ALBERT

Description: The world's forests store large amounts of carbon (C), and growing forests can reduce atmospheric CO2 by storing C in their biomass. This has provided the impetus for world-wide tree planting initiatives to offset fossil-fuel emissions. However, forests interact with their environment in complex and multifaceted ways that must be considered for a balanced assessment of the value of planting trees. First, one needs to consider the potential reversibility of C sequestration in trees through either harvesting or tree death from natural factors. If carbon storage is only temporary, future temperatures will actually be higher than without tree plantings, but cumulative warming will be reduced, contributing both positively and negatively to future climate-change impacts. Alternatively, forests could be used for bioenergy or wood products to replace fossil-fuel use which would obviate the need to consider the possible reversibility of any benefits. Forests also affect the Earth's energy balance through either absorbing or reflecting incoming solar radiation. As forests generally absorb more incoming radiation than bare ground or grasslands, this constitutes an important warming effect that substantially reduces the benefit of C storage, especially in snow-covered regions. Forests also affect other local ecosystem services, such as conserving biodiversity, modifying water and nutrient cycles, and preventing erosion that could be either beneficial or harmful depending on specific circumstances. Considering all these factors, tree plantings may be beneficial or detrimental for mitigating climate-change impacts, but the range of possibilities makes generalisations difficult. Their net benefit depends on many factors that differ between specific circumstances. One can, therefore, neither uncritically endorse tree planting everywhere, nor condemn it as counter-productive. Our aim is to provide key information to enable appropriate assessments to be made under specific circumstances. We conclude our discussion by providing a step-by-step guide for assessing the merit of tree plantings under specific circumstances.

Description: Seaweed farming contributes substantial amounts of organic carbon to the ocean, part of which can be locked for a long term in the ocean and perform the function of ocean carbon sequestration, and the other part can be converted into inorganic carbon through microbial mineralization and aerobic respiration, affecting the pCO2, pHT and dissolved oxygen of seawater. It is generally believed that seaweed farming will cause the seawater to become a sink of CO2 due to carbon fixation by macroalgal photosynthesis. However, little attention has been paid to the fact that seaweed farming environment may sometimes become a source rather than a sink of CO2. Here, through in-situ mesocosm cultivation experiments and eight field investigations covering different kelp growth stages in an intensive farming area in China, we found that compared with the surrounding seawater without kelps, the seawater at the fast-growth stage of kelp was a sink of CO2 (pCO2 decreased by 17−73 μatm), but became a source of CO2 at the aging stage of kelp (pCO2 increased by 20−37 μatm). Concurrently, seawater pHT experienced a transition from increase (by 0.02−0.08) to decline (by 0.03−0.04). In-situ mesocosm cultivation experiments showed that the positive environmental effects (i.e., pCO2 decrease and pHT increase) induced by kelps at the early growth stage could be offset within only 3 days at the late-growth and aging stages. The release of dissolved organic carbon by kelps at the late growth stage increased significantly, supporting the enhancement in microbial abundance and respiration, which was manifested by the remarkable decrease in seawater dissolved oxygen, ultimately leading to CO2 release exceeding photosynthetic CO2 absorption. This study suggests that mature farmed kelps should be harvested in time to best utilize their carbon sink function and environmental benefits, which has guiding significance for the rational management of seaweed farming.

Description: Highlights: • Inhibitory potential of eelgrass microbiome against aquatic and fecal pathogens • Isolation of epiphytes and endophytes associated with eelgrass leaves and roots • Particularly leaf epibiotic bacteria exhibit significant antimicrobial activity. • Rich secondary metabolite composition by untargeted metabolomics • Potential involvement of eelgrass microbiome in seagrass ecosystem services Seagrass meadows provide crucial ecosystem services for coastal environments and were shown to reduce the abundance of waterborne pathogens linked to infections in humans and marine organisms in their vicinity. Among potential drivers, seagrass phenolics released into seawater have been linked to pathogen suppression, but the potential involvement of the seagrass microbiome has not been investigated. We hypothesized that the microbiome of the eelgrass Zostera marina, especially the leaf epiphytes that are at direct interface between the seagrass host and the surrounding seawater, inhibit waterborne pathogens thereby contributing to their removal. Using a culture-dependent approach, we isolated 88 bacteria and fungi associated with the surfaces and inner tissues of the eelgrass leaves (healthy and decaying) and the roots. We assessed the antibiotic activity of microbial extracts against a large panel of common aquatic, human (fecal) and plant pathogens, and mined the metabolome of the most active extracts. The healthy leaf epibiotic bacteria, particularly Streptomyces sp. strain 131, displayed broad-spectrum antibiotic activity superior to some control drugs. Gram-negative bacteria abundant on healthy leaf surfaces, and few endosphere-associated bacteria and fungi also displayed remarkable activities. UPLC-MS/MS-based untargeted metabolomics analyses showed rich specialized metabolite repertoires with low annotation rates, indicating the presence of many undescribed antimicrobials in the extracts. This study contributes to our understanding on microbial and chemical ecology of seagrasses, implying potential involvement of the seagrass microbiome in suppression of pathogens in seawater. Such effect is beneficial for the health of ocean and human, especially in the context of climate change that is expected to exacerbate all infectious diseases. It may also assist future seagrass conservation and management strategies.

Description: Total alkalinity (TA) is an important variable of the ocean carbonate system. In coastal oceans, carbonate system dynamics are controlled by a range of processes including photosynthesis and respiration, calcification, mixing of water masses, continental inputs, temperature changes, and seasonal upwelling. Assessments of diel, seasonal and interannual variations in TA are required to understand the carbon cycle in coastal oceans. However, our understanding of these variations remains underdeveloped due to limitations in observational techniques. Autonomous TA measurements are therefore required. In this study, an in situ TA analyzer (ISA-TA) based on a single-point titration with spectrophotometric pH detection was deployed in Tong'an Bay, Xiamen, China, over a five-month period in 2021 to determine diel and seasonal TA variations. The TA observations were combined with an artificial neural network (ANN) model to construct TA prediction models for this area. This provided a simple method to investigate TA variations in this region and was applied to predict surface water TA between March and April 2021. The in situ TA observations showed that TA values in Tong'an Bay varied within a range from 1931 to 2294 μmol kg−1 over the study period, with low TA in late winter, early summer and late summer, and high TA in early winter. The TA variations in late summer and early winter were mainly controlled by mixing of water bodies. The diel variations of TA were greatly determined by tides, with a diel amplitude of 9 to 247 μmol kg−1. The ANN model used temperature, salinity, chlorophyll, and dissolved oxygen to estimate TA, with a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of ∼14 μmol kg−1, with salinity as the input variable with the greatest weight. The approach of combining ISA-TA observations with an ANN model can be extended to study the carbonate system in other coastal regions.

Description: Highlights • SPM concentration and organic fractions are analyzed in coastal-offshore gradients • Diagnostic model of SPM allows separating fresh, labile from less reactive PON • Analysis of PON fractions reveals a characteristic area, the transition zone • There, particle settling is enhanced, fostering their transport back to the coast, which controls the fate of organic matter • The transition zone is generally confined to water depths below 20 m Abstract Identifying the mechanisms that contribute to the variability of suspended particulate matter concentrations in coastal areas is important but difficult, especially due to the complexity of physical and biogeochemical interactions involved. Our study addresses this complexity and investigates changes in the horizontal spread and composition of particles, focusing on cross-coastal gradients in the southern North Sea and the English Channel. A semi-empirical model is applied on in situ data of SPM and its organic fraction to resolve the relationship between organic and inorganic suspended particles. The derived equations are applied onto remote sensing products of SPM concentration, which provide monthly synoptic maps of particulate organic matter concentrations (here, particulate organic nitrogen) at the surface together with their labile and less reactive fractions. Comparing these fractions of particulate organic matter reveals their characteristic features along the coastal-offshore gradient, with an area of increased settling rate for particles generally observed between 5 and 30 km from the coast. We identify this area as the transition zone between coastal and offshore waters with respect to particle dynamics. Presumably, in that area, the turbulence range and particle composition favor particle settling, while hydrodynamic processes tend to transport particles of the seabed back towards the coast. Bathymetry plays an important role in controlling the range of turbulent dissipation energy values in the water column, and we observe that the transition zone in the southern North Sea is generally confined to water depths below 20 m. Seasonal variations in suspended particle dynamics are linked to biological processes enhancing particle flocculation, which do not affect the location of the transition zone. We identify the criteria that allow a transition zone and discuss the cases where it is not observed in the domain. The impact of these particle dynamics on coastal carbon storage and export is discussed.

Description: Coastal German waters contain about 1.6 million tons of dumped munition, mostly left after World Wars. This study investigated the benthic macrofauna around the 'Kolberger Heide' munition dumpsite (Baltic Sea). A total of 93 macrofauna grab samples were obtained in the proximity of the munition dumpsite and in reference areas. Environmental variables analysed included the latitude/longitude, depth, terrain ruggedness, sediment grainsize distribution, TNT concentration in the bottom water and distance to the centre of munition dumpsite. The overall abundance, biomass and diversity varied among these groups, though demonstrated no clear differences regarding the proximity to munition and modelled near-bottom dissolved TNT. Among individual taxa, however, a total of 16 species demonstrated significant correlation with TNT concentration. Moreover, TNT may serve as a predictor for the distribution of three species: molluscs Retusa truncatula, Varicorbula gibba and polychaete Spio goniocephala. Possible reasons for the species distribution including their biological traits are discussed.

Description: Highlights • Global primitive arc lavas (Mg# ≥60) display notable δ49/47Ti heterogeneity. • Residual rutile imposes high δ49/47Ti of 0.24 ± 0.06 ‰ on hydrous, silicic slab melts. • Primitive Aleutian rhyodacites have the same δ49/47Ti as predicted for slab melts. • A variably diluted signature of slab melts is found in all eight subduction zones. • A slab melt component is required to generate silicic primitive arc lavas. Abstract It is still a matter of intense debate to what extent partial melting of the subducting slab contributes to arc magmatism in modern subduction zones. In particular, it is difficult to differentiate between silicate melts formed by partial melting of the slab, and aqueous fluids released during subsolidus dehydration as the main medium for slab-to-mantle wedge mass transfer. Here we use δ49/47Ti (the deviation in 49Ti/47Ti of a sample to the OL-Ti reference material) as a robust geochemical tracer of slab melting. Hydrous partial melting of subducted oceanic crust and the superjacent sedimentary layer produces silicic melts in equilibrium with residual rutile. Modelling shows that such silicic slab melts have notably higher δ49/47Ti (+0.24 ± 0.06 ‰) than their protolith due to the strong preference of rutile for the lighter isotopes of Ti. In contrast, even highly saline fluids cannot carry Ti from the slab and hence hydrous peridotite partial melts have δ49/47Ti similar to mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB; ca. 0 ‰). Primitive (Mg# ≥60) arc lavas from eight subduction zones that are unaffected by fractional crystallisation of Fe-Ti oxides show a more than tenfold larger variation in δ49/47Ti than found in MORB. In particular, primitive arc lavas display a striking correlation between SiO2 content and δ49/47Ti that ranges from island arc basalts overlapping with MORB, to primitive rhyodacites with δ49/47Ti up to 0.26 ‰ erupted in the western Aleutian arc. The elevated δ49/47Ti of these primitive arc lavas provides conclusive evidence for partial melts of the slab as a key medium for mass transfer in subduction zones. The Aleutian rhyodacites represent a rare example of slab melts that have traversed the mantle wedge with minimal modification. More commonly, slab melts interact with the mantle wedge to form an array of primary arc magmas that are a blend of slab- and peridotite-derived melt. We identify primitive arc lavas with a clearly resolvable slab melt signature in all eight subduction zone localities, confirming that slab melting is prevalent in modern subduction zones.

Description: Highlights • An event-scale, complete lithostratigraphic column for the Miocene BFVA was created through extensive field volcanology. • Field volcanology was supplemented by volcanic glass geochemistry to separate the eruptions. • An example is presented how to undertake lithostratigraphy-based classification in poorly preserved, deeply eroded volcanic terrains. • In the ancient BFVA landscape, sea cover during eruptions and terrestrial deposition is evident. Abstract This study documents the volcanic evolution of the Miocene silicic Bükk Foreland Volcanic Area (BFVA), Northern Hungary (Central Europe) at an event-scale. The BFVA is a deeply eroded and dissected volcanic field dominated by multiple, several 10-m thick, valley-filling silicic ignimbrite units, which are chemically and texturally very similar to each other. Hence, establishing lateral correlation is a real challenge due to the sporadic and small-scale outcrops and lack of stratotypes. Detailed field observations allowed us to identify eleven lithological members including fourteen eruption events and establish a nearly complete lithostratigraphic correlation between fifteen outcrops across the BFVA. Primary pyroclastic material of each member was sampled, and volcanic glass was geochemically analyzed for major and trace element composition. The geochemical results confirm the field-based classification of the members and enable the correlation of distinct outcrops. The major and trace element composition of the glassy pyroclasts of each member of the BFVA served as basis to create a field-wide chemical reference database for regional correlational studies. Here, a new lithostratigraphic classification scheme (consisting of one lithostratigraphic formation and eleven members) is presented, which reflects the challenges unraveling the stratigraphy of ancient volcanic terrains. The field-based event-scale lithostratigraphy of the BFVA suggests a wet, partly sea-covered depositional environment in the close vicinity of the eruption centers providing favorable conditions to ‘fuel’ silicic explosive phreatomagmatism. On the contrary, paleosol horizons formed after almost each major eruption event or sequence suggests an overall near-coast terrestrial environment for the BFVA, where the emplacement of the pyroclastic material occurred.

Description: Regime shifts in the diatom–dinoflagellate composition have occurred in the Baltic Sea (BS) and Bohai Sea (BHS) under eutrophication and have affected the entire coastal ecosystem, damaging the regulatory, provisioning, cultural, and supporting service functions of marine ecosystems. Therefore, finding a solution to restore the balance of phytoplankton community composition and mitigate eutrophication is of utmost importance. In this study, the Driver (per capita gross domestic product)-Pressure (terrestrial inputs)-State (seawater environmental parameters)-Impact (proportions of diatoms and dinoflagellates)-Response (eutrophication governance projects) framework served as a guide for our analysis of the causal relationship among various environmental components in the coastal system. The relevant data in BS and BHS spanning from the 1950s to the 2010s were collected and used to construct a diatom–dinoflagellate composition single index, which allowed us to identify the shifts in regimes (mutation points and phases) of the diatom–dinoflagellate composition and environmental factors using sequential t-test analysis. We also identified key environmental factors that moderated the diatom–dinoflagellate composition using redundancy analysis and analyzed the partial effects of the main environmental factors on the diatom–dinoflagellate composition using a generalized additive model. Finally, the regulation of the eutrophication governance investment on diatom–dinoflagellate composition was investigated. We found that (1) BS is a “time machine,” with coastal eutrophication governance and regime shift of diatom–dinoflagellate composition and environmental factors two decades earlier than that in BHS; (2) in BS, the key moderation factor of diatom proportion is SiO3-Si and those of dinoflagellates are sea surface salinity and N:P ratio; in BHS, the key moderation factors of diatom proportion are PO4-P and Si:N ratio and those of dinoflagellate are dissolved inorganic nitrogen and N:P and Si:P ratios; (3) it is projected that BHS will enter its recovery phase from eutrophication after mid-2020s. In summary, the N/P/Si stoichiometric relationships should be given greater consideration, with the exception of the “dose-response” relationship in both sea areas. Our results indicate an urgent need for an improved mechanistic understanding of how phytoplankton biodiversity changes in response to changes in nutrient load and how we should ultimately deal with the challenges that arise.

