Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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"Distance to target" modelling asessment OSPAR Commission. Report produced by the Intersessional Correspondance Group on Eutrophication Modelling. 79 p.
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Ecosystem Models as Support to Eutrophication Management in the North Atlantic Ocean (EMOSEM), Annual Scientific Report for the period 01/01/2013 to 31/12/2013, 54p.
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A box model for bivalves in the Belgian part of the North Sea (BPNS). Poster presented at the VLIZ Young Marine Scientists'Day, 15 February 2013, Brugge, Belgium.
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Ecosystem Models as support to eutrophication management in the North Atlantic Ocean (EMOSEM). In: "European Geophysical Union (EGU) General Assembly", Vienna (Austria), 7-12 April 2013.
- One of the leading challenges in marine science and governance is to improve scientific guidance of management measures to mitigate eutrophication nuisances in the EU seas. Existing approaches do not integrate the eutrophication process in space (continuum river-ocean) and in time (past, present and future status). A strong need remains for (i) knowledge/identification of all the processes that control eutrophication and its consequences, (ii) consistent and harmonized reference levels assigned to each eutrophication-related indicator, (iii) identification of the main rivers directly or indirectly responsible for eutrophication nuisances in specific areas, (iv) an integrated transboundary approach and (v) realistic and scientific-based nutrient reduction scenarios. The SEAS-ERA project EMoSEM aims to develop and combine the state-of-the-art modelling tools describing the river-ocean continuum in the North-East Atlantic (NEA) continental seas. This will allow to link the eutrophication nuisances in specific marine regions to anthropogenic inputs, trace back their sources up to the watersheds, then test nutrient reduction options that might be implemented in these watersheds, and propose consistent indicators and reference levels to assess the Good Environmental Status (GES). At the end, EMoSEM will deliver coupled river-coastal-sea mathematical models and will provide guidance to end-users (policy- and decision makers) for assessing and combating eutrophication problems in the NEA continental waters.
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Optimizing phytoplankton time series analysis in the North Sea in support of trophic synchronization studies of sole larvae. Poster presented at the "The Future of Oparational Oceanography 2013 (FUTOORE)" Hamburg, 8 - 10 October 2013
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Ecosystem Models as Support to Eutrophication Management in the North Atlantic Ocean (EMOSEM). In: "Estuaries and Coastal areas in times of intense change (ECSA53)", Shanghai (China), 13-17 October 2013.
- A major challenge in EU marine governance is to reach the good environmental status (GES) in the north-eastern Atlantic (NEA). Existing approaches do not integrate the eutrophication process in space (continuum river-ocean) and in time (past, present and future status). A strong need remains for (i) knowledge/identification of all the processes that control eutrophication and its consequences, (ii) consistent and harmonized reference levels assigned to each eutrophication-related indicator, (iii) identification of the main rivers directly or indirectly responsible for eutrophication nuisances in specific areas, (iv) an integrated transboundary approach and (v) realistic and scientific-based nutrient reduction scenarios. The SEAS-ERA project EMoSEM aims to develop and combine the state-of-the-art modelling tools describing the river-ocean continuum in the NEA continental seas with the objective to: (i) suggest innovative ecological indicators to account for HABs in the GES definition, (ii) estimate the needs to reach GES in all marine areas (distance-to-target requirement, DTTR), (iii) identify “realistic” scenarios of nutrient reduction in the river watersheds of NEA and (iv) assess the impact of the “realistic” scenarios in the sea, and compare to DTTR. Marine ecological models will be used to track the nutrients in the sea, and trace back their riverine or oceanic sources with the transboundary nutrient transport method (TBNT). TBNT application is a prerequisite for DTTR estimates. A generic watershed model applied to NEA rivers will calculate terrestrial nutrient exports to the sea under different scenarios: (i) A past “pristine-like” scenario, where natural nutrient exports are estimated in the absence of human influence and (ii) a series of future “realistic” scenarios, where different wastewater treatments and agricultural practices are combined. EMoSEM will deliver coupled river-coastal-sea mathematical models and will provide guidance to end-users (policy- and decision makers) for assessing and combating eutrophication problems in the NEA continental waters.
