will likely not be any observable impact on benthic invertebrate community diversity despite the presence of these metals and other contaminants.

Ecosystem function: Trait diversity, bioturbation, and bio-irrigation potentials of macrobenthic invertebrate communities in the Red Sea

Relationship between REE signatures and biological traits of marine benthic fauna in a temperate mud patch: Application of multivariate analyses.

Toxicokinetics and responses of multiple biomarkers of sediment-associated fluoroquinolones in the freshwater benthic gastropod Bellamya aeruginosa.

Geospatial distribution of hazardous metals and other elements in stream sediments of Akum, Cameroon: Insights into mineral exploration and ecosystem health using indexical and multivariate approaches.

Effects of water-accommodated fractions of crude oil and chemical dispersant on the antioxidant defense system, tissue damage, and gene expression in Ruditapes philippinarum.

Many reef-building tropical corals are becoming rare. We considered the meaning of rarity in corals and highlighted taxa that have reached low abundances in the last few decades. The difficulties of quantifying rarity in the marine environment arise from the sheer scale and 3-dimensional nature of the biome and the inherent challenges therein of ecological surveys with scuba. To meet the demands of coral conservation biology in the 21st century, we suggest that contemporary studies of coral communities will require enhanced capacity to identify species and a species-specific focus on corals occurring at low abundances, which traditional ecological approaches to quantifying populations of benthic marine organisms have a limited capacity to address. Now is the time to revise scientific approaches to respond to the challenges posed by the need to understand and protect rare tropical corals.

Effective control of invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) populations relies heavily on lampricides, but few studies have investigated the impacts of granular Bayluscide® (gB) on benthic dwelling organisms. Native freshwater mussels are present in many similar habitats that larval sea lamprey prefer, making them susceptible to non-target effects. The active ingredient of gB, niclosamide, was derived specifically as a molluscicide, therefore it is crucial to understand its impacts on a group of mollusks that have been imperiled due to many factors including the input of contaminants in the aquatic environment. Two early life stages of Lampsilis siliquoidea were tested in 7-day exposures to gB. Mortality was significant in both sub-adult and newly metamorphosed mussels, with the latter being significantly sensitive to gB applications that were less than 1% of the suggested application rate. A significant decrease in mussel growth was seen at 0.78% of the suggested application rate. A 24-hr test was supplemented due to gB potency, revealing a similar median lethal concentration of 0.67% (0.55-0.79) of the suggested gB application rate. Additionally, an 8-hr exposure of 0.78% of the application revealed significant effects after only 2 hr of exposure. Both early life stages of L. siliquoidea showed a marked sensitivity to gB. Although environmental conditions may have an influence on gB fate, the marked sensitivity of early life stages demonstrated in this study is crucial to understanding the effects of sustained gB application on the population dynamics of freshwater mussels.

Citizen science approaches for monitoring, and even restoring, coral reefs have grown in popularity though tend to be restricted to those who have taken courses that expose them to the relevant methodologies. Now that cheap (~10 USD), waterproof pouches for smart phones are widely available, there is the potential for mass acquisition of coral reef images by non-scientists. Furthermore, with the emergence of better machine-learning-based image classification approaches, high-quality data can be extracted from low-resolution images (provided that key benthic organisms, namely corals, other invertebrates, & algae, can be distinguished). To determine whether informally captured images could yield comparable ecological data to point-intercept + photo-quadrat surveys conducted by highly proficient research divers, we trained an artificial intelligence (AI), CoralNet, with images taken before and during a bleaching event in 2015 in Chagos (Indian Ocean). The overall percent coral covers of the formal, “gold standard” method and the informal, “tourist diver” approach of 38.7 and 35.1%, respectively, were within ~10% of one another; coral bleaching percentages of 30.5 and 31.8%, respectively, were statistically comparable. Although the AI was prone to classifying bleached corals as healthy in ~one-third of cases, the fact that these data could be collected by someone with no knowledge of coral reef ecology might justify this approach in areas where divers or snorkelers have access to waterproof cameras and are keen to document coral reef condition.

