Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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Des meulières en bord de Meuse : exploitation et transport du Poudingue de Burnot autour de la conquête romaine.
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Montroeul-sur-Haine : le matériel, principalement gallo-romain, récolté lors de prospections effectuées au « Champ Franoé ».
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Pommeroeul Le Grand Marais (Hainaut, Belgique) : un habitat, un moulin hydraulique et un atelier de bronzier gallo-romains ?
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A new genus and species of large-bodied caridean shrimp from the Crozet Islands, Southern Ocean (Crustacea, Decapoda, Lipkiidae) with a checklist of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic shrimps
- A new, over 10 cm long, sub-Antarctic shrimp, Fresnerhynchus crozeti n. gen., n. sp. is described based on a unique specimen collected with long lines at 1889 m on the slope of a seamount northwest of the Crozet Islands. It is included in the previously monotypic family Lipkiidae Burukovsky, 2012 based on morphological and molecular data. However, the posterior pereiopods of Fresnerhynchus are reminiscent to those of the Rhynchocinetidae, especially by the short spinose dactyli, and by the absence of a sternal plate. The elusive nature of F. crozeti, which is a large and highly characteristic shrimp, is attributed to its putative habitat (hard bottom, steep deep sea slopes), which is difficult to sample with conventional gear, and the remote geographical location. A brief discussion on the biogeography of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic decapods is provided. A review of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic dendrobranchiate and caridean shrimps is appended.
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The key to bringing DNA collections to the next level
- DNA collections are a valuable type of Natural Science collection, enabling the validation of past research, serving as a source for new genomic studies and supporting ex situ conservation. The DiSSCo Flanders DNA collection working group, aiming to advance and ``unlock'' their DNA collections, identified the need for: 1) actively sharing best practices regarding the management of DNA collections; and 2) providing guidance on how to bring theory into practice. By combining best practice examples from within the working group with available literature and brainstorming ideas, the working group co-created two outputs, referred to as: the ``Challenges'' and the ``Key''. The Challenges are a list of obstacles to DNA collection management, which shape the structure of the linked Key and can also be used to spark discussion amongst stakeholders. The Key is a tool that guides users through the maturation process of their DNA collection in a standardised way. It stimulates holistic growth, breaks down the needed work into manageable steps and helps to decide priorities during the process. Furthermore, the Key facilitates communication with both internal stakeholders and external DNA collection managers. The Key distinguishes itself from other self-assessment tools in several ways: it includes (re)investigation of the collection’s purpose and context; it is specialised for DNA collections; it delivers concrete goals linked to relevant information and shared experience; and it is inclusive, targeting all Natural Science DNA collections, regardless of their context or size.
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EuroGOOS roadmap for operational coastal downstream services
- The EuroGOOS Coastal working group examines the entire coastal value chain from coastal observations to services for coastal users. The main objective of the working group is to review the status quo, identify gaps and future steps needed to secure and improve the sustainability of the European coastal service provision. Within this framework, our white paper defines a EuroGOOS roadmap for sustained “community coastal downstream service” provision, provided by a broad EuroGOOS community with focus on the national and local scale services. After defining the coastal services in this context, we describe the main components of coastal service provision and explore community benefits and requirements through sectoral examples (aquaculture, coastal tourism, renewable energy, port, cross-sectoral) together with the main challenges and barriers to user uptake. Technology integration challenges are outlined with respect to multiparameter observations, multi-platform observations, the land-coast-ocean continuum, and multidisciplinary data integration. Finally, the technological, financial, and institutional sustainability of coastal observing and coastal service provision are discussed. The paper gives special attention to the delineation of upstream and downstream services, public-private partnerships and the important role of Copernicus in better covering the coastal zone. Therefore, our white paper is a policy and practice review providing a comprehensive overview, in-depth discussion and actionable recommendations (according to key short-term or medium-term priorities) on the envisaged elements of a roadmap for sustained coastal service provision. EuroGOOS, as an entity that unites European national operational oceanography centres, research institutes and scientists across various domains within the broader field of operational oceanography, offers to be the engine and intermediary for the knowledge transfer and communication of experiences, best practices and information, not only amongst its members, but also amongst the different (research) infrastructures, institutes and agencies that have interests in coastal oceanography in Europe