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RV Belgica II: utopia or necessity? 1 p.
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The coastal observatory near MOW1 : technical aspects. 1p.
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Monitoring of the impact of the extraction of marine aggregates, in casu sand, in the zone of the Hinder Banks. Scientific Report 1 January-December 2013, 276 p.
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A new genus with six new species of Typhlopolycystidinae Evdonin, 1977 (Platyhelminthes, Kalyptorhynchia, Polycystididae)
- Five new species of the new taxon Brunetorhynchus n. gen. are described: B. deconincki n. sp., B. microstylis n. sp. and B. complicatus n. sp. are from the Mediterranean, B. canariensis n. sp. is from the Canary Island Lanzarote, B. cannoni n. sp. is from the Australian East coast and one species from the Galapagos, formerly described as Limipolycystis spec., is transferred to the new genus as B. dubius n. sp.. As in Limipolycystis, these species have a single stylet, (accessory stylet type II), an accessory secretion vesicle (type II) and a prostate vesicle (type III) in the male atrium, although the latter vesicle is absent in some species. Unlike the species of Limipolycystis, where the seminal receptacle is a sclerotized tubule, the species of the new taxon have a pear-shaped seminal receptacle on the oviduct. Key words: flatworms, microturbellaria, biodiversity, taxonomy, Mediterranean Sea, Western Atlantic, Eastern Australia, Galapagos
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Crustacea in phytothelmata : a global overview.
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New spider species (Araneae) from the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
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Forecasting fish distribution along stream networks: brown trout (Salmo trutta) in Europe
- Aim Species inhabiting fresh waters are severely affected by climate change and other anthropogenic stressors. Effective management and conservation plans require advances in the accuracy and reliability of species distribution forecasts. Here, we forecast distribution shifts of Salmo trutta based on environmental predictors and examine the effect of using different statistical techniques and varying geographical extents on the performance and extrapolation of the models obtained. Location Watercourses of Ebro, Elbe and Danube river basins (c. 1,041,000 km2; Mediterranean and temperate climates, Europe). Methods The occurrence of S. trutta and variables of climate, land cover and stream topography were assigned to stream reaches. Data obtained were used to build correlative species distribution models (SDMs) and forecasts for future decades (2020s, 2050s and 2080s) under the A1b emissions scenario, using four statistical techniques (generalised linear models, generalised additive models, random forest, and multivariate adaptive regression). Results The SDMs showed an excellent performance. Climate was a better predictor than stream topography, while land cover characteristics were not necessary to improve performance. Forecasts predict the distribution of S. trutta to become increasingly restricted over time. The geographical extent of data had a weak impact on model performance and gain/loss values, but better species response curves were generated using data from all three basins collectively. By 2080, 64% of the stream reaches sampled will be unsuitable habitats for S. trutta, with Elbe basin being the most affected, and virtually no new habitats will be gained in any basin. Main conclusions More reliable predictions are obtained when the geographical data used for modelling approximate the environmental range where the species is present. Future research incorporating both correlative and mechanistic approaches may increase robustness and accuracy of predictions.
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Carl Gottfried Semper (1832-1893) and the location of his type specimens of sea cucumbers
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Holothuria (Selenkothuria) parvispinea n. sp. (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea, Holothuriidae) with key to the sub-genus Selenkothuria
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Redescription of Psolus tessellatus Koehler, 1896 (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) with neotype designation
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Asilidae of the Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve (Namibia)
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A new species of the cicada genus Semia Matsumura, 1917 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Vietnam, with a key to the species of the genus
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The Oriental lanternfly genus Scamandra: a new species and taxonomical notes (Hemiptera: Furgoromorpha: Fulgoridae)
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Phamartes coronatus gen. nov. sp. nov. a new genus and species of stick insect from Bach Ma national Park, central Vietnam (Phasmida, Diapheromeridae, Necrosciinae)
