Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2022-10"
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- First direct evidence of adult European eels migrating to their breeding place in the Sargasso SeaPublication . Wright, Rosalind M.; Piper, Adam T.; Aarestrup, Kim; Azevedo, José M. N.; Cowan, George; Don, Andy; Gollock, Matthew; Rodriguez Ramallo, Sara; Velterop, Randolph; Walker, Alan; Westerberg, Håkan; Righton, DavidThe European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is critically endangered (according to the most recent IUCN assessment) and has suffered a 95% decline in recruitment since the 1980s, attributed in part to factors occurring during the marine phases of its life-cycle. As an adult, the European eel undertakes the longest spawning migration of all anguillid eels, a distance of 5000 to 10,000 km across the Atlantic Ocean to the Sargasso Sea. However, despite the passage of almost 100 years since Johannes Schmidt proposed the Sargasso Sea as the breeding place of European eels on the basis of larval surveys, no eggs or spawning adults have ever been sampled there to confirm this. Fundamental questions therefore remain about the oceanic migration of adult eels, including navigation mechanisms, the routes taken, timings of arrival, swimming speed and spawning locations. We attached satellite tags to 26 eels from rivers in the Azores archipelago and tracked them for periods between 40 and 366 days at speeds between 3 and 12 km day−1, and provide the first direct evidence of adult European eels reaching their presumed breeding place in the Sargasso Sea.
- Trophic position of dolphins tracks recent changes in the pelagic ecosystem of the Macaronesian region (NE Atlantic)Publication . Bode, Antonio; Saavedra, Camilo; Álvarez-González, Miguel; Arregui, Marina; Arbelo, Manuel; Fernández, Antonio; Freitas, Luís; Silva, Mónica A.; Prieto, Rui; Azevedo, José M. N.; Giménez, Joan; Pierce, Graham J.; Santos, M. BegoñaDolphins play a key role in marine food webs as predators of mid-trophic-level consumers. Because of their mobility and relatively long life span, they can be used as indicators of large-scale changes in the ecosystem. In this study, we calculated the trophic position (TP) of 5 dolphin species from the Canary, Madeira and Azores Islands using bulk and compound-specific stable isotope ratios from muscle tissue to assess trophic adaptations to recent changes in the availability of feeding resources. Dolphin TP values were then compared with those of 7 other species of cetaceans from this region. Analysis of stable nitrogen isotopes in amino acids of the common dolphin indicated non-significant effects of changes in the basal resources of the food web and thus supported the use of bulk samples for TP estimations. Dolphins occupied an intermediate TP (mean: 3.91 to 4.20) between fin (3.25) and sperm whales (4.95). Species-specific TP were equivalent among islands. However, TP increased for the common dolphin and decreased for the bottlenose dolphin (the latter also becoming more oceanic) between 2000 and 2018 in the Canary Islands. These results suggest different impacts of recent changes in the oceanography and in the pelagic food web of the Macaronesian region on the trophic ecology of dolphin species.
- Occurrences of pinnipeds (Carnivora, Phocidae) in the Azores archipelago (Portugal)Publication . Barcelos, Luis M. D.; Barreiros, João P.An inventory of historical and actual occurrences of pinnipeds in the Azores archipelago. The data used come from Silva et al. (2009) and from RACA - Rede de Arrojamentos de Cetáceos dos Açores (RACA-DRAM-RAA).
- Phocidae species in Azores archipelagoPublication . Barcelos, Luis M. D.; Barreiros, João P.List of Phocidae species recorded in Azores archipelago (Portugal).
- Eden Arthropod Azores DatabasePublication . Marcelino, Jose; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Borges, Isabel; Soares, António O.This study intended to contribute to the current international directives concerning biodiversity, aiming to document and safeguard biological resources of the globe. Our objective was to present the most widely distributed and diverse taxa recorded during the sampling phase of the EDEN project (2008-2014), specifically all arthropod fauna, at all strata, within eight representative habitats of five islands of the Azores archipelago (Santa Maria, São Miguel, Terceira, Flores and Pico)
- The Azorean Traditional Costume as a Sign of Regional Identity and Culture : From Clothing to JewelleryPublication . Castro, Sylvie; Silva, Leonor Sampaio da; Cunha, JoanaThe paper offers an analysis of the symbolic importance of material culture. Our starting premise is that clothing is a cultural document of a given time and space, as it participates in the formation of individual and collective identities. Bearing this in mind, we’ll study the female traditional costume of the Azores with a view to improving knowledge on the archipelago’s culture and to creating new visual objects that not only embody the cultural legacy of the islands but also capitalise on environmental resources and endogenous elements. In order to accomplish our purpose, we’ll analyse the islands’ historic background from the point of view of culture, economy and politics, and reflect on the role played by culture in preventing the risk of a de-characterised global world, as well as a force that ensures resistance, empowerment and sustainability. Finally, we’ll seek to enhance the future life of the traditional costume by using it as an inspiration for the creation of jewels. It is our aim to demonstrate the power of contemporary jewellery. Contemporary design can both preserve the community’s identity and transform the visual object into a message that travels across frontiers and unites different peoples.