Description: A La Niña condition in the equatorial Pacific began in the early summer of 2020 and has lasted more than two and a half years (referred to as the 2020 La Niña hereafter). Predicting its temporal evolution had attracted a lot of attention. Considering the possible phase-locked impact of the 11-year solar cycle on the tropical Pacific variability, in this study the authors present the possible modulations by the solar cycle 25 (SC25) started from December 2019, on the future temporal evolution of the 2020 La Niña. Based on statistical features of historical solar cycles, the authors propose three possible scenarios of the timing of the SC25 maximum year and discuss its possible impacts on the temporal evolution of the 2020 La Niña in the next two years. The ongoing ascending phase of SC25 dampens the development of a super El Niño condition to some extent in 2023.

Description: Highlights: • Change in sea urchin species composition from RBC and NRBC habitats. • Sand coverage is an important factor that influences the sea urchin species composition. • The relationship between sea urchins and their habitat is species-specific. Sea urchins are important components of marine ecosystems and can act as bioindicators, reflecting the health of reefs. The spatial patterns of sea urchins are largely shaped by the type of habitat. In Hong Kong, coral communities are divided into two distinct types: reef -building coral habitats and non -reef -building coral habitats. In summer 2020, a qualitative survey was conducted using SCUBA at 56 sites across eastern and western waters, recording a total of 11 species from 6 families of sea urchins. Out of these 56 sites, 14 were selected for a quantitative survey to investigate the relationship between sea urchin assemblages and the two types of coral habitat. We found that the species composition of sea urchins differed significantly between the two habitats, and the presence of sand was a critical factor influencing the species composition of sea urchins. Sand coverage had a positive effect on Salmasic sphaeroides abundance but a negative effect on the abundance of Diadema setosum and Heliocidaris crassispina. The distribution of sea urchins across different degrees of sand coverage may be associated with food availability or species -specific adaptive behaviour, likely due to niche preferences.

Description: Highlights • East Asian climate evolution was dependent on the latitude of the proto-Tibetan Plateau in the deep past; • Global warming induced wetting at mid-latitude East Asian in the mid-Cretaceous; • The proto-Tibetan Plateau uplift led to drying in the subtropical East Asian in the mid-Cretaceous. Abstract Sedimentary records indicate that subtropical and mid-latitude East Asia exhibited considerable drying and wetting, respectively, during the mid-Cretaceous, which is considered to be relevant to much higher atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2) concentrations and/or proto-Tibetan Plateau (proto-TP) uplift. In order to explore and compare their roles on the East Asian climate evolution, we conducted simulations of the mid-Cretaceous climate system with different atmospheric pCO2 levels and varying topographies. The results show that both factors had significant influences on the East Asian climate. As the increase in atmospheric pCO2 levels from ∼560–1120 ppmv to ∼1120–2240 ppmv, the precipitation increases considerably over mid-latitude East Asia, but only small changes in the subtropical portion of East Asia occur. Simultaneously, the effects of the proto-TP uplift are opposite to those of global warming trend during that period. Generally, it leads to a precipitation decrease over subtropical East Asia, but rather minor changes over mid-latitude East Asia. These changes are qualitatively consistent with the deduction based on the geological records, but the magnitudes of the modeled precipitation changes are relatively smaller. Therefore, we can conclude that the subtropical East Asian drying during the mid-Cretaceous can be partly explained by the proto-TP uplift, while the mid-latitude East Asian wetting was partly due to global warming. However, additional factor(s) also played a significant role in the East Asian climate evolution during the mid-Cretaceous.

Description: Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) – the creation, enhancement, and upscaling of carbon sinks – has become a pillar of national and corporate commitments towards Net Zero emissions, as well as pathways towards realizing the Paris Agreement's ambitious temperature targets. In this perspective, we explore CDR as an emerging issue of Earth System Governance (ESG). We draw on the results of a workshop at the 2022 Earth System Governance conference that mapped a range of actors, activities, and issues relevant to carbon removal, and refined them into research questions spanning four intersecting areas: modeling and systems assessment, societal appraisal, policy, and innovation and industry. We filter these questions through the five lenses of the ESG framework and highlight several key ‘cross-cutting’ issues that could form the basis of an integrated ESG research agenda on CDR.

Description: Highlights • Cu complexation was measured for the first time in the Fram Strait region. • Cu-binding ligand concentrations and binding strength varied longitudinally in the Fram Strait. • More than 99 % of dCu was organically complexed by strong ligands. • On the Greenland shelf the Transpolar Drift and the coastal processes were the main sources of Cu ligands. Abstract The Fram Strait represents the major gateway of Arctic Ocean waters towards the Nordic Seas and North Atlantic Ocean and is a key region to study the impact of climate change on biogeochemical cycles. In the region, information about trace metal speciation, such as copper, is scarce. This manuscript presents the concentrations and conditional stability constants of copper-binding ligands (LCu and log KcondCu2+L) in the water column of Fram Strait and the Greenland shelf (GEOTRACES cruise GN05). Cu-binding ligands were analysed by Competitive Ligand Exchange-Adsorptive Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry (CLE-ACSV) using salicylaldoxime (SA) as competitive ligand. Based on water masses and the hydrodynamic influences, three provinces were considered (coast, shelf, and Fram Strait) and differences were observed between regions and water masses. The strongest variability was observed in surface waters, with increasing LCu concentrations (mean values: Fram Strait = 2.6 ± 1.0 nM; shelf = 5.2 ± 1.3 nM; coast = 6.4 ± 0.8 nM) and decreasing log KcondCu2+L values (mean values: Fram Strait = 15.7 ± 0.3; shelf = 15.2 ± 0.3; coast = 14.8 ± 0.3) towards the west. The surface LCu concentrations obtained above the Greenland shelf indicate a supply from the coastal environment to the Polar Surface Water (PSW) which is an addition to the ligand exported from the central Arctic to Fram Strait. The significant differences (in terms of LCu and log KcondCu2+L) between shelf and coastal samples were explained considering the processes which modify ligand concentrations and binding strengths, such as biological activity in sea-ice, phytoplankton bloom in surface waters, bacterial degradation, and meltwater discharge from 79NG glacier terminus. Overall, the ligand concentration exceeded those of dissolved Cu (dCu) and kept the free copper (Cu2+) concentrations at femtomolar levels (0.13–21.13 fM). This indicates that Cu2+ toxicity limits were not reached and dCu levels were stabilized in surface waters by organic complexes, which favoured its transport to the Nordic Seas and North Atlantic Ocean and the development of microorganism.

Description: The increasing global demand for seafood, coupled with the limitations of current fish stocks and aquaculture practices, requires the development of sustainable aquaculture solutions. In this context, this study explores the potential of a novel cage technology - Flow2Vortex - for the cultivation of jellyfish, a low-trophic-level organism with increasing market demand. The unique cage design creates a laminar and circular water flow, providing optimal conditions for cultivating fragile planktonic species. Indoor experiments demonstrated the successful growth of jellyfish in the cage, with growth rates of up to 11.6% per day. In addition, field tests in open waters confirmed the cage's ability to maintain a diffuse and controlled flow inside, even under strong external currents. The cage also maintained significantly higher zooplankton concentrations than the surrounding environment, offering a consistent food source for the cultivated jellyfish. These findings highlight the potential of the Flow2Vortex cage for scalable indoor and outdoor cultivation of low-trophic-level organisms, such as jellyfish, contributing to the diversification and sustainability of aquaculture practices.

Description: Highlights • More diverse non-native taxa generally include more economically costly species. • Chordates, nematodes and pathogens are among significantly over-represented taxa. • Monetary cost magnitude links positively to numbers of costly invasive species. • Costs are biased towards a few ‘hyper-costly’ invasive species groups. • Future invasion rates will continue to harbour new economically costly species. Abstract A dominant syndrome of the Anthropocene is the rapid worldwide spread of invasive species with devastating environmental and socio-economic impacts. However, the dynamics underlying the impacts of biological invasions remain contested. A hypothesis posits that the richness of impactful invasive species increases proportionally with the richness of non-native species more generally. A competing hypothesis suggests that certain species features disproportionately enhance the chances of non-native species becoming impactful, causing invasive species to arise disproportionately relative to the numbers of non-native species. We test whether invasive species with reported monetary costs reflect global numbers of established non-native species among phyla, classes, and families. Our results reveal that numbers of invasive species with economic costs largely reflect non-native species richness among taxa (i.e., in 96 % of families). However, a few costly taxa were over- and under-represented, and their composition differed among environments and regions. Chordates, nematodes, and pathogenic groups tended to be the most over-represented phyla with reported monetary costs, with mammals, insects, fungi, roundworms, and medically-important microorganisms being over-represented classes. Numbers of costly invasive species increased significantly with non-native richness per taxon, while monetary cost magnitudes at the family level were also significantly related to costly invasive species richness. Costs were biased towards a few ‘hyper-costly’ taxa (such as termites, mosquitoes, cats, weevils, rodents, ants, and asters). Ordination analysis revealed significant dissimilarity between non-native and costly invasive taxon assemblages. These results highlight taxonomic groups which harbour disproportionately high numbers of costly invasive species and monetary cost magnitudes. Collectively, our findings support prevention of arrival and containment of spread of non-native species as a whole through effective strategies for mitigation of the rapidly amplifying impacts of invasive species. Yet, the hyper- costly taxa identified here should receive greater focus from managers to reduce impacts of current invasive species.

Description: Highlights: • Ca. 418 ka Pauzhetka tephra from South Kamchatka was found in 11 marine sediment cores. • New major and trace element analyses allow identification of tephra glasses. • K/Ti and K/Fe maxima mark the Pauzhetka tephra presence in marine sediments. • The tephra occurs at Marine Isotope Stages 12 to 11c and below the Bermuda excursion. • The revised ash dispersal covers vast areas in the NW Pacific and Okhotsk Sea. Abstract: The distal Pauzhetka tephra, formed by a large caldera-forming volcanic eruption in South Kamchatka, has been identified in eleven recently recovered marine sediment cores based on major and trace element compositions of tephra glass. Ten SO264 cores form a transect along the Emperor Seamount Chain (ESC) in the Northwest (NW) Pacific between ∼50.3° and ∼45°N, 800–1200 km southeast of the Pauzhetka caldera. One additional core LV28-41-4 was retrieved in the Okhotsk Sea, ∼600 km west of the caldera. The Pauzhetka tephra glass shards have a characteristic medium-K rhyolite composition and trace element content compatible with the rear-arc position of the source volcano that ensures their identification. In the NW Pacific SO264 cores, the tephra is preserved as layers in cores 33, 47, 49, 53, 55, 56 and 62, as a lens in core 45, and as cryptotephra in cores 57 and 66. It forms a cryptotephra in the Okhotsk Sea core LV28-41-4. Distinctively high XRF-retrieved K/Ti and K/Fe ratios compared to those for the host sediments help identify the Pauzhetka tephra. According to our refined stable oxygen isotope (δ18O)- and magneto-stratigraphy of two studied and two reference cores, the Pauzhetka tephra occurs within a local δ18O maximum during a transition from marine isotope stage 12 to 11c (Termination V) and below a paleointensity minimum referred to as the Bermuda excursion, at ca. 418 ka. Using the tephra age as an isochron, we show that average linear sedimentation rates decrease southward along a transect of the SO264 cores, except in core 55. It partially reflects an intensification of mid-depth currents causing winnowing, erosion or non-deposition along the ESC over the past 418 kyr. An increased linear sedimentation rate in core 55, recovered from the southern leeward side of the Minnetonka Seamount, appears to record the pelagic accumulation protected from the mid-depth current influence. Our findings expand the former ash dispersal area farther southeast in the NW Pacific and southwest in the Okhotsk Sea. The new data on the tephra thickness supports the axis direction of the fallout zone southeast of the Pauzhetka caldera. Our results suggest the Pauzhetka tephra as a key middle Pleistocene isochron for the stratigraphy and correlation of the NW Pacific and Okhotsk Sea sediments.

Description: Highlights • Negligible Ba removal observed in the Rainbow hydrothermal system. • Insignificant modification of Ba isotope composition of the vent fluid endmember. • Rainbow vent introduces isotopically light Ba (−0.17) to the deep Atlantic Ocean. • Hydrothermal inputs contribute 4.6 ± 2.2 Gmol/yr Ba to the ocean. Abstract The marine barium (Ba) cycle is closely connected to the short-timescale carbon cycle, and Ba serves as a valuable paleo proxy for export production, ocean alkalinity, and terrestrial inputs. However, the marine Ba budget is poorly constrained, particularly regarding the fluxes of hydrothermally sourced Ba, which hinders our understanding of the Ba cycle and use of Ba-based proxies. Recent studies have suggested a modern source-sink imbalance of Ba isotopes in the global ocean, with sources being overall isotopically heavier than the sinks, and the hydrothermal Ba inputs were considered isotopically heavy sources. In this study, we present the first investigation of Ba and its isotopes in a non-buoyant hydrothermal plume based on dissolved and particulate samples collected from the Rainbow hydrothermal vent field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Our data reveal strong hydrothermal signals at near-field stations, as evidenced by helium isotopes, accompanied by elevated concentrations of dissolved and particulate Ba. Dissolved Ba isotope compositions (δ138Ba) in hydrothermally influenced deep waters (∼0.3 ) are lighter than at similar depths of far-field stations (∼0.45 ) in the Atlantic Ocean. The concentrations and isotopic compositions of dissolved and labile particulate Ba in the non-buoyant hydrothermal plume can be explained by conservative mixing between a Ba-enriched hydrothermal component and North Atlantic Deep Water. By extrapolating the correlations to the vent fluid endmember, our results suggest that there is negligible removal of Ba, and insignificant modification of Ba isotopic signatures, from the vent fluid endmember to the non-buoyant hydrothermal plume. This indicates that the Rainbow hydrothermal system introduces isotopically light Ba (−0.17 ± 0.05 ) to the deep Atlantic Ocean. We estimate that global hydrothermal inputs of Ba are 4.6 ± 2.2 Gmol/yr. These observations highlight the potential of hydrothermal Ba to be an isotopically light source component of the marine Ba isotope budget.

