ALBERT

Description: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is a species of great ecological and economical importance in the Baltic Sea. Here, two genetically differentiated stocks, the western and the eastern Baltic cod, display substantial mechanical mixing, hampering our understanding of cod ecology and impeding stock assessments and management. Based on whole-genome re-sequencing data from reference samples obtained from the study area, we designed two different panels of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms markers (SNPs), which take into account the exceptional genome architecture of cod. A minimum panel of 20 diagnostic SNPs and an extended panel (20 diagnostic and 18 biologically informative SNPs, 38 in total) were developed and validated to distinguish unambiguously between the western and the eastern Baltic cod stocks and to enable studies of local adaptation to the specific environment in the Baltic Sea, respectively. We tested both panels on cod sampled from the southern Baltic Sea (n = 603) caught in 2015 and 2016. Genotyping results showed that catches from the mixing zone in the Arkona Sea, were composed of similar proportions of individuals of the western and the eastern stock. Catches from adjacent areas to the east, the Bornholm Basin and Gdańsk Deep, were exclusively composed of eastern Baltic cod, whereas catches from adjacent western areas (Belt Sea and Öresund) were composed of western Baltic cod. Interestingly, the two Baltic cod stocks showed strong genetic differences at loci associated with life-history trait candidate genes, highlighting the species’ potential for ecological adaptation even at small geographical scales. The minimum and the extended panel of SNP markers presented in this study provide powerful tools for future applications in research and fisheries management to further illuminate the mixing dynamics of cod in the Baltic Sea and to better understand Baltic cod ecology.

Description: We present the first study to examine the year-round distribution, activity patterns, and habitat use of one of New Zealand's most common seabirds, the fluttering shearwater (Puffinus gavia). Seven adults from Burgess Island, in the Hauraki Gulf, and one individual from Long Island, in the Marlborough Sounds, were successfully tracked with combined light-saltwater immersion loggers for one to three years. Our tracking data confirms that fluttering shearwaters employ different overwintering dispersal strategies, where three out of eight individuals, for at least one of the three years when they were being tracked, crossed the Tasman Sea to forage over coastal waters along eastern Tasmania and southeastern Australia. Resident birds stayed confined to waters of northern and central New Zealand year-round. Although birds frequently foraged over pelagic shelf waters, the majority of tracking locations were found over shallow waters close to the coast. All birds foraged predominantly in daylight and frequently visited the colony at night throughout the year. We found no significant inter-seasonal differences in the activity patterns, or between migratory and resident individuals. Although further studies of inter-colony variation in different age groups will be necessary, this study presents novel insights into year-round distribution, activity patterns and habitat use of the fluttering shearwater, which provide valuable baseline information for conservation as well as for further ecological studies.

Description: The evaluation of large amounts of digital image data is of growing importance for biology, including for the exploration and monitoring of marine habitats. However, only a tiny percentage of the image data collected is evaluated by marine biologists who manually interpret and annotate the image contents, which can be slow and laborious. In order to overcome the bottleneck in image annotation, two strategies are increasingly proposed: “citizen science” and “machine learning”. In this study, we investigated how the combination of citizen science, to detect objects, and machine learning, to classify megafauna, could be used to automate annotation of underwater images. For this purpose, multiple large data sets of citizen science annotations with different degrees of common errors and inaccuracies observed in citizen science data were simulated by modifying “gold standard” annotations done by an experienced marine biologist. The parameters of the simulation were determined on the basis of two citizen science experiments. It allowed us to analyze the relationship between the outcome of a citizen science study and the quality of the classifications of a deep learning megafauna classifier. The results show great potential for combining citizen science with machine learning, provided that the participants are informed precisely about the annotation protocol. Inaccuracies in the position of the annotation had the most substantial influence on the classification accuracy, whereas the size of the marking and false positive detections had a smaller influence.

Description: As a general trend in the life history of marine organisms, species inhabiting cold waters have reduced growth rates and increased lifespans. Studies based on egg sizes and brooding times of deep-sea and polar octopods support this hypothesis, but empirical data on growth are still scarce. To test the hypothesis that octopods inhabiting cold waters (〈 3°C) live longer than temperate and warm water species, this study investigated size-at-age, maturation and growth rates in incirrate Antarctic octopods. Octopod age was estimated via the interpretation and quantification of beak growth increments, which in shallow water octopods have been validated to be formed on a daily basis. Specimens from the families Megaleledonidae (Adelieledone spp., Pareledone spp. and Megaleledone setebos) and Enteroctopodidae (Muusoctopus rigbyae) were collected on the shelf and slope regions off the Antarctic Peninsula during a cruise in 2012. Examined specimens included early juveniles to animals in advanced maturity. The total number of growth increments ranged from 192–599 in Pareledone aequipapillae (body mass [BM] 2–109 g), 182–431 in Pareledone charcoti (BM 5–124 g), 98–906 in M. setebos (BM 10–6000 g) and 207–425 in M. rigbyae (BM 24–256 g). After the cruise, eleven specimens of P. charcoti were kept alive in captivity for more than 12 months and these animals had 219–364 growth increments, suggesting that increment formation in this species takes longer than one day. The complex population structure (size, age and maturity range) of the specimens that were captured during a relatively short time, the number of beak increments quantified, and the preliminary validation observations indicate that Antarctic octopods do not deposit increments daily, and may have lifespans exceeding 3 years. These findings corroborate the general trend that cold water molluscs have a longer lifespan than their warm water relatives.

Description: We present the first study to examine the year-round distribution, activity patterns, and habitat use of one of New Zealand’s most common seabirds, the fluttering shearwater (Puffinus gavia). Seven adults from Burgess Island, in the Hauraki Gulf, and one individual from Long Island, in the Marlborough Sounds, were successfully tracked with combined light-saltwater immersion loggers for one to three years. Our tracking data confirms that fluttering shearwaters employ different overwintering dispersal strategies, where three out of eight individuals, for at least one of the three years when they were being tracked, crossed the Tasman Sea to forage over coastal waters along eastern Tasmania and southeastern Australia. Resident birds stayed confined to waters of northern and central New Zealand year-round. Although birds frequently foraged over pelagic shelf waters, the majority of tracking locations were found over shallow waters close to the coast. All birds foraged predominantly in daylight and frequently visited the colony at night throughout the year. We found no significant inter-seasonal differences in the activity patterns, or between migratory and resident individuals. Although further studies of inter-colony variation in different age groups will be necessary, this study presents novel insights into year-round distribution, activity patterns and habitat use of the fluttering shearwater, which provide valuable baseline information for conservation as well as for further ecological studies.

Description: In dem Discussion Paper werden die Bedingungen und Herausforderungen für den transformativen Forschungsansatz des IASS diskutiert.

Description: Einen spannenden, aktions- und forschungsorientierten Einstieg in die Themenfelder Klima und Rohstoffe ermöglicht die Zukunftsbox Kohlenstoff, die das IASS in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Futurium entwickelt hat. Die Materialien eignen sich für Schülergruppen jeder Schulform ab Klassenstufe 8. Die Zukunftsbox kann fachübergreifend eingesetzt werden. Mit ihr will das IASS einen Beitrag zur Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung leisten.

Description: This report presents the results of the third and the last workshop in the series “Yamal 2040” organised within Blue-Action work package WP5 “Delivering and valuing climate and information services”. The Blue-Action team at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in cooperation with the Primakov National Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Science (IMEMO) and Foresight Intelligence, and with inputs provided by the National Oceanographic Center (UKRI-NOC) and the M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics Russian Academy of Sciences (IAP-RAS) in the Blue-Action work package WP2 “Lower latitude drivers of Arctic changes” developed forward-looking scenarios to better understand the risks and opportunities associated with multiple developments in the Arctic and help stakeholders to adapt to them. This case study looks at a specific region, the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Arctic Russia (YNAO or Yamal region), a region with substantial ongoing and planned petroleum and shipping activities. Together with stakeholder groups, the team has co-developed a suite of scenarios to describe possible futures for this region in 2040 by incorporating cutting edge climate predictions with environmental, social and cultural concerns, economic opportunities, and political and legal developments. The scenarios are the outcome of a truly co-design and co-development process involving partners, stakeholders and using various foresight methods tailored to the project’s needs. These methods allow to constructively deal with cognitive biases, thus enabling participants to think out of the box when planning the future. This approach is very helpful in tackling complex issues linked to numerous interacting uncertainties.

Description: Wir zeigen, wie die vorgeschlagene 1000 m-Abstandsregelung zwischen Windkraftanlagen und Wohngebäude den Ausbau der Windkraft an Land in Deutschland praktisch stoppen würde. Wir zeigen auch, dass ein Abstand von 600 m gleichzeitig den Schutz der Anwohner und der Ausbau der Windkraft möglich machen kann.

Description: Following more than a decade of informal deliberations, States at the United Nations (UN)are currently negotiating an “international legally binding instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction” (“BBNJ Agreement”). The negotiations aim to strengthen the international legal framework for the protection and management of the global ocean by addressing gaps in the current framework and building on existing obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to cooperate to protect and preserve the marine environment and conserve marine living resources. This policy brief explores how integrated ecosystem-based management (EBM) in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) can be advanced at the regional level and how the BBNJ Agreement can build on experiences in other legally binding agreements to strengthen regional cooperation, coordination and coherence. To this end, five building blocks are identified: 1. A robust global body such as a Conference of Parties capable of taking decisions and adopting recommendations; 2. A suite of regional mechanisms for integrated policy development and coordination; 3. Effective science-policy advisory mechanisms; 4. Overarching environmental obligations and principles; and 5. Operational principles to ensure good governance. A review of the current President’s draft text of the BBNJ Agreement highlights where the text could be strengthened to advance EBM. In particular, the BBNJ Agreement could draw inspiration from a range of existing instruments and craft specific obligations to: cooperate to promote in-situ conservation of ecosystems and natural habitats; mainstream biodiversity into all decision-making bodies and processes; and strengthen regional cooperation by supporting existing institutions and by building cross-sectoral platforms for cooperation.

Description: The overall aim of WP2 is to understand both the actual and possible application of the precautionary principle in eight different cases, and explain potential commonalities and differences in the application of the precautionary principle in the cases. This analysis should reflect the particular context of the case and reveal the arguments that have been used for invoking the precautionary principle and/or adopting precautionary measures (even without mentioning the precautionary principle). The multiple case study component of the RECIPES project is one of the key analytical phases of the project. Within the scope of the entire RECIPES project, WP2 builds on aspects of WP1, in particular the final WP1 report taking stock of the precautionary principle since 2000. The outputs of WP2 will feed directly into WP3, with the aim of the development of new tools and approaches to the PP in a co-creation approach. This document is intended for the individual case study analysis, and does not directly inform the cross-case comparison analysis which will take place in task 2.4.

Description: The IASS – and the research project Co-creation and Contemporary Policy Advice, in particular – aim to support policymakers in their efforts to address complex societal challenges within the context of a broad transformation towards sustainability. These challenges are interwoven with other issues and embedded within dynamic contexts that are characterized by a high degree of uncertainty, making it difficult to develop a unified approach to their resolution. In response to this, this IASS Discussion Paper presents a model for the development of co-creative policy advice that is intended to support actors from policymaking and public administration in addressing such complex challenges. The primary goal of the process outlined here is the development, in cooperation with relevant stakeholders, of an in-depth understanding of a specific challenge – before appropriate strategies and measures for its resolution are put in place. The insights gained in this scoping process shape the development of tailored solution generation processes and the allocation of public procurement contracts for the implementation of societal transformation processes. In this approach, the policy advice process begins well before potential solutions are developed and presented to policymakers and administrative bodies. Rather, this model responds to the need to develop an integrated understanding of societal challenges in close cooperation with the people and institutions affected on the ground before public procurement processes for their resolution are launched.

Description: Este resumen para los tomadores de decisiones se basa en el informe ‘Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance for the High Seas: Opportunities and Challenges to Improve the Legal and Institutional Framework of the Southeast Atlantic and Southeast Pacific’. Está dirigido a los tomadores de decisiones, así como a otras personas que trabajan en cuestiones de gobernanza de los océanos, en particular en las regiones del Atlántico Sudeste y el Pacífico Sudeste. El informe se preparó como parte del proyecto Fortalecimiento de la gobernanza regional de los océanos en alta mar (‘STRONG High Seas’) y se basa en estudios anteriores, en particular en relación con el Pacífico Sudeste. El informe tiene por objeto proporcionar un examen de los marcos de gobernanza pertinentes actualmente en vigor para la gestión de la biodiversidad de la alta mar en esas regiones. El informe utiliza las cuestiones que se están debatiendo en las negociaciones en curso para un nuevo instrumento jurídicamente vinculante sobre la conservación y el uso sostenible de la BBNJ en el marco de las Naciones Unidas, así como determinadas metas del Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible 14 (ODS 14), como una lente a través de la cual se pueden evaluar los avances hacia la conservación y el uso sostenible.

