Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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Editorial: Antarctic Biology: Scale Matters
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Editorial: Antarctic Biology: Scale Matters
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Penaeus aztecus Ives, 1891 (Crustacea, Decapoda), in the Scheldt estuary (Belgium): Isolated record or forerunner of a penaeid invasion?
- A single specimen of the penaeid prawn Penaeus aztecus (Ives, 1891) was recorded in 2018 in the brackish zone of the Scheldt estuary near Antwerp (Belgium). The presence of this species, native to the West Atlantic, might result either from ships' ballast water coming from transatlantic boat shipping, from illegal import or from a considerable expansion leap northwards from the Mediterranean Sea, where this species has recently established and now has rapidly expanding invasive populations.
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Changes in chlorophyll concentration and phenology in the North Sea in relation to de-eutrophication and sea surface warming
- At least two major drivers of phytoplankton production have changed in recent decades in the North Sea: sea surface temperature (SST) has increased by ~ 1.6C between 1988 and 2014, and the nitrogen and phosphorus loads from surrounding rivers have decreased from the mid-1980s onward, following reduction policies. Long time series spanning four decades (1975–2015) of nutrients, chlorophyll (Chl), and pH measurements in the Southern and Central North Sea were analyzed to assess the impact of both the warming and the deeutrophication trends on Chl. The de-eutrophication process, detectable in the reduction of nutrient river loads to the sea, caused a decrease of nutrient concentrations in coastal waters under riverine influence. A decline in annual mean Chl was observed at 11 out of 18 sampling sites (coastal and offshore) in the period 1988–2016. Also, a shift in Chl phenology was observed around 2000, with spring bloom formation occurring earlier in the year. A long time series of pH in the Southern North Sea showed an increase until the mid-1980s followed by a rapid decrease, suggesting changes in phytoplankton production that would support the observed changes in Chl. Linear correlations, however, did not reveal significant relationships between Chl variability and winter nutrients or SST at the sampling sites. We propose that the observed changes in Chl (annual or seasonal) around 2000 are a response of phytoplankton dynamics to multiple stressors, directly or indirectly influenced by deeutrophication and climate warming.
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New early Eocene vertebrate assemblage from western India reveals a mixed fauna of European and Gondwana affinities
- Abstract The Ypresian Cambay Shale Formation at Vastan and Mangrol lignite mines in Gujarat, western India, has yielded a rich vertebrate fauna with numerous taxa of European affinities. Here we report a new, approximately contemporary vertebrate assemblage from two fossiliferous layers in the nearby mine of Tadkeshwar. These layers have yielded a similar mammal fauna with the co-occurrence of the perissodactyl-like cambaytheriid Cambaytherium thewissi, the adapoid primates Marcgodinotius indicus and cf. Asiadapis cambayensis, and the hyaenodontid Indohyaenodon raoi. The presence of these species in both Vastan and Tadkeshwar mines and at different levels suggests that the deposits between the two major lignite seams represent a single land mammal age. Apart from the aforementioned species there is a new, smaller species of Cambaytherium, and a new genus and species of esthonychid tillodont. This fauna also contains the first large early Eocene vertebrates from India, including an unidentified Coryphodon-like pantodont, a dyrosaurid crocodyliform and a new giant madtsoiid snake. Among the Tadkeshwar vertebrates several taxa are of Gondwana affinities, such as Pelomedusoides turtles, dyrosaurids, and large madtsoiids, attesting that the early Eocene was a crucial period in India during which Laurasian taxa of European affinities co-existed with relict taxa from Gondwana before the India-Asia collision. Our results suggest that terrestrial faunas could have dispersed to or from Europe during episodes of contact between the Indian subcontinent and different island blocks along the northern margin of the Neotethys, such as the Kohistan–Ladakh island-arc system. Gondwana taxa might represent remnants of ghost lineages shared with Madagascar, which reached the Indian subcontinent during the late Cretaceous; alternatively they might have come from North Africa and passed along the southern margin of the Neotethys to reach the Indian subcontinent. These dispersals would have been possible as a result of favourable paleogeographic conditions such as the particular Neotethys conformation during the beginning of the early Eocene.