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Lessons from the calibration and sensitivity analysis of a fish larval transport model
- ABSTRACT: Numerous fish populations show strong year-to-year variations in recruitment. The early life stages play a crucial role in determining recruitment and dispersal patterns. A helpful tool to understand recruitment and dispersal involves simulations with a Lagrangian transport model, which results from the coupling between a hydrodynamic model and an individual-based model. Larval transport models require sound knowledge of the biological processes governing larval dispersal, and they may be highly sensitive to the parameters selected. Various assumptions about larval traits, behaviour and other model parameters can be tested by comparing simulation results with field data to identify the most sensitive parameters and to improve model calibration. This study shows that biological parameterization is more important than inter-annual variability in explaining the year-to-year differences in larval recruitment of common sole in the North Sea and the eastern English Channel. In contrast, year-to-year variability of connectivity leads to higher variability than changes in the biological parameters. The most influential parameters are pelagic larval duration, spawning period and mortality. Calibration over a 12 yr recruitment survey shows that a scenario with low mortality associated with a long larval duration and behaviour involving nycthemeral and tidal migration best reproduces the observations. This research provides insights into factors influencing fish dispersal and recruitment, suggesting a strategy for enhancing the accuracy of models in upcoming studies. The study supports the improvement of larval dispersal modelling by incorporating an easily applicable sensitivity analysis for both calibration and validation. Incorporating sensitivity analyses enhances larval dispersal models, providing performing tools that can contribute to informed fisheries management and understanding of recruitment variability.
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Seasonal variation of coastal currents and residual currents in the CAT BA – HA long coastal area (VIET NAM): Results of coherens model
- The COHERENS model is used to investigate the temporal and spatial variation of the coastal currents in 2021 at the Cat Ba - Ha Long, northern Vietnam. The findings indicate that tidal oscillation has a notable impact on the current fields in short-term variations (hours to days). Meanwhile, the wind field and river discharge are the decisive factors affecting the seasonal variation of the current fields in Cat Ba - Ha Long coastal area. Furthermore, the characteristics of residual currents are significantly affected by river discharges and wind patterns, which vary across different months and seasons. During the southwest monsoon season (May to August), the residual currents have a prevailing direction towards the sea, from the west and south-southwest towards the east and north-northeast, reaching maximum speeds of approximately 0.1–0.15 m/s. Conversely, in the transitional and northeast monsoon seasons, the directions of residual currents are from the east-northeast to the west-southwest, with peak speed up to 0.2–0.25 m/s. Notably, the residual currents in the bottom and surface layers in the eastern-southwestern area of Cat Ba Island and the north of Ha Long Bay are in opposite directions
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A 3D numerical baroclinic application of the COHERENS model in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa
- In this study, we have developed a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model based on COHERENS modelling system to describe the tidal, wind-driven and thermohaline induced hydrodynamic regime in the coastal water of the Gulf of Guinea. The model is validated with respect to water levels, sea currents, temperature and salinity during 2017. Validation for astronomical tides showed that the model is able to simulate observed tidal elevation and phases for both diurnal and semi-diurnal principal constituents with a consistent level of agreement at measurement station. A statistical analysis of the results showed that the correlation coefficient and skill index between the modelled and observed tidal elevations are both above 0.96 with an average RMSE of 9 cm. The atmospheric contribution to water levels was also validated. In this case, we observe a good agreement between modelled and measured water levels with a correlation coefficient of 0.75 and an average RMSE of 1.23 cm. The validation of spatial distribution and vertical evolution of zonal current, salinity and temperature also indicated a high model accuracy for these variables. Overall, we show that our model of the Gulf of Guinea leads to highly accurate simulations, providing a basis for further fundamental and applied research studies in the area.