Description: South Africa is in the midst of an energy transition, with important social and economic implications, depending on the pathway that is chosen. Economic prosperity, new sources of income for citizens and households, business and employment opportunities as well as health impacts: through its energy pathway, South Africa will define the basis for its future development.

Description: Diese Broschüre stellt den multikriteriellen Ansatz zur Bewertung von Energiewende-Politik vor, der im Kopernikus-Projekt „Energiewende-Navigationssystem“ (ENavi) im Arbeitspaket „Bewertung“ (AP11) entwickelt wurde. Die illustrierte Zusammenfassung verdeutlicht die Stellung des Bewertungsansatzes im Gesamtprojekt sowie die einzelnen Schritte des Bewertungsprozesses und zeigt anhand von exemplarischen Maßnahmen die hohe Relevanz der ENavi-Bewertungskriterien für die Gesellschaft.

Description: This guide for action can be used by policymakers at any level or in any form of government to identify how to redesign governance processes to respond to the Fridays for Future Movement in a way that is meaningful and impactful.

Description: Die Wissenschaftsplattform Nachhaltigkeit 2030 ist ein zentraler Ort der Wissenschaft, an dem sie drängende Fragen der Nachhaltigkeits-politik reflektiert und diskutiert – im Austausch mit Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Wissen für Nachhaltigkeit wird dort zusammengetragen und weitergetragen, insbesondere im Hinblick auf die Umsetzung der Deutschen Nachhaltigkeits-strategie. Die Plattform arbeitet unabhängig und ist systematisch eingebunden in den offiziellen politischen Steuerungs-, Dialog- und Umsetzungsprozess der Agenda 2030. Träger der Plattform sind SDSN Germany, DKN Future Earth und das IASS Potsdam.

Description: This guide for action can be used by decision-makers at any level or in any form of organisation or business to identify how to respond to the Fridays for Future Movement in a way that is meaningful, responsive and impactful.

Description: Tras más de una década de deliberaciones informales, los Estados de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) están negociando actualmente un „instrumento internacional jurídicamente vinculante para la conservación y el uso sostenible de la biodiversidad marina en las áreas situadas fuera de la jurisdicción nacional“ („Acuerdo BBNJ“). El objetivo de las negociaciones es reforzar el marco jurídico internacional para la protección y la gestión de los océanos globales, colmando las lagunas del marco actual y aprovechando las obligaciones existentes en virtud de la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho del Mar (CONVEMAR) para cooperar en la protección y la preservación del medio ambiente marino y la conservación de los recursos marinos vivos. Este informe explora cómo la gestión ecosistémica (EBM, por sus siglas en inglés) en las áreas marinas fuera de la jurisdicción nacional (ABNJ, por sus siglas en inglés) puede ser promovida a nivel regional y cómo el acuerdo BBNJ puede aprovechar las experiencias de otros acuerdos legalmente vinculantes para fortalecer la cooperación, la coordinación y la coherencia regional. Para ello, se han identificado cinco bloques de construcción: 1. Un órgano global sólido, como una Conferencia de las Partes, capaz de tomar decisiones y adoptar recomendaciones; 2. Un conjunto de mecanismos regionales para el desarrollo y la coordinación de políticas integradas; 3. Mecanismos eficaces de asesoramiento científico-político; 4. Obligaciones y principios medioambientales generales; y 5. Principios operativos para garantizar una buena gobernanza. Un examen del actual proyecto de texto del Presidente del acuerdo BBNJ pone de relieve los aspectos en los que el texto podría reforzarse para hacer avanzar la EBM. En particular, el acuerdo BBNJ podría inspirarse en una serie de instrumentos existentes y establecer obligaciones específicas para: cooperar en la promoción de la conservación in situ de los ecosistemas y los hábitats naturales; integrar la biodiversidad en todos los órganos y procesos de toma de decisiones; y reforzar la cooperación regional apoyando a las instituciones existentes y creando plataformas de cooperación transectoriales.

Description: Das vorliegende Papier ist eine Zusammenfassung der Ergebnisse der Arbeitsgruppe Global Commons der Wissenschaftsplattform Nachhaltigkeit 2030 (WPN 2030) (Laufzeit Januar 2018 – Dezember 2019). Die Plattform wurde 2017 gegründet, um die Umsetzung der Agenda 2030 und ihrer Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) sowie der Deutschen Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie (DNS) wissenschaftlich zu begleiten. Im Rahmen der Arbeitsprozesse wurde die Nutzung und Governance sogenannter Global Commons als ein zentrales Thema von Nachhaltigkeitspolitik in, mit und durch Deutschland identifiziert. Kernziel der eingesetzten Arbeitsgruppe war es, aus einer sektorenübergreifenden Bestandsaufnahme der Governance zentraler Commons Handlungsempfehlungen abzuleiten, wie Deutschland zur Stärkung der globalen Nachhaltigkeitsarchitektur in diesem Bereich beitragen kann. Zu diesem Zweck fokussierte sich die Arbeitsgruppe auf die folgenden zentralen Umweltressourcen mit Bezug zur Agenda 2030: (i) Wälder, (ii) Böden/Biodiversität, (iii) Ozeane und (iv) Süßwasser. Zur Vertiefung dieser Bereiche wurden vier Hintergrundstudien in Auftrag gegeben, welche die globale Governance der jeweiligen Ressourcen und die Rolle Deutschlands analysieren.

Description: Der vorliegende praktische Leitfaden richtet sich an politische Entscheidungsträgerinnen und Entscheidungsträger auf jeder Ebene und in jeder Form von Regierung. Er soll helfen, Governance-Prozesse so umzugestalten, dass sie mit einer bedeutungsvollen, wirksamen Reaktion auf die Bewegung Fridays for Future eingehen.

Description: In a decarbonised future electricity system, Europe will rely on fluctuating renewable sources, such as solar PV and wind power, to a much larger extent than today. This means that Europe as a whole and each individual country on the continent must increase the availability of flexibilityoptionsin order to balance the grid. Such flexibility options include dispatchable renewable sources (e.g. concentrating solar power (CSP)with thermal storage), electricity storage, anddemand-response. We start from the notion that the future does not happen, but it is madeby a series of policy decisions between now and then. If this is true, then the electricity system of 2050 is determined by the sum of all policy decisions affecting the power system – the policy pathway – in all legislations in Europeuntil 2050. In this report, we take the first steps towards identifying the potential future role for dispatchable renewables – specifically CSP with thermal storage – as a function of policy decisions that either increase the need for power system flexibility (e.g. fluctuating renewables) or provide flexibility (e.g. storage, dispatchable renewables, flexible demand). We draw on the energy transition logics framework developed by Foxon and colleagues. This framework poses that the space of possible energy transition pathways is a triangle with three distinct policy logicsin its corners: a state-centred logic, in which the central government leads or carries out the transition; a market-centred logic, in which the government sets the framework but leaves all other decisions to market actors; and a grassroots-centred logic, in which the transition is carried out locally with the resources available to each community. Any transition strategy will consist, in some constellation, of policies from these corner. We investigate policy strategies in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and of the European Union as a whole. For each case, we define one dominant pathway, consisting of currently valid, implemented policies of the current (or newly resigned) government. In addition, we identify up to three minority pathwaysfor each case, describing the energy policy visions and strategies of parties that are currently in opposition but could form a government in the future. For each case, we identify pathways representing each of the three logics, bothin narrative formand as a set of 41 quantitative variables affecting the need for and provision of power system flexibility. This report is a primary data source for the power system modelling in the MUSTEC project. This modelling will happen in 2019 and 2020, and will bring detailed, quantitiave insights of how the potential role for dispatchable renewables is affected by energy policy decisions. However,from the data we have derivedhere, we can draw a number of conclusions. We show that all countries and the EU as a whole seek to strongly decarbonise their power systems, as a key part of economy-wide decarbonisation efforts. Some countries have plans that would suffice to fulfil the European (Union and national) commitments under the Paris Agreement: net-zero emissions, mainly or exclusively based on renewables. We also show that all countries seek to vastly expand intermittent renewables, which will trigger a greatly increased need for flexibility. However, this is not reflected in the policies we analysed: no pathway, dominant or minority, is specific on how they want to provide flexibility, especially not at the scale and pace needed. This problem will be exacerbated as the climate targets are tightened and fossil fuels – first coal and lignite (mainly in the 2020s) and later gas power (especially in the 2040s) – are phased out: once this happens, the European power system(s) will lose much of its current flexibility, and unlessother, carbon-free flexibility options are expanded, it will be increasingly difficult to maintain power system stability.

Description: Das Diskussionspapier untersucht die bilateralen Energiepartnerschaften der Bundesregierung - eines der zentralen Elemente der deutschen internationalen Energiewendepolitik. Gestützt auf eine umfassende Datenanalyse liefert es eine Bestandsaufnahme der Ziele, Umsetzung und inhaltlichen Schwerpunkte der Partnerschaften. Zudem arbeitet es deren Rolle in der bilateralen Energiezusammenarbeit heraus. Das Diskussionspapier liefert damit erstmals eine umfassende wissenschaftlich fundierte Analyse zur Gestaltung dieses wichtigen Politikinstruments. Auf dieser Basis stellt es fünf Thesen zur weiteren Ausgestaltung der Energiepartnerschaften vor. Die Auswertung zeigt die Flexibilität des Politikinstruments Energiepartnerschaften. Die Partnerländer sind in hohem Maße divers. Sie beinhalten Vorreiter im Bereich erneuerbare Energien ebenso wie große Erdgas- und Öllieferanten. Die Bundesregierung passt das Politikinstrument der Ausgangslage des Partnerlands an. Die Federführung liegt dabei in Deutschland zumeist im Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWi) und in den Partnerländern in der Regel ebenso im Energieministerium. Mit der Umsetzung der Partnerschaften betraut sind die GIZ, adelphi, Navigant und die AHK. Diese Umsetzer unterhalten teilweise auch Sekretariate im Partnerland. Typisch für viele Partnerschaften sind regelmäßige Treffen von Steuerungs- und Arbeitsgruppen. In deren Rahmen werden in einigen Partnerschaften auch andere deutsche Ministerium eingebunden. Zu den strategischen Zielen der Partnerschaften zählen neben der Förderung einer globalen Energiewende Aspekte wie die Stärkung des internationalen Klimaschutzes und die Verbesserung von Exportchancen für deutsche Unternehmen. Konkretisiert wird dies in operativen Zielen wie der Unterstützung des Partnerlands beim Ausbau von erneuerbaren Energien oder der politischen Flankierung von Unternehmensaktivitäten. In ihrer Umsetzung unterscheiden die Partnerschaften sich dabei von Aktivitäten anderer Ministerien im Bereich der bilateralen Energiezusammenarbeit sowie der Außenwirtschaftsförderung im Energiebereich des BMWi. Sie schaffen dabei einen strategischen Mehrwert, indem sie Ressortkommunikation im Bereich internationale Energiewendepolitik ermöglichen, als Dach für internationale Energiewendeaktivitäten dienen und ein Netzwerk für die globale Energiewende aufbauen.

Description: This document fulfils RECIPES delivery 2.1, the literature research for the multi-case study analysis, and covers the theoretical component of criteria for multi-case study analysis. Those criteria are presented in delivery 2.2 as the comparative multiple-case design, which is the methodological framework developed in task 2.2. Thus deliveries 2.1 and 2.2 are tightly linked, and should be taken together as the overall case study framework for WP2. The comparative multiple-case design contains the practical methodological framework required by each partner to execute the case study analysis for task 2.3. Delivery 2.3 explains the case study selection process which was undertaken to arrive at the eight cases studies to be carried out in WP2.

Description: Der vorliegende praktische Leitfaden richtet sich an Entscheidungsträgerinnen und Entscheidungsträger auf allen Ebenen in jeder Art von Organisation und Unternehmen. Er soll eine bedeutungsvolle, wirksame Reaktion auf die Bewegung Fridays for Future ermöglichen.

Description: The primary aim of the report – Ecological Baselines of the Southeast Atlantic and Southeast Pacific - Status of Marine Biodiversity and Anthropogenic Pressures in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction – is to provide decision makers with relevant and useful information on the current status of the marine environment in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), both in the Southeast Pacific and the Southeast Atlantic, as well as highlight key pressures placed upon it by human activities. Such information is intended to support decision makers with improved understanding of the functioning and importance of ecological features of ABNJ and their contribution to global human wellbeing.

