Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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Evaluation du risque posé par l’implantation d’un parc éolien à Bassenge sur le Faucon pèlerin (Falco peregrinus) et le Grand-duc d’Europe (Bubo bubo).
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Etude de l’impact du projet de réaffectation de l’église Saint Hubert de Watermael-Boitsfort vis-à-vis des chiroptères et du Lucane cerf-volant.
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Etude de l’impact du projet de réaffectation de l’église Saint Hubert de Watermael-Boitsfort sur la pérennité de la nidification d’un couple de Faucons pèlerins Falco peregrinus
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En attendant la Panure à moustache...
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Method and system for advanced autofocusing spectroscopy
- A spectroscopic autofocusing method and a system for such a method are disclosed . According to one embodiment , a spectroscopic autofocusing method includes applying a plurality of electrical signals to a shape changing lens of a spectroscopy system . The method includes emitting , by an optical source coupled to the spectroscopy system , one or more optical signals directed to a target . The method includes determining , by a detector , one or more power measurements of one or more returned optical signals corresponding to an illuminated area of the target . The method includes aggregating , from the detector , the one or more power measurements , wherein each power measurement corresponds to a respective electrical signal of the plurality of electrical signals applied to the shape changing lens . The method includes determining an optimized electrical signal corresponding to a maximum power measurement indicated by the one or more power measurements .
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80 years later: Marine sediments still influenced by an old war ship
- Historic shipwrecks form an anthropogenic landmark in marine environment, yet their influence on the local geochemistry and microbiology remains largely unexplored. In this study, sediment and steel hull samples were taken around the V-1302 John Mahn, a World War II shipwreck, at increasing distance from the wreck, in different directions. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s), explosives, and heavy metal levels were determined and related to the microbial composition. Benz(a)anthracene and fluoranthene remain present at the mg kg -1 level, probably originating from the coal bunker. These PAH’s indicate that the wreck is still influencing the surrounding sediments however the effects are very dependent on which side of the wreck is being studied. Known PAH degrading taxa like Rhodobacteraceae and Chromatiaceae were more abundant in samples with high aromatic pollutant content. Moreover, sulphate reducing bacteria (such as Desulfobulbia), proven to be involved in steel corrosion, were found present in the biofilm. This study shows that even after 80 years, a historic shipwreck can still significantly steer the surrounding sediment chemistry and microbial ecology.
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Threshold values on environmental chemical contaminants in seafood in the European Economic Area
- Seafood safety regulation within the European Economic Area has been strongly harmonised, including uniformisation of maximum levels on contaminants and toxins in seafood. Nevertheless, individual countries still have national limit values for different contaminant groups. This publication summarizes currently existing maximum levels on environmental chemical contaminants in seafood and seaweed that are established within the European Economic Area at international or national level. Maximum levels are compared to legal thresholds in other North Atlantic countries that are member of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES), i.e. US, Canada and Russia, as well as the international food standards of the Codex Alimentarius. The identification of seafood safety regulatory differences allows to identify current challenges, associated to different topics: (1) contaminants in seafood, (2) contaminants in seaweed and (3) natural aquatic toxins. It can be concluded that increased harmonisation within and between geographical regions e.g. on seaweed regulations, can be beneficial from both a health and economic perspective. Constantly evolving knowledge on contaminants of emerging concern and new or emerging toxins triggers a continuous process of updating seafood regulations. Due to the health benefits of seafood consumption, a balance between risks and benefits is essential, as considered in EFSA seafood consumption advice.
