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Li C, Coolen JWP, Scherer L, Mogollón JM, Braeckman U, Vanaverbeke J, Tukker A, Steubing B. Offshore Wind Energy and Marine Biodiversity in the North Sea: Life Cycle Impact Assessment for Benthic Communities. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:6455-6464. [PMID: 37058594 PMCID: PMC10134491 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale offshore wind energy developments represent a major player in the energy transition but are likely to have (negative or positive) impacts on marine biodiversity. Wind turbine foundations and sour protection often replace soft sediment with hard substrates, creating artificial reefs for sessile dwellers. Offshore wind farm (OWF) furthermore leads to a decrease in (and even a cessation of) bottom trawling, as this activity is prohibited in many OWFs. The long-term cumulative impacts of these changes on marine biodiversity remain largely unknown. This study integrates such impacts into characterization factors for life cycle assessment based on the North Sea and illustrates its application. Our results suggest that there are no net adverse impacts during OWF operation on benthic communities inhabiting the original sand bottom within OWFs. Artificial reefs could lead to a doubling of species richness and a two-order-of-magnitude increase of species abundance. Seabed occupation will also incur in minor biodiversity losses in the soft sediment. Our results were not conclusive concerning the trawling avoidance benefits. The developed characterization factors quantifying biodiversity-related impacts from OWF operation provide a stepping stone toward a better representation of biodiversity in life cycle assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Li
- Institute
of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden
University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Joop W. P. Coolen
- Wageningen
Marine Research, P.O. Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, The Netherlands
- Aquatic
Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PD Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Scherer
- Institute
of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden
University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - José M. Mogollón
- Institute
of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden
University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ulrike Braeckman
- Marine
Biology Research Group (MARBIOL), Ghent
University, Krijgslaan 281, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Operational
Directorate Natural Environment, Marine Ecology and Management, Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Science, Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jan Vanaverbeke
- Operational
Directorate Natural Environment, Marine Ecology and Management, Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Science, Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Arnold Tukker
- Institute
of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden
University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Netherlands
Organization for Applied Scientific Research, P.O. Box 96800, 2509 JE Den Haag, The Netherlands
| | - Bernhard Steubing
- Institute
of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden
University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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Duarte RHL, de Oliveira Passos MF, Beirão MV, Midamegbe A, Young RJ, de Azevedo CS. Noise interfere on feeding behaviour but not on food preference of saffron finches (Sicalis flaveola). Behav Processes 2023; 206:104844. [PMID: 36773856 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Noise pollution exerts negative well-being effects on animals, especially for captive individuals. A decrease in feeding, reproduction, attention, and an increase in stress are examples of negative effects of noise pollution on animals. Noise pollution can also negatively impact animals' lives by decreasing the efficiency of food choice: attention decrease can cause animals choose the least profitable food, which can affect their fitness. The aims of this study were to analyse the effects of noise on feeding behaviour and food preference of saffron finches. Foraging tests were performed under background sound pressure levels and under a noisy condition. The behaviours exhibited by the birds during the tests were recorded using focal sampling with instantaneous recording of behaviour every 10 s. Results showed that finches consumed more the higher energetic food, and that noise pollution did not impact food consumption by the birds. Noise changed the number of visits on the feeders, and increased the expression of the 'lower the head' and vigilance behaviours during feeding. These findings could be important for wild and captive animals because an increase in vigilance and in changes in foraging behaviour could ultimately impact their fitness. Thus, mitigation measures should be taken in relation to noise impact on wildlife, this is especially the case for captive animals, which have no chance to avoid noisy environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marina Vale Beirão
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Afiwa Midamegbe
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Brazil
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3
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A Review of Modeling Approaches for Understanding and Monitoring the Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse10010094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the environmental effects of marine energy (ME) devices is fundamental for their sustainable development and efficient regulation. However, measuring effects is difficult given the limited number of operational devices currently deployed. Numerical modeling is a powerful tool for estimating environmental effects and quantifying risks. It is most effective when informed by empirical data and coordinated with the development and implementation of monitoring protocols. We reviewed modeling techniques and information needs for six environmental stressor–receptor interactions related to ME: changes in oceanographic systems, underwater noise, electromagnetic fields (EMFs), changes in habitat, collision risk, and displacement of marine animals. This review considers the effects of tidal, wave, and ocean current energy converters. We summarized the availability and maturity of models for each stressor–receptor interaction and provide examples involving ME devices when available and analogous examples otherwise. Models for oceanographic systems and underwater noise were widely available and sometimes applied to ME, but need validation in real-world settings. Many methods are available for modeling habitat change and displacement of marine animals, but few examples related to ME exist. Models of collision risk and species response to EMFs are still in stages of theory development and need more observational data, particularly about species behavior near devices, to be effective. We conclude by synthesizing model status, commonalities between models, and overlapping monitoring needs that can be exploited to develop a coordinated and efficient set of protocols for predicting and monitoring the environmental effects of ME.