Description: The 2015 agreement setting forth the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is an important achievement that poses complex and demanding challenges. To adequately address them, judgments must determine contextually and culturally appropriate balances between independently valuable, but often conflicting targets (Singh et al. 2018). Simultaneously, a global coherence across local and regional actions must be ensured, so that local efforts do not destructively interfere with each other, nor overstep limitations in the resources of the planet (Randers et al. 2018). The Global Sustainability Strategy Forum (GSSF) responds to the fact that, after some 40 years sustainability science has produced many insights, but has not really affected our collective behavior with respect to its impact on the environment. Generally, that is deemed to be the result of lack of communication between scientists and the outside world. But might it be that the present practice of science is in itself deficient in producing results that are useful to implement the changes called for? The Forum was established in 2018 with funding from the VW Foundation to identify and address sustainability challenges at the global to regional scales by bringing together, in week-long work-shops, renowned experts in sustainable development and thought leaders in business, government, and civil society from around the world. Under the patronage of Prof. Dr Rita Süssmuth, former President of the German Bundestag, the first Forum was coordinated by Solène Droy with assistance from Paul Skaloud. Moderated by Ilan Chabay (IASS), Sander van der Leeuw (Arizona State University), Ortwin Renn (IASS), 14 panelists convened in Potsdam (Germany) 4-8 March 2019. Eight main lessons emerged from in-depth discussions and reflections towards the end of the forum. They capture some of the main approaches deemed as necessary for science and society to counter patterns and trends of unsustainability and are outlined in this paper. The results were subsequently discussed at the Inland Department of the Office of the German Federal President, addressing fundamental challenges rarely discussed directly at such a high political level. Discussion ranged from tensions between the complexity of the issues and the urgency of the challenges, such as societal acceptance of change, and on the emerging role for compelling plausible visions to inspire and guide sustainability transformation. The expert panel will expand to include decision-makers from business, politics, and civil society to consider strategies for implementation within regional and sectoral contexts. The approach the GSSF develops draws upon indicators and other information to create evidence-informed expert judgments on strategies for implementation of socially just transitions toward sustainable futures at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Of course, the changes required include strengthening and expanding dialogues between scientists, policy makers, business, and civil society; unbiased consideration of diverse sources of knowledge; the substantial refocus of education in an effort to make the central ideas accessible across all ages and segments of society. But that is not enough – the focus of sustainability science itself must be changed to deal with the core issues regarding our current societies’ impact on the environment.

Description: Arctic stakeholders are faced with uncertainty as to the future development of social, political, economic, and environmental conditions, not least due to the ongoing transformations inflicted by climate change. In Blue-Action, the case study focusing on “Yamal 2040: Scenarios for the Russian Arctic” (CS5) has employed a specific co-design and engagement methodology to support stakeholders of one particular region in the Arctic, the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YNAO) in Russia, to respond to this situation of general uncertainty, to develop forward-looking scenarios to better understand the risks and opportunities associated with future transformations in the Arctic. This methodology is the Foresight Exercise. The Foresight Exercise was conducted in the form of a series of three international workshops over 10 months between late 2017 and late 2018. The result thereof were three scenarios for the possible futures of the YNAO, which were co‐designed by stakeholders participating in the workshops and representing environmental NGOs, indigenous peoples’ organisations, business, media, policy‐makers, representatives oflocal communities, and scientists from the natural and social sciences. Results of the workshops were presented in the Blue‐Action deliverables D5.20, D5.21, and D5.22. This present deliverable takes stock of the Foresight Exercise from the perspective of the stakeholder engagement methodology.

Description: On 27 January 2019, the research group CO2 Utilisation Strategies and Society at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) hosted the International Round Table “Contextualising Carbon Dioxide Utilisation – International Policy Perspectives on CCU Technologies”. The Round Table on CO2 Utilisation is a series of events, initiated, organised by and held at the IASS in Pots-dam. First started in 2014, it is now an established series that provides an occasion for the profes-sional community involved with the development of CCU technologies to debate and engage with a broad range of societal stakeholders. Framed by two presentations about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and CCU technologies' possible contribution to their delivery, the one-day event consisted of three ses-sions. The sessions were structured according to global regions and focused first on selected coun-tries in Europe (Finland, France, Germany), then on overarching European perspectives and eventu-ally took on a non-European perspective with presentations from China and the United States. Actors in the field of CCU technologies as well as funding agencies and other organisations ascribe the potential to contribute to ecologic, environmental and societal objectives to CCU technologies. Such objectives may be part of the SDGs and other policy targets. Except for further technical de-velopment, the extent of this contribution largely depends on political support with regard to ecolog-ic aspects as well as economic incentives. In order to unfold their full sustainability potential, CCU technologies need a supportive regulatory and policy framework on a European and international level today, and require more tailored support in the future. On either level, specific risks need to be monitored and considered in policy decisions.

Description: Après plus d‘une décennie de délibérations informelles, les États aux Nations unies (ONU) négocient actuellement un „instrument international juridiquement contraignant sur la conservation et l’utilisation durable de la biodiversité marine des zones situées au-delà des limites de la juridiction nationale“ („Accord BZAJN“). Les négociations visent à renforcer le cadre juridique international pour la protection et la gestion de l‘océan pour combler les lacunes du cadre actuel et en s‘appuyant sur les obligations existantes dans le cadre de la Convention des Nations unies sur le droit de la mer (CNUDM) à coopérer pour protéger et préserver le milieu marin et la conservation des ressources marines vivantes. Cette note d‘information explore la manière comment la gestion écosystémique (EBM, pour son acronyme en anglais) dans les zones marines situées au-delà de la juridiction nationale (ZAJN) peut être avancée au niveau régional et comment l‘accord BZAJN peut s‘appuyer sur l‘expérience d‘autres accords juridiquement contraignants pour renforcer la coopération, la coordination et la cohérence regional. À cette fin, cinq éléments de base sont identifiés: 1. Un organe mondial efficace, tel qu‘une conférence des parties, capable de prendre des décisions et d‘adopter des recommandations; 2. Une série de mécanismes régionaux pour l‘élaboration et la coordination intégrées des politiques; 3. Des mécanismes consultatifs efficaces en matière de science et de politique; 4. Des obligations et des principes environnementaux généraux; et 5. Des principes opérationnels pour assurer une bonne gouvernance. Un examen de l‘avant-projet de l‘accord BZAJN de la présidente actuelle met en évidence les points sur lesquels le texte pourrait être renforcé pour faire progresser la gestion écosystémique. En particulier, l‘accord BZAJN pourrait s‘inspirer à partir d‘une série d‘instruments existants et d‘élaborer des obligations spécifiques pour: coopérer à promouvoir la conservation in-situ des écosystèmes et habitats naturels; intégrer la biodiversité dans tous les organes et processus décisionnels; et renforcer la coopération régionale en soutenant institutions existantes et en créant des des plateformes de coopération intersectoriel.

Description: This summary for decision-makers is based on the report ‘Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance for the High Seas: Opportunities and Challenges to Improve the Legal and Institutional Framework of the Southeast Atlantic and Southeast Pacific’. It is targeted towards policy and decision-makers as well as others working on issues of ocean governance, particularly in the Southeast Atlantic and Southeast Pacific regions The report was prepared as part of the Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance for the High Seas (‘STRONG High Seas’) project and builds on previous studies, particularly in relation to the Southeast Pacific. It is intended to provide a review of the relevant governance frameworks currently in place for the management of high seas biodiversity in these regions. The report uses the issues under discussion in the ongoing negotiations for a new legally binding BBNJ agreement under the United Nations, as well as selected Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 targets, as a lens through which to assess progress towards conservation and sustainable use.

Description: Ce résumé destiné aux décideurs se fonde sur le rapport ‘Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance for the High Seas: Opportunities and Challenges to Improve the Legal and Institutional Framework of the Southeast Atlantic and Southeast Pacific’. Il s’adresse aux responsables politiques et décideurs ainsi qu’à tous ceux travaillant sur les questions relatives à la gouvernance des océans, en particulier dans les régions de l’Atlantique du Sud-Est et du Pacifique du Sud-Est. Ce rapport a été élaboré dans le cadre du projet Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance for the High Seas (‘STRONG High Seas’) et s’appuie sur des études antérieures, en particulier en ce qui concerne le Pacifique du Sud-Est. Il a pour but de passer en revue les cadres de gouvernance pertinents actuellement en place pour la gestion de la biodiversité de la haute mer dans ces régions. Le rapport utilise les questions à l’étude dans le cadre des négociations en cours pour un nouvel instrument juridiquement contraignant sur la conservation et l’utilisation durable de la BZAJN, ainsi qu’une sélection de cibles de l’Objectif de développement durable 14 (ODD 14), comme un prisme au travers duquel évaluer les cadres légaux et institutionnels des deux régions focales ainsi que les progrès en direction de la conservation et de l’utilisation durable.

Description: Das vorliegende Papier „Beirätedialog 2019: Empfehlungen zur Weiterentwicklung der Deutschen Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie 2020“ stellt die zentralen Ergebnisse des Beirätedialogs 2019 vor. Es fasst die Ergebnisse und Empfehlungen aus der Dialogveranstaltung 2019 zusammen (S. 6-8.) und präsentiert die individuellen Beiträge und Empfehlungen für die 2020 anstehende Weiterentwicklung der Deutschen Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie (S. 8-57), welche von dreizehn der fünfzehn Teilnehmenden im Nachtrag zum Dialogtreffen 2019 eingereicht wurden.

Description: Die Deutsche Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie (DNS) wurde 2002 erstmals von der Bundesregierung vorgelegt. Seit der Überarbeitung von 20161 ist die Strategie an den Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) der Vereinten Nationen ausgerichtet. Die DNS legt dar, mit welchen Mitteln die Bundesregierung zur Erreichung der SDGs beitragen will. Die aktuelle Fassung der Strategie stammt von 20182. Die nächste grundlegende Weiterentwicklung der Strategie steht 2020 an. Um möglichst viele Perspektiven und Expertise in die Weiterentwicklung der Strategie einfließen zu lassen, organisiert die Bundesregierung – wie auch schon für vorherige Überarbeitungen – ein gesamtgesellschaftliches Konsultationsverfahren. Unter anderem mit drei Regionalkonferenzen, bei denen im Dialog Beiträge von Bürger*innen und Gesellschaftsvertreter*innen gesammelt werden. Wissenschaftliche Beiträge wurden über die bisherigen gesamtgesellschaftlichen Konsultationsverfahren nur sehr wenige eingebracht. Um die Stimme der Wissenschaft diesmal stärker und systematisch einzubringen, hat die Wissenschaftsplattform Nachhaltigkeit 2030 (wpn2030) eine eigenständige wissenschaftliche Konsultation zu Weiterentwicklung der Deutschen Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie aufgesetzt. Unter dem Titel „Eine Frage der Wissenschaft: Die Deutsche Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie auf dem Prüfstand“ und anhand von sieben Leitfragen waren Wissenschaftler*innen aller Fachrichtungen eingeladen, ihre Erkenntnisse, Vorschläge, Ideen und Empfehlungen online für die Überarbeitung der Strategie einzubringen. Laufzeit des Prozesses war von Mai bis August 2019, insgesamt flossen 93 Beiträge ein.

Description: Nachhaltige Entwicklung in, mit und durch Deutschland ist in hohem Maße von einer Transformation unserer Mobilitäts- und Verkehrssysteme abhängig. Die Wissenschaftsplattform Nachhaltigkeit 2030 als eine zentrale wissenschaftliche Begleiterin Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspolitik hat das Thema daher mit einer Arbeitsgruppe ins Zentrum ihrer Arbeit gestellt. Das vorliegende Papier beinhaltet wissenschaftlich basierte Empfehlungen für den Staatssekretärsausschuss für nachhaltige Entwicklung für die Förderung einer Mobilitäts- und Verkehrswende. Dafür hat die Arbeitsgruppe unter anderem vorliegende wissenschaftliche Studien zu Szenarien einer Verkehrs- und Mobilitätswende in Deutschland ausgewertet und mit beteiligten Wissenschaftler*innen diskutiert. Zudem hat sich die Arbeitsgruppe in mehreren Schritten mit Vertreter*innen aus Mobilitätspraxis, Politik und Zivilgesellschaft ausgetauscht – unter anderem in Fachgesprächen und einem Trialog – und dabei Chancen und Herausforderungen von Maßnahmen aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven beleuchtet. Ergebnis sind fünf grundlegende politische Empfehlungen, mit jeweils konkretisierenden Vertiefungen.

Description: Coral bleaching continues to be one of the most devastating and immediate impacts of climate change on coral reef ecosystems worldwide. In 2015, a major bleaching event was declared as the “3rd global coral bleaching event” by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, impacting a large number of reefs in every major ocean. The Red Sea was no exception, and we present herein in situ observations of the status of coral reefs in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea from September 2015, following extended periods of high temperatures reaching upwards of 32.5C in our study area. We examined eleven reefs using line-intercept transects at three different depths, including all reefs that were surveyed during a previous bleaching event in 2010. Bleaching was most prevalent on inshore reefs (55.6% ± 14.6% of live coral cover exhibited bleaching) and on shallower transects (41% ± 10.2% of live corals surveyed at 5m depth) within reefs. Similar taxonomic groups (e.g., Agariciidae) were affected in 2015 and in 2010. Most interestingly, Acropora and Porites had similar bleaching rates (~30% each) and similar relative coral cover (~7% each) across all reefs in 2015. Coral genera with the highest levels of bleaching (〉60%) were also among the rarest (〈1% of coral cover) in 2015. While this bodes well for the relative retention of coral cover, it may ultimately lead to decreased species richness, often considered an important component of a healthy coral reef. The resultant long-term changes in these coral reef communities remain to be seen.

