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Article Reference Subtidal Natural Hard Substrate Quantitative Habitat Mapping: Interlinking Underwater Acoustics and Optical Imagery with Machine Learning
Subtidal natural hard substrates (SNHS) promote occupancy by rich benthic communities that provide irreplaceable and fundamental ecosystem functions, representing a global priority target for nature conservation and recognised in most European environmental legislation. However, scientifically validated methodologies for their quantitative spatial demarcation, including information on species occupancy and fine-scale environmental drivers (e.g., the effect of stone size on colonisation) are rare. This is, however, crucial information for sound ecological management. In this investigation, high-resolution (1 m) multibeam echosounder (MBES) depth and backscatter data and derivates, underwater imagery (UI) by video drop-frame, and grab sediment samples, all acquired within 32 km2 of seafloor in offshore Belgian waters, were integrated to produce a random forest (RF) spatial model, predicting the continuous distribution of the seafloor areal cover/m2 of the stones’ grain sizes promoting colonisation by sessile epilithic organisms. A semi-automated UI acquisition, processing, and analytical workflow was set up to quantitatively study the colonisation proportion of different grain sizes, identifying the colonisation potential to begin at stones with grain sizes Ø ≥ 2 cm. This parameter (i.e., % areal cover of stones Ø ≥ 2 cm/m2) was selected as the response variable for spatial predictive modelling. The model output is presented along with a protocol of error and uncertainty estimation. RF is confirmed as an accurate, versatile, and transferable mapping methodology, applicable to area-wide mapping of SNHS. UI is confirmed as an essential aid to acoustic seafloor classification, providing spatially representative numerical observations needed to carry out quantitative seafloor modelling of ecologically relevant parameters. This contribution sheds innovative insights into the ecologically relevant delineation of subtidal natural reef habitat, exploiting state-of-the-art underwater remote sensing and acoustic seafloor classification approaches.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Inproceedings Reference Sulfidic Habitats in the Frasassi Caves, Italy: A Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2022 OA
Article Reference Summary of our present knowledge of the spider communities of the Galápagos archipelago. First analysis of the spider communities of the islands Santa Cruz and Isabela
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Supplementary feeding increases nestling feather corticosterone early in the breeding season in house sparrows
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2017
Article Reference Supplementary morphological information for Cornufer manus (Kraus & Allison, 2009) and Cornufer vogti (Hediger, 1934), with information on colour in life
Manus Island is part of the Admiralty Islands, a herpetologically rich but poorly studied area. Seven species of Cornufer (von Tschudi, 1838) are known to occur on the island, five of which have been described. Based on material collected from Manus Island in 2014, we here describe the first female of Cornufer manus and the first male of Cornufer vogti. Additionally, we provide new information on intraspecific variation from a further eight adult males of C. manus, two subadults of C. vogti, as well as the first photographs of both species in life.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2022
Article Reference Surface movement above old coal longwalls after mine closure
Although most subsidence occurs in the months and years after mining by the longwall method, surface movement is still occurring many decades after the mining. The aim of the study is to quantify the long term behavior. Satellite data (radar-interferometry) were analyzed to study an area of about 2km2 during the 18years following the closure of the underground infrastructure and the flooding of the underground workings and rock mass. It was observed that, on average, a residual downward movement took place till 7–12years after the closure, followed by a clear uplift. However, the first signs of an uplift occurred in certain sub-areas 3–4years after the closure. Zones within the area studied were identified with either larger or smaller movements. However, the spatial variation of the surface subsidence or uplift could not be directly explained by the characteristics of mining.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2017
Inproceedings Reference Survey of parasitic larval trematodes in the assassin snails Anentome helena and A. wykoffi from Thailand
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023 OA
Article Reference Survey on the distribution of the Sweet potato weevil, Cylas species-complex in Ghana (Coleoptera: Brentidae)
The Sweet potato weevils of the genus Cylas are the most destructive pests of sweet potato and are widely distributed in Africa. The aim of this study was to identify and document the species of Cylas occurring in sweet potato production zones in Ghana. A survey was conducted in 23 localities in 2015 from July to December in seven regions in Ghana in order to determine the identity of the pest. We collected nine thousand and two specimens from Central, Eastern, Greater-Accra, Northern, Volta, Upper-East, and the Upper-West regions. Two species were identified: Cylas brunneus Fabricius, 1797 and Cylas puncticollis Boheman, 1833. Cylas puncticollis occurred in all regions and represented 6,107 specimens (68%), while 2,895 of the specimens (32%) could be assigned to C. brunneus. The latter is restricted to the southern sector including Volta, Central, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions. When considering both species in the southern sector, the Volta Region accounted for 3,117 specimens (48%) followed by 1,447 (22%), 987 (15%), and 980 (15%), from the Central, Eastern, and Greater-Accra Regions, respectively. The dominant species in southern and northern sector was C. puncticollis.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2016
Article Reference Sympatric Dreissena species in the Meuse River: towards a dominance shift from zebra to quagga mussels
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Synergistic effects of dual parasitism in Daphnia magna under nutrient limitation
Located in Associated publications / Belgian Journal of Zoology / Bibliographic References