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Piet GJ, Tamis JE, Volwater J, de Vries P, van der Wal JT, Jongbloed RH. A roadmap towards quantitative cumulative impact assessments: Every step of the way. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 784:146847. [PMID: 34088040 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Currently most Cumulative Impacts Assessments (CIAs) are risk-based approaches that assess the potential impact of human activities and their pressures on the ecosystem thereby compromising the achievement of policy objectives. While some of these CIAs apply actual data (usually spatial distributions) they often have to rely on categorical scores based on expert judgement if they actually assess impact which is often expressed as a relative measure that is difficult to interpret in absolute terms. Here we present a first step-wise approach to conduct a fully quantitative CIA based on the selection and subsequent application of the best information available. This approach systematically disentangles risk into its exposure and effect components that can be quantified using known ecological information, e.g. spatial distribution of pressures or species, pressure-state relationships and population dynamics models with appropriate parametrisation, resulting in well-defined assessment endpoints that are meaningful and can be easily communicated to the recipients of advice. This approach requires that underlying assumptions and methodological considerations are made explicit and translated into a measure of confidence. This transparency helps to identify the possible data-handling or methodological decisions and shows the resulting improvement through its confidence assessment of the applied information and hence the resulting accuracy of the CIA. To illustrate this approach, we applied it in a North Sea CIA focussing on two sectors, i.e. fisheries and offshore windfarms, and how they impact the ecosystem and its components, i.e. seabirds, seabed habitats and marine mammals through various pressures. The results provide a "proof of concept" for this generic approach as well as rigorous definitions of several of the concepts often used as part of risk-based approaches, e.g. exposure, sensitivity, vulnerability, and how these can be estimated using actual data. As such this widens the scope for increasingly more quantitative CIAs using the best information available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerjan J Piet
- Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen Marine Research, P.O. Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, the Netherlands.
| | - Jacqueline E Tamis
- Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen Marine Research, P.O. Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, the Netherlands
| | - Joey Volwater
- Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen Marine Research, P.O. Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, the Netherlands
| | - Pepijn de Vries
- Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen Marine Research, P.O. Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Tjalling van der Wal
- Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen Marine Research, P.O. Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, the Netherlands
| | - Ruud H Jongbloed
- Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen Marine Research, P.O. Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, the Netherlands
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Ramírez T, Sacchini S, Paz Y, Rosales RS, Câmara N, Andrada M, Arbelo M, Fernández A. Comparison of Methods for the Histological Evaluation of Odontocete Spiral Ganglion Cells. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E683. [PMID: 32295193 PMCID: PMC7222732 DOI: 10.3390/ani10040683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cetaceans greatly depend on their hearing system to perform many vital activities. The spiral ganglion is an essential component of the auditory pathway and can even be associated with injuries caused by anthropogenic noise. However, its anatomical location, characterized by surrounding bony structures, makes the anatomical and anatomopathological study of the spiral ganglion a difficult task. In order to obtain high-quality tissue samples, a perfect balance between decalcification and the preservation of neural components must be achieved. In this study, different methodologies for spiral ganglion sample preparation and preservation were evaluated. Hydrochloric acid had the shortest decalcification time but damaged the tissue extensively. Both formic acid and EDTA decalcification solutions had a longer decalcification time but exhibited better preservation of the neurons. However, improved cell morphology and staining were observed on ears pretreated with EDTA solution. Therefore, we suggest that decalcifying methodologies based on EDTA solutions should be used to obtain the highest quality samples for studying cell morphology and antigenicity in cetacean spiral ganglion neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Ramírez
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, 35416 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; (S.S.); (Y.P.); (N.C.); (M.A.); (A.F.)
| | - Simona Sacchini
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, 35416 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; (S.S.); (Y.P.); (N.C.); (M.A.); (A.F.)
| | - Yania Paz
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, 35416 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; (S.S.); (Y.P.); (N.C.); (M.A.); (A.F.)
| | - Rubén S. Rosales
- Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, 35416 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain;
| | - Nakita Câmara
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, 35416 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; (S.S.); (Y.P.); (N.C.); (M.A.); (A.F.)
| | - Marisa Andrada
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, 35416 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; (S.S.); (Y.P.); (N.C.); (M.A.); (A.F.)
| | - Manuel Arbelo
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, 35416 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; (S.S.); (Y.P.); (N.C.); (M.A.); (A.F.)
| | - Antonio Fernández
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, 35416 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; (S.S.); (Y.P.); (N.C.); (M.A.); (A.F.)