Description: Ongoing acidification of the ocean through uptake of anthropogenic CO2 is known to affect marine biota and ecosystems with largely unknown consequences for marine food webs. Changes in food web structure have the potential to alter trophic transfer, partitioning, and biogeochemical cycling of elements in the ocean. Here we investigated the impact of realistic end-of-the-century CO2 concentrations on the development and partitioning of the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and silica pools in a coastal pelagic ecosystem (Gullmar Fjord, Sweden). We covered the entire winter-to-summer plankton succession (100 days) in two sets of five pelagic mesocosms, with one set being CO2 enriched (~760 μatm pCO2) and the other one left at ambient CO2 concentrations. Elemental mass balances were calculated and we highlight important challenges and uncertainties we have faced in the closed mesocosm system. Our key observations under high CO2 were: (1) A significantly amplified transfer of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus from primary producers to higher trophic levels, during times of regenerated primary production. (2) A prolonged retention of all three elements in the pelagic food web that significantly reduced nitrogen and phosphorus sedimentation by about 11 and 9%, respectively. (3) A positive trend in carbon fixation (relative to nitrogen) that appeared in the particulate matter pool as well as the downward particle flux. This excess carbon counteracted a potential reduction in carbon sedimentation that could have been expected from patterns of nitrogen and phosphorus fluxes. Our findings highlight the potential for ocean acidification to alter partitioning and cycling of carbon and nutrients in the surface ocean but also show that impacts are temporarily variable and likely depending upon the structure of the plankton food web.

Description: The surface microlayer (SML) in marine systems is often characterized by an enrichment of biogenic, gel-like particles, such as the polysaccharide-containing transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) and the protein-containing Coomassie stainable particles (CSP). This study investigated the distribution of TEP and CSP, in the SML and underlying water, as well as their bio-physical controlling factors in Daya Bay, an area impacted by warm discharge from two Nuclear power plants (Npp’s) and aquaculture during a research cruise in July 2014. The SML had higher proportions of cyanobacteria and of pico-size Chl a contrast to the underlayer water, particularly at the nearest outlet station characterized by higher temperature. Diatoms, dinoflagellates and chlorophyll a were depleted in the SML. Both CSP and TEP abundance and total area were enriched in the SML relative to the underlying water, with enrichment factors (EFs) of 1.5–3.4 for CSP numbers and 1.32–3.2 for TEP numbers. Although TEP and CSP showed highest concentration in the region where high productivity and high nutrient concertation were observed, EFs of gels and of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved acidic polysaccharide (〉 1 kDa), exhibited higher values near the outlet of the Npp’s than in the adjacent waters. The positive relation between EF’s of gels and temperature and the enrichment of cyanobacteria in the SML may be indicative of future conditions in a warmer ocean, suggesting potential effects on adjusting phytoplankton community, biogenic element cycling and air-sea exchange processes

Description: Ocean warming and acidification (OA) may alter the fitness of species in marine pelagic ecosystems through community effects or direct physiological impacts. We used the zooplanktonic appendicularian, Oikopleura dioica, to assess temperature and pH effects at mesocosm and microcosm scales. In mesocosms, both OA and warming positively impacted O. dioica abundance over successive generations. In microcosms, the positive impact of OA, was observed to result from increased fecundity. In contrast, increased pH, observed for example during phytoplankton blooms, reduced fecundity. Oocyte fertility and juvenile development were equivalent under all pH conditions, indicating that the positive effect of lower pH on O. dioica abundance was principally due to increased egg number. This effect was influenced by food quantity and quality, supporting possible improved digestion and assimilation at lowered pH. Higher temperature resulted in more rapid growth, faster maturation and earlier reproduction. Thus, increased temperature and reduced pH had significant positive impacts on O. dioica fitness through increased fecundity and shortened generation time, suggesting that predicted future ocean conditions may favour this zooplankton species. © 2018 Bouquet et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Description: In the coming decades, environmental change like warming and acidification will affect life in the ocean. While data on single stressor effects on fish are accumulating rapidly, we still know relatively little about interactive effects of multiple drivers. Of particular concern in this context are the early life stages of fish, for which direct effects of increased CO2 on growth and development have been observed. Whether these effects are further modified by elevated temperature was investigated here for the larvae of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), a commercially important fish species. Over a period of 32 days, larval survival, growth in size and weight, and instantaneous growth rate were assessed in a crossed experimental design of two temperatures (10°C and 12°C) with two CO2 levels (400 μatm and 900 μatm CO2) at food levels mimicking natural levels using natural prey. Elevated temperature alone led to increased swimming activity, as well as decreased survival and instantaneous growth rate (Gi). The comparatively high sensitivity to elevated temperature in this study may have been influenced by low food levels offered to the larvae. Larval size, Gi and swimming activity were not affected by CO2, indicating tolerance of this species to projected "end of the century" CO2 levels. A synergistic effect of elevated temperature and CO2 was found for larval weight, where no effect of elevated CO2 concentrations was detected in the 12°C treatment, but a negative CO2 effect was found in the 10°C treatment. Contrasting CO2 effects were found for survival between the two temperatures. Under ambient CO2 conditions survival was increased at 12°C compared to 10°C. In general, CO2 effects were minor and considered negligible compared to the effect of temperature under these mimicked natural food conditions. These findings emphasize the need to include biotic factors such as energy supply via prey availability in future studies on interactive effects of multiple stressors. © 2018 Sswat et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Description: Climate variability plays a central role in the dynamics of marine pelagic ecosystems shaping the structure and abundance changes of plankton communities, thereby affecting energy pathways and biogeochemical fluxes in the ocean. Here we have investigated complex interactions driven a climate-hydrology-plankton system in the southern East China Sea over the period 2000 to 2012. In particular, we aimed at quantifying the influence of climate phenomena playing out in tropical (El Nino 3.4) and middle-high latitudes (East Asia Winter Monsoon, EAWM, and Pacific Decadal Oscillation, PDO) on pelagic copepods. We found that the EAWM and El Nino 3.4 showed a non-stationary and non-linear relationship with local temperature variability. In the two cases, the strength of the relationship, as indexed by the wavelet coherence analysis, decreased along with the positive phase of the PDO. Likewise, the influence of EAWM and El Nino3.4 on copepods exhibited a non-stationary link that changed along with the PDO state. Indeed, copepods and EAWM were closely related during the positive phase, while the link copepods–El Nino 3.4 was stronger during the negative phase. Our results pointed out cascading effects from climate to plankton driven by the positive phase of the PDO through its effect on temperature conditions, and likely through a larger southward transport of nutrient-rich water masses to northern Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait. We suggest a chain of mechanisms whereby the PDO shapes interannual dynamics of pelagic copepods and highlight that these results have implications for integrative management measures, as pelagic copepods plays a prominent role in food web dynamics and for harvested fish in the East China Sea. © 2018 Molinero et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Description: Climate change research is advancing to more complex and more comprehensive studies that include long-term experiments, multiple life-history stages, multi-population, and multi-trait approaches. We used a population of the barnacle Balanus improvisus known to be sensitive to short-term acidification to determine its potential for long-term acclimation to acidification. We reared laboratory-bred individuals (as singles or pairs), and field-collected assemblages of barnacles, at pH 8.1 and 7.5 ( 400 and 1600 ?atm pCO2 respectively) for up to 16 months. Acidification caused strong mortality and reduced growth rates. Acidification suppressed respiration rates and induced a higher feeding activity of barnacles after 6 months, but this suppression of respiration rate was absent after 15 months. Laboratory-bred barnacles developed mature gonads only when they were held in pairs, but nonetheless failed to produce fertilized embryos. Field-collected barnacles reared in the laboratory for 8 months at the same pH’s developed mature gonads, but only those in pH 8.1 produced viable embryos and larvae. Because survivors of long-term acidification were not capable of reproducing, this demonstrates that B. improvisus can only partially acclimate to long-term acidification. This represents a clear and significant bottleneck in the ontogeny of this barnacle population that may limit its potential to persist in a future ocean.

Description: Seepage of methane (CH4) on land and in the sea may significantly affect Earth's biogeochemical cycles. However processes of CH4 generation and consumption, both abiotic and microbial, are not always clear. We provide new geochemical and isotope data to evaluate if a recently discovered CH4 seepage from the shallow seafloor close to the Island of Elba (Tuscany) and two small islands nearby are derived from abiogenic or biogenic sources and whether carbonate encrusted vents are the result of microbial or abiotic processes. Emission of gas bubbles (predominantly CH4) from unlithified sands was observed at seven spots in an area of 100 m(2) at Pomonte (Island of Elba), with a total rate of 234 ml m(-2) d(-1). The measured carbon isotope values of CH4 of around -18 parts per thousand (VPDB) in combination with the measured delta H-2 value of -120 parts per thousand (VSMOW) and the inverse correlation of delta C-13-value with carbon number of hydrocarbon gases are characteristic for sites of CH4 formation through abiogenic processes, specifically abiogenic formation of CH4 via reduction of CO2 by H-2. The H-2 for methanogenesis likely derives from ophiolitic host rock within the Ligurian accretionary prism. The lack of hydrothermal activity allows CH4 gas to become decoupled from the stagnant aqueous phase. Hence no hyperalkaline fluid is currently released at the vent sites. Within the seep area a decrease in porewater sulphate concentrations by ca. 5 mmol/l relative to seawater and a concomitant increase in sulphide and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) indicate substantial activity of sulphate-dependent anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). In absence of any other dissimilatory pathway, the delta C-13-values between -17 and -5 parts per thousand in dissolved inorganic carbon and aragonite cements suggest that the inorganic carbon is largely derived from CH4. The formation of seep carbonates is thus microbially induced via anaerobic oxidation of abiotic CH4.

Description: Digital imaging has become one of the most important techniques in environmental monitoring and exploration. In the case of the marine environment, mobile platforms such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are now equipped with high-resolution cameras to capture huge collections of images from the seabed. However, the timely evaluation of all these images presents a bottleneck problem as tens of thousands or more images can be collected during a single dive. This makes computational support for marine image analysis essential. Computer-aided analysis of environmental images (and marine images in particular) with machine learning algorithms is promising, but challenging and different to other imaging domains because training data and class labels cannot be collected as efficiently and comprehensively as in other areas. In this paper, we present Machine learning Assisted Image Annotation (MAIA), a new image annotation method for environmental monitoring and exploration that overcomes the obstacle of missing training data. The method uses a combination of autoencoder networks and Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN), which allows human observers to annotate large image collections much faster than before. We evaluated the method with three marine image datasets featuring different types of background, imaging equipment and object classes. Using MAIA, we were able to annotate objects of interest with an average recall of 84.1% more than twice as fast as compared to “traditional” annotation methods, which are purely based on software-supported direct visual inspection and manual annotation. The speed gain increases proportionally with the size of a dataset. The MAIA approach represents a substantial improvement on the path to greater efficiency in the annotation of large benthic image collections.

Description: Tropical corals are often associated with dinitrogen (N-2)-fixing bacteria (diazotrophs), and seasonal changes in key environmental parameters, such as dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) availability and seawater temperature, are known to affect N-2 fixation in coral-microbial holobionts. Despite, then, such potential for seasonal and depth-related changes in N-2 fixation in reef corals, such variation has not yet been investigated. Therefore, this study quantified seasonal (winter vs. summer) N-2 fixation rates associated with the reef-building coral Stylophora pistillata collected from depths of 5, 10 and 20 m in the northern Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea). Findings revealed that corals from all depths exhibited the highest N-2 fixation rates during the oligotrophic summer season, when up to 11% of their photo-metabolic nitrogen demand (CPND) could be met by N-2 fixation. While N-2 fixation remained seasonally stable for deep corals (20 m), it significantly decreased for the shallow corals (5 and 10 m) during the DIN-enriched winter season, accounting for less than 2% of the corals' CPND. This contrasting seasonal response in N-2 fixation across corals of different depths could be driven by 1) release rates of coral-derived organic matter, 2) the community composition of the associated diazotrophs, and/or 3) nutrient acquisition by the Symbiodinium community.