This study aimed to determine the ecological quality of ichthyological spawning grounds in the Lake Buyo partial wildlife reserve, part of Taï National Park. Ichthyological spawning grounds are aquatic habitats used by fish for reproduction. In Côte d’Ivoire, knowledge of these spawning grounds was very fragmentary and mostly based on an inventory and summary description of spawning grounds. Data collection was carried out from June 2018 to May 2019 at 11 ichthyological spawning grounds. Benthic macroinvertebrates were sampled using a Van Veen bucket and handle dip net. Ten grab samples were taken at each site. The dip net was used to sample habitats that were difficult to access with the grab and were very shallow. The Warwick Ecological Stress Index and the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index were used to analyse water quality. A total of 19,940 individuals belonging to 28 families for a biomass of 1,361,549 g were counted. Thiaridae and Chironomidae families were the most abundant, with 63.28% and 22.88%, respectively. The analysis of the abundance– biomass curves showed that the biomass curve was higher than the abundance curve, with values ranging from 0.18 to 0.61. These values indicate stress due to the enrichment of the water with organic matter. The analysis using the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index indicated that organic pollution ranges from poor (6.98) to very poor (7.73). The ecological quality of the lake’s waters has a negative impact on ecological diversity, leading to the disappearance of certain aquatic species through the destruction of spawning grounds.

Bioindicator Benthic Macroinvertebrates as Semiotic Agents: A Biosemiotics-Oriented and Ethical Reframing Toward Meaningful Sustainability

Narragansett Bay, RI, has experienced decades of anthropogenic impacts and as a result has been a hotspot for pollution research. Most recently, microplastic pollution is of increasing concern, with data showing high levels of microplastic contamination on shorelines and in surface sediments. Plastic production worldwide has been increasing exponentially since the 1950s, and this system-wide chronologic study uses seabed and marsh sediment cores to show that plastic pollution in our coastal systems reflects the same exponential trend. Using ten sediment cores, 20-42cm in length, ranging from outside the city of Providence in the northern estuary to 30km offshore in Rhode Island Sound, we find exponentially increasing microplastic (63µm-5mm) concentrations from the 1940s to the present day. All sites show increasing diversity in plastic polymer types, colors, and morphologies over time. Marsh sediments contained microplastic concentrations ten to fifty times higher than the nearby seabed and have been accumulating microplastics at four times the rate over the past century, raising concern for the benthic and aquatic biota that rely on these important habitats. Today, nearly all sediment sites (9 out of 10) have exceeded thresholds of harm for benthic organisms. Model results suggest anywhere between approximately 2300 and 3000 tonnes of microplastics have accumulated in the Narragansett Bay seabed sediments over the past century. With few wide-scale mitigation measures in sight, these results should serve as a warning that without action, the pollution of our coastal systems will continue to increase exponentially.

Abstract. The Lake Nokoué and Porto-Novo Lagoon complex represents the most important Lagoon system in Benin and is influenced by saltwater intrusion during Low water period via Cotonou channel. The main objective was to determine the composition and structure of benthic macroinvertebrates based on their preferred habitat. Samples were collected from 15 stations between November 2022 and October 2023, following the fluctuations of the hydrological regime notably High water (October and November), Low water (January and March) and Slight rise water (June and August). The results reveal a total of 79 species across the entire studied Lagoon complex. For Lake Nokoué, the following abundances were obtained for: strictly freshwater taxa (4.27 %), strictly brackish taxa (44.58 %), and strictly saltwater taxa (11.86 %). In the Porto-Novo Lagoon, the following abundances were recorded for: strictly freshwater taxa (7.78 %), strictly brackish taxa (6.96 %), and strictly saltwater taxa (16.83 %). Regarding the hydrological regime, a predominance of strictly freshwater taxa was noted during the High water period in Lake Nokoué. Furthermore, this predominance was recorded during both High and Low water periods within the Porto-Novo Lagoon. Thus, the variation of these taxa was found to be more pronounced in Lake Nokoué (p<0.01) than in the Porto-Novo Lagoon (p>0.05).