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Shallow benthic invertebrate communities in relation to substrate types in coastal environments of the sub-Antarctic Crozet archipelago.
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"The European weatherfish Misgurnus fossilis, once widespread across Eurasia, is now critically endangered in Flanders (Belgium), prompting the establishment of a captive breeding programme as part of conservation efforts. During rearing, juvenile weatherfish suffered heavy infections from the ectoparasitic flatworm Gyrodactylus fossilis, leading to mortality events. Although G. fossilis is a natural parasite of M. fossilis, high host densities in hatchery conditions facilitated pathological infection intensities, while adult fish maintained at lower densities showed no visible pathology. This suggests that husbandry practices strongly modulate dynamics of this host–parasite system in captivity. To place these observations in a historical context, we screened both captive-bred fish and archival material (1881–1973, i.e. prior to the anthropogenic introduction of Asian congeners in Misgurnus) for ectoparasites. Morphological and molecular characterisation revealed infections of three monopisthocotylan flatworms: G. fossilis, Gyrodactylus misgurni (Gyrodactylidae), and Actinocleidus cruciatus (Dactylogyridae). All represent new records for Belgium, with G. misgurni and A. cruciatus considered native due to their occurrence in historical material. Notably, these parasites’ abundance has declined compared to historical collections, raising concerns about their own conservation status. Since parasites contribute substantially to species-richness, ecosystem functioning, and even the health of their host individuals and populations (e.g., their immunological development and resilience) their co-decline alongside endangered hosts represents a hidden and meaningful dimension of biodiversity loss. Our findings highlight both risks and opportunities associated with parasite conservation in ex situ programmes focused on fishes or other vertebrate hosts. High juvenile stocking densities increased parasite burdens and mortality, while improved husbandry practices allowed stable co-existence of host and parasite populations. This indicates that carefully managed captive breeding facilities may act as refugia not only for M. fossilis but also for its specialist parasites, maintaining ecological interactions and genetic diversity that would otherwise be lost. While parasites are often overlooked or actively eliminated in wildlife management, they play essential roles in ecosystems and represent species of conservation concern in their own right. These results emphasise the possibility of including parasites in conservation planning. For the weatherfish and its parasites, ex situ conservation thus provides an experimental framework for developing integrated strategies that safeguard both host and parasite persistence. Future reintroduction initiatives should therefore consider whether to also re-establish native parasite populations, a decision that requires informed discussion among conservation stakeholders. By demonstrating the feasibility of host–parasite co-conservation, this study advances the idea that conservation programmes can optimise resource allocation while preserving the evolutionary and ecological relationships of multiple species simultaneously.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
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Tidally Driven Dispersion of a Deep-Sea Sediment Plume Originating from Seafloor Disturbance in the DISCOL Area (SE-Pacific Ocean)
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RBINS Staff Publications 2022
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The palaeogenetics of cat dispersal in the ancient world
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The cat has long been important to human societies as a pest-control agent, object of symbolic value and companion animal, but little is known about its domestication process and early anthropogenic dispersal. Here we show, using ancient DNA analysis of geographically and temporally widespread archaeological cat remains, that both the Near Eastern and Egyptian populations of Felis silvestris lybica contributed to the gene pool of the domestic cat at different historical times. While the cat’s worldwide conquest began during the Neolithic period in the Near East, its dispersal gained momentum during the Classical period, when the Egyptian cat successfully spread throughout the Old World. The expansion patterns and ranges suggest dispersal along human maritime and terrestrial routes of trade and connectivity. A coat-colour variant was found at high frequency only after the Middle Ages, suggesting that directed breeding of cats occurred later than with most other domesticated animals.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2017
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Assessing the risk of booster biocides for the marine environment: A case study at the Belgian part of the North Sea
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The biofouling of submerged surfaces such as ship hulls is often prevented by using anti-fouling components in combination with booster biocides. These booster biocides enter the water column and may affect non-target organisms. Although different negative effects have been associated with the use of booster biocides, their effects on non-target organisms are often unknown. So far, the environmental risks for booster biocides have barely been quantified in the North Sea. In this work, the concentration of five commonly used booster biocides as well as tributyltin has been monitored at five dredged spoil disposal sites in the Belgian part of the North Sea and the harbour and ports of Nieuwpoort, Oostende, and Zeebrugge. Hotspots were discovered where the concentration of one or more booster biocides exceeded the predicted no-effect concentration. Tributyltin has been banned since 2008, but concentrations of 237- to 546-fold of the predicted no-effect concentration were detected in the harbours and ports. Moreover, TBT has been detected in the same order of magnitude in other sea basins, emphasizing the need to monitor the trends and impact of booster biocides and TBT in environmental monitoring programs.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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Flocculation dynamics of suspended particulate matter under various tidal conditions