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Investigating the morphometric characteristics of modern sheep breeds from Southwest Asia and East Africa
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Have birds ever mattered? An evaluation of the contribution of avian species to the archaeozoological record of Belgium (Iron Age to recent times)
- This preliminary study aims to document general trends in the representation of bird remains in anthropogenic contexts from Belgian archaeological sites. A large dataset is analysed, consisting of 186 faunal assemblages from 79 different sites. The contexts included vary in terms of their taphonomic nature (refuse layers, latrines, pits, etc.) and date, ranging from the Iron Age to the modern period. The characteristics of the study area and the dataset as a whole are described, with a focus on identification rates, past and present avian taxonomic diversity, and relative abundance of bird remains compared with domestic mammal remains. The impact of recovery methods (sieving or hand collecting) on these various aspects is also evaluated. A taxonomic analysis describes the diversity and abundance of the different groups of species that are encountered and shows which habitats were preferentially exploited for the hunting of wild birds. The study shows that there is significant taxonomic diversity across the dataset. However, this diversity is not necessarily present in each separate archaeological context, as the number of remains identified by taxon is generally low. Some species or groups of species are ubiquitous and dominant, in particular domestic fowl. Although this analysis is broad and exploratory, it is believed that it will serve as a sound methodological basis for future, more detailed studies focusing on the role that birds played in past human societies during specific chronological periods.
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The anatomy and phylogenetic affinities of Cynthiacetus peruvianus, a large Dorudon-like basilosaurid (Cetacea, Mammalia) from the late Eocene of Peru
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Morphological and molecular characterization of Lepidonema magnum Morffe & García, 2010 (Nematoda: Oxyuridomorpha: Hystrignathidae) from Passalus interstitialis Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera: Passalidae) from Cuba and new locality records for the species
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TYPE-MAASTRICHTIAN GASTROPOD FAUNAS SHOW RAPID ECOSYSTEM RECOVERY FOLLOWING THE CRETACEOUS–PALAEOGENE BOUNDARY CATASTROPHE
- The study of the global mass extinction event at the Cretaceous–Palaeogene (K/Pg) boundary can aid in understanding patterns of selective extinction, and survival and dynamics of ecosystem recovery. Outcrops in the Maastrichtian type area (south-east Netherlands, north-east Belgium) comprise a stratigraphically expanded K/Pg boundary succession that offers a unique opportunity to study marine ecosystem recovery within the first few thousand years following the mass extinction event. A quantitative analysis was performed on systematically sampled macrofossils of the topmost Maastrichtian and lowermost Danian strata at the former Ankerpoort-Curfs quarry (Geulhem), which represent ‘snapshots’ of the latest Cretaceous and earliest Palaeogene marine ecosystems, respectively. Molluscs in particular are diverse and abundant in the studied succession. Regional ecosystem changes across the K/Pg boundary are relatively minor, showing a decline in suspension feeders, accompanied by an ecological shift to endobenthic molluscs. The earliest Paleocene gastropod assemblage retains many ‘Maastrichtian’ features and documents a fauna that temporarily survived into the Danian. The shallow, oligotrophic carbonate platform in this area was inhabited by taxa that were adapted to low nutrient levels and resistant to starvation. As a result, the local taxa were less affected by the short-lived detrimental conditions related to K/Pg boundary perturbations, such as darkness, cooling, starvation and ocean acidification. This resulted in relatively high survival rates, which enabled rapid recolonization and recovery of marine faunas in the Maastrichtian type area
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A late antique vessel with Greek texts and the makellon of Sagalassos (SW Anatolia): what a waste?
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A global horizon scan of issues impacting marine and coastal biodiversity conservation
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A global horizon scan of issues impacting marine and coastal biodiversity conservation
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Offshore wind farms affect the spatial distribution pattern of plaice Pleuronectes platessa at both the turbine and wind farm scale
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An integrated approach to beach management in Lido di Dante, Italy
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Long-term series demonstrate small-scale differences in trends within fish assemblages explained by climate variability