Description: Between the 8th January and the 25th February 2016, the largest sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus mortality event ever recorded in the North Sea occurred with 30 sperm whales stranding in five countries within six weeks. All sperm whales were immature males. Groups were stratified by size, with the smaller animals stranding in the Netherlands, and the largest in England. The majority (n = 27) of the stranded animals were necropsied and/or sampled, allowing for an international and comprehensive investigation into this mortality event. The animals were in fair to good nutritional condition and, aside from the pathologies caused by stranding, did not exhibit significant evidence of disease or trauma. Infectious agents were found, including various parasite species, several bacterial and fungal pathogens and a novel alphaherpesvirus. In nine of the sperm whales a variety of marine litter was found. However, none of these findings were considered to have been the primary cause of the stranding event. Potential anthropogenic and environmental factors that may have caused the sperm whales to enter the North Sea were assessed. Once sperm whales enter the North Sea and head south, the water becomes progressively shallower (〈40 m), making this region a global hotspot for sperm whale strandings. We conclude that the reasons for sperm whales to enter the southern North Sea are the result of complex interactions of extrinsic environmental factors. As such, these large mortality events seldom have a single ultimate cause and it is only through multidisciplinary, collaborative approaches that potentially multifactorial large-scale stranding events can be effectively investigated.

Description: European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is a euryhaline species, that has adapted to cope with both, hyper- and hypo-osmotic environments. This study investigates the effect of salinity, from a morphological and molecular point of view on European eel larvae reared from 0 to 12 days post hatch (dph). Offspring reared in 36 practical salinity units (psu; control), were compared with larvae reared in six scenarios, where salinity was decreased on 0 or 3 dph and in rates of 1, 2 or 4 psu/day, towards iso-osmotic conditions. Results showed that several genes relating to osmoregulation (nkcc2α, nkcc2β, aqp1dup, aqpe), stress response (hsp70, hsp90), and thyroid metabolism (thrαA, thrαB, thrβB, dio1, dio2, dio3) were differentially expressed throughout larval development, while nkcc1α, nkcc2β, aqp3, aqp1dup, aqpe, hsp90, thrαA and dio3 showed lower expression in response to the salinity reduction. Moreover, larvae were able to keep energy metabolism related gene expression (atp6, cox1) at stable levels, irrespective of the salinity reduction. As such, when reducing salinity, an energy surplus associated to reduced osmoregulation demands and stress (lower nkcc, aqp and hsp expression), likely facilitated the observed increased survival, improved biometry and enhanced growth efficiency. Additionally, the salinity reduction decreased the amount of severe deformities such as spinal curvature and emaciation but also induced an edematous state of the larval heart, resulting in the most balanced mortality/deformity ratio when salinity was decreased on 3 dph and at 2 psu/day. However, the persistency of the pericardial edema and if or how it represents an obstacle in further larval development needs to be further clarified. In conclusion, this study clearly showed that salinity reduction regimes towards iso-osmotic conditions facilitated the European eel pre-leptocephalus development and revealed the existence of highly sensitive and regulated osmoregulation processes at such early life stage of this species.

Description: The semi-enclosed nature and estuarine characteristics, together with its strongly alternating bathymetry, make the Baltic Sea prone to much stronger interannual variations in the abiotic environment, than other spawning habitats of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Processes determining salinity and oxygen conditions in the basins are influenced both by long term gradual climate change, e.g. global warming, but also by short-term meteorological variations and events. Specifically one main factor influencing cod spawning conditions, the advection of highly saline and well-oxygenated water masses from the North Sea, is observed in irregular frequencies and causes strong interannual variations in stock productivity. This study investigates the possibility to use the available hydrographic process knowledge to predict the annual spawning conditions for Eastern Baltic cod in its most important spawning ground, the Bornholm Basin, only by salinity measurements from a specific location in the western Baltic. Such a prediction could serve as an environmental early warning indicator to inform stock assessment and management. Here we used a hydrodynamic model to hindcast hydrographic property fields for the last 40+ years. High and significant correlations were found for months early in the year between the 33m salinity level in the Arkona Basin and the oxygen-dependent cod spawning environment in the Bornholm Basin. Direct prediction of the Eastern Baltic cod egg survival in the Bornholm Basin based on salinity values in the Arkona Basin at the 33 m depth level is shown to be possible for eggs spawned by mid-age and young females, which currently predominate the stock structure. We recommend to routinely perform short-term predictions of the Eastern Baltic cod spawning environment, in order to generate environmental information highly relevant for stock dynamics. Our statistical approach offers the opportunity to make best use of permanently existing infrastructure in the western Baltic to timely provide scientific knowledge on the spawning conditions of Eastern Baltic cod. Furthermore it could be a tool to assist ecosystem-based fisheries management with a cost-effective implementation by including the short term predictions as a simple indicator in the annual assessments.

Description: This report is intended to provide a review of the relevant governance frameworks currently in place for the management of high seas biodiversity in these regions. The report uses the issues under discussion in the ongoing negotiations for a new legally binding BBNJ agreement under the United Nations, as well as selected Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 targets, as a lens through which to assess progress towards conservation and sustainable use.

Description: The series of the Yamal 2040 Scenario Workshops is a part of the international research project “BlueAction – Arctic Impact on Weather and Climate” funded through the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme. This project aims to evaluate the impact of a changing Arctic on northern hemisphere weather and climate. Blue-Action brings together 120 experts from over 40 organizations in 17 countries most of whom are climate scientists dealing with improvement of existing and development of new techniques that will enable robust and reliable forecasting of weather and hazardous climate events in the Arctic and over the northern hemisphere. However, Blue-Action is not limited to natural science’ goals alone. As a final result, the project aims to improve the safety and wellbeing of people in the Arctic and across the northern hemisphere by reducing risks associated with a changing climate and Arctic operations like resource exploitation, and to support evidence-based decision-making by policymakers worldwide. To achieve this, Blue- Action takes a transdisciplinary approach, bridging scientific understandings of Arctic climate, weather and risk management research with key rights- and stakeholder knowledge. This is being done within the project’s Work Package 5 “Developing and Valuing Climate Services”, which consists of a set of case studies that bring scientists together with stakeholders to co-develop products that “translate” the model outputs and improved modelling skill developed in other work packages into societal- and sectorrelevant products. Our case study in the Blue-Action project develops a study of the impact of the Arctic changes on resource development in the Russian Arctic with the goal of improving stakeholders’ capacity to adapt to these changes. The Yamal 2040 Scenario Workshop series is at the core of the case study. The work carried out in this deliverable is a desk study producing a map of stakeholder groups involved in oil and gas development on the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YNAO). This study is part of the preparatory work for the scenario exercise conducted in cooperation with various stakeholder groups active in or affected by oil and gas development in YNAO.

Description: Qu'il s'agisse d'énergie propre, de production durable ou de réduction de la pauvreté, les idées et analyses sur les défis du développement durable ne manquent pas. Pourtant, nous faisons encore trop peu de progrès pour atteindre un état de durabilité. Comment mieux mettre en oeuvre nos connaissances et lier les défis du développement durable, la science et les réponses politiques? Tel est le thème du Global Sustainability Strategy Forum, qui, tous les deux ans, réunira une quinzaine d'éminents experts internationaux sur la durabilité pendant une semaine, et pour la première fois du 4 au 8 mars 2019 à Potsdam.

Description: From clean energy to sustainable production and the fight against poverty – insights into the many challenges of sustainable development are not in short supply. But despite the wealth of knowledge available to policymakers, little progress has been made in the transformation towards a sustainable future. How can we bring our knowledge to bear more effectively? This question underpins the Global Sustainability Strategy Forum, which will bring together 15 leading international experts for a week-long retreat in Potsdam every two years, beginning on 4 – 8 March 2019.

Description: What are the prerequisites for employing superconducting links in the power grid of the future? This document assesses the main elements of a new 3-gigawatt-class superconducting cable. In addition to discussing the technical details of the cable conductor, electrical insulation, and grid connections, it outlines the environmental benefits and future implementation challenges of this new technology. The concluding remarks include recommendations for industry and policymakers.

Description: Grundlegende gesellschaftliche Fragen, komplexe systemische Risiken, umfassende Zukunftsentwürfe - sie finden nach Meinung vieler Beobachter keinen angemessenen Platz in der politischen Auseinandersetzung und noch weniger im Handeln von Regierung und politischer Administration. Das ist das Problem, von dem hier die Rede sein soll. Es gilt daher Herausforderungen mittel- und langfristiger Art gezielter und systematischer zu Themen politischer Strategieentwicklung zu machen - das ist die Aufgabe. Die Frage ist: Welche Formen politisch-administrativer Organisation und Vorgehensweise sind geeignet mit solchen Herausforderungen umzugehen und nachhaltige Lösungsansätze zu erarbeiten? Ausgangsüberlegung hier ist es, dass über offene und innovative Suchprozesse effiziente und effektive Steuerungs- und Regierungsstrukturen identifiziert und initiiert werden können und sollten. Der vorliegende Beitrag begründet und skizziert einen Vorschlag für einen solchen offenen Suchprozess innerhalb des deutschen Regierungshandelns auf Bundesebene. Vorgeschlagen wird die Einrichtung eines „Government Innovation Lab(oratorium)s“ - als eine von mehreren Ressorts getragene Arbeitseinheit mit dem Auftrag, innovative abteilungs- und ressortübergreifende Kommunikations- und Kooperationsformen zu initiieren. "Lab" steht für den experimentellen und kollaborativen Ansatz, Innovation bezieht sich auf Organisation und Verfahren, Government adressiert den Innovationsimpuls in Richtung auf das Betriebssystem des Regierens selbst. Der Vorschlag für ein solches „Lab“ ist bewusst als ein experimenteller Impuls für den Kreis der Bundesministerien und als Stärkung ressortübergreifender Koordination zu verstehen. Das „Lab“ fokussiert auf Anstöße für organisatorische Innovationen in frühen Phasen der Themenfindung und -strukturierung im politisch-administrativen Umgang mit neuen und noch schwer greifbaren Problemlagen. Der Vorschlag ist als Experiment auf starke Promotoren und unterschiedliche Anknüpfungspunkte angewiesen, setzt er doch an der vielfach als neuralgisch – d.h. schmerzhaft und kaum lösbar - wahrgenommenen Frage an, wie auf Seiten der Exektuve Komplexität zu organisieren sei. Das hier vorgelegte Papier kann und soll nicht konkrete Optionen für die einzelnen Umsetzungs-schritte, die Organisation, Steuerung und Vorgehensweise entwerfen, sondern bietet für weitere Sondierungsgespräche im Raum von Experten, Promotoren und Entscheidern eine Gesprächs- und Diskussionsgrundlage. Am Beginn steht die Frage des Umgangs mit komplexen Herausforderungen im Politik- bzw. Regierungsbetrieb und die zentrale Rolle von Kommunikation, Kooperation und Koordination für nachhaltige Lösungsansätze (Teil 1). Es folgen Überlegungen zur Anschlussfähigkeit von Innovationen im Regierungsbetrieb mit Blick auf eine Stärkung ressortübergreifender Ko-ordination (Teil 2). Erläutert werden auf dieser Basis Grundidee und einzelne Stränge des angedachten „Government Innovation Lab“ (Teil 3), der Beitrag endet mit einem kurzen Ausblick (Teil 4). Der Beitrag entstand unter anderem vor dem beruflichen Hintergrund des Autors in der Organisationsberatung und seit 2007 als Referatsleiter im Bundesumweltministerium. Der Beitrag gibt jedoch ausschließlich persönliche Überlegungen und Einschätzungen des Autors wieder.