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Guidance on potential exclusion of certain WFD priority substances from MSFD monitoring beyond coastal and territorial waters : a pragmatic and qualitative approach for the open sea
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Universal primer design for crustacean and bivalve-mollusc authenticity based on cytochrome-b gene
- Dwiyitno D, Hoffman S, Parmentier K, Keer CV. 2021. Universal primer design for crustacean and bivalve-mollusc authenticity based on cytochrome-b gene. Biodiversitas 23: 17-24. Fish and seafood authenticity is important to support traceability practices and protect the public from economic fraud and adulteration. Molecular-based techniques of PCR are known as the most common methods for identifying seafood species. Nevertheless, these techniques rely on the appropriate primer set designed to amplify specific DNA fragments on targeted species. For efficiency application on a wide range of species, a universal primer set is more valuable than a specific primer. The present study developed universal primers, especially for identifying crustaceans and molluscs based on the cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA (Cyt b). The initial primer pair of CytBL1/CytBH originally designed for fish species was applicable to amplify the Cyt b gene on most selected fish samples, but not for crustacean and mollusc samples. Based on annealing profile, sequence evaluation (92-100% similarity), and RT-PCR analysis, the universal primer couple of CytBL1C/CytBHW designed in the present study potentially applied to identify crustacean and mollusc samples, especially shrimp and bivalve-mollusc.
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High gene flow in polar cod ( Boreogadus saida) from West‐Svalbard and the Eurasian Basin
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A dietary perspective of cat-human interactions in two medieval harbors in Iran and Oman revealed through stable isotope analysis
- Cats are hypercarnivorous, opportunistic animals that have adjusted to anthropogenic environments since the Neolithic period. Through humans, either by direct feeding and/or scavenging on food scraps, the diet of cats has been enriched with animals that they cannot kill themselves (e.g., large mammals, fish). Here, we conducted carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratio analysis to reconstruct the diet of medieval cats and investigate cat-human interactions in two medieval harbor sites (Qalhât, Oman and Siraf, Iran). The analysis included 28 cat individuals and 100 associated marine and terrestrial faunal samples pertaining to > 30 taxa. The isotopic results indicate a high marine protein-based diet for the cats from Qalhât and a mixed marine-terrestrial (C4) diet for the cats from Siraf. Cats at these sites most likely scavenged on both human food scraps and refuse related to fishing activities, with differences in the two sites most likely associated with the availability of marine resources and/or the living conditions of the cats. By shedding light on the dietary habits of cats from two medieval harbors in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, this study illustrates the potential of stable isotope analysis in reconstructing human-cat interactions in the past.
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Under pressure: the relationship between cranial shape and burrowing force in caecilians (Gymnophiona)
- Caecilians are elongate, limbless and annulated amphibians that, with the exception of one aquatic family, all have an at least partly fossorial lifestyle. It has been suggested that caecilian evolution resulted in sturdy and compact skulls with fused bones and tight sutures, as an adaptation to their head-first burrowing habits. However, although their cranial osteology is well described, relationships between form and function remain poorly understood. In the present study, we explored the relationship between cranial shape and in vivo burrowing forces. Using micro-computed tomography (µCT) data, we performed 3D geometric morphometrics to explore whether cranial and mandibular shapes reflected patterns that might be associated with maximal push forces. The results highlight important differences in maximal push forces, with the aquatic Typhlonectes producing a lower force for a given size compared with other species. Despite substantial differences in head morphology across species, no relationship between overall skull shape and push force could be detected. Although a strong phylogenetic signal may partly obscure the results, our conclusions confirm previous studies using biomechanical models and suggest that differences in the degree of fossoriality do not appear to be driving the evolution of head shape.
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WOODAN : an online database of archaeological wooden objects
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Novel insights into prehistoric land use at Stonehenge by combining electromagnetic and invasive methods with a semi-automated interpretation scheme
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Woodland Management as Major Energy Supply during the Early Industrialization: A Multiproxy Analysis in the Northwest European Lowlands
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Editorial
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Editorial
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Geochemistry of nummulites as proxy for Eocene climate change in the Southern North Sea Basin
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Geochemistry of nummulites as proxy for Eocene climate change in the Southern North Sea Basin.
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Geochemistry of Nummulites as a proxy for the Eocene paleotemperature evolution in the Southern North Sea Basin: an Ypresian test case.