Description: Highlights: • Transcriptomic immune response assessments in seahorse (Hippocampus erectus). • Seahorses exposed in two phases to heat-killed Vibrio and Tenacibaculum strains. • Adaptive immune memory evidence (double-exposed) and increased naivety to Tenacibaculum. • Upregulated gene expression pertaining to potential innate ‘trained immunity’. • Trained immunity potential compensator for deduced MHC II loss of function. Evolutionary adaptations in the Syngnathidae teleost family (seahorses, pipefish and seadragons) culminated in an array of spectacular morphologies, key immune gene losses, and the enigmatic male pregnancy. In seahorses, genome modifications associated with immunoglobulins, complement, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC II) pathway components raise questions concerning their immunological efficiency and the evolution of compensatory measures that may act in their place. In this investigation heat-killed bacteria (Vibrio aestuarianus and Tenacibaculum maritimum) were used in a two-phased experiment to assess the immune response dynamics of Hippocampus erectus. Gill transcriptomes from double and single-exposed individuals were analysed in order to determine the differentially expressed genes contributing to immune system responses towards immune priming. Double-exposed individuals exhibited a greater adaptive immune response when compared with single-exposed individuals, while single-exposed individuals, particularly with V. aestuarianus replicates, associated more with the innate branch of the immune system. T. maritimum double-exposed replicates exhibited the strongest immune reaction, likely due to their immunological naivety towards the bacterium, while there are also potential signs of innate trained immunity. MHC II upregulated expression was identified in selected V. aestuarianus-exposed seahorses, in the absence of other pathway constituents suggesting a possible alternative or non-classical MHC II immune function in seahorses. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis highlighted prominent angiogenesis activity following secondary exposure, which could be linked to an adaptive immune process in seahorses. This investigation highlights the prominent role of T-cell mediated adaptive immune responses in seahorses when exposed to sequential foreign bacteria exposures. If classical MHC II pathway function has been lost, innate trained immunity in syngnathids could be a potential compensatory mechanism.

Description: Highlights • Solutions to the climate crisis are not ahistorical. • Both social and technical processes explain their rise (or fall) on the agenda. • Thinking about ocean CDR closely co-evolved with scientific understandings of global climate change. • Ocean CDR methods have followed cycles of hype, controversy and disappointment. • Key sociotechnical configurations and narrative changes explain the new hype around ocean CDR. Abstract While the ocean has long been portrayed as a victim of climate change, threatened by ocean warming and acidification, it is now increasingly framed as a key solution to the climate crisis. In particular, the promising carbon sequestration potential of the ocean is being emphasised. In this paper, we seek to historicise the practices, discourses and actors that have constructed the ocean as a climate change solution space. We conceptualise the debate about the mitigation potential of the ocean as a contested site of governance, where varying actors form alliances and different sociotechnical narratives about climate action play out. Using an innovative quali-quantitative methodology which combines scientometrics with document analysis, observational fieldwork, and interviews, we outline three historical phases in the history of ocean carbon sequestration that follow recurring cycles of hype, controversy and disappointment. We argue that the most recent hype around ocean carbon sequestration was not triggered by a technological breakthrough or a reduction in scientific uncertainty, but by new socio-technical configurations and coalitions. We conclude by showing that how climate change solutions are put on the agenda and become legitimised is both a scientific and political process, linked to how science frames the climate crisis, and ultimately, its governance.

Description: Climate change is driving compositional shifts in ecological communities directly by affecting species and indirectly through changes in species interactions. For example, competitive hierarchies can be inversed when competitive dominants are more susceptible to climate change. The brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus is a foundation species in the Baltic Sea, experiencing novel interactions with the invasive red seaweed Gracilaria vermiculophylla, which is known for its high tolerance to environmental stress. We investigated the direct and interactive effects of warming and co-occurrence of the two algal species on their performance, by applying four climate change-relevant temperature scenarios: 1) cooling ) 2 °C below ambient – representing past conditions), 2) ambient summer temperature (18 °C), 3) IPCC RCP2.6 warming scenario (1 °C above ambient), and 4) RCP8.5 warming (3 °C above ambient) for 30 days and two compositional levels (mono and co-cultured algae) in a fully-crossed design. The RCP8.5 warming scenario increased photosynthesis, respiration, and nutrients' uptake rates of mono- and co-cultured G. vermiculophylla while growth was reduced. An increase in photosynthesis and essential nutrients' uptake and, at the same time, a growth reduction might result from increasing stress and energy demand of G. vermiculophylla under warming. In contrast, the growth of mono-cultured F. vesiculosus significantly increased in the highest warming treatment (+3 °C). The cooling treatment (−2 °C) exerted a slight negative effect only on co-cultured F. vesiculosus photosynthesis, compared to the ambient treatment. Interestingly, at ambient and warming (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios) treatments, both F. vesiculosus and G. vermiculophylla appear to benefit from the presence of each other. Our results suggest that short exposure of F. vesiculosus to moderate or severe global warming scenarios may not directly affect or even slightly enhance its performance, while G. vermiculophylla net performance (growth) could be directly hampered by warming.

Description: Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are widely recognized as prolonged periods of significantly elevated sea surface temperatures, leading to substantial adverse impacts on marine ecosystems. However, a comprehensive understanding of their characteristics and potential changes under climate change in the South China Sea (SCS, 0 ∼ 25°N, 105 ∼ 125°E) remains insufficient. Here, utilizing the OISST V2.0 reanalysis dataset, our study first examines MHW characteristics and their trends in the SCS during the historical period (1982 ∼ 2014). Then, in accordance with the criteria established in this study, GFDL-ESM4, EC-Earth3-Veg, NESM3, EC-Earth3, and GFDL-CM4 are identified from the CMIP6 ensemble of 19 models for their enhanced simulations of historical MHW characteristics. Moreover, considering that the fixed and sliding threshold methods offer distinct perspectives on the future evolution of MHWs, we employ both approaches to evaluate MHW characteristics under projected scenarios for the future period (2015 ∼ 2100) and subsequently compare the disparities between the two methodologies. The outcomes obtained using these methods consistently indicate that MHWs in the SCS are anticipated to intensify and persist for longer durations in the future. Besides, addressing seasonal variability, the peak intensity of MHWs falls in May during both the historical period and the four projected future scenarios. This study provides valuable insights into the behavior of MHWs in the SCS within the context of climate change, underscoring the urgency of adopting effective mitigation strategies. Especially, the use of two definition methods provides a more comprehensive set of information for understanding the future changes of MHWs in the SCS.

Description: Highlights: • Microphytobenthos contributed to the particulate organic matter in both beaches. • Allochthonous materials provide relevant contributions to the POM in surf zones. • Estuarine subsidies' availability determines changes in consumers' isotopic niches. • Higher estuarine trophic subsidies resulted in narrower niches of dominant species. Abstract: Benthic invertebrates in the surf zone of exposed sandy beaches represent important links for energy circulation between benthic and pelagic food webs. This work assesses the trophic ecology of co-occurring epi- and hyper-benthic invertebrates inhabiting the surf zone of sandy beaches located close to an estuarine mouth. It illustrates that different sources of organic matter induce changes in resource utilization. The trophic positions, and the niche width and overlap of species were described using δ13C and δ15N stable isotope analysis. The contribution of different sources to the particulate organic matter was quantified through stable isotopes analysis and fatty acids profiles. Shifts in the trophic niches of dominant species reflected a decrease in the contribution of estuarine carbon to the diets along the coast. This change in contribution of estuarine carbon also influenced trophic niche properties: more diverse resources availability resulted in narrower niches without overlap while less diverse resources resulted in broad isotopic niches and a highest overlap. Results show that spatial variations in the availability of resources can modify carbon pathways and trophic interactions in coastal food webs. Whenever resources are abundant, species display a more specialized diet while food scarcity leads to broader diets, a pattern consistent with the optimal foraging theory. This resource maximization behavior commonly observed in nature is also occurring in surf zone ecosystems.

Description: High dissolved iron (dFe) concentrations of the order of 10-100 nmol L-1 are a feature of waters influenced by sedimentary inputs in oxygen minimum zones (OMZ). However, the temporal development of dFe concentrations is poorly defined due to a general reliance on snapshot cross-shelf sections to study marine trace metal dynamics. Multiple cruise campaigns since the 1980s have investigated Fe dynamics over the Peruvian shelf, particularly between 9-17°S where the shelf is broad, extremely productive and known to feature benthic dFe effluxes which are amongst the highest measured globally. This extensive long-term dataset uniquely allows us to study the interannual variability in dFe concentrations and their response to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. By combining data from 11 cruises during the period 1984-2017 we are able to evaluate dFe dynamics on interannual timescales in a major OMZ. The region where average dFe concentrations are sensitive to variations in ENSO is confined to a subsurface layer at depths between 50-150 m, particularly in the narrow coastal region within 50 km of the coastline. Subsurface dFe concentrations were generally low during El Niño events (0.7-15.4 nmol L-1) and relatively high with a wider range of variability during the cold ENSO phase (1.1-52.1 nmol L-1). Inverse relationships between wind speed and surface/subsurface dFe were evident. In the subsurface layer, this may be attributable to enhanced dFe offshore transport along isopycnals when upwelling-favorable winds relax in accordance with previously outlined theories. Surface layer (〈40 m) dFe variability was likely associated with a dilution and/or oxidation effect depending on the strength of wind driven water column mixing. Upwelling brings macronutrient-rich water into the euphotic zone, but its intensity had a limited impact on upper layer dFe concentrations possibly due to the influence of an onshore geostrophic flow. Interannual variability in surface chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) was found to correlate with dFe concentration in the offshore zone of northern Peru. This is consistent with bioassay experiments and climatological residual nitrate concentrations which both indicate proximal Fe limitation of phytoplankton growth over and beyond the northern Peruvian shelf. Overall, our work highlights the importance of physical factors driving short-term variations in Fe availability in one of the world’s most economically important fishery regions and suggests that, despite pronounced spatial and temporal variability in dFe concentrations, the ENSO phase has an impact on dFe availability.

Description: Underwater image restoration has been a challenging problem for decades since the advent of underwater photography. Most solutions focus on shallow water scenarios, where the scene is uniformly illuminated by the sunlight. However, the vast majority of uncharted underwater terrain is located beyond 200 meters depth where natural light is scarce and artificial illumination is needed. In such cases, light sources co-moving with the camera, dynamically change the scene appearance, which make shallow water restoration methods inadequate. In particular for multi-light source systems (composed of dozens of LEDs nowadays), calibrating each light is time-consuming, error-prone and tedious, and we observe that only the integrated illumination within the viewing volume of the camera is critical, rather than the individual light sources. The key idea of this paper is therefore to exploit the appearance changes of objects or the seafloor, when traversing the viewing frustum of the camera. Through new constraints assuming Lambertian surfaces, corresponding image pixels constrain the light field in front of the camera, and for each voxel a signal factor and a backscatter value are stored in a volumetric grid that can be used for very efficient image restoration of camera-light platforms, which facilitates consistently texturing large 3D models and maps that would otherwise be dominated by lighting and medium artifacts. To validate the effectiveness of our approach, we conducted extensive experiments on simulated and real-world datasets. The results of these experiments demonstrate the robustness of our approach in restoring the true albedo of objects, while mitigating the influence of lighting and medium effects. Furthermore, we demonstrate our approach can be readily extended to other scenarios, including in-air imaging with artificial illumination or other similar cases.

Description: The TetraEther indeX of 86 carbon atoms (TEX86) is widely used as a proxy to reconstruct past sea surface temperatures. Most current applications of TEX86 are primarily based on analyzing the composition of isoprenoid glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (isoGDGTs) that comprise TEX86 in sediments, with the assumption that the sedimentary isoGDGTs are mainly derived from the surface mixed layer. Here we report on the variations in the isoGDGT distribution, archaeal abundance and community through the water column of the Western Pacific Ocean, directly testing the export depth of isoGDGTs and constraining the temperature records of TEX86. Our data show that maximum isoGDGT concentrations occurred in subsurface waters (150–200 m) with maximum archaeal abundances. The ratio between isoGDGTs bearing 2 vs. 3 cyclopentane moieties, i.e. [2/3] ratio, increased with depth, which is likely related to the shift of the archaeal community from Ca. Nitrosopelagicus-dominance to norank_f__Nitrosopumilaceae-dominance. Models based on the [2/3] ratios in the water column predicted an average export depth of isoGDGTs to sediments of around 150–200 m, consistent with the robust relationship between the compiled sedimentary TEX86 and the annual mean subsurface temperature. Taken together, our findings support that TEX86 records subsurface rather than surface temperatures in the open ocean.

Description: This review has been undertaken to understand the effectiveness of ocean acidification on oceanic micronutrient metal cycles (iron, copper and zinc) and its potential impacts on marine biota. Ocean acidification will slow down the oxidation of Fe(II) thereby retarding Fe(III) formation and subsequent hydrolysis/precipitation leading to an increase in iron bioavailability. Further, the increased primary production sustains enzymatic bacteria assisted Fe(III) reduction and subsequently the binding of weaker ligands favours the dissociation of free Fe(II) ions, thus increasing the bioavailability. The increasing pCO2 condition increases the bioavailability of copper ions by decreasing the availability of free CO32− ligand concentration. The strong complexation by dissolved organic matter may decrease the bioavailable iron and zinc ion concentration. Since ocean acidification affects the bioavailability of essential metals, studies on the uptake rates of these elements by phytoplankton should be carried out to reveal the future scenario and its effect on natural environment.

Description: Highlights • Present day infiltration conditions in an monsoonal environment are studied. • Noble gas concentrations in groundwater are fixed near the soil surface. • Noble gas temperatures represent seasonal infiltration conditions in the monsoon. • Holocene and modern infiltration conditions are quite similar in southern Oman. Abstract Comparing directly measured soil temperatures with noble gas recharge temperatures (NGTs) inferred from noble gas concentrations indicates that the infiltrating soil water equilibrates with soil air near the soil surface during the rainy season. Therefore, NGTs of groundwater recently recharged by the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) in the Dhofar Mountains in southern Oman reflect the soil temperatures of the 3-month period and do not represent an annual mean. This finding highlights the need to account for seasonality when interpreting NGT data in regions with pronounced dry and wet seasons. We extend the observations from the southern flank of the Dhofar Mountains to three wells situated on the northern flank of the Dhofar Mountains. Two of these wells yield water of Holocene age that was recharged by the monsoon, their NGT signals are therefore classified as seasonal. The NGT calculated from a third well for recharge conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), when the ISM was absent, is approximately 3 °C lower than that of the two Holocene wells. The lower LGM noble gas temperature corresponds well with the lower annual Sea Surface Temperature (SST) in the nearby Arabian Sea. NGTs from published studies from northern Oman are 1–3 °C higher when compared with our data of the same period in the southern Oman. We explain this regional difference of reconstructed temperatures for the LGM and Holocene groundwater with a more continental climatic influence on the infiltration conditions further to the north. The published NGTs from northern Oman show a large temperature difference between the late Holocene and the LGM. In view of our finding of seasonal NGT signals under monsoonal climate, part of this difference may reflect a change in the precipitation regime rather than in air temperature.