Description: Bei der Realisierung einer nachhaltigen Lebensweise kommt der Wirtschaft zentrale Bedeutung zu. Dies umfasst sowohl die Entwicklung eines entsprechenden regulatorischen Rahmens als auch die Förderung und Etablierung nachhaltiger Unternehmenspraktiken, die ökologische und soziale Be-lange integrieren. Branchenübergreifend ist dabei eine Auseinandersetzung zwischen ökofairem und konventionellem Wirtschaften zu beobachten, von der Agrarwirtschaft, über Chemie und Automo-bilindustrie, bis zur Energiewirtschaft – um die besonders umstrittenen Branchen zu nennen. In Wis-senschaft und Öffentlichkeit wird über die Machbarkeit von ökofairem Wirtschaften im Wettbewerb mit vorrangig profitgetriebenen Konkurrenten diskutiert, wobei der Fokus meist auf einer Analyse der Geschäftspraktiken liegt. Der vorliegende Artikel wendet sich dem bisher meist wenig beleuchte-ten Aspekt der mentalen Voraussetzungen öko-fairen Wirtschaftens zu und beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, welche Einstellungen und Werten den Entscheidungen von ökofairen UnternehmerInnen vorausgehen und diese prägend beeinflussen. Dabei zeigt die Auswertung von 35 qualitativen Interviews mit GeschäftsführerInnen und InhaberIn-nen ökofairer Betriebe, dass sie – unterschiedlich ausgeprägt - Verantwortung übernehmen für die Belange aller Berührungsgruppen ihres Unternehmens, von KundInnen, über MitarbeiterInnen, Lie-ferantInnen, das lokale Umfeld, die Gesellschaft und die Natur. Sie definieren Nachhaltigkeit als zukunftsorientiertes Konzept für die Wirtschaft. Ihre Anstrengungen für nachhaltige Unternehmens-praxis werden von vielen nicht als Belastung empfunden, sondern erfüllen sie mit Freude. Unter-nehmensintern leben sie es vor, setzen die Ressourcen des Unternehmens dafür ein und verstetigen den Kurs mit Regelwerken, Nachhaltigkeitsberichten und Managementsystemen. Die Vorteile des ökofairen Wirtschaftens werden aus den Angaben der Befragten deutlich. Diese Unternehmen führen den lebenden Beweis, dass eine werte-orientierte, ethisch motivierte Wirtschaftspraxis im Wettbe-werb bestehen kann. Im Anschluss an die Darstellung der Interview-Ergebnisse werden die Stufen der Entwicklung des Bewusstseins, die in der Studie erkennbar wurden, nachgezeichnet und mit dem Konzept des Homo Oeconomicus verglichen. Es wird argumentiert, dass es erforderlich ist, das Verständnis des Homo Oeconomicus zu überwinden, um die ökologischen und sozialen Herausforderungen des Anthropo-zäns bewältigen zu können. Die Weiterentwicklung der ethischen Reife der Menschheit wird als die grundlegende Voraussetzung der Veränderung beschrieben. Danach werden die Möglichkeiten der Verbreitung von fortschrittlichen Denkformen in Wirtschaft, Gesellschaft und Staat erörtert und es wird eine Perspektive zur Veränderung aufgezeigt, die in Ansätzen bereits existiert.

Description: Die Studie arbeitet gesellschaftliche Strukturdeterminanten und -dynamiken sowie Frames, Bedingungsverhältnisse, Trade-offs, Kopplungen und Eigendynamiken von Energiewende und – in deutlich verkürzter Form – von Energiekonflikten und von nachhaltiger Entwicklung heraus, thematisiert die Zusammenhänge dieser drei Sphären, und versucht auf dieser Grundlage, Entwicklungsmuster und Erfolgschancen der Energiewende abzuschätzen. Als eine soziotechnische Transformation verlangt die Energiewende die Realisierung eine Vielzahl von Maßnahmen in praktisch allen Teilsystemen der Gesellschaft, die ihrerseits vielfältige Konflikte generieren. Von daher ist die Energiewende in ihrer Entwicklung nicht akteurspezifisch steuerbar und eine erwünschte konsistente, ihre Nachhaltigkeit gewährleistende, produktive Konflikte nutzende und unproduktive Konflikte vermeidende Energiewendepolitik allenfalls ansatzweise zu erwarten. Prinzipiell ist eine die Energiewende konsequent vorantreibende Interaktionsdynamik der sie prägenden Einflussfaktoren zwar denkbar und möglich, in der Praxis ist hingegen eine die Energiewende eher erratisch antreibende Interaktionsdynamik aus einer Kombination von für sie vorteilhaften und nachteiligen Einflussfaktoren zu beobachten.

Description: Ob saubere Energie, nachhaltige Produktion oder Armutsbekämpfung – an Ideen und Erkenntnissen zu den Herausforderungen nachhaltiger Entwicklung mangelt es nicht. Dennoch machen wir beim Wandel zur Nachhaltigkeit zu wenig Fortschritte. Wie können wir unser Wissen besser umsetzen? Das ist das Thema des Global Sustainability Strategy Forum, das alle zwei Jahre rund 15 führende internationale Nachhaltigkeitsexpertinnen und -experten zu einer einwöchigen Klausur zusammenbringen wird, zum ersten Mal vom 4. bis 8. März 2019 in Potsdam.

Description: Die Förderung des Energieträgers Braunkohle im Tagebau ist mit erheblichen Eingriffen in Landschaft, Wasserhaushalt und Siedlungsstrukturen verbunden. Es wird Milliarden kosten, die vom Bergbau beanspruchten Gebiete wieder nutzbar zu machen und alle Folgeschäden zu beheben. Die Finanzierung und Durchführung der Maßnahmen zur Wiedernutzbarmachung der Tagebaue liegt nach Bundesberggesetz in der Verantwortung der Tagebaubetreiber.

Description: In order to sketch the possibility space for the future setup of the International Monetary System (IMS), this paper develops four different scenarios that outline potential outcomes of the IMS’s evolution by 2040. These scenarios derive from the analytical exercise of adopting a Money View perspective of today’s institutional shape of the IMS. The paper argues that the IMS’s current setup crucially relies on the supply of US Dollar-denominated credit money forms issued by private and public institutions outside the United States—through Eurodollar deposits, central bank swaps as well as ‘shadow money forms’ created by non-banks such as overnight repurchase agreements, money market fund shares and foreign exchange swaps. As this ‘realm’ of offshore dollar creation forms the heart of the present IMS, the four scenarios project potential institutional developments in coming decades following different trajectories. The Continued Dollar Hegemony scenario depicts the sustained dominance of private international money creation via offshore dollars within the Pax Americana. The Competing Monetary Blocs scenario envisions the US, the EU, and China as three gravitational centers with private international money creation in the blocs’ peripheries via offshore dollars, offshore euros and offshore renminbi. In the International Monetary Federation scenario, countries have created a strong publicly organized IMS, comprising a multilateral framework of one international and several regional clearing unions, based upon Keynes’ ideas for an International Clearing Union. Finally, the International Monetary Anarchy scenario entails the post-crisis emergence of a non-system with a substantial breakdown of public and private international monetary cooperation and creation.

Description: This paper studies the transformation of the International Monetary System (IMS) in the run up to and after the 2007-9 Financial Crisis. Adopting a Money View perspective, it argues that the IMS, in contrast to wide-spread skepticism, does have a system-like quality. This paper understands the IMS as a US-centered hierarchical payments system within which short-term debt instruments are issued as credit money by various public and private financial institutions, in particular central, commercial and shadow banks. With the Fed located at the apex of the IMS, credit money forms denominated in US dollars are located highest up in the hierarchy and trade at par with each other, whilst they typically have fluctuating exchange rates to credit money forms denominated in the units of account of other monetary jurisdictions. From this, the paper argues that the key component of today’s IMS is the ‘realm’ of offshore US dollar creation, which is situated in between US dollar-denominated credit money issued in the US (‘onshore dollars’) and non-US dollar-denominated credit money issued outside the US. In this ‘offshore dollar realm’, non-US financial institutions are able to create international liquidity via US dollar-denominated private credit money outside the US. The paper systematically carves out the post-2008 setup of the offshore dollar realm with a focus on Eurodollar deposits, offshore money market fund shares, foreign exchange swaps and central bank swaps. With the institutional innovations materializing during the 2007-9 Financial Crisis, the IMS is now a public-private hybrid that fully mirrors the onshore US monetary system in the offshore dollar realm.

Description: Este informe demuestra que existe tanto la necesidad como la oportunidad de aumentar la interacción entre los niveles regional y mundial de la gobernanza de los océanos mediante un nuevo acuerdo mundial para la conservación y el uso sostenible de la diversidad biológica marina en las áreas fuera de la jurisdicción nacional (ABNJ, por sus siglas en inglés). En particular, este informe de política tiene por objeto destacar el papel y la contribución de la gobernanza regional y sectorial en elaborar y apuntalar la aplicación de un acuerdo fuerte en alta mar. Los esfuerzos regionales ofrecen lecciones aprendidas, plataformas para el intercambio de datos y conocimientos científicos, mecanismos para convocar a los Estados y las partes interesadas y coordinar los enfoques y medidas regionales para la gestión. Este informe identifica las oportunidades para aumentar la coordinación, la cooperación y la acción entre estos dos niveles en vista de un acuerdo internacional jurídicamente vinculante eficaz en el marco de la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho del Mar (CONVEMAR).

Description: The paper points out that a “balanced mix” of nuclear, wind and solar will be the most expensive option – unless future nuclear reactors can ramp like current open-cycle gas turbines.

Description: This policy brief demonstrates that there is both a need and opportunity to increase the interplay between the regional and global levels of ocean governance through a new global agreement for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). Particularly, this policy brief aims to highlight the role and contribution of regional and sectoral governance in developing and underpinning the implementation of a strong high seas agreement. Regional efforts offer lessons learned, platforms for scientific data and knowledge exchange, mechanisms for convening states and stakeholders and coordinating regional approaches and measures for management. This policy brief identifies opportunities for how the coordination, cooperation and action between these two levels can be increased in view of an effective international legally binding agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Description: Cette note d'information montre qu'il est à la fois nécessaire et possible d'accroître l'interaction entre les niveaux régional et mondial de la gouvernance des océans par le biais d'un nouvel accord mondial pour la conservation et l'utilisation durable de la biodiversité marine dans les zones situées au-delà de la juridiction nationale (BZAJN). Cette note vise en particulier à mettre en évidence le rôle et la contribution de la gouvernance régionale et sectorielle dans l'élaboration et la mise en oeuvre d'un accord efficace sur la haute mer. Les efforts régionaux offrent des enseignements, des plateformes d'échange de données et de connaissances scientifiques, des mécanismes pour réunir les États et les parties prenantes et de coordonner les approches et les mesures régionales de gestion. Cette note d'information identifie les possibilités d'accroître la coordination, la coopération et l'action entre ces deux niveaux en vue d'un accord international juridiquement contraignant efficace dans le cadre de la Convention des Nations unies sur le droit de la mer (CNUDM).

Description: Plankton communities play a key role in the marine food web and are expected to be highly sensitive to ongoing environmental change. Oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) causes pronounced shifts in marine carbonate chemistry and a decrease in seawater pH. These changes–summarized by the term ocean acidification (OA)–can significantly affect the physiology of planktonic organisms. However, studies on the response of entire plankton communities to OA, which also include indirect effects via food-web interactions, are still relatively rare. Thus, it is presently unclear how OA could affect the functioning of entire ecosystems and biogeochemical element cycles. In this study, we report from a long-term in situ mesocosm experiment, where we investigated the response of natural plankton communities in temperate waters (Gullmarfjord, Sweden) to elevated CO2 concentrations and OA as expected for the end of the century (~760 μatm pCO2). Based on a plankton-imaging approach, we examined size structure, community composition and food web characteristics of the whole plankton assemblage, ranging from picoplankton to mesozooplankton, during an entire winter-to-summer succession. The plankton imaging system revealed pronounced temporal changes in the size structure of the copepod community over the course of the plankton bloom. The observed shift towards smaller individuals resulted in an overall decrease of copepod biomass by 25%, despite increasing numerical abundances. Furthermore, we observed distinct effects of elevated CO2 on biomass and size structure of the entire plankton community. Notably, the biomass of copepods, dominated by Pseudocalanus acuspes, displayed a tendency towards elevated biomass by up to 30–40% under simulated ocean acidification. This effect was significant for certain copepod size classes and was most likely driven by CO2-stimulated responses of primary producers and a complex interplay of trophic interactions that allowed this CO2 effect to propagate up the food web. Such OA-induced shifts in plankton community structure could have far-reaching consequences for food-web interactions, biomass transfer to higher trophic levels and biogeochemical cycling of marine ecosystems.

Description: The oceans absorb ~25% of the annual anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This causes a shift in the marine carbonate chemistry termed ocean acidification (OA). OA is expected to influence metabolic processes in phytoplankton species but it is unclear how the combination of individual physiological changes alters the structure of entire phytoplankton communities. To investigate this, we deployed ten pelagic mesocosms (volume ~50 m3) for 113 days at the west coast of Sweden and simulated OA (pCO2 = 760 μatm) in five of them while the other five served as controls (380 μatm). We found: (1) Bulk chlorophyll a concentration and 10 out of 16 investigated phytoplankton groups were significantly and mostly positively affected by elevated CO2 concentrations. However, CO2 effects on abundance or biomass were generally subtle and present only during certain succession stages. (2) Some of the CO2-affected phytoplankton groups seemed to respond directly to altered carbonate chemistry (e.g. diatoms) while others (e.g. Synechococcus) were more likely to be indirectly affected through CO2 sensitive competitors or grazers. (3) Picoeukaryotic phytoplankton (0.2–2 μm) showed the clearest and relatively strong positive CO2 responses during several succession stages. We attribute this not only to a CO2 fertilization of their photosynthetic apparatus but also to an increased nutrient competitiveness under acidified (i.e. low pH) conditions. The stimulating influence of high CO2/low pH on picoeukaryote abundance observed in this experiment is strikingly consistent with results from previous studies, suggesting that picoeukaryotes are among the winners in a future ocean.