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Understanding the flocculation dynamics of suspended particulate matter is essential for a comprehensive understanding of sediment transport in estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Field observations were conducted during both spring and neap tidal cycles at two contrasting sites, the highly turbulent, low-salinity Xuliujing site of the Yangtze River estuary, and the weakly turbulent, high-salinity Belgian coastal station MOW1. The two sites exhibited different flocculation dynamics and floc size distributions (FSDs). At Xuliujing, strong river discharge and pronounced ebb dominance intensified turbulent shear, making the fragmentation of flocs the governing process. This resulted in multimodal FSDs with high proportions of microflocs (∼13 μm) and macroflocs (∼55 μm). In contrast, at MOW1, high salinity and relatively weak, symmetric tidal currents favored salt-enhanced aggregation, resulting in larger, more stable flocs and more uniform FSDs. These contrasts indicate that in freshwater environments, turbulence controls both aggregation and breakup, whereas in saline waters, salinity governs aggregation and turbulence primarily limits the maximum size of flocs. Furthermore, a one-dimensional vertical hydrodynamic model coupled with a population balance flocculation model demonstrated satisfactory accuracy in simulating current velocities, suspended particulate matter concentrations, and FSDs at both sites, showing its capability to capture flocculation dynamics under different environmental conditions.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2026
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Ongoing Laboratory Performance Study on Chemical Analysis of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Compounds in Three Aquatic Passive Samplers
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The quality of chemical analysis is an important aspect of passive sampling-based environmental assessments. The present study reports on a proficiency testing program for the chemical analysis of hydrophobic organic compounds in silicone and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) passive samplers and hydrophilic compounds in polar organic chemical integrative samplers. The median between-laboratory coefficients of variation (CVs) of hydrophobic compound concentrations in the polymer phase were 33% (silicone) and 38% (LDPE), similar to the CVs obtained in four earlier rounds of this program. The median CV over all rounds was 32%. Much higher variabilities were observed for hydrophilic compound concentrations in the sorbent: 50% for the untransformed data and a factor of 1.6 after log transformation. Limiting the data to the best performing laboratories did not result in less variability. Data quality for hydrophilic compounds was only weakly related to the use of structurally identical internal standards and was unrelated to the choice of extraction solvent and extraction time. Standard deviations of the aqueous concentration estimates for hydrophobic compound sampling by the best performing laboratories were 0.21 log units for silicone and 0.27 log units for LDPE (factors of 1.6 to 1.9). The implications are that proficiency testing programs may give more realistic estimates of uncertainties in chemical analysis than within-laboratory quality control programs and that these high uncertainties should be taken into account in environmental assessments.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2024
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Assessing the chemical burden of the North-East Atlantic ecosystem through targeted and untargeted HRMS-based approaches
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Human activities have introduced significant amounts of anthropogenic chemicals into marine ecosystems, posing threats to aquatic biodiversity and human health. Although, traditional marine monitoring focus primarily on legacy pollutants, the presence and potential risks associated with complex emerging chemical mixtures should not be neglected. In the context of the present study organized via OSPAR Commission and supported by NORMAN network, 52 marine samples were gathered from North-East Atlantic Ocean. State-of-the-art HRMS-based analytical workflows were employed to identify their chemical fingerprint. 132 organic pollutants were identified through wide-scope target screening of more than 2,400 environmentally relevant organic pollutants. The HRMS data were digitally stored in NORMAN DSFP and 134 additional chemicals were tentatively identified through suspect screening of more than 65,000 chemicals. The list included legacy pollutants, along with emerging pollutants, their metabolites and transformation products. A simplified environmental risk assessment was conducted, aiming to prioritize substances based on their potential risks to the marine ecosystem. This study provides a valuable snapshot of the marine pollution, offering insights into chemical occurrence and risks. The findings can support marine scientists, environmental managers and policymakers in identifying pollutant sources, understanding their impacts, and informing regulatory measures to mitigate threats to marine ecosystems.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
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Contrasting toxicity between explosives– and chemical warfare agents–related compounds to the marine primary producer <i>Phaeodactylum tricornutum</i>