Description: Highlights • This study simulates the sedimentation-driven development of multiple stacked BSRs in the Danube paleo-delta, Black Sea. • Formation of multiple BSRs in the Black Sea is controlled by the sequence of sedimentation events of the levees induced by sea-level changes. • Kinetics of phase transitions plays a key role in the coexistence, location, and timing of the multiple BSRs. • Development of multiple stacked BSRs is possible only under a narrow range of parameters, unique for the Danube delta setting. Abstract The gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) is defined by pressure-temperature-salinity (pTS) constraints of natural gas hydrate (GH) system. It refers to a depth interval which usually extends several hundred meters into the sediment column at sufficient water depths. The lower boundary of the GHSZ often coincides in seismic reflection data with a bottom simulating reflector (BSR), which indicates the transition between the underlying free gas and the overlying no-free gas zone at the thermodynamic stability boundary. The GHSZ in geological systems is dynamic and can shift in response to sedimentation processes and/or changes in environmental conditions such as bottom water temperatures, hydrostatic pressure, and water salinity. The appearance of multiple BSRs has been interpreted as remnants of former GHSZ shifts which have persisted over geological timescales. In this study, we numerically simulate the sedimentation-driven development of multiple stacked BSRs in the Danube deep-sea fan in the Black Sea. We show that in this dynamic sediment depositional regime sufficient amounts of residual gas remain trapped in the former GHSZ, given sufficiently high initial gas hydrate saturations, so that paleo-BSRs could persist over long time scales (similar to 300 kyr). In particular, the formation and persistence of multiple BSRs in the Danube Delta is controlled by the sequence of sedimentation events of the levees induced by sea-level change. The kinetics of methane phase transitions between gas hydrate, dissolved methane, and free gas plays a key role in the coexistence, location and timing of the multiple BSRs. Thus, For a given permeability, distinct multiple BSRs appear only for a narrow range of GH formation (10(-14) 〈 k(f) [mol/m(2) Pa s] 〈= 10(-12)) and dissociation rates (10(-16) 〈 k(d) [mol/m(2) Pa s] 〈 10(-14)).

Description: Multiple stressors often act concomitantly on ecosystems but detection of species responses follows the “single species-single driver” strategy, and cumulative impacts are seldom considered. During 1990–2010, multiple perturbations in the Caspian Sea, led to the decline of kilka, sturgeon and Caspian seal populations. Specific causes for their collapse were identified but a cumulative assessment has never been carried out. Using loop analysis, a qualitative modelling technique suitable in poor-data contexts, we show how multiple drivers can be combined to assess their cumulative impact. We confirm that the decline of kilka, sturgeon and Caspian seal populations is compatible with a net effect of the concomitant perturbations. Kilkas collapse was certainly due to the outburst of M. leidyi and overfishing. In addition, the excess nutrient might have conspired to reduce these populations. The interplay between concurrent drivers produces trade-offs between opposite effects and ecosystem management must face this challenge

Description: Highlights • Four rhyolitic explosive eruption events were distinguished from 13.1 Ma to 11.6 Ma. • Silicic volcanism occurred at termination of subduction in a thinning lithosphere. • Rhyolites show extreme magma differentiation and reduced-dry character. • Zircon trace element and Hf isotope fingerprint is an effective correlation tool. Abstract The Tokaj Mts. volcanism occurred in a thinning continental lithosphere regime at the final stage of the subduction process. Using high-precision zircon U-Pb dating, four major explosive eruption events were distinguished. Among them the 13.1 Ma Sátoraljaújhely and the 12.0 Ma Szerencs eruptions could have yielded large amount of volcanic material (possibly 〉 100 km3) and they were associated with caldera collapse as shown by the several hundred-metre-thick pyroclastic deposits and the long (〉100 km) runout pyroclastic flow in case of the 13.1 Ma eruption. The 12.3 Ma Hegyköz and the 11.6 Ma Vizsoly eruptions were relatively smaller. The volcanic products can be readily distinguished by zircon and glass trace elements and trace element ratios, which can be used for fingerprinting and to correlate with distal deposits. The Rb, Ba, Sr content and strong negative Eu-anomaly of the glasses reflect extreme crystal fractionation, particularly for the Szerencs rhyolitic magma. The silicic volcanic products of the Tokaj Mts. show compositional similarities with the so-called ‘dry–reduced–hot’ rhyolite type consistent with an origin in an extensional environment, where the primary magmas were formed by near-adiabatic decompression melting in the mantle with subordinate fluid flux. In contrast, some of the older Bükkalja rhyolitic magmas evolved via more hydrous evolutionary paths, where amphibole played a role in the control of the trace element budget. The significant increase of zircon ε Hf values from −8.8 to + 0.2 in the rhyolitic pyroclastic rocks of Tokaj Mts. with time implies that mantle-derived magmas became more dominant. This can be explained by the specific tectonic setting, i.e. the final stage of subduction when the descending subducted slab became almost vertical, which exerted a pull in the upper lithosphere leading to thinning and accelerated subsidence as well as asthenospheric mantle flow just before the slab detachment.

Description: Trace metals (TMs) manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), and aluminium (Al) have important geochemical and biological roles in the ocean. Here, we present full depth profiles of dissolved (d) and particulate Al, Mn, and Co along the latitude of 40 °S in the South Atlantic Ocean from the GEOTRACES GA10 cruises that operated in austral spring 2010 and summer 2011. The region is characterized by enhanced primary productivity and forms a key transition zone between the Southern Ocean and South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. The mean concentrations of dAl, dCo, and dMn (±standard deviation) were 3.36 ± 2.65 nmol kg−1, 35.3 ± 17.6 pmol kg−1, and 0.624 ± 1.08 nmol kg−1, respectively. Their distributions in surface waters were determined by external sources and complex internal biogeochemical processes. Specifically, surface ocean dCo was controlled by the interplay between phytoplankton uptake, remineralization and external inputs; dMn was likely determined by the formation and photoreduction of Mn-oxides; and dAl was supplied by atmospheric deposition and removed by scavenging onto particles. Fluvial and sedimentary inputs near the Rio de La Plata estuary and benthic sources from the Agulhas Bank resulted in elevated dTM concentrations in near-shore surface waters. These externally sourced dTMs were effectively delivered to the open ocean by offshore diffusion and/or advection, and potentially facilitated enhanced primary productivity along the transect. The distributions of dTMs at depth were predominantly controlled by the mixing of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) and waters of Antarctic origin (e.g., Upper Circumpolar Water (UCDW) and Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW)). The calculated endmember concentrations of dAl and dCo in NADW showed minor decreases in the SASTG following north–south transport, suggesting removal rates of 0.064 nM/year and 0.035–0.075 pM/year, respectively. The endmember concentration of dCo in AABW was maintained at ∼30 pmol kg−1 without evidence for scavenging removal in the Southern Ocean and SASTG (time frame 〉400 years). The concentrations of dMn in NADW and AABW were between 0.1 and 0.16 nmol kg−1, and any elevated dMn concentrations were ascribed to local external inputs (e.g., from sediments in the Argentine Basin and hydrothermal activity near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Hence, four controlling factors (sources, internal cycling, water mass mixing and time) need to be considered when assessing TM distributions in the global ocean, even for TMs that are vulnerable to scavenging removal processes. Because the deep waters formed in high latitude oceans are crucial components of the global thermohaline overturning system, any processes (e.g., glacier melting, upwelling and sinking, and biological activity) that impact the preformed dTM concentrations in high latitude oceans will determine the downstream dTM distributions. Therefore, the sources and sinks of TMs and associated biological activity in high latitude oceans could engender basin to global scale impacts on seawater distributions of Al, Co, and Mn and their stoichiometric relationships with macronutrients, and the global biogeochemical cycles of these scavenged-type TMs.

Description: The overriding physicochemical controls in seawater discussed here are the chemical composition and the state of master variables including temperature, pressure, salinity, pH and redox status. Dissolved Organic Matter also plays a major role, but since its properties are not sufficiently well quantified it is described as an emergent master variable at this stage. The theoretical basis for the treatment of equilibrium chemistry and kinetics is presented, together with projections of the future development of seawater chemistry resulting from climate change. Key points • Composition of seawater • Master variables (temperature, pressure, pH, oxygen/redox state) • The role of Dissolved Organic Matter • Equilibrium chemistry • Kinetics • The consequences of ongoing global changes

Description: Fishes occur in a wider range of habitats than any other vertebrate or invertebrate group, from the upper reaches of streams in high mountain ranges to the mouths of temperate and tropical rivers, and from the intertidal zone to the ocean's abyss. Fish grow in size, spawn and die, either from natural causes (predation, diseases, ageing) or from being caught in fishing nets if the population is exploited. These dynamical processes are expressed with mathematical equations and are used in population models to estimate fisheries reference points (stock assessment), which in turn provide the basis for fisheries management. Fish populations subjected to fisheries exploitation are called fish “stocks”. Fishing has been increasingly affecting fish stocks and ecosystems both directly and indirectly, and along with the human-induced climate change they pose major threats to fish biodiversity worldwide. Using the available data stored in local or global databases to assess the status of all stocks, even the data-poor fish stocks, and following an ecosystem approach to fisheries management that incorporates effort reduction through marine protected areas, may contribute to the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources.

Description: Cadmium (Cd) has a nutrient-like distribution in the ocean, similar to the macronutrient phosphate. Significant isotope fractionation induced by the biological cycling of Cd makes it a potential tracer for nutrients and productivity. However, the Cd flux and Cd isotope composition of marine sediments can also be influenced by local redox conditions and partial remineralization of organically hosted Cd. These confounding factors are under-constrained and render it challenging to use Cd as a reliable paleoproxy. To understand the relative importance of each of these processes, we examined the Cd isotope systematics of 69 modern sediments deposited across a wide range of environments. We complement these data with four profiles of particulate Cd isotope compositions from the Southern Ocean. We report three main results. First, we show that the sedimentary flux of Cd is tightly coupled to that of organic matter. Second, most Cd burial occurs in regions with some bottom-water oxygen, and the flux of CdS to anoxic regions is, globally, minor. Finally, we find that remineralization can substantially modify sedimentary Cd isotope compositions, though it is challenging to relate pelagic and sedimentary processes. For example, we find that the relationship between sedimentary Cd isotope compositions and surface seawater [Cd] is the reverse of that predicted by isotope reactor models. Likewise, sedimentary Cd isotope compositions are anti-correlated with bottom-water oxygen. While this pattern is consistent with preferential remineralization of isotopically heavy Cd, profiles of marine particulate matter reveal the reverse, whereby the Cd isotope composition of large particles, which are most likely to reach the seafloor, becomes increasingly ‘heavy’ with depth. These results highlight how productivity, redox, and remineralization all influence the flux and isotope composition of Cd to marine sediments. While our study suggests that there is no simple way to relate sedimentary Cd isotopes to surface nutrient utilization, our data point toward several potential controls that could form the basis of novel proxies for local redox conditions and remineralization.

Description: Highlights: • The interactions between vortices in a four-vortex flow field using a rotating water tank. • Driven by the strain field, non-ideal vortices stretch along the centerline, and manifest an asymmetric stretching pattern. • Non-ideal vortices disperse vorticity, accumulate filaments, and exhibit distinctive variations in anti-symmetric vorticity distribution, impacting respective merging efficiency. Abstract: Oceanic vortex merging is an important physical process for the vortex evolution and its impact on marine environment. However, limitation of the in-situ oceanic observational data of vortex merging inhabits its better understanding. This study investigates the interactions between non-ideal vortices in a four-vortex flow field in a rotating tank. We examine the merging stages of anticyclonic vortices, influenced by two other cyclonic vortices and their respective dynamical behaviors and quantify the effects of merging on vortex characteristics. The results indicate a strong shear flow between two counter-rotating vortices, which accelerates the motion of the anticyclonic vortex, while cyclonic ones exhibit greater stability. Subsequently, different stages of non-ideal vortex merging in a co-rotating framework are defined, primarily the encircling stage, rapid approaching stage, and merging vortex stage. In addition, we quantify and compare variations in morphological parameters and anti-symmetric vorticity distribution of non-ideal vortices across these stages. The stretching of vortices primarily occurs along the line connecting their centers due to the strain field exerted by neighboring vortices, resulting in an asymmetric stretching pattern in the interactions among non-ideal vortices. Furthermore, during the merging process, non-ideal vortices disperse vorticity outward and accumulate vortex filaments in the surrounding environment, leading to distinctive variations in anti-symmetric vorticity distribution, affecting their respective merging efficiency.

Description: In the past three decades, altimeter-based remote sensing has been a widely used system to estimate ocean surface currents. However, it remains a great challenge to effectively resolve scales below ∼100 km at high latitudes and ∼ 300 km at mid-latitudes. In this study, we propose a scheme that utilizes geostrophic equilibrium and surface quasigeostrophy theory (SQG) to improve surface current resolution by incorporating remote sensing sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface height (SSH), and sea surface salinity (SSS) observations. The scheme separately characterizes the larger-scale flows and smaller-scale motions of surface currents. A case study encompassing the Agulhas surface current demonstrates that the smaller-scale motions associated with temperature fronts are well captured by introducing high spatial-temporal resolution SST data. Furthermore, the reconstructed surface current is systemically evaluated by using surface drogued drifters and a Lagrangian synthetic particle tracking tool throughout the South Indian Ocean (SIO) for 2011–2015. Notably, the reconstructed zonal velocity component is closer to the drifter observations than the meridional counterpart and corresponding velocity phase. Regionally, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) showcases superior reconstruction performance, with higher skill scores and lower Lagrangian separation distances. However, a relatively large uncertainty is observed around the Agulhas Retroflection (AR) and Greater Agulhas System (GAS), which are linked to complicated regional dynamic regimes. We finally conduct four simulation experiments to explore the effect of different SST products on surface current reconstruction within the subdomain AR. The results indicate the varying potentials of the four evaluated SST products for informing surface current applications. Specifically, the MWIRSST enhances the likelihood of particles reaching the target field, while DMI OI shortens the average deviation distance of the arrived particles.

Description: Marine imaging studies have unique constraints on the data collected requiring a tool for defining the biological scope to facilitate data discovery, quality evaluation, sharing and reuse. Defining the ‘target population’ is way of scoping biological sampling or observations by setting the pool of organisms to be observed or sampled. It is used in survey design and planning, to determine statistical inference, and is critical for data interpretation and reuse (both images and derived data). We designed a set of attributes for defining and recording the target population in biological studies using marine photography, incorporating ecological and environmental delineation and marine imaging method constraints. We describe how this definition may be altered and recorded at different phases of a project. The set of attributes records the definition of the target population in a structured metadata format to enhance data FAIRness. It is designed as an extension to the image FAIR Digital Objects metadata standard, and we map terms to other biological data standards where possible. This set of attributes serves a need to update ecological metadata to align with new remotely-sensed data, and can be applied to other remotely-sensed ecological image data.