- Influence of grazing and solar panel installation on tenebrionid beetles (Coleoptera Tenebrionidae) of a central Asian steppePublication . Tsafack, Noelline; Fang, Wei; Wang, Xingyu; Xie, Yingzhong; Wang, Xinpu; Fattorini, SimoneGrazing may represent a major threat to biodiversity in arid grasslands. The increasing use of grasslands for solar parks may represent a new important threat. No study has investigated the effects of solar parks on soil insects. Tenebrionids are a major component of the arthropod fauna of grasslands of central Asia. These ecosystems are threatened by grazing and increasing land use for solar parks. Aim of this work was to investigate the effects of grazing and solar panels on tenebrionids in arid grasslands (desert steppe) in China by comparing their community structure in ungrazed, heavily grazed, and solar park sites. Beetles were sampled by pitfall traps, and sites were compared for abundance and diversity (Hill numbers). All sites were characterized by simple, strongly dominated tenebrionid communities. Species proportions varied among sites. Grazing negatively influenced overall abundance, but did not alter species proportions; by contrast, solar panels had no effect on the average abundance, but reduced the proportion of the most abundant species. Compared with the other two sites, the solar park was characterized by a higher plant biomass and lower temperatures. A major availability of resources and less harsh conditions in the solar park might have a role in reducing the dominance of the most abundant species, allowing other species to attain higher abundances. This led to a more balanced community structure, with higher values of diversity. Although neither grazing nor solar panel installation modified radically tenebrionid species-abundance distribution or diversity, grazing and solar panel installation had different effects in species abundances and their impact might amplify the effect of other disturbance factors such as the ongoing climate change.
- Aqua : Leveraging Citizen Science to Enhance Whale-Watching Activities and Promote Marine-Biodiversity AwarenessPublication . Dionisio, Mara; Mendes, Mafalda; Fernandez, Marc; Nisi, Valentina; Nunes, NunoLife-supporting ecosystems are facing impending destruction. The human-computer interaction (HCI) community must rethink how to design technological interventions that reconcile concepts and theories for ecological computing. Proponents of sustainable HCI have pushed for tools and systems that aim to decenter the human in a shift toward post human design-a theoretical approach that challenges the assumption that only humans are stakeholders of technology as it increasingly shapes the future. Building on the iconic value of whales and the economic impact of whale watching as a form of ecotourism, we developed Aqua, a digital tool that leverages the potential of citizen science to engage tourists in marine-biodiversity awareness and conservation. This manuscript is advancing the field of sustainable HCI and tourism applications in two ways: first, we deliver an artefact contribution by designing and implementing a digital tool to enhance whale-watching activities. Second, we offer an empirical research contribution through observation and data gathering while comparing participants’ experiences of a whale-watching trip with and without the digital tool. Finally, preliminary insights are provided to inform the design of future digital tools aimed at promoting environmental conservation and citizen-science approaches among tourists. This work presents progression in understanding and informs the design of digital tools to engage tourists in novel and sustainable experiences.
- Iodine Intake and Related Cognitive Function Impairments in Elementary SchoolchildrenPublication . Bailote, Helga G. B.; Linhares, Diana P.; Carvalho, Célia; Prazeres, Susana; Rodrigues, Armindo; Garcia, PatríciaIodine deficiency, the most common cause of preventable mental impairment worldwide, has been linked to poorer intellectual function in several studies. However, to our knowledge, no studies have been performed in moderate iodine-deficient schoolchildren using the complete form of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III; Portuguese version). The main purpose of this study was to ascertain whether moderate iodine deficiency would affect the cognitive function of schoolchildren (7–11 years old; 3rd and 4th grades). Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices (CPM; Portuguese version) were used for measuring the intelligence quotient (IQ) of the total population (n = 256; median UIC = 66.2 μg/L), and the WISC-III was used to study two selected subgroups: one moderately iodine-deficient (n = 30) and the other with adequate iodine intake (n = 30). WISC-III was shown to be the prime instrument for cognitive function assessment among moderate iodine-deficient schoolchildren; this subgroup had a Full-Scale IQ 15.13 points lower than the adequate iodine intake subgroup, with a magnitude effect of d = 0.7 (p = 0.013). Significant differences were also registered in 6 of the 13 Verbal-Performance IQ subtests. Moderate iodine deficiency has a substantial impact on mental development and cognitive functioning of schoolchildren, with significant impairment in both Performance IQ and Verbal IQ spectrum, adversely impacting their educational performance.
- Editorial: Ladybirds: Conservation, ecology and interactions with other organismsPublication . Haelewaters, Danny; Losey, John E.; Soares, António O.Human impact on the natural world has expanded enormously over the past century and a half, with rapid population growth and an increasingly globalized economy causing pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change (Johnson et al., 2017). This threatens biodiversity and proper functioning of natural ecosystems, which we depend on for resources (wood, food, etc.) and ecological services (water storage and purification, waste treatment, pollination, etc.) (Vilà et al., 2006; Newbold et al., 2015; Dasgupta, 2021). […].
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