Description: The eastern tropical South Pacific (ETSP) upwelling region is one of the ocean’s largest sinks of fixed nitrogen, which is lost as N2 via the anaerobic processes of anammox and denitrification. One-third of nitrogen loss occurs in productive shelf waters stimulated by organic matter export as a result of eastern boundary upwelling. Offshore, nitrogen loss rates are lower, but due to its sheer size this area accounts for ~70% of ETSP nitrogen loss. How nitrogen loss and primary production are regulated in the offshore ETSP region where coastal upwelling is less influential remains unclear. Mesoscale eddies, ubiquitous in the ETSP region, have been suggested to enhance vertical nutrient transport and thereby regulate primary productivity and hence organic matter export. Here, we investigated the impact of mesoscale eddies on anammox and denitrification activity using 15N-labelled in situ incubation experiments. Anammox was shown to be the dominant nitrogen loss process, but varied across the eddy, whereas denitrification was below detection at all stations. Anammox rates at the eddy periphery were greater than at the center. Similarly, depth-integrated chlorophyll paralleled anammox activity, increasing at the periphery relative to the eddy center; suggestive of enhanced organic matter export along the periphery supporting nitrogen loss. This can be attributed to enhanced vertical nutrient transport caused by an eddy-driven submesoscale mechanism operating at the eddy periphery. In the ETSP region, the widespread distribution of eddies and the large heterogeneity observed in anammox rates from a compilation of stations suggests that eddy-driven vertical nutrient transport may regulate offshore primary production and thereby nitrogen loss.

Description: Commercial-scale mining for polymetallic nodules could have a major impact on the deepsea environment, but the effects of these mining activities on deep-sea ecosystems are very poorly known. The first commercial test mining for polymetallic nodules was carried out in 1970. Since then a number of small-scale commercial test mining or scientific disturbance studies have been carried out. Here we evaluate changes in faunal densities and diversity of benthic communities measured in response to these 11 simulated or test nodule mining disturbances using meta-analysis techniques. We find that impacts are often severe immediately after mining, with major negative changes in density and diversity of most groups occurring. However, in some cases, the mobile fauna and small-sized fauna experienced less negative impacts over the longer term. At seven sites in the Pacific, multiple surveys assessed recovery in fauna over periods of up to 26 years. Almost all studies show some recovery in faunal density and diversity for meiofauna and mobile megafauna, often within one year. However, very few faunal groups return to baseline or control conditions after two decades. The effects of polymetallic nodule mining are likely to be long term. Our analyses show considerable negative biological effects of seafloor nodule mining, even at the small scale of test mining experiments, although there is variation in sensitivity amongst organisms of different sizes and functional groups, which have important implications for ecosystem responses. Unfortunately, many past studies have limitations that reduce their effectiveness in determining responses. We provide recommendations to improve future mining impact test studies. Further research to assess the effects of test-mining activities will inform ways to improve mining practices and guide effective environmental management of mining activities.

Description: Concentrations of heme b were determined in a mesocosm experiment situated in Gullmar Fjord off Sweden. The mesocosm experiment lasted for ca. one hundred days and was characterised by the growth of a primary nutrient replete and a secondary nutrient deplete phytoplankton bloom. Heme b varied between 40 ± 10 pmol L-1 in the prebloom period up to a maximum of 700 ± 400 pmol L-1 just prior to the time of the primary chlorophyll a maximum. Thereafter, heme b concentrations decreased again to an average of 120 ± 60 pmol L-1. When normalised to total particulate carbon, heme b was most abundant during the initiation of the nutrient replete spring bloom, when ratios reached 52 ± 24 μmol mol-1; ten times higher than values observed both pre and post the primary bloom. Concentrations of heme b correlated with those of chlorophyll a. Nevertheless, differences were observed in the relative concentrations of the two parameters, with heme b concentrations increasing relative to chlorophyll a during the growth of the primary bloom, decreasing over the period of the secondary bloom and increasing again through the latter period of the experiment. Heme b abundance was therefore influenced by nutrient concentrations and also likely by changing community composition. In half of the mesocosms, pCO2 was elevated and maintained at ca.1000 μatm, however we observed no significant differences between heme b in plus or ambient pCO2 mesocosms, either in absolute terms, or relative to total particulate carbon and chlorophyll a. The results obtained in this study contribute to our understanding of the distribution of this significant component of the biogenic iron pool, and provide an iron replete coastal water end member that aids the interpretation of the distributions of heme b in more iron deplete open ocean waters.

Description: Ocean acidification may affect zooplankton directly by decreasing in pH, as well as indirectly via trophic pathways, where changes in carbon availability or pH effects on primary producers may cascade up the food web thereby altering ecosystem functioning and community composition. Here, we present results from a mesocosm experiment carried out during 113 days in the Gullmar Fjord, Skagerrak coast of Sweden, studying plankton responses to predicted end-of-century pCO2 levels. We did not observe any pCO2 effect on the diversity of the mesozooplankton community, but a positive pCO2 effect on the total mesozooplankton abundance. Furthermore, we observed species-specific sensitivities to pCO2 in the two major groups in this experiment, copepods and hydromedusae. Also stage-specific pCO2 sensitivities were detected in copepods, with copepodites being the most responsive stage. Focusing on the most abundant species, Pseudocalanus acuspes, we observed that copepodites were significantly more abundant in the high-pCO2 treatment during most of the experiment, probably fuelled by phytoplankton community responses to high-pCO2 conditions. Physiological and reproductive output was analysed on P. acuspes females through two additional laboratory experiments, showing no pCO2 effect on females’ condition nor on egg hatching. Overall, our results suggest that the Gullmar Fjord mesozooplankton community structure is not expected to change much under realistic end-of-century OA scenarios as used here. However, the positive pCO2 effect detected on mesozooplankton abundance could potentially affect biomass transfer to higher trophic levels in the future.

Description: Upwelling is the process by which deep, cold, relatively high-CO2, nutrient-rich seawater rises to the sunlit surface of the ocean. This seasonal process has fueled geoengineering initiatives to fertilize the surface ocean with deep seawater to enhance productivity and thus promote the drawdown of CO2. Coccolithophores, which inhabit many upwelling regions naturally ‘fertilized’ by deep seawater, have been investigated in the laboratory in the context of ocean acidification to determine the extent to which nutrients and CO2 impact their physiology, but few data exist in the field except from mesocosms. Here, we used the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (north Atlantic Ocean) Observatory to retrieve seawater from depths with elevated CO2 and nutrients, mimicking geoengineering approaches. We tested the effects of abrupt natural deep seawater fertilization on the physiology and biogeochemistry of two strains of Emiliania huxleyi of known physiology. None of the strains tested underwent cell divisions when incubated in waters obtained from 〈1,000 m (pH = 7.99–8.08; CO2 = 373–485 p.p.m; 1.5–12 μM nitrate). However, growth was promoted in both strains when cells were incubated in seawater from ~1,000 m (pH = 7.9; CO2 ~560 p.p.m.; 14–17 μM nitrate) and ~4,800 m (pH = 7.9; CO2 ~600 p.p.m.; 21 μM nitrate). Emiliania huxleyi strain CCMP 88E showed no differences in growth rate or in cellular content or production rates of particulate organic (POC) and inorganic (PIC) carbon and cellular particulate organic nitrogen (PON) between treatments using water from 1,000 m and 4,800 m. However, despite the N:P ratio of seawater being comparable in water from ~1,000 and ~4,800 m, the PON production rates were three times lower in one incubation using water from ~1,000 m compared to values observed in water from ~4,800 m. Thus, the POC:PON ratios were threefold higher in cells that were incubated in ~1,000 m seawater. The heavily calcified strain NZEH exhibited lower growth rates and PIC production rates when incubated in water from ~4,800 m compared to ~1,000 m, while cellular PIC, POC and PON were higher in water from 4,800 m. Calcite Sr/Ca ratios increased with depth despite constant seawater Sr/Ca, indicating that upwelling changes coccolith geochemistry. Our study provides the first experimental and field trial of a geoengineering approach to test how deep seawater impacts coccolithophore physiological and biogeochemical properties. Given that coccolithophore growth was only stimulated using waters obtained from 〉1,000 m, artificial upwelling using shallower waters may not be a suitable approach for promoting carbon sequestration for some locations and assemblages, and should therefore be investigated on a site-by-site basis.

Description: Temperature is important for optimization of rearing conditions in aquaculture, especially during the critical early life history stages of fish. Here, we experimentally investigated the impact of temperature (16, 18, 20, 22 and 24°C) on thermally induced phenotypic variability, from larval hatch to first-feeding, and the linked expression of targeted genes [heat shock proteins (hsp), growth hormone (gh) and insulin-like growth factors (igf)] associated to larval performance of European eel, Anguilla anguilla. Temperature effects on larval morphology and gene expression were investigated throughout early larval development (in real time from 0 to 18 days post hatch) and at specific developmental stages (hatch, jaw/teeth formation, and first-feeding). Results showed that hatch success, yolk utilization efficiency, survival, deformities, yolk utilization, and growth rates were all significantly affected by temperature. In real time, increasing temperature from 16 to 22°C accelerated larval development, while larval gene expression patterns (hsp70, hsp90, gh and igf-1) were delayed at cold temperatures (16°C) or accelerated at warm temperatures (20–22°C). All targeted genes (hsp70, hsp90, gh, igf-1, igf-2a, igf-2b) were differentially expressed during larval development. Moreover, expression of gh was highest at 16°C during the jaw/teeth formation, and the first-feeding developmental stages, while expression of hsp90 was highest at 22°C, suggesting thermal stress. Furthermore, 24°C was shown to be deleterious (resulting in 100% mortality), while 16°C and 22°C (~50 and 90% deformities respectively) represent the lower and upper thermal tolerance limits. In conclusion, the high survival, lowest incidence of deformities at hatch, high yolk utilization efficiency, high gh and low hsp expression, suggest 18°C as the optimal temperature for offspring of European eel. Furthermore, our results suggest that the still enigmatic early life history stages of European eel may inhabit the deeper layer of the Sargasso Sea and indicate vulnerability of this critically endangered species to increasing ocean temperature.

Description: The responses of macroalgae to ocean acidification could be altered by availability of macronutrients, such as ammonium (NH4+). This study determined how the opportunistic macroalga, Ulva australis responded to simultaneous changes in decreasing pH and NH4+ enrichment. This was investigated in a week-long growth experiment across a range of predicted future pHs with ambient and enriched NH4+ treatments followed by measurements of relative growth rates (RGR), NH4+ uptake rates and pools, total chlorophyll, and tissue carbon and nitrogen content. Rapid light curves (RLCs) were used to measure the maximum relative electron transport rate (rETRmax) and maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry (Fv/Fm). Photosynthetic capacity was derived from the RLCs and included the efficiency of light harvesting (α), slope of photoinhibition (β), and the light saturation point (Ek). The results showed that NH4+ enrichment did not modify the effects of pH on RGRs, NH4+ uptake rates and pools, total chlorophyll, rETRmax, α, β, Fv/Fm, tissue C and N, and the C:N ratio. However, Ek was differentially affected by pH under different NH4+ treatments. Ek increased with decreasing pH in the ambient NH4+ treatment, but not in the enriched NH4+ treatment. NH4+ enrichment increased RGRs, NH4+ pools, total chlorophyll, rETRmax, α, β, Fv/Fm, and tissue N, and decreased NH4+ uptake rates and the C:N ratio. Decreased pH increased total chlorophyll content, rETRmax, Fv/Fm, and tissue N content, and decreased the C:N ratio. Therefore, the results indicate that U. australis growth is increased with NH4+ enrichment and not with decreasing pH. While decreasing pH influenced the carbon and nitrogen metabolisms of U. australis, it did not result in changes in growth.

Description: In the eastern tropical Atlantic, the orangeback flying squid Sthenoteuthis pteropus (Steenstrup 1855) (Cephalopoda, Ommastrephidae) is a dominant species of the epipelagic nekton community. This carnivore squid has a short lifespan and is one of the fastest-growing squids. In this study, we characterise the role of S. pteropus in the pelagic food web of the eastern tropical Atlantic by investigating its diet and the dynamics of its feeding habits throughout its ontogeny and migration. During three expeditions in the eastern tropical Atlantic in 2015, 129 specimens were caught by hand jigging. Stomach content analyses (via visual identification and DNA barcoding) were combined with stable isotope data (∂15N and ∂13C) of muscle tissue to describe diet, feeding habits and trophic ecology of S. pteropus. Additionally, stable isotope analyses of incremental samples along the squid’s gladius—the chitinous spiniform structure supporting the muscles and organs—were carried out to explore possible diet shifts through ontogeny and migration. Our results show that S. pteropus preys mainly on myctophid fishes (e.g. Myctophum asperum, Myctophum nitidulum, Vinciguerria spp.), but also on other teleost species, cephalopods (e.g. Enoploteuthidae, Bolitinidae, Ommastrephidae), crustaceans and possibly on gelatinous zooplankton as well. The squid shows a highly opportunistic feeding behaviour that includes cannibalism. Our study indicates that the trophic position of S. pteropus may increase by approximately one trophic level from a mantle length of 15 cm to 47 cm. The reconstructed isotope-based feeding chronologies of the gladii revealed high intra- and inter-individual variability in the squid’s trophic position and foraging area. These findings are not revealed by diet or muscle tissue stable isotope analysis. This suggests a variable and complex life history involving individual variation and migration. The role of S. pteropus in transferring energy and nutrients from lower to higher trophic levels may be underestimated and important for understanding how a changing ocean impacts food webs in the eastern Atlantic.