Description: Highlights: • Mnemiopsis leidyi is capable of catching and digesting herring yolk-sac larvae. • Predation on herring larvae is decreasing with prey age and increasing with predator size. • Predation of M. leidyi on herring larvae is not affected by the presence of alternative natural prey represented by the copepod Acartia tonsa. • Substantial predation of M. leidyi on yolk-sac herring larvae may occur in the field, when both overlap spatially and temporarily. Western Baltic spring spawning herring (Clupea harengus, L.) is a commercially important fish stock currently suffering a strong decline. Larval survival is essential for stock recruitment and can be substantially decreased by predation. The comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi A. Agassiz, 1865, is a lobate ctenophore which is invasive to the Baltic Sea and a known ichthyoplankton predator. However, predation on herring larvae in the Baltic Sea by M. leidyi has not been studied since its initial establishment in 2006. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted feeding experiments to investigate (1) the predation capability of M. leidyi on herring yolk-sac larvae, and (2) the influence of larval age, (3) predator size and (4) the presence of alternative prey on the clearance rate of M. leidyi on herring yolk-sac larvae. Our results showed that M. leidyi exhibited the ability to capture and digest herring larvae. The clearance rates of M. leidyi on herring larvae decreased with larval age and increased with predator size, while the presence of alternative prey had no effect on clearance rates. This finding suggests that M. leidyi can efficiently consume herring yolk-sac larvae under laboratory conditions. However, further investigations using mesocosm or field studies are necessary to evaluate the potential impact of M. leidyi on the mortality and recruitment of herring yolk-sac larvae under Baltic Sea field conditions.

Description: This chapter provides an overview of near-surface geochemical processes operating on Earth, with special emphasis placed on (i) marine weathering such as alteration and dissolution of silicates, carbonates and terrigenous riverine particles in the ocean, complemented by (ii) reverse weathering reactions leading to marine authigenic clay formation, and the impact of these phenomena on ocean alkalinity budget and the chemical and isotope composition of seawater. Model simulations of the above processes provide estimates of the global marine fluxes of major cations (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+) and alkalinity in the ocean induced by silicate weathering and dissolution of terrigenous material in seawater. Additional constraints on silicate vs. carbonate weathering, oceanic/coastal CaCO3 cycling, and paleo-seawater reconstructions are provided via the stable and radiogenic isotope systems of alkali and alkaline earth metals (Li, K, Mg, Ca, and Sr isotopes) that are discussed within the context of marine and reverse weathering in the present and past ocean. Key points • Impact of weathering processes on marine elemental cycles and the ocean alkalinity budget. • Alteration and dissolution of silicate minerals and riverine particles in the ocean quantified via thermodynamic equilibrium (PHREEQC) calculations, in seawater and top sediment settings. • Estimates of global ocean fluxes of dissolved cations (Na+ , K+ , Mg 2+ , Ca2+ ) and alkalinity induced by alteration and dissolution of terrigenous material in seawater and marine sediments. • Principles and mechanisms of isotope variability in nature (mass-dependent and radiogenic isotope effects) observed for alkali and alkaline earth metals. • Silicate vs. carbonate weathering and coastal carbon/carbonate cycling constrained via stable and radiogenic Ca and Sr, and Li isotopes. • Oceanic processes, marine carbonate chemistry (alkalinization vs. acidification), and paleo-seawater reconstructions constrained via d44 Ca, d88 Sr, d26 Mg proxies and numerical (MATLAB) modeling. • Emerging metal isotope proxies (d41 K) for silicate and reverse weathering in the ocean.

Description: Since the initial discovery of the non-exponential mass fractionation (non-EMF) of Nd isotopes analysis in 2002, similar deviations from an EMF pattern have been reported for measurements of a number of isotope systems (e.g., Si, Ge, Sr, Sn, Ba, Yb, W, Os, Hg and Pb) with MC-ICP-MS. However, the previous controversial reports on the magnitude of the deviations from EMF suggest that instrumental mass bias behaviour of MC-ICP-MS is neither fully understood nor well-characterised. Consequently, the standard approach of using a mass dependent fractionation (MDF) correction model (e.g., exponential law) may lead to both inaccurate and imprecise results. In this study, we systematically characterise the instrumental mass fractionation of MC-ICP-MS using Nd isotope measurements carried out under different plasma conditions, quantified using the normalised argon index (NAI) as an estimate of plasma temperature. Our results indicate that the mass bias of MC-ICP-MS is not always a simple exponential function of mass but shows systematic deviations from an EMF behaviour, which are closely associated with decreased NAIs. As a result, the conventional exponential correction yields a 143Nd/144Nd value of 0.512257 for the reference material BHVO-2 when the NAI is low, which is 722 ppm lower than the reported value of 0.512979. By tuning the plasma to higher NAIs (higher plasma temperatures), the deviations from the EMF array are systematically attenuated and the exponential correction is able to correct for the instrumental mass bias under high NAIs. In contrast, a regression correction model for Nd isotopes is developed to account for the observed mass fractionation behaviour that does not follow EMF under low NAIs, given that the regression correction relies on the observed loglinear fractionation of different isotope pairs and does not require both isotope ratios to undergo EMF. We expect that the analytical protocol and fundamental insights gained in this study are applicable to a wide range of other isotope measurements with MC-ICP-MS.

Description: Highlights • Mercury methylation in sediment rapidly transported into water and diatoms. • CH3Hg flux was highest for sediments with higher sulfide and organic content. • Mineral and compressed sediment released minor Hg and CH3Hg. • Higher sediment Hg species flux does not correlate with high sediment content. • Stable isotope incubations provide substantial insight to environmental Hg cycling. Abstract Mercury (Hg) is a conspicuous and persistent global pollutant. Ionic Hg can be methylated into noxious methylmercury (CH3Hg), which biomagnifies in marine tropic webs and poses a health risk to humans and organisms. Sediment Hg methylation rates are variable, and the output flux of created CH3Hg are dependent on sediment characteristics and environmental factors. Thus, uncertainties remain about the formation and flux of CH3Hg from sediment, and how this could contribute to the bioaccumulative burden for coastal organisms in shallow ecosystems. Cores were collected from 3 estuarine locations along the Eastern USA to examine how sediments characteristics influence the introduction of Hg and CH3Hg into the base of the food chain. Stable isotopes of inorganic 200Hg and CH3199Hg were injected into sediments of individual cores, with cultured diatoms constrained to overlying waters. Five different treatments were done on duplicate cores, spiked with: (1) no Hg isotopes (control); (2) inorganic 200Hg; (3) CH3199Hg; (4) both 200Hg and CH3199Hg isotopes, (5) both 200Hg and CH3199Hg into overlying waters (not sediment). Experimental cores were incubated for 3 days under temperature and light controlled conditions. These results demonstrate that upper sediments characteristics lead to high variability in Hg cycling. Notably, sediments which contained abundant and peaty organic material (∼28 %LOI), had the highest pore water DOC (3206 μM) and displayed bands of sulfur reducing bacteria yielded the greatest methylation rate (1.97 % day−1) and subsequent diatom uptake of CH3200Hg (cell quota 0.18 amol/cell) in the overlying water.

Description: Highlights • Developed an innovative weighted outlier detection function that adaptively selects the best outlier detection technique, markedly improving precision and robustness in multibeam echosounder data analysis. • Demonstrated superior performance of the weighted function over traditional methods, achieving higher precision, recall, and F1 scores, pivotal for accurate seafloor mapping. • Enhanced data quality for geoscientific applications by effectively identifying and removing outliers without introducing data voids, preserving the integrity of multibeam sonar data. • The function’s significance extends to supporting sustainable environmental and resource management practices through improved accuracy in seabed mapping. • Discussed the adaptability of the method to various outlier patterns and its limitations, highlighting the need for further research and validation across different marine environments and data types. Abstract Multibeam sonar data are a valuable tool for seafloor mapping and geological studies. However, the presence of outliers in multibeam data can distort the results of analyses and reduce the accuracy of seafloor maps. In this paper, we define a weighting function based on the performance of various outlier detection techniques (OTDs) for detecting outliers in multibeam data, which calculates an outlier probability score for each sounding. Our results show that each OTD has its own strengths and weaknesses, and that a combination of outlier detection techniques is promising to improve reproducibility, explainability and the accuracy of the detection process. To address the challenge of detecting outliers in multibeam data, we propose a weighted outlier detection function that outperforms individual outlier detection techniques in terms of precision, recall and F1 scores by considering their strengths and combining them in a way that accounts for variations in the data. The function detects various types of outliers with high precision and recall values, resulting in valuable improvements in outlier detection performance for multibeam data. Overall, our proposed workflow has the potential to significantly improve the way multibeam data cleaning is performed, with the weighted outlier detection function being applied first, detecting most of the outlier automatically, followed by a domain-expert review of a small group of soundings whose automatic outlier labelling is not unequivocal.

Description: Highlights: • Huidobria chilensis is an endemic shrub distributed in the south of the Atacama Desert with a disjunct population at the northern coast. • Population and genetic structure correlate with geographic distance and geological factors. • Rain fall and fog, as well as ground water, must be regarded as important factors for populations at the coast and the Andean valleys, respectively. • A combination of different software tool to analyze GBS data allowed a good understanding of the population structure and genetic diversity. Abstract: Survival in hyperarid deserts is a major challenge for life in general and for plants in particular. The Atacama Desert presents harsh conditions such as limited rainfall, crusted soils, high soil salinity, high altitude, and intense solar radiation. These conditions, together with paleoclimatic variations over the last 10 million years, have influenced the genetic structure and connectivity of plant populations, resulting in a diverse flora with high endemism. However, the diversification of most lineages appears to be relatively recent, in contrast to the reported age of the Atacama Desert and the onset and expansion of hyperarid conditions since the late Oligocene and early Miocene. A prominent exception is Huidobria chilensis (Loasaceae), which is thought to be endemic to the Atacama since the Eocene. However, it is still not understood why this plant has been successful in adapting to the harshening environmental conditions. To investigate its genetic structure in relation to the history of the Atacama Desert, we studied 186 individuals from 11 populations using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). A total of nearly 56 k genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed for population structure and genetic diversity. We identified four genetic clusters corresponding to geographic regions: the coastal region south of Tocopilla, the Cordillera de la Costa around Chañaral, and the Copiapó catchment 1 and 2. Genetic diversity within and between these clusters was analyzed along with rainfall, altitude, and landscape data. Although the genetic data support `isolation by distance’ as a major factor for genetic divergence between populations, the study also reveals the influence of topography on the distribution of H. chilensis and highlights the role of hydrologically connected watersheds and rivers in plant migration and colonization. This shapes the species' evolutionary trajectory and genetic diversity. Understanding these patterns in H chilensis lets one draw general conclusions about adaptation and survival strategies of plants in extreme desert environments such as the Atacama.

Description: Highlights • Investigation into the potential of Porites microatolls for SST reconstruction. • Comparison between recent and more conventional coral paleoclimatology methods. • Application of Srsingle bondU and Li/Mg paleothermometer. • Accuracy and reproducibility of Sr/Ca proved to be the most suitable proxy for SST reconstruction. Abstract Massive dome-shaped coral Porites are the predominant choice for paleoclimate studies due to their consistent and reliable growth. When growing close to sea level, they become limited in their vertical growth and form so-called ‘microatolls’. Microatolls have not yet been extensively explored for paleoclimate reconstruction. Here, we investigate how reliable modern Porites microatolls are against empirical sea-surface temperature using Sr/Ca, δ18O, Li/Mg and Srsingle bondU paleothermometry methods on samples from the Society Islands, French Polynesia. Our results show Sr/Ca ratios have the lowest Standard Error of the Inverse Prediction (SEIP) at 0.415 °C (N = 41) with a calibration of Sr/Ca (mmol mol−1) = −0.082 ± 0.006 SST (°C) + 11.256 ± 0.170 and with high reproducibility across multiple corals. The reproducibility of δ18O was less good, with SEIP increasing to 0.829 °C (N = 41). Considering methods directly from the literature, Li/Mg ratio empirically corrected for Sr/Ca had the best balance between bias and precision where no local calibration could be available. This study independently evaluates and confirms the suitability of Porites microatolls from well-flushed environments for paleoclimate studies. Fossil dome-shaped Porites grow anywhere between near-surface and roughly 20 m depths which inherently incorporates uncertainty into any sea surface temperature reconstruction. This uncertainty is significantly reduced for microatolls due to their well-constrained bathymetry. The study represents a fundamental step in paleoclimate research targeting consistently near the water-air interface bringing reliability and, especially when combined with their ability to reconstruct past sea-level changes, microatolls have the potential to be central for future paleoenvironmental studies.

Description: Highlights: • Acartia hudsonica shows strong seasonality in thermal tolerance. • The observed seasonal differences in are consistent with pheno-typic plasticity not adaptation. • Body size in A. hudsonica is negatively correlated to environmental and developmental temperature. Abstract: Seasonal changes in environmental conditions require substantial physiological responses for population persistence. Phenotypic plasticity is a common mechanism to tolerate these changes, but for organisms with short generation times rapid adaptation may also be a contributing factor. Here, we used a common garden design (11 °C and 18 °C) to disentangle the impacts of adaptation from phenotypic plasticity on thermal tolerance of the calanoid copepod Acartia hudsonica collected throughout spring and summer of a single year. Acartia hudsonica were collected from five time points across the season and thermal tolerance was determined using critical thermal maximum followed by additional measurements after one generation of common garden. As sea surface temperature increased through the season, field collected individuals showed corresponding increases in thermal tolerance but decreases in body size. Despite different thermal tolerances of wild collections, after one generation of common garden animals did not differ in within thermal treatments. Instead, there was evidence of phenotypic plasticity where higher temperatures were tolerated by the 18 °C versus the 11 °C treatment animals across all collections. Despite persisting differences between collections due to either adaptation or parental effects, acclimation also had significant effects on body size, with the warm treatment resulting in smaller individuals, consistent with the temperature size rule. Therefore, the differences in thermal tolerance and body size observed in field collected A. hudsonica were predominantly driven by plasticity rather than adaptation. However, the observed decrease in body size suggests that nutrient availability for higher trophic levels and ecosystem functioning could be impacted if temperatures consistently increase with no change in copepod abundance. This is the first record of A. hudsonica in the Baltic Sea known to the authors.

Description: The impact of oxygen on the preservation of organic matter in marine surface sediments is still controversial. We revisited this long-standing debate by determining the burial efficiency of sedimentary organic matter in the Black Sea, the largest anoxic and euxinic basin in the modern ocean. Surface sediments were sampled in the Danube paleodelta on the northwestern margin of the Black Sea at 420–1550 m water depth. Steady-state modeling of solid species (particulate organic carbon and nitrogen) and solutes (ammonium, sulfate, and total alkalinity) in sediments was performed to quantify rates of mass accumulation, particulate organic matter (POM) degradation, and POM burial. We develop a novel analytical model to quantify these rates applying an inverse modelling approach to down core data accounting for molecular diffusion, sediment burial and compaction. Our model results indicate that 56.7 ± 6.6 % of the particulate organic matter deposited in the study area is not degraded in surface sediments but accumulates below 10 cm sediment depth. This burial efficiency is substantially higher than those previously derived for seafloor areas underlying oxygenated bottom waters. Hence, our study confirms previous studies showing that euxinic bottom water conditions promote the preservation of particulate organic matter in marine sediments.