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Vast amounts of munitions dumped in the marine environment, have been reported to leak chemicals due to munition corrosion. The subsequent increased levels of explosives and related chemicals (E&RC), as well as chemical warfare agents and related chemicals (CWA&RC), raise risks for environmental and human health Yet, ecotoxicity data on primary producers is currently scarce. Therefore, this study investigated the acute effects of three CWA&RC (1,4-oxathiane, 1,4-dithiane, and thiodiglycol) and four E&RC (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), tetryl, 1,3-dinitrobenzene (1,3-DNB), and picric acid) on Phaeodactylum tricornutum, a key marine diatom at the basis of the aquatic food web. Results showed that none of the three CWA&RC significantly inhibited the growth rate of Phaeodactylum tricornutum at the tested concentrations. Interestingly, picric acid stimulated growth up under the experimental conditions, suggesting a hormetic effect. TNT, tetryl, and 1,3-DNB strongly inhibited growth, with experimentally derived EC10 and EC50 values approaching environmentally relevant concentrations near dumpsites. Consequently, diatom biomass may be significantly affected by TNT, tetryl, and 1,3-DNB, potentially disturbing primary production and ocean chemistry. Future research should examine potential synergies between munition compounds and other marine pollutants, which may aggravate toxic effects, as well as consider long-term toxicity tests.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2026
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Atmospheric Correction Inter-Comparison eXercise, ACIX-III Land: An Assessment of Atmospheric Correction Processors for EnMAP and PRISMA over Land
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Correcting atmospheric effects on hyperspectral optical satellite scenes is paramount to ensuring the accuracy of derived bio-geophysical products. The open-access benchmark Atmospheric Correction Inter-comparison eXercise (ACIX) was first initiated in 2016 and has now been extended to provide a comprehensive assessment of atmospheric processors of space-borne imaging spectroscopy missions (EnMAP and PRISMA) over land surfaces. The exercise contains 90 scenes, covering stations of the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) for assessing aerosol optical depth (AOD) and water vapour (WV) retrievals, as well as stationary networks (RadCalNet and HYPERNETS) and ad hoc campaigns for surface reflectance (SR) validation. AOD, WV, and SR retrievals were assessed using accuracy, precision, and uncertainty metrics. For AOD retrieval, processors showed a range of uncertainties, with half showing overall uncertainties of <0.1 but going up to uncertainties of almost 0.4. WV retrievals showed consistent offsets for almost all processors, with uncertainty values between 0.171 and 0.875 g/cm2. Average uncertainties for SR retrievals depend on wavelength, processor, and sensor (uncertainties are slightly higher for PRISMA), showing average values between 0.02 and 0.04. Although results are biased towards a limited selection of ground measurements over arid regions with low AOD, this study shows a detailed analysis of similarities and differences of seven processors. This work provides critical insights for understanding the current capabilities and limitations of atmospheric correction algorithms for imaging spectroscopy, offering both a foundation for future improvements and a first practical guide to support users in selecting the most suitable processor for their application needs.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
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A generalized physics-based correction for adjacency effects
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Atmospheric scattering occurs over a horizontal scale of several kilometers. This results in influence from neighboring surface features on the signal recorded over a given position, reducing contrast and the accuracy of quantitative retrievals of surface reflectance from satellite imagery. This atmospheric blurring, or adjacency effect, must be accounted for when both contrast in surface reflectance and magnitude of atmospheric scattering are significant. Taking into account the adjacency effect is of particular importance for aquatic remote sensing of inland and coastal waters due to the high contrast between water and different land cover types, as well as the small spatial scale of most inland water bodies. In this paper, we present a physics-based processor to retrieve surface reflectance over all surface types, regardless of the subscene composition and sensor waveband configuration. The processor is implemented in the free and open source ACOLITE software and is composed of two modules: (1) TSDSF for the estimation of aerosol properties and (2) RAdCor for the retrieval of surface reflectance. We demonstrate the performance of the TSDSF $+$ RAdCor processor for the Operational Land Imager (OLI) onboard Landsat 8 and the Multispectral Instrument (MSI) onboard Sentinel-2A and 2B over a set of small ($\lt1\;\rm km^2$) inland waters in Belgium, and compare the performance with other common processors for these sensors, including C2RCC, POLYMER, Sen2Cor, iCOR, ACOLITE/DSF, and LaSRC. For clear sky matchups, the relative deviation againstin situ data in the visible wavebands ranged between 6% and 18% for OLI, and between 14% and 31% for MSI, except for the MSI waveband centered at 443 nm where the relative deviation was 70%. In the near-infrared wavebands, the relative deviation varied from 70% to 150%, with the exception of the MSI waveband centered at 704 nm, for which the performance was 17%. Overall, the new processor outperformed the other evaluated processors in the visible range, with the exception of the MSI waveband centered at 443 nm, and was outperformed by C2RCC and POLYMER in the near-infrared wavebands. Recommendations on how to use TSDSF and RAdCor in ACOLITE are provided.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