Description: Plant-derived protein sources are the most relevant substitutes for fishmeal in aquafeeds. Nevertheless, the effects of plant based diets on the intestinal microbiome especially of juvenile Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are yet to be fully investigated. The present study demonstrates, based on 16S rDNA bacterial community profiling, that the intestinal microbiome of juvenile Rainbow trout is strongly affected by dietary plant protein inclusion levels. After first feeding of juveniles with either 0%, 50% or 97% of total dietary protein content derived from plants, statistically significant differences of the bacterial gut community for the three diet-types were detected, both at phylum and order level. The microbiome of juvenile fish consisted mainly of the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria and Actinobacteria, and thus fits the salmonid core microbiome suggested in previous studies. Dietary plant proteins significantly enhanced the relative abundance of the orders Lactobacillales, Bacillales and Pseudomonadales. Animal proteins in contrast significantly promoted Bacteroidales, Clostridiales, Vibrionales, Fusobacteriales and Alteromonadales. The overall alpha diversity significantly decreased with increasing plant protein inclusion levels and with age of experimental animals. In order to investigate permanent effects of the first feeding diet-type on the early development of the microbiome, a diet change was included in the study after 54 days, but no such effects could be detected. Instead, the microbiome of juvenile trout fry was highly dependent on the actual diet fed at the time of sampling.

Description: Artificial reefs, in the Eastern Mediterranean (Cyprus,) became a popular and frequently used tool, in fisheries and biodiversity conservation management. Even though evaluation studies about the efficacy of artificial reefs are plentiful in the rest of the Mediterranean (Central and Western), in the Eastern Basin they are largely absent. As the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea is characterised by unique physical parameters, the necessity to study artificial reefs under these contrasting regimes increases. The epibenthic communities of two unintentional artificial reefs (modern shipwrecks) in Cyprus (Zenobia) and Lebanon (Alice-B) were evaluated in 2010. Both shipwrecks are at similar depth, type of sea bottom, made of the same material (steel) and were sunk approximately the same period of time. However, Alice-B shipwreck off the coast of Lebanon is constantly exposed to higher levels of nutrients than Zenobia in Cyprus. Significant dissimilarities were observed in the composition, percentage of benthic cover of predominant taxonomic groups and development of the epibenthic communities. Differences in physical and chemical parameters between sides lay mainly in the nutrient and thermal regimes affecting the shipwrecks and most likely bring about the differences in the observed community structure. The results of this study suggest that epibenthic communities could be highly impacted by eutrophication caused by anthropogenic activities, leading to less biodiverse

Description: We studied the effect of ocean acidification (OA) on a coastal North Sea plankton community in a long-term mesocosm CO2-enrichment experiment (BIOACID II long-term mesocosm study). From March to July 2013, 10 mesocosms of 19 m length with a volume of 47.5 to 55.9 m3 were deployed in the Gullmar Fjord, Sweden. CO2 concentrations were enriched in five mesocosms to reach average CO2 partial pressures (pCO2) of 760 μatm. The remaining five mesocosms were used as control at ambient pCO2 of 380 μatm. Our paper is part of a PLOS collection on this long-term mesocosm experiment. Here, we here tested the effect of OA on total primary production (PPT) by performing 14C-based bottle incubations for 24 h. Furthermore, photoacclimation was assessed by conducting 14C-based photosynthesis-irradiance response (P/I) curves. Changes in chlorophyll a concentrations over time were reflected in the development of PPT, and showed higher phytoplankton biomass build-up under OA. We observed two subsequent phytoplankton blooms in all mesocosms, with peaks in PPT around day 33 and day 56. OA had no significant effect on PPT, except for a marginal increase during the second phytoplankton bloom when inorganic nutrients were already depleted. Maximum light use efficiencies and light saturation indices calculated from the P/I curves changed simultaneously in all mesocosms, and suggest that OA did not alter phytoplankton photoacclimation. Despite large variability in time-integrated productivity estimates among replicates, our overall results indicate that coastal phytoplankton communities can be affected by OA at certain times of the seasonal succession with potential consequences for ecosystem functioning.

Description: The acidification of the oceans could potentially alter marine plankton communities with consequences for ecosystem functioning. While several studies have investigated effects of ocean acidification on communities using traditional methods, few have used genetic analyses. Here, we use community barcoding to assess the impact of ocean acidification on the composition of a coastal plankton community in a large scale, in situ, long-term mesocosm experiment. High-throughput sequencing resulted in the identification of a wide range of planktonic taxa (Alveolata, Cryptophyta, Haptophyceae, Fungi, Metazoa, Hydrozoa, Rhizaria, Straminipila, Chlorophyta). Analyses based on predicted operational taxonomical units as well as taxonomical compositions revealed no differences between communities in high CO2 mesocosms (~ 760 μatm) and those exposed to present-day CO2 conditions. Observed shifts in the planktonic community composition were mainly related to seasonal changes in temperature and nutrients. Furthermore, based on our investigations, the elevated CO2 did not affect the intraspecific diversity of the most common mesozooplankter, the calanoid copepod Pseudocalanus acuspes. Nevertheless, accompanying studies found temporary effects attributed to a raise in CO2. Differences in taxa composition between the CO2 treatments could, however, only be observed in a specific period of the experiment. Based on our genetic investigations, no compositional long-term shifts of the plankton communities exposed to elevated CO2 conditions were observed. Thus, we conclude that the compositions of planktonic communities, especially those in coastal areas, remain rather unaffected by increased CO2.

Description: Micromonas is a unicellular marine green alga that thrives from tropical to polar ecosystems. We investigated the growth and cellular characteristics of acclimated mid-exponential phase Micromonas commoda RCC299 over multiple light levels and over the diel cycle (14:10 hour light:dark). We also exposed the light:dark acclimated M. commoda to experimental shifts from moderate to high light (HL), and to HL plus ultraviolet radiation (HL+UV), 4.5 hours into the light period. Cellular responses of this prasinophyte were quantified by flow cytometry and changes in gene expression by qPCR and RNA-seq. While proxies for chlorophyll a content and cell size exhibited similar diel variations in HL and controls, with progressive increases during day and decreases at night, both parameters sharply decreased after the HL+UV shift. Two distinct transcriptional responses were observed among chloroplast genes in the light shift experiments: i) expression of transcription and translation-related genes decreased over the time course, and this transition occurred earlier in treatments than controls; ii) expression of several photosystem I and II genes increased in HL relative to controls, as did the growth rate within the same diel period. However, expression of these genes decreased in HL+UV, likely as a photoprotective mechanism. RNA-seq also revealed two genes in the chloroplast genome, ycf2-like and ycf1-like, that had not previously been reported. The latter encodes the second largest chloroplast protein in Micromonas and has weak homology to plant Ycf1, an essential component of the plant protein translocon. Analysis of several nuclear genes showed that the expression of LHCSR2, which is involved in non-photochemical quenching, and five light-harvesting-like genes, increased 30 to >50-fold in HL+UV, but was largely unchanged in HL and controls. Under HL alone, a gene encoding a novel nitrite reductase fusion protein (NIRFU) increased, possibly reflecting enhanced N-assimilation under the 625 μmol photons m-2 s-1 supplied in the HL treatment. NIRFU's domain structure suggests it may have more efficient electron transfer than plant NIR proteins. Our analyses indicate that Micromonas can readily respond to abrupt environmental changes, such that strong photoinhibition was provoked by combined exposure to HL and UV, but a ca. 6-fold increase in light was stimulatory. © 2017 Cuvelier et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Description: Mit der Neuauflage der Deutschen Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie hat die Bundesregierung die Wissenschaft zur Bildung einer Plattform aufgefordert, die systematisch in die Steuerungs-, Dialog- und Umsetzungsprozesse der Agenda 2030 und somit die neue Nachhaltigkeitsarchitektur eingebunden ist. Träger der Plattform sind die internationalen wissenschaftlichen Netzwerke Sustainable Development Solutions Network Germany (SDSN Germany), das Deutsche Komitee für Nachhaltigkeitsforschung in Future Earth (DKN Future Earth) sowie das Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), das zusätzlich die Geschäftsstelle der Wissenschaftsplattform beherbergt. Die inhaltliche und operative Ausgestaltung der Arbeit der Plattform liegt in der Verantwortung des Lenkungskreises aus derzeit 26 Mitgliedern aus Wissenschaft, Wirtschaft und organisierter Zivilgesellschaft. Der Lenkungskreis formuliert das Arbeitsprogramm und initiiert Arbeitsprozesse sowie die Vernetzung mit weiteren Akteuren aus Wissenschaft, Politik, Wirtschaft und Zivilgesellschaft, um eine effektive wie auch repräsentative und international verankerte Plattform aufzubauen. Die Plattform wird auf Seiten der Bundesregierung von einem für alle Ressorts offenen Kreis begleitet, in dem zurzeit BMBF, BMUB, BMZ, BMEL sowie Bundeskanzleramt mitwirken. Die Wissenschaftsplattform Nachhaltigkeit 2030 wurde am 8. Mai 2017 mit der konstituierenden Sitzung ihres Lenkungskreises etabliert und im Rahmen des 13. BMBF-Forums für Nachhaltigkeit am 9. Mai 2017 der Öffentlichkeit vorgestellt.

Description: Through the present report, we would like to share with you theinspiring outcomes of our joint experience at the Global Soil Week2017, and offer you an opportunity to reflect on the high potential ofpreparatory events to the HLPF, and of using its thematic reviews asmeans to achieve an integrated implementation of the SDGs.

Description: This document includes the main policy outcomes of the Global Soil Week 2017 by introducing 1) the principles and methods utilized, 2) the five key policy messages discussed in plenary with the participants and 3) considerations from the discussions at the Global Soil Week supporting the five key policy messages. We respectfully submit the messages below, for consideration by the High Level Political Forum (HLPF), and reinforce our commitment to contribute to strengthening the work and role of the HLPF. We also stand ready to work together with Member States aiming to strengthen the emphasis on soil- and land-related issues in their National Voluntary Reviews and also with platforms aiming to conduct similar reviews.

Description: Seit 2012 beschäftigt sich das Forschungsprojekt ClimPol (Climate Change and Air Pollution)am Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam mit dem Zusammenhängenzwischen Klimawandel und Luftverschmutzung. Mit unseren wissenschaftlichen Untersuchungenwollen wir diese Zusammenhänge besser verstehen. Wir engagieren uns aber auchan der Schnittstelle von Wissenschaft und Politik, indem wir koordinierte und effektiveMaßnahmen für Klimaschutz und bessere Luftqualität prüfen.

Description: The German energy transition (Energiewende) is the subject of intensive research, and thankfully so. We now have reliable estimates relating to the required deployment of technology, the costs for end consumers and society, and the expected consequences for health and the environment. It has been firmly established just how much CO2 we have already saved with the energy transition, and what is required in order to reduce CO2 emissions even further. There is also a range of scientific studies on the impact of the expansion of renewable energies on nature conservation and species protection. However, one question has received little academic attention to date: How does the energy transition affect society? It is astonishing that we know so little about this. After all, experts have long been agreed on the fact that sustainability does not just have an economic and ecological dimension, but also a social one. It is essential that we consider the social impact to the same extent as the economic or ecological effects. So it is high time to give the question of social sustainability a solid empirical base. The Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), together with the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, conducted a panel survey of more than 7,500 households. Now, with the Social Sustainability Barometer for the German Energiewende 2017, we present the results for the first time.

Description: KEY MESSAGES1. Without strategic investment in soil rehabilitation and protectionpoor and food insecure households will be left behind and globalagendas will not be achieved! Targeting is of the essence.2. Public investment in soil protection and rehabilitation must beincreased; the private sector has little incentive in investing in soilrehabilitation by food insecure households.3. Cross-sectorial coordination is pivotal to create the right incentivesand to ensure that structural hindrances to SLM are addressedsystematically.4. Technologies for protecting and rehabilitating land and soil at plotand farm levels are well known but are seldom applied at largerscales. Successful adoption – and adaptation – at scale is conditionalon locally owned and driven processes.5. Supportive tenure systems and responsive agricultural advisoryservices are essential preconditions for achieving soil protection andrehabilitation at scale. They must be gender and youth sensitive, andcreate the necessary incentives to protect the soils.