Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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Noteworthy and New Muricidae (Gastropoda) Collected in the East and South China Seas and off Taiwan
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New species and genera of Muricidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from New Zealand
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Ammonite death and nautilus survival at the Chicxulub massacre: here’s what we know so far
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Rapid biological recovery following the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary catastrophe in the Maastrichtian type area
- Present-day marine biotas are increasingly subject to anthropogenically-forced extinctions. The study of the global mass extinction event at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary can aid in our understanding of the patterns of selective extinction and survival and the dynamics of ecosystem recovery. Outcrops in the Maastrichtian type region (The Netherlands, Belgium) comprise an expanded K-Pg boundary succession, presenting a unique opportunity to study marine ecosystem recovery within the first thousands of years following the Chicxulub impact. We have reevaluated and studied the palynological, micro- and macropalaeontological record of this unique succession. Ecosystem changes across the K-Pg boundary in this region are rather limited, showing a general shift from epibenthic filter feeders to shallow-endobenthic deposit feeders. The fauna of the lowermost Paleocene still has many ‘Maastrichtian’ characteristics, a biological assemblage that survived the first hundreds to thousands of years into the earliest Paleocene. The shallow-marine oligotrophic carbonate sea of the Maastrichtian type area as inhabited by starvation-resistant, low nutrient-adapted taxa, that were seemingly less affected by the shortlived detrimental conditions of the K-Pg boundary catastrophe, such as darkness, cooling, food-starvation, ocean acidification, resulting in relatively high survival rates. The high survival rate allowed for a fast recolonization and rapid recovery of marine faunas in the Maastrichtian type area.
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CO2-enhanced oil recovery and CO2 capture and storage: An environmental economic trade-off analysis
- CO2 enhanced oil recovery can play a significant role in stimulating carbon capture and storage because of additional oil revenues generated. However, it also leads to additional greenhouse gas emissions. We estimate the global warming potential of different CO2 capture scenarios with and without enhanced oil recovery. During a 10 year period in which oil and electricity are produced without CO2 being captured, the global warming potential is 11 MtCO2 equivalents. We show that if CO2 is captured and used for 15 years of enhanced oil recovery, the global warming potential decreases to 3.4 MtCO2 equivalents. This level is 100% higher compared to the scenario in which the captured CO2 would be stored in an offshore aquifer instead. If the capture of CO2 is stopped when the oil reservoir is depleted, the global warming potential resulting from 10 years electricity production is 6 MtCO2 equivalents. However, if CO2 is stored in the depleted reservoir, the global warming potential is six times lower during that period. Electricity production and oil refining are the main contributors to the global warming potential. The net present value analysis indicates that for CO2 prices lower than or equal to 15 €/t and oil prices greater than or equal to 115 €/t, it is most profitable to capture CO2 for enhanced oil recovery only. Because of the low CO2 price considered, large incomes from oil production are required to stimulate CO2 capture. The environmental economic trade-off analysis shows that if CO2-enhanced oil recovery is followed by CO2 capture and storage, costs increase, but the net present value remains positive and the global warming potential is reduced. Authorities could use these outcomes to support the development of economic mechanisms for shared investments in CO2 capture installations and to mandate both oil producer and large CO2 emitting firms to store CO2 in depleted oil fields.
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Reply to Van Peer: Direct radiocarbon dating and ancient genomic analysis reveal the true age of the Neanderthals at Spy Cave
- Van Peer (1) contests the conclusions of our article on Neanderthal disappearance in Northwest Europe (2), but we think his argument may reflect a misunderstanding of the stratigraphy at Spy Cave and/or incomplete reading of our article. We provide here a response to his arguments.The idea that the discovery time of the Neanderthal bones impacts the results is not scientifically valid and indicates an incomplete review of the literature. Among the oldest radiocarbon dates obtained on the Spy Neanderthals are those measured on collagen from material collected on the slope: Spy 737a (OxA-10560) and Spy 94a (GrA-32623) (3, 4). In addition, although found on the slope, the maxillary …
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The Oriental lanternfly Pyrops itoi (Satô & Nagai, 1994): New synonymy and distribution records (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae)
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L'anomalie radioactive de Daverdisse et les minéraux uranifères associés
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Les minéralisations en Belgique
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Contribution à l'étude minéralogique de l'indice radioactif de Daverdisse
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Les gisements plombo-zincifères de l'Est de la Belgique
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Setting the Context for Offshore Wind Development Effects on Fish and Fisheries
- Changes to fisheries that result from offshore wind farm (OWF) installations may be considered good or bad depending on various stakeholders’ perspectives. OWFs can act as artificial reefs that may benefit secondary fish production, but such effects may also have ecological consequences. The fisheries exclusion effect that turns some OWFs into no-go areas, hence effectively no-take zones, could provide resource enhancements or redistribution. However, the displacement of fishing effort may have consequences to fisheries elsewhere. Changes in the sensory environment related to sound, as well as electromagnetic fields and physical alterations of current and wind wakes, may have as yet unknown impacts on fisheries resources. Understanding the interactions among effect type, OWF development phase, and spatiotemporal population dynamics of commercial and recreational species remains challenging, exemplified by the commercial fishery lobster genus Homarus in European and North American waters. While knowledge of the interactions between resource species and OWFs is improving, there remain questions on the wider interaction between and consequences of OWFs and fisheries. Studies of this wider relevance should aim to improve understanding of the economic and societal impacts of OWFs linked to ecosystem services that support fisheries. Furthermore, assisting fisheries management and providing advice requires monitoring and survey data collection at appropriate spatiotemporal scales. This information will help to determine whether OWFs have any meaningful impact on regional fisheries, and increased investments will be needed to target scientifically appropriate monitoring of OWFs and fisheries, which is supported by better integrated policy and regulation.
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Chromite détritique dans le Dévonien inférieur à Daverdisse
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Environmental impacts of offshore wind farms in the Belgian part of the North Sea: Emperical evidence inspiring priority monitoring, research and management
- This report, targeting marine scientists, marine managers and policy makers, and offshore wind farm developers, presents an overview of the scientific findings of the Belgian offshore wind farm environmental monitoring programme (WinMon. BE), based on data collected up to and including 2019.
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Bats at the southern North Sea in 2017 & 2018
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Revisiting the trend analysis of relative mean sea level rise in Oostende (southern North Sea – Belgian coast)
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Climate change: analysis of time series of sea water temperature at the Belgian coast
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Analysis of climate changes in the time series of wind speed, significant wave height and storm surges at the Belgian coast
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BiodivERsA: BiodivERsA Policy Guide
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Matériel et méthodes