Description: Highlights • Development of an autonomous DIC analyzer based on Conductometric technique using a cell with 4 hollow brass electrodes. • CO2 extraction from seawater using a gas diffusion cell with a “Tube In A Tube” configuration and a gas permeable membrane. • Formulation of mathematical temperature and salinity correction to determine accurate DIC concentration. • Demonstration of the analyzer performance in the southwest Baltic Sea. Abstract Background The increase in anthropogenic CO2 concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere since the industrial revolution has resulted in an increased uptake of CO2 by the oceans, leading to ocean acidification. Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) is one of the key variables to characterize the seawater carbonate system. High quality DIC observations at a high spatial-temporal resolution is required to improve our understanding of the marine carbonate system. To meet the requirements, autonomous DIC analyzers are needed which offer a high sampling frequency, are cost-effective and have a low reagent and power consumption. Results We present the development and validation of a novel analyzer for autonomous measurements of DIC in seawater using conductometric detection. The analyzer employs a gas diffusion sequential injection approach in a “Tube In A Tube” configuration that facilitates diffusion of gaseous CO2 from an acidified sample through a gas permeable membrane into a stream of an alkaline solution. The change in conductivity in the alkaline medium is proportional to the DIC concentration of the sample and is measured using a detection cell constructed of 4 hollow brass electrodes. Physical and chemical optimizations of the analyzer yielded a sampling frequency of 4 samples h−1 using sub mL reagent volumes for each measurement. Temperature and salinity effects on DIC measurements were mathematically corrected to increase accuracy. Analytical precision of ±4.9 μmol kg−1 and ±9.7 μmol kg−1 were achieved from measurements of a DIC reference material in the laboratory and during a field deployment in the southwest Baltic Sea, respectively. Significance This study describes a simple, cost-effective, autonomous, on-site benchtop DIC analyzer capable of measuring DIC in seawater at a high temporal resolution as a step towards an underwater DIC sensor. The analyzer is able to measure a wide range of DIC concentrations in both fresh and marine waters. The achieved accuracy and precision offer an excellent opportunity to employ the analyzer for ocean acidification studies and CO2 leakage detection in the context of Carbon Capture and Storage operations.

Description: The ocean region along the latitude of 40oS in the South Atlantic, characterized by enhanced primary productivity, forms a transition zone between the nutrient replete but iron depleted Southern Ocean, and the nitrate and iron depleted Subtropical Gyre. Here, we present distributions of nutrient-type dissolved and particulate trace metals (dTMs and pTMs) including cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in the South Atlantic from the GEOTRACES GA10 cruises. Phytoplankton uptake, riverine and atmospheric inputs shaped dTM and pTM concentrations in surface waters (dCd 27.8±36.0 pmol kg-1, n=222; dCu 0.732±0.429 nmol kg-1, n=222; dNi 3.38±0.52 nmol kg-1, n=219; dZn 0.332±0.398 nmol kg-1, n=214). Subsurface nutrients and dTMs (dCd 563±184 pmol kg-1, n=335; dCu 1.819±0.773 nmol kg-1, n=334; dNi 6.19±1.06 nmol kg-1, n=330; dZn 3.71±2.10 nmol kg-1, n=333) were controlled by the mixing of Antarctic origin waters and North Atlantic Deep Waters (NADW) with negligible contributions from local remineralization. Dissolved and particulate TMs in the Argentine Basin showed elevated concentrations towards the seafloor because of benthic inputs. Direct hydrothermal inputs of dTMs and pTMs to deep waters were not observed along the transect. The Cd-Cu-Zn-phosphate stoichiometries of Antarctic origin waters were set by a combination of dynamic physical circulation and preferential uptake of Cd, Cu, and Zn relative to phosphate in surface waters because of a dominance by diatoms in the Southern Ocean. Water mass mixing subsequently produced convoluted dCu-P and dZn-P relationships and apparent linear dCd-P and dNi-P relationships in the South Atlantic. More importantly, endmember characteristics of Antarctic waters and NADW are largely fixed in their formation regions in high latitude oceans. Therefore, the highly dynamic high latitude oceans are key regions that supply nutrients and TMs at specific ratios to low latitude oceans via the thermohaline circulation. Changes to processes in the high latitude oceans may have consequences for marine primary productivity downstream, and hence the global carbon cycle.

Description: Abundant mineral resources in the deep sea are prospected for mining for the global metal market. Seafloor massive sulphide (SMS) deposits along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge are one of the potential sources for these metals. The extraction of SMS deposits will expose adjacent marine ecosystems to suspended particle plumes charged with elevated concentrations of heavy metals and other potentially toxic compounds. Up to date there is no information about the impact of mining activities on deep-sea benthic ecosystems such as abundant deep-sea sponge grounds in the North Atlantic Ocean. Sponge grounds play a major role in benthic-pelagic coupling and represent an important habitat for a diversity of vertebrates, invertebrates and microorganisms. To simulate the effects of mining plumes on benthic life in the deep sea, we exposed Geodia barretti, a dominant sponge species in the North Atlantic Ocean, and an associated brittle star species from the genus Ophiura spp. to a field-relevant concentration of 30 mg L−1 suspended particles of crushed SMS deposits. Three weeks of exposure to suspended particles of crushed SMS resulted in a tenfold higher rate of tissue necrosis in sponges. All brittle stars in the experiment perished within ten days of exposure. SMS particles were evidently accumulated in the sponge's mesohyl and concentrations of iron and copper were 10 times elevated in SMS exposed individuals. Oxygen consumption and clearance rates were significantly retarded after the exposure to SMS particles, hampering the physiological performance of G. barretti. These adverse effects of crushed SMS deposits on G. barretti and its associated brittle star species potentially cascade in disruptions of benthic-pelagic coupling processes in the deep sea. More elaborate studies are advisable to identify threshold levels, management concepts and mitigation measures to minimize the impact of deep-sea mining plumes on benthic life.

Description: The exchange of trace gases across the ocean/atmosphere interface, as well as the deposition of atmospheric pollutants and aerosols, are key processes linking the biogeochemical cycles and biological processes in the ocean with atmospheric chemistry and climate. Here we summarize our knowledge about the distributions of long-lived trace gases (CO2, CH4, N2O), short-lived trace gases, and pollutants (dimethyl sulfide (DMS), isoprene, halocarbons, NOx, SO2, O3, and others), and aerosols in the Indian Ocean. In general, dissolved trace gases show a pronounced temporal and spatial variability, which is caused by the variability of both physical processes (e.g., coastal upwelling) and biological productivity. The distributions of pollutants and aerosols and their depositions to the sea surface are mainly driven by the monsoon system and the variability of their land sources. Nitrogen and iron-containing aerosols can significantly affect biological production in the surface layer of the open Indian Ocean.

Description: The Indian Ocean is an important conduit for the exchange of physical and biogeochemical properties through many distinct interbasin oceanic connections. The Indonesian archipelago provides a gappy pathway for warm tropical waters to enter the Indian Ocean from the Pacific. South of Australia, a complex circulation transports cooler subtropical waters from the Pacific while Indian Ocean waters from within the Leeuwin Current feed a series of currents along the southern Australian continental margin. Southern Ocean waters source both the deep and shallow overturning circulations into the Indian Ocean. The westward leakage of eddies spawned from the Agulhas Current off South Africa returns warm and salty Indian Ocean waters into the Atlantic and plays a significant role in the upper branch of the global meridional overturning circulation. This chapter discusses these pathways and highlights how they change with time and influence the circulation and properties of the Indian and global oceans.

Description: Highlights • δ13C and δ18O profiles increase from exterior to interior until reaching a plateau. • Primary Layer δ13C reflects the δ13C of the Dissolved Inorganic Carbon. • In high pCO2 experiments, δ13C and δ18O closer to equilibrium fields. • Brachiopods grow according to an incremental growth model. Abstract Brachiopod shells are ubiquitous since the Early Cambrian up to now. As they secrete a shell made of low-magnesium calcite, more resistant to diagenesis than biocarbonates richer in Mg, their geochemical signatures are generally considered a powerful tool for paleo-environmental and paleo-climatic reconstructions. However, gaps in knowledge still remain on the underlying controls of the shell chemistry, in particular at a high spatial resolution. In this study, in situ oxygen and carbon isotope measurements by SIMS (Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry) were performed in brachiopod shells of the cold-temperate water species Magellania venosa, constituted of a primary and a secondary layer. The individual specimens studied here grew under controlled conditions mimicking the natural environment and in experiments under low-pH (high pCO2) and high-temperature conditions. Transversal carbon and oxygen profiles showed a “brachiopod pattern” typical of extant two-layered brachiopods, with the primary layer depleted in 18O and 13C relative to equilibrium and the secondary layer showing a gradual increasing trend until reaching a near-equilibrium plateau. Overall, shells cultured at low pH were found to have δ18O and δ13C values closer to equilibrium when compared to shells from the control experiment. These near-equilibrium values may reflect a decrease in shell precipitation rate, leading to less kinetic effects, and/or a more rapid kinetics for the equilibration between DIC species and water. By close pairing of seawater δ18O and δ13C to that of shell microstructure, our study enables us to derive layer-specific C and O enrichment factors, which show the extent of pH and temperature effects superimposed on the seawater δ18O and DIC δ13C signal inherited. Finally, we show that during brachiopod shell growth, newly precipitated calcite is added to the calcite already existing, thus empirically validating the conceptual accretionary growth model proposed by Ackerly (1989).

Description: The mesopelagic or ocean twilight zone (OTZ) in the ocean contains huge numbers of fish in a relatively pristine environment and may therefore attract interest as a commercial fishery. In this study we evaluate in economic terms, the likely trade-offs between the different services provided by the mesopelagic layer in the Bay of Biscay and the societal benefits of its commercial exploitation. Benefits arise mainly from the likely use of this group of species as raw material for producing fishmeal and fish oil. Costs are derived from the loss in climate regulating and cultural, services, but also from the loss in the provisioning service of other commercial species. To do so we compare the current non-exploited status with a situation in where mesopelagic fishes are harvested at levels capable of producing the Maximum Sustainable Yield. Results suggest that if mesopelagic fishes are harvested, a mean value of 1.2 million Euro loss in a year will be created in the Bay of Biscay, although in a range between 42 million Euro loss and 48 Euro million benefits. This uncertainty comes, mainly, from the limited existing knowledge of the mesopelagic fishes’ biomass but also from the uncertainty on the biomass of the rest of the species of the studied ecosystem. The large range indicates that a better understanding of the mesopelagic ecosystem is needed, however, results also show that ecosystem services under no exploitation provided by the OTZ could be more valuable than the fishmeal and fish oil that potentially could be obtained from the fishes harvested in this sea layer.

Description: Detection of small plastic particles in environmental water samples has been a topic of increasing interest in recent years. A multitude of techniques, such as variants of Raman spectroscopy, have been employed to facilitate their analysis in such complex sample matrices. However, these studies are often conducted for a limited number of plastic types in matrices with relatively little additional materials. Thus, much remains unknown about what parameters influence the detection limits of Raman spectroscopy for more environmentally relevant samples. To address this, this study utilizes Raman spectroscopy to detect six plastic particle types; 161 and 33 nm polystyrene, 〈 450 nm and 36 nm poly(ethylene terephthalate), 121 nm polypropylene, and 126 nm polyethylene; spiked into artificial saltwater, artificial freshwater, North Sea, Thames River, and Elbe River water. Overall, factors such as plastic particle properties, water matrix composition, and experimental setup were shown to influence the final limits of detection.

Description: Highlights • a high-fidelity RANS CFD method is used to simulate the flow through netting panels. • The influence of netting solidity, twine diameter, mesh opening angle and incident angle is examined. • Mesh opening angle, solidity and angle of incidence greatly influence the hydrodynamic force coefficients and efficiency. To ensure the economic and environmental sustainability of the fisheries and aquaculture industries, it is necessary to address issues related to fuel consumption, environmental degradation, and fish welfare. Hence, we need a thorough understanding of the filtration efficiency and the hydrodynamic forces acting on towed fishing gears and netting structures. Here we apply a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) CFD method to model the flow through netting panels, where we vary the operational and design parameters of flow speed, netting solidity, twine diameter, mesh opening angle and the incidence angle of the flow to the panel. Thus, we create a simulated data set which we analyze to provide a fundamental understanding of the functional relationships for the pressure drop and tangential drag coefficients, and the flow deflection in terms of these parameters. We pay particular attention to the effect of mesh opening angle, a parameter that has not received much attention in the literature. We demonstrate that it has a large influence on the drag and lift coefficients and consequently on the hydrodynamic efficiency of netting panels. These results will be particularly useful for reducing the hydrodynamic forces on netting structures and improving the fuel efficiency of towed fishing gear operations.

Description: Highlights • Statistically different gas geochemistry was observed in two adjacent springs. • About 74% of helium was contributed by the mantle. • Excess N2 relative to Ar was attributed to subducted materials and seawater mixing. • Magmatic CO2 has been largely removed by calcite precipitation in the reaction zone. • The residual CO2 may also be supplied by microbial oxidation of alkanes. Gas emissions from hydrothermal systems can serve as indicators of subsurface activity. In addition to gas sources, hydrothermal gas geochemistry is strongly influenced by secondary processes that occur during/after hydrothermal circulation. Here, we observed statistically significant differences in the geochemical characteristics (except for helium isotopes) of bubbling gases discharged from two adjacent vents in the Northern Luzon Arc. Helium (3He/4He = 4.25–7.09 Ra) in both vents was controlled by mixing between mantle and crustal components, where about 74% of helium was contributed by the mantle. Differences in N2/Ar ratios (∼ 300–330) of the two neighboring springs are attributed to subducted materials and seawater mixing (contributing ∼2.5% N2 and Ar), rather than phase separation in the reaction zone. Specifically, Ar was mainly supplied by atmospheric components that dissolved in the percolated seawater with only 8%–9% contributed by the excess radiogenic 40Ar. Excess N2 relative to Ar was mainly supplied by the decomposition of subducted materials (83%–92%) of the South China Sea plate beneath the Philippine Sea Plate. The Lutao gases showed low CO2 concentrations (0.07–22.2 mmol/mol), despite the high 3He/4He ratios indicating a significant contribution of magmatic components. Magmatic CO2 may have been largely consumed by the high Ca Lutao vent fluids via carbonate precipitation in the reaction zone. Alternatively, stable carbon isotope compositions (δ13C) indicate that Lutao CO2 may be supplied by microbial oxidation of alkanes (e.g., CH4 with concentrations of 14.6–173 mmol/mol in the samples), with fractionation factor ΔCO2–CH4 ranging from −15‰ to −25‰ and conversion rates of 〈10%. Up to 65% of the CO2 in the 2016 samples experienced secondary calcite precipitation in the discharge zone. Our results indicate that recycled subducted materials could potentially affect the geochemical characteristics of gases discharged from arc-volcanic systems. In addition, the influence of secondary processes needs to be considered before tracing the sources of hydrothermal fluids and/or gases, especially in shallow-water hydrothermal systems.

Description: Highlights: • A cyclonic frontal eddy emerged near the South Java Coast (SJC) in 2019. • The cyclonic eddy induces filaments of Chl-a, cold water, and nutrients. • Anti-cyclonic eddies distribute the filaments further offshore. • The role of wind can't be ignored in distributing filaments in the SJC. • We propose a three-stage mechanism for Chl-a distribution in the offshore SJC. Intense mesoscale eddy activity has been observed off the southern Java coast (SJC), yet its impact on local ecosystems remains largely unknown. To investigate this, we examined remotely sensed altimetry, chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), and sea surface temperature (SST) data, focusing on their response to eddies in the region. Our eddy detection and tracking analysis revealed a unique cyclonic frontal eddy near the SJC coast and a large anticyclonic eddy offshore, active from July to September 2019. The cyclonic frontal eddy induced water transport through eddy filaments, upwelled subsurface cold water, and enhanced Chl-a concentrations by horizontally entraining Chl-a-rich shelf water offshore. The anticyclonic eddy then contributed to further distributing this enriched water southward. The mean cross-shelf transport associated with the frontal eddy was estimated at 1.80–2.33 Sv offshore, exporting approximately 1.87–2.40 × 103 tons of Chl-a to the Indian Ocean during its lifetime. Additionally, the spatial cross-correlation analysis of zonal and meridional wind stress with Chl-a revealed relatively high correlation values (0.6–1) and short lag times (〈5 days) in offshore areas, indicating that the role of wind in the Chl-a advection cannot be ignored. We propose a three-stage mechanism to explain the presence of high Chl-a offshore:1) Wind-driven upwelling intensifies coastal nutrients, elevating Chl-a concentrations in coastal waters, 2) Frontal cyclonic eddy facilitates the retention and offshore export of these upwelling-enriched waters. and 3) Anticyclonic eddy advects these nutrient-rich waters further south. The combination of enhanced coastal upwelling and eddies can explain nutrient-rich coastal waters in offshore regions

Description: The dynamic processes associated with subducting tectonic plates and rising plumes of hot material are typically treated separately in dynamical models and seismological studies. However, various types of observations and related models indicate these processes overlap spatially. Here we use precursors to PP and SS reflecting off mantle transition zone discontinuities to map deflections of these discontinuities near three subduction zones surrounding the Caribbean Plate: 1) Lesser Antilles, 2) Middle America and 3) northern South American subduction zones. In all three regions slow seismic anomalies are present behind the sinking slab within the transition zone in tomographic images. Using array methods, we identify precursors and verify their in-plane propagation for MW ≥ 5.8 events occurring between the years 2000 and 2020 by generating a large number of source receiver combinations with reflection points in the area, including crossing ray paths. The measured time lag between PP/SS arrivals and their corresponding precursors on robust stacks are used to measure the depth of the mantle transition zone discontinuities. In all three areas we find evidence for upward deflection of the 660 discontinuity behind the sinking slab, consistent with the presence of hot plume material (average temperature anomalies of 180 to 620 K), while there is not a corresponding downward deflection of the 410 km discontinuity. One interpretation of these disparate observations is suggested based on comparison to existing models of mantle convection and subduction: plume material rising across 660 km discontinuity could be entrained by lateral flow in the transition zone induced by the nearby sinking slab, and thus delaying the rise of hot material across the 410 km discontinuity.

Description: Highlights • Accurate fault model can be built even when sparse drilling wells are available. • The multiresolution fault model provides information of faults with different sizes. • Fault model provides possibility of tectonic and fluid flow analysis simultaneously. • Modelling of faults in different scales, enable more accurate well path design. • The ANN provides optimized parameters for fault detection by ant tracking algorithm. Modelling faults plays a crucial step in the chain of studies through the first phase of the hydrocarbon exploration and its following studies in reservoir engineering, simulation and field development. This study introduces an innovative and automatic integrated approach that combines seismic multi-attributes and well data for faults modelling. The proposed strategy begins with extracting fault-related seismic attributes commonly used for seismic reservoir characterization. Chaos, variance and curvature attributes, typically highlight large-scale faults that shape the structural framework of the study field. In contrast, small-scale faults, influencing subsurface fluid flow in the fractured reservoir, are modeled using the ant-tracking algorithm applied to seismic data. Small-scale and large-scale fault models, then integrated with the conventional fault model to create an integrated discrete fracture network (DFN). This DFN model incorporates information on both large-scale and small-scale faults. The proposed strategy was applied on a geologically complex petroleum field in Iran. The results, validated using Formation Micro Imager (FMI) data, demonstrate accuracy of the integrated DFN model in comparison to conventional approaches on the studied filed, particularly in capturing small-scale faults. Consequently, it can be concluded that the proposed strategy provides a viable alternative for generating accurate DFN model.

Description: Highlights • New geophysical data and samples redefine submarine volcanism in Sicilian Channel. • Three dominant bands of volcanism are distinguished. • Ancient, eroded structures aligned at 120° are tied to faulted banks in the north. • Younger band of similarly aligned volcanism in the south is linked to grabens. • Youngest structures comprise small, dispersed volcanoes with distinct orientation. Abstract The origin and role of volcanism in continental rifts remains poorly understood in comparison to other volcano-tectonic settings. The Sicilian Channel (central Mediterranean Sea) is largely floored by continental crust and represents an area affected by pronounced crustal extension and strike-slip tectonism. It hosts a variety of volcanic landforms closely associated with faults, which can be used to better understand the nature and distribution of rift-related volcanism. A paucity of appropriate seafloor data in the Sicilian Channel has led to uncertainties regarding the location, volume, sources and timing of submarine volcanism. To improve on this situation, we use newly acquired geophysical data (multibeam echosounder and magnetic data, sub-bottom profiles) and dredged seafloor samples to: (i) re-assess the evidence for submarine volcanism in the Sicilian Channel and define its spatial pattern, (ii) infer the relative age and style of magmatism, and (iii) relate this to the dominant tectonic structures in the region. Quaternary rift-related volcanism has been focused at Pantelleria and Linosa, at the northwest boundaries of their respective NW-SE trending grabens. Subsidiary and older volcanic sites potentially occur at the Linosa III and Pantelleria SE seamounts, collectively representing the only sites of recent volcanism that can be directly related to the main rift process. These long-lived polygenetic volcanic landforms have been shaped by magmatism that is directly correlated with extensional faulting and buried igneous bodies. Older volcanic landforms, sharing a similar scale and alignment, occur to the north at Nameless Bank and Adventure Bank. These deeply eroded volcanoes have likely been inactive since the Pliocene and are probably related to earlier stages of crustal thinning and underlying feeder structures in the northern region of the Sicilian Channel. Along a similar alignment, Pinne Bank, SE Pinne Bank and Cimotoe in the northern Sicilian Channel lack a surface volcanic signature but are associated with intrusive bodies or deeply buried volcanic rock masses. Terrible Bank, in the same region, also shows evidence of ancient, polygenetic magmatism, but was subject to significant erosion and lacks a prominent alignment. The much younger volcanism at Graham Volcanic Field and along the northern Capo-Granitola-Sciacca Fault Zone differs markedly from that observed in the other study areas. Here, the low-volume and scattered volcanic activity is driven by shallow-water mafic magma eruptions, which gave rise to small individual cones. These sites are associated with large fault structures away from the main rift axis and may have a distinct magmatic origin. Dispersed active fluid venting occurs across both ancient and young volcanic sites in the region and is directly associated with shallow magmatic bodies within tectonically-controlled basins. Our study provides the foundation for an updated tectonic and magmatic framework for the Sicilian Channel, and for future detailed chronological and geochemical assessment of the sources and evolution of magmatic processes in the region.

Description: Highlights • Ankaramites are Ca-rich and Ni-poor porphyritic basalts that are common in oceanic arcs. • Melt inclusions from Kibblewhite Volcano show similar compositions to ankaramites. • Ankaramite is a primary magma component in oceanic arcs. • Interaction between melt and mantle can produce ankaramitic melts. • Harzburgite formed by melt-mantle interactions is the source of high-Mg andesites. Abstract Ankaramites, which are clinopyroxene-rich basalts with primitive whole-rock compositions (Mg# 〉65), are common in oceanic arcs and are characterized by high whole-rock CaO/Al2O3 (〉1.0) ratios and olivine crystals with anomalously low nickel contents (〈0.2 wt% NiO). These geochemical characteristics cannot be explained by the melting of ordinary mantle peridotite. However, their origin is critical for understanding the formation of primary magmas in oceanic arcs. Here, we investigated olivine-hosted melt inclusions (MIs) from ankaramites and magnesian andesites of the Kibblewhite Volcano in the Kermadec arc. The MIs from the ankaramites have similar major and trace element characteristics to the host rocks, indicating that the ankaramites did not result from an accumulation of mafic minerals but rather represent the primary magma in the Kibblewhite Volcano. The MIs from the magnesian andesites were hosted in forsteritic olivine xenocrysts with a wide range of NiO contents (Fo90–92; 0.13–0.39 wt% NiO) and have similar major element compositions to the ankaramites but exhibit a wide range of CaO/Al2O3 (0.85–1.54). The trace element characteristics of the MIs from the magnesian andesites do not match those of the host rocks, indicating that they are not primary melts of the magnesian andesites but primitive basaltic melts generated before the magnesian andesites formed. Interestingly, the CaO/Al2O3 ratio of MIs from the magnesian andesites was negatively correlated with the NiO content of their host olivines. This correlation suggests that the composition of the primary basaltic magmas of the Kibblewhite Volcano changed continuously from peridotite-derived to ankaramitic. This correlation could not be explained by grain-scale process, crustal anatexis, or contribution of slab-derived carbonate-rich fluids. Instead, we propose that this correlation can be explained by the interaction of the ascending primary basaltic melts with the lithospheric mantle. During melt-mantle interaction, the assimilation of clinopyroxene and fractionation of olivine and orthopyroxene caused the CaO/Al2O3 ratio to increase in the melt and the Ni content to decrease. Furthermore, because the magnesian andesites have low CaO/Al2O3 ratios and could be derived from a clinopyroxene-poor mantle lithology, the interaction between the melt and mantle may also be closely related to the origin of the magnesian andesites at Kibblewhite Volcano. This interpretation provides a new perspective on the origin of the oceanic arc ankaramites and why primary andesitic and basaltic magmas coexist in the Kibblewhite Volcano.

Description: Highlights • Alkaline magmas of the TLTF island chain result from a subduction-modified mantle source and two-stage partial melting. • The role of mantle source and parental melt composition for high Cu-Au mineral potentials is important but limited. • A shallow crustal magma reservoir is key for epithermal ore formation. Abstract The Tabar-Lihir-Tanga-Feni (TLTF) island chain in northeastern Papua New Guinea formed by tectonic and alkaline to shoshonitic magmatic activity since the Pliocene. Several volcanic centers are Cusingle bondAu mineralized including the world-class Ladolam Au deposit and Conical Seamount south of Lihir. The latter has been recognized as a juvenile analogue to the Ladolam deposit located on-shore. Whereas the mineralization at Conical Seamount is reasonably well studied, the specific magmatic processes that promote epithermal mineralization at this seamount but not at others are poorly understood. Here, we present new petrological and geochemical data from Conical Seamount, and compare them with those from the barren (unmineralized) Edison, Tubaf and New World seamounts nearby. We focus on whole rock compositions and major and trace element analysis of melt inclusions and minerals including clinopyroxene, sulfide and magnetite. We combine our observations with modelled constraints on mantle source composition and partial melting as well as magma evolution. A first-stage melting leaves a residual mantle source enriched in Au. Second-stage melting of a previously subduction-metasomatized mantle generally promotes the transfer and concentration of metals and volatiles in the ascending melts. These magmas are unlikely to control ore formation as all seamounts show evidence for similar mantle sources and parental melt composition. However, the presence of a shallow crustal magma chamber is unique to Conical Seamount. It is characterized by frequent melt replenishments and extensive magma fractionation leading to sulfide and magmatic volatile saturation. These specific magma chamber processes lead to the pre-enrichment of the magma in chalcophile elements including Au, while sulfide saturation coeval with magmatic volatile exsolution provide the way for an effective Au transfer from the magmatic to the epithermal system.

Description: Highlights • All investigated sites are in quiescent stage. Multi layers of clam shell debris were the ancient sediment surfaces during high methane flux. • Current fluxes contribute to less than 2 wt % of authigenic carbonates and 2 wt % iron sulfide minerals being precipitated in 600-800 cm sediment. • The sequestration of carbon could be 〉 50 mmol C cm-2 yr-1 under current in situ condition. Abstract Methane seepage records information of the local carbon cycle with respect to the generation, consumption and sequestration of carbon. Here presents the investigation of 7 gravity cores retrieved in 2004 during cruise SO-177 in the Haiyang 4 Area at the northern slope of the South China Sea. Porewater solutes, sulfate, methane, total alkalinity, sulfide and calcium demonstrate currently the weak seep activity. Local carbon cycling and sequestration is also revealed, that dominates by anaerobic oxidation of biogenic methane to dissolved bicarbonate inducing calcium carbonate and iron sulfide minerals (mainly pyrite) precipitation. A reactive transport model was employed to quantify the carbon cycle and budget. Model results show that current methane fluxes contribute to less than 2 wt % of authigenic carbonates and 2 wt % iron sulfide minerals being precipitated in 600–800 cm sediment depth. The sequestration of carbon could be 〉 50 mmol C cm−2 yr−1 under in situ condition. The observed increase of carbonate and iron sulfide minerals at ∼100 cm, however, require higher methane fluxes to shift the zone of anaerobic oxidation of methane upwards to around 1 m below the seafloor, which have occurred during sea level low stands in the geological past. The oscillation of seepage flux contributed to the formation of multiple layers of authigenic carbonates and pyrite, which indicates the high capability of carbon sink and is speculated to be induced by the dissociation of the underlying hydrates triggered by sea level drop and or temperature increase.

Description: The aim of the methodology is to give an understanding of elder abuse, typologies, manifestations, risks of occurrence and procedures for detection and solution. The methodology helps those who regularly come into contact with older people to put knowledge about elder abuse into practice. This can be anyone who is not, or should not be, indifferent to seeing an older person treated inappropriately. The methodology is primarily intended for people working in support services, with recommendations for other relevant actors such as general practitioners and specialists, the police, the social services of local authorities, etc. However, it can also be used by interested members of the public and by non-profit organisations, which also have an essential role to play in dealing with this phenomenon. The procedures and recommendations presented here are based on the research activities of the RESTABUS project, which draw on the findings of other research teams from all over the world and from a wide range of scientific disciplines, as well as on many years of experience in working with older people.

Description: Assessing the structural integrity of unreinforced masonry structures is a complex and time-consuming process that necessitates the knowledge of various experts and meticulous cross-referencing of diverse data to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the building. In recent years, the Architecture and Construction Industry has witnessed a digital transformation, largely driven by Building Information Modeling (BIM). BIM has proven immensely valuable in the conservation of historic buildings. However, while it excels in new construction projects, its full potential is not fully realized when dealing with existing structures. A clear example of this limitation can be observed in the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) format, which lacks instances necessary for accurately representing existing building features. This research contribution aims to advance the process of semantic enrichment of BIM for existing buildings, building upon findings from existing literature. Leveraging the Linked Data Approach and utilizing both existing ontologies and newly proposed domain ontologies, the objective is to facilitate the identification of vulnerabilities and potential local failure mechanisms. The geometric information of the building is represented in the IFC STEP format and enriched semantically by establishing new relationships between classes that are not present in the standard IFC. This approach is applied to a case study in the historical center of Castelnuovo di Porto, Italy. The results of this work demonstrate how the proposed model, enhancing the BIM representation of existing buildings and enabling better identification of potential weaknesses, contributes to improved preservation and seismic resilience of historic structures

Description: Arundati Roy (2020) states that historically pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This chapter, set in the COVID-19 pandemic, centres the importance of cognitive justice which is an essential part of the struggles for justice against domination. Cognitive justice is used as a lens to explore the case story of Cape Town Together (CTT), which was a response to COVID-19. The social movement was built, bottom up, challenging the deep racial and class divides that are a signature of Cape Town. The concept of ‘professors of the street’ emerged as part of CTT. This concept is explored by locating it within the context of the pandemic and within CTT’s learning/teaching/organising practices. It is argued that ‘professors of the street’ are a provocation to challenge the dominant knowledge hierarchies that prevail – it is a metaphor for the critical importance of grassroots, local knowledge in times of ‘crisis’. The teaching/learning /organising ethos within CTT provided fertile soil for «professors of the street» to emerge as an example of the enactment of cognitive justice within a crisis. The case story offers insights for organising for social-ecological justice in various ‘crisis’ situations.

Description: That error could be of interest to Freemasons and Illuminati as a topic becomes evident when one sees it in the context of concepts such as prejudice, ignorance, and gullibility. The perfection of the human being was understood as the detachment from prejudices – from errors –, as overcoming ignorance and as a fight against gullibility. In 1785 there was a discussion among the Illuminati of Gotha about how one should understand error. Prince August of Saxe-Gotha transfers Voltaire’s two types of imagination to two types of errors, using the distinction made by the physicist Charles Du Fay, who distinguished resin electricity (électricité résineuse) with its negative charge from glass electricity (électricité vitreuse) with its positive charge. So August suggests that there are positive and negative errors: the positive errors are attractive, they attract. In this case the cause of error lies on our side, on the side of the subjects: because of certain defects in the knower, facts are not correctly recognized. The negative errors, on the other hand, repel: there it is due to the nature of the representations of the facts themselves, which have pitfalls or are distorted by hallucinations, that we go wrong.

Description: Cost estimation for tendering is one of the leading causes of legal disputes in the architecture, engineering, construction, and facilities management (AEC/FM) industry. The lack of a standardised support procedure to verify the association of cost data with the objects model causes waste of time and inaccuracy in the cost estimation. This research work, starting from a previous study where the research group integrated a cost domain in the IFC data schema, investigated the possible applications of this IFC based cost domain integrated with an IFC geometrical information model. The current paper investigates a specific case study focused on a structural model to verify current and future applications. Furthermore, rules for BIM information requirements will be defined through the Information Delivery Specification (IDS) to ensure an easy way for humans and computers to understand it. This will allow to specify which data must be present in the geometric model to subsequently ensure validation and verification of uniqueness of the cost data associated with geometric data. The results show the possibility to define a structured cost items in IFC associated through relationships to other entities and then verify their association to geometric data to guarantee its consistency and uniqueness

Description: How the Steel Was Tempered in East Asia. Nikolai Ostrovsky’s novel How Steel Was Tempered (1932-34) tells the story of a young Ukrainian man named Pavel Korchagin who sacrifices his life and body to forge a steel-like spirit amid revolution, civil war, and postwar socialist construction. Although his physical injuries, which left him paralyzed and even blind, looks somehow grotesque, but his heroic self-sacrifice also had the power to inspire young readers. Regarded as an exemplary work of Soviet socialist realism, it was translated into many languages and read avidly at one time by left-wing readers in the West as well as in the Communist countries in the East. It was particularly influential in China, where it is so popular that even today it is invariably named as one of the favorite books of university students. This is in contrast to post-Soviet Russia today, in which the novel has lost the privileged position it once enjoyed and is no longer widely read. In China under the socialist regime, Ostrovsky’s novel was published in large numbers as suitable reading for young people and incorporated into school education. However, their active introduction in the public sphere alone does not explain their popularity. Chinese readers seem to have become deeply emotionally involved in the protagonist’s unsuccessful love affair with Tonya, a young girl whose bourgeois gestures and characterization must have been considered negative. As a result, the Soviet ideological novel has brought an unexpected meaning of European-style romantic love for Chinese readers. This presentation will trace the reception of Ostrovsky’s novel and the changes in the heroine Tonya’s image by comparing five adaptations: two Soviet films in 1942 and 1957, a Chinese lianhuanhua (serial picture book) in 1972, a Japanese manga in 1975, and a Chinese TV drama in 1999.

Description: To evaluate the energy and solar potential of the building stock and address feasibility studies of building retrofit interventions information standards are required to ensure proper data flow from building and urban models to simulation environments. Energy performance data are gathered from different information containers and therefore the result of simulations needs to be shared in BIM/GIS environments to better address energy policies and decision-making processes. Solar potential and energy retrofit estimation, developed by means of urban models (U-BEM) are too rough to support a decision-making process, even if at a feasibility stage. On the opposite, strategic decisions are defined with reference to large building stocks that require a U-BEM approach. To increase the reliability of this kind of simulations the study proposes to integrate U-BEMS with BIM-based data that are aggregated and published at urban scale as average performance indicators of built systems. The interoperability problem is analyzed both for simulation tools that need to manage this kind of data and openBIM/GIS platforms that need to share performance indicators and simulation results

Description: This paper presents an enhanced BIM logger designed to capture both geometry and attribute changes of building element geometries, thereby offering a transparent source of representation of the BIM authoring process. The authors developed the logger and reproduction algorithm using the Revit C# API based on the analysis of information required to define building elements and associated attributes. The enhanced BIM log was evaluated through a case study of Villa Savoye designed by Le Corbusier. Despite negligible discrepancies, the results show that the enhanced BIM log can accurately represent the BIM authoring process capturing and reproducing 92.45% of the building elements from the original BIM model. Future research can focus on expanding the scope of logging and probing the potential of automating the BIM authoring process using these enhanced BIM logs

Description: The paper aims to give some coordinates on the dialogue between the Athenaeum and a particular school-educational experience well rooted in Florence and recognised for its merits on an international scale, namely the Scuola-Città Pestalozzi. This is a very significant case to describe the relationship between the University and the school world because Scuola-Città was born and grew up in that laboratory of ideas nourished by the synergy between the cultural, political and pedagogical circles of the city, especially those close to liberal-socialism, and those similar to the University.

Description: Adult Education is an interdisciplinary field that often includes a focus on social justice issues and thus prompts a liberation, empowerment, and decolonisation approach to adult education. The purpose of this chapter is to report findings from informed by the papers of Lalage Bown held by the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford, and the British Library. The chapter explores the concepts and nexuses of liberation empowerment and decolonisation through Adult Education in Africa. It addresses liberation and empowerment in the life of Lalage Bown in Africa, and her life and family background. It also explores her perceptions on decolonisation and the key reasons why she fought for the oppressed through Adult Education during her stay in Africa. The paper examines Lalage Bown’s work experiences in different universities in Africa – including Nigeria – Britain, and her new ideas, including her approach to colonisation, Colonial Development and Welfare Fund. Finally, it discusses Lalage Bown’s Legacy.

Description: Moby Dick Rehearsed is a magnificent experiment in the style of Orson Welles, whose talent explores in depth the texture of Melville's novel in an attempt to put it on stage. The analysis shows how the play - performed in New York in 1955 - sheds light on Welles's idea of the theater as a laboratory to experiment with the possibilities of this peculiar form of entertainment. The novel's inner violence and theatrical power become evident when Welles stages a rehearsal of Moby Dick by a company of actors used to act in Shakespeare's Hamlet in 1955. The well-known influence of Shakespeare on Melville's novel emerges from the play, which became a book published by Samuel French in 1965 in New York. Its Italian translation by Cristina Viti - Moby Dick. Prove per un dramma in due atti - provides the base for Elio De Capitani's mise en scene of the play in Milan in 2022, under the title of Moby-Dick alla prova.

Description: The essay concerns the Commitment of the University Professors within the most important local Political Institutions: the Municipality of Florence and the Tuscany Region. The chronological period examined in the first case goes from 1944 to 2019; in the first case goes from 1944 to 2019. For each election, within a brief historical-political framework, are indicated the Faculty Members who have held the position of Council members (Municipal or Regional), of Councillor or of Mayor, and the respective party to which they belong.

Description: Complex infrastructures such as railway networks face increasing challenges related to resource allocation, external events, constraints, and demands. Therefore, it is crucial to optimize the Asset Management (AM) phase to ensure the value and functionality of the assets. The integration of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can support this phase, but it can only yield benefits with a comprehensive approach that considers and addresses the specific needs and resources of the assets and their AM organization. The main benefits include improved data management, manipulation, information visualization and optimized resource allocation. This study describes an intermediate step towards developing a BIM/GIS integration framework for AM that can guide both researchers and practitioners. The framework aims to bridge theory and practice by incorporating insights from literature reviews and case studies. Its main objectives are to provide a comprehensive multi-stakeholder view and methods for effectively integrating BIM and GIS in this context. To develop the framework, the study employed focus groups, interviews, and practical BIM/GIS tests, which provided insights reported in this article. Furthermore, the study provides research directions for effective BIM/GIS integration in infrastructure AM

Description: Title in English: Motivation Support in Teaching German as a Foreign Language (and Beyond) With regard to the proven significant impact of motivation on learning processes and their success, promoting learner’s motivation can be described as an important part of pedagogical activity. The current book presents research investigations into learners’ motivation in learning German as a foreign language. A qualitative research design conducted as a multi-case study was chosen in order to gain a deeper insight into the issue of motivation. The results obtained showed the wide scope of teachers’ motivating influence on their learners. Many of the existing findings on motivation could be verified. Moreover, the specifics of motivation towards German as a second foreign language as well as the culturally conditioned specifics concerning Czech learners’ attitudes towards the German language have been highlighted.

Description: Title in English: Interprofessional collaboration in school: a collection of case studies The book provides an introduction in the field of (inter)professional collaboration in school. It offers theoretical background for interprofessional collaboration and on the basis of case studies it illustrates its' various forms within school education. The book could serve as source in preparation and development in helping professions.

Description: As never before, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the effectiveness of the digital design strategies on the user’s well-being has been questioned. However, a research branch astride digital design and neuroscience able to overcome net discipline borders to analyse users’ well-being seems to be lacking. Today mainly qualitative data are used in the design field for the investigation of users’ quality experience. Although fundamental, they also have great disadvantages such as unanswered questions, unconscientious responses, and respondents’ biases. As such, a systematic state of art review is presented to find methodologies and tools currently used in medicine to identify the impact of digital design strategies (XR) on users’ well-being through quantitative and objective data. The main technologies used for this purpose have been synthesized in a schematic chart by reporting the principal related biometric data (skin conductivity, heart rate metrics and breathing rates), as well as other technologies such as video/images/audio analysis based on sensors and machine learning to reach out mass numbers. In conclusion, gaps and future applications of this innovative approach within the virtual environment have been identified by the authors

Description: The writing of county history in England experienced its first boom from the 1570s to the 1650s, during which time a series of outstanding county histories were written, including William Lambarde’s Perambulation of Kent, William Burton’s Description of Leicestershire and William Dugdale’s Antiquities of Warwickshire. All these works are manifestations of the phenomenon of ‘county history writing by the gentry’. County histories are primarily about local place names and famous persons, but also give accounts related to rivers, mountains, land, architecture, real estate, family clans, regional customs and histories. This essay illustrates the sociocultural phenomenon of ‘county history writing by the gentry’ in the view of the formation of the nation state, and aims to demonstrate the significance and value of the writing of county histories by gentlemen, from the perspective of the ‘community of county gentry’.

Description: Voltaire is one of the few European authors of the 18th century to have dealt with Korea. In this study, we first propose to highlight, through an analysis of all of his work, the texts in which he mentioned Korea and how this country is represented there. We will then try to identify his documentary sources, and we will focus mainly on how the author created stories from historical elements. Our survey also aims to understand Voltaire’s attitude to the historical-philosophical and dramatic genres, and to better understand his conception of these two genres.

Description: Tower and Mobile Cranes are some of the most commonly used heavy equipment in all construction sites, and any crane failures could lead to significant human and monetary losses. Moreover, rigging configuration determination is a critical task that requires the rigging crew to have significant experience and knowledge of various failure modes that can be encountered when performing lifting operations. However, despite the criticality of training riggers, there has yet to be a comprehensive tool used to train and guide inexperienced riggers, and hence, more practical tools are needed. This paper proposes a framework for using Virtual reality (VR) and simulation to train riggers to identify the optimal rigging configurations based on the lift type and the external conditions. Through 3D modeling, the critical components of the rigging system are modeled to accurately simulate the rigging system and their performance when faced with critical loading scenarios. The developed framework is expected to allow inexperienced riggers to identify critical failure modes and enhance construction operations' overall safety performance and productivity. Furthermore, several scenarios are assessed based on historical evidence for rigging configuration failures, and the efficiency of the training tool is assessed through real-life scenarios and tests

Description: The theme of ‘Managing the digital transformation of the construction industry’ emphasises the importance of considering various dimensions of digitalisation and optimising the built environment. This review aims to present methodological approaches from existing literature that elucidate location-related factors impacting the capital cost of data centres. These findings facilitate adjustments to historical cost data when estimating total costs for new data centres. A systematic literature review method was employed to ensure an objective and comprehensive synthesis. In conjunction with Bayes's theory, this review identifies that a Delphi methodology is the most suitable methodological approach for forecasting and modelling capital expenditure for hyper-scale data centres. The methodology enables collective decision-making and consensus building, recognising the stakeholder's pivotal role in shaping the future of data centres. These findings offer valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in forming a methodological approach for further investigations into the location-related factors impacting the capital cost of data centres. Embracing this knowledge allows us to align research and practice, ensuring that these practices become integral to shaping the future of data centres and the digitalisation and optimisation of the built environment

Description: Title in English: Integrace technologie 3D tisku do výuky