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Histology and growth of Iguanodon bernissartensis
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Environmental impact assessment in line with the EU Nature Directives
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Dinosaur ecology and climate in Eastern Siberia during the Late Cretaceous inferred from stable isotopes
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Changes in bottom shear stress, due to aggregate extraction in the area of the Hinder Banks (Belgian Continental Shelf)
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WP4 – Sediment plume dilution and disperion, Activity Report 1 January 2015 – 31 December 2015
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Synthesis report on the effects of dredged material disposal on the marine environment (licensing period 2012-2016)
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MOMO activiteitsrapport (1 januari – 30 juni 2016)
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Dynamics of suspended particulate matter in coastal waters (Seine Bay)
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A tri-modal flocculation model coupled with TELEMAC for suspended cohesive sediments in the Belgian coastal zone
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Mud dynamics in the harbor of Zeebrugge
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MOMO activiteitsrapport (1 januari – 30 juni 2017)
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Evaluatie van de Beleidsondersteuning door de Institutionele Actoren. Management response van KBIN.
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Answering the key stakeholder questions about the impact of offshore wind farms on marine life using hypothesis testing to inform targeted monitoring
- Stak eholder s need scientific advice on the environmental impacts of offshore wind (OW) before the facilities are installed. The utility of conventional environmental monitoring methods as a basis for forecasting OW impacts is limited because they do not explain the causes of the observed effects. We propose a multistep approach, based on process-oriented hypothesis testing, targeted monitoring and numerical modeling, to answer k ey stak eholder questions about planning an OW facility: Q1 —Where do we place future OW farms so that impacts on the ecosystem are minimized? Q2 —Which species and ecosystem processes will be impacted and to what degree? Q3 —Can we mitigate impacts and, if so, how? and Q4 —What are the risks of placing an OW facility in one location vs. another? Hypothesis testing can be used to assess impacts of OW facilities on target species-ecological process. This knowledge is transferable and is broadly applicable, a priori , to assess suitable locations for OW (Q1). Hypothesis testing can be combined with monitoring methods to guide targeted monitoring. The knowledge generated can identify the species/habitats at risk (Q2), help selecting/developing mitigation measures (Q3), and be used as input parameters for models to forecast OW impacts at a large spatial scale (Q1; Q4).
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Balanus stellaris (Brocchi, 1814) cirripede rinvenuto nel Pliocene inferiore dell’Appennino settentrionale
- [Balanus stellaris (Brocchi, 1814) a barnacle from the lower Pliocene of Northern Apennines (Crustacea: Balanomorpha: Balanidae)] This is the first report of Balanus stellaris (Brocchi, 1814), an extinct fossil barnacle, recorded in the lower Pliocene of the northern Apennines, found in the Contrafforte Pliocenico Nature Reserve (Emilian Apennine, northern Italy), Site of Community Importance. After some brief geology notes on the discovery site, information on the species is given with a brief description. Mollusk remains belonging to the species Ostrea edulis (Linnaeus, 1758) have also been found at the base of the conglomerate.
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Status and Trends in the Rate of Introduction of Marine Non-Indigenous Species in European Seas
- Invasive alien species are a major worldwide driver of biodiversity change. The current study lists verified records of non-indigenous species (NIS) in European marine waters until 2020, with the purpose of establishing a baseline, assessing trends, and discussing appropriate threshold values for good environmental status (GES) according to the relevant European legislation. All NIS records were verified by national experts and trends are presented in six-year assessment periods from 1970 to 2020 according to the European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Altogether, 874 NIS have been introduced to European marine waters until 2020 with the Mediterranean Sea and North-East Atlantic Ocean hosting most of the introductions. Overall, the number of new introductions has steadily increased since 2000. The annual rate of new introductions reached 21 new NIS in European seas within the last six-year assessment period (2012–2017). This increase is likely due to increased human activities and research efforts that have intensified during the early 21st century within European Seas. As Europe seas are not environmentally, nor geographically homogenous, the setting of threshold values for assessing GES requires regional expertise. Further, once management measures are operational, pathway-specific threshold values would enable assessing the effectiveness of such measures.