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van Elk CE, van de Bildt MWG, van Run PRWA, Bunskoek P, Meerbeek J, Foster G, Osterhaus ADME, Kuiken T. Clinical, pathological, and laboratory diagnoses of diseases of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), live stranded on the Dutch and adjacent coasts from 2003 to 2016. Vet Res 2019; 50:88. [PMID: 31666128 PMCID: PMC6822343 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-019-0706-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the North Sea live in an environment heavily impacted by humans, the consequences of which are a concern for their health. Autopsies carried out on stranded harbour porpoises provide an opportunity to assess health problems in this species. We performed 61 autopsies on live-stranded harbour porpoises, which died following admission to a rehabilitation centre between 2003 and 2016. The animals had stranded on the Dutch (n = 52) and adjacent coasts of Belgium (n = 2) and Germany (n = 7). We assigned probable causes for stranding based on clinical and pathological criteria. Cause of stranding was associated in the majority of cases with pathologies in multiple organs (n = 29) compared to animals with pathologies in a single organ (n = 18). Our results show that the three most probable causes of stranding were pneumonia (n = 35), separation of calves from their mother (n = 10), and aspergillosis (n = 9). Pneumonia as a consequence of pulmonary nematode infection occurred in 19 animals. Pneumonia was significantly associated with infection with Pseudalius inflexus, Halocercus sp., and Torynurus convolutus but not with Stenurus minor infection. Half of the bacterial pneumonias (6/12) could not be associated with nematode infection. Conclusions from this study are that aspergillosis is an important probable cause for stranding, while parasitic infection is not a necessary prerequisite for bacterial pneumonia, and approximately half of the animals (29/61) probably stranded due to multiple causes. An important implication of the observed high prevalence of aspergillosis is that these harbour porpoises suffered from reduced immunocompetence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelis E van Elk
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marco W G van de Bildt
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter R W A van Run
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Paulien Bunskoek
- Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Zuiderzeeboulevard 22, 3841 WB, Harderwijk, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Albert D M E Osterhaus
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Thijs Kuiken
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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Todd PA, Heery EC, Loke LHL, Thurstan RH, Kotze DJ, Swan C. Towards an urban marine ecology: characterizing the drivers, patterns and processes of marine ecosystems in coastal cities. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter A. Todd
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Dept of Biological Sciences, National Univ. of Singapore 16 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117558
| | - Eliza C. Heery
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Dept of Biological Sciences, National Univ. of Singapore 16 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117558
| | - Lynette H. L. Loke
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Dept of Biological Sciences, National Univ. of Singapore 16 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117558
| | - Ruth H. Thurstan
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - D. Johan Kotze
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Univ. of Helsinki Lahti Finland
| | - Christopher Swan
- Dept of Geography & Environmental Systems, Univ. of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore MD USA
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Performance Evaluation of Distance Measurement Methods for Construction Noise Prediction Using Case-Based Reasoning. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11030871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Concerns over environmental issues have recently increased. Particularly, construction noise in highly populated areas is recognized as a serious stressor that not only negatively affects humans and their environment, but also construction firms through project delays and cost overruns. To deal with noise-related problems, noise levels need to be predicted during the preconstruction phase. Case-based reasoning (CBR) has recently been applied to noise prediction, but some challenges remain to be addressed. In particular, problems with the distance measurement method have been recognized as a recurring issue. In this research, the accuracy of the prediction results was examined for two distance measurement methods: The weighted Euclidean distance (WED) and a combination of the Jaccard and Euclidean distances (JED). The differences and absolute error rates confirmed that the JED provided slightly more accurate results than the WED with an error ratio of approximately 6%. The results showed that different methods, depending on the attribute types, need to be employed when computing similarity distances. This research not only contributes an approach to achieve reliable prediction with CBR, but also contributes to the literature on noise management to ensure a sustainable environment by elucidating the effects of distance measurement depending on the attribute types.
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