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Article Reference Understanding the impact of sand extraction on benthic ecosystem functioning: a combination of functional indices and biological trait analysis
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Article Reference Offshore Wind Energy and Marine Biodiversity in the North Sea: Life Cycle Impact Assessment for Benthic Communities
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023 OA
Article Reference Functional trait responses to different anthropogenic pressures
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Article Reference Long-term succession on offshore wind farms and the role of species interactions
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Article Reference Northern Europe's suitability for offshore European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) habitat restoration: A mechanistic niche modelling approach
1. After centuries of overexploitation, European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) habitats are increasingly being protected and large-scale oyster habitat restoration projects have been initiated in the North Sea, the English Channel, the Irish Sea and the north-eastern Atlantic. 2. Understanding the habitat requirements of flat oysters is key in the selection process of restoration sites. 3. In this study, a theoretical niche for all life stages of the flat oyster is determined using a dynamic energy budget model forced with temperature, chlorophyll a and salinity in combination with sediment composition. The suitability of Northern Europe's marine environment for flat oysters is evaluated by applying the proposed niche model on a spatial scale and evaluating spatio-temporal variability in life history traits and metabolic characteristics, such as fitness, reproductive output, settlement success and growth. 4. Results show that habitat suitability is limited by low maximum summer temperature and low food availability at higher latitudes and in areas under strong influence of the Atlantic Ocean. Restoration efforts in Ireland and Scotland should be confined to protected and shallow coastal environments. Suitability in the southern North Sea is patchy and mainly depends on seabed substrate. The nearshore areas of the English Channel are highly suitable. 5. The georeferenced dataset shared in this study will be useful for restoration practitioners.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Article Reference European plaice movements show evidence of high residency , site fidelity , and feeding around hard substrates within an offshore wind f ar m
Offshore wind farms (OWFs) are expanding rapidly in the North Sea, often creating spatial conflicts with fisheries. Managing such conflicts requires knowledge on the impact of OWFs on the spatial distribution and mo v ement beha viour of fished species. Ho w e v er, such kno wledge is still lacking, especially for soft sediment fish such as flatfish, which are vital fisheries resources in the region. T heref ore, w e used acoustic telemetry to examine the spatial behaviour of European plaice in relation to an OWF and its str uct ures. In a small study area (1.37 km 2 ), we observed high residency for plaice around the turbines and scour protection la y er (SPL), which consists of large rocks around the turbine foun- dation. The fish primarily resided on sandy sediments near the hard substrates, but sho w ed a diurnal pattern of proximity to the turbine, being closer during the day. Considering their trophic ecology, these findings suggest that plaice mo v es to w ards the SPL f or feeding opportunities on the hard substrate, potentially leading to increased ecological fish production within OWFs. Although most plaice mo v ed a w a y from the OWF in winter, lik ely to w ards spa wning grounds, man y e xhibited high site fidelity returning to the study area after the winter migration. OWFs thus offer protection from fishing mort alit y as “closed” feeding grounds in spring and summer, but not during winter spawning migrations, which may result in spillo v er effects. These insights should inform local fisheries management in relation to plaice movement within and around OWFs.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Article Reference A wind of change for soft-sediment infauna within operational offshore windfarms
In this study, “ artificial reef ” (AR) impacts of offshore windfarms (OWFs) on the surrounding soft-sediments were investigated. Benthic grab samples were collected at nearby (37.5 m) and distant (500 or 350 m) positions from turbines of two Belgian OWFs (Belwind: monopiles and C-Power: jackets). Higher macrobenthos abundance and species richness were found nearby jacket foundations of C-Power compared to distant positions and differences were most pronounced within deeper sediments (i.e., gullies between sandbanks) at intermediate levels of fine sand fractions (10 – 20%) and total organic matter (0.5 – 0.9%). Strong benthic enrichment ( > 1000 ind. m 2, > 20 spp. sample 1) was also linked with higher fine sand fractions ( > 20%) near the jackets. Moreover, nearby sediments showed higher occurrences of coastal species and habitat diversification was promoted by Mytilus edulis shell debris and alive organisms ( “ biofouling drop-offs ” ). The lack of similar results around monopiles (Belwind) confirms that the extent of detectable AR-effects depends on site- and turbine specific factors.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Article Reference Palaeopathological and demographic data reveal conditions of keeping of the ancient baboons at Gabbanat el-Qurud (Thebes, Egypt)
Since predynastic times, baboons (Papio hamadryas and Papio anubis) were important in ancient Egypt for ritual and religious purposes. These species did not occur naturally in Egypt and therefore had to be imported, but little is known about their exact provenance and the conditions in which they were kept through time. Here, we analyse the skeletal remains of a collection of baboon mummies coming from Thebes (Egypt), representing a minimum of 36 individuals, from a palaeopathological and demographic point of view. The pathological cases are described, figured where relevant, and the discussion attempts to understand their aetiology. The prevalence of the different types of deformations and pathologies is compared with that of other captive baboon populations from more or less contemporary (Tuna el-Gebel and Saqqara) or older (predynastic Hierakonpolis) sites. This is combined with observations on the age and sex distribution and the proportion of hamadryas and anubis baboons to draw conclusions about the conditions of keeping, possible breeding on-site, provenance of the animals and the trade routes used for import. As in Tuna el-Gebel and Saqqara, the baboons from Gabbanat el-Qurud suffered from numerous metabolic diseases due to chronic lack of sunlight and an unbalanced diet. This and the demographic data suggest that there was a local breeding population derived from animals captured downstream from the Sudanese Nile Valley (for anubis) and from the Horn of Africa or the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula (for hamadryas). A new series of radiocarbon dates is provided, placing the baboons from Gabbanat el-Qurud between the end of the Third Intermediate Period and the beginning of the Late Period.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Article Reference A new pipid from the Cretaceous of Africa (In Becetèn, Niger) and early evolution of the Pipidae
Pipimorpha and its crown-group Pipidae possess one of the most extensive fossil records among anurans, known since the Early Cretaceous in both Laurasia and Gondwana. Pipimorph diversification may have been driven by the breakup of West Gondwana during the Cretaceous. Numerous fossils from South America have been unearthed in the last decade, documenting this event. Unfortunately, Cretaceous pipimorphs from Africa have been limited to a few wellpreserved taxa from sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, which hinders our comprehension of pipimorph diversification during this key period. The site of In Becetèn, in south-east Niger, is one of the few mid-Late Cretaceous (Coniacian–Santonian) sites from which a pipid, Pachycentrata taqueti, is known. Here, we describe and name a second pipid from the same locality. This taxon is known by a relatively complete braincase. Phylogenetic analyses confirm its position as a pipid, with pipinomorph affinities. This makes In Becetèn the oldest site with at least two pipids. Phylogenetic results are congruent with recent pipimorph relationships, with the presence of an endemic extinct clade in South America, Shelaniinae. The phylogenetic results also allow us to review the proposed definition for Pipimorpha and its subclades and propose new systematic definitions for them. Temporal calibration of the phylogenetic tree based on the fossil record suggests that pipimorphs diversified in a western Gondwana block and confirms that South America separated from Africa around the mid-Cretaceous. Between these two events, pipids diverged in Africa, giving rise to major extant clades. This study highlights the importance of Africa for early pipid diversification during the Cretaceous and of the opening of the Southern Atlantic Ocean for anuran dispersion and diversification.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023 OA
Article Reference Een zeldzame Otodus obliquus Agassiz, 1843 uit een zand-suppletie op het strand van Dishoek (Walcheren, Nederland)
In this contribution, we describe a tooth of Otodus obliquus Agassiz, 1843, found in sand supplementation material on the beach of Dishoek, Walcheren (The Netherlands). Even though this species has a broad distribution in Paleocene and early Eocene successions in Western Europe, in the Netherlands it was thus far only known to occur reworked in younger strata in the subsurface of the northern part of the country, and has never been described from sand supplementation material. The described specimen was found in material dredged up from the Middeldiep, a trough in the Zeeuwse Banken area. The associated mollusk fauna suggests that the material is derived from the mid-Pleistocene to early Holocene Kreftenheye Formation, in which the described early Eocene tooth likely occurred as reworked. Potentially, it was originally derived from the early Eocene Tielt Formation, outcropping to the south of Brugge, Belgium, and transported by local rivers to the Zeeuwse Banken area during the Pleistocene. Alternatively, flint and chalk material present in the sand supplementation material suggests that the described specimen could also be originated across the North Sea, derived from the early Eocene Harwich and London Clay deposits exposed in Kent and Essex (England) and transported eastwards by the paleo-Thames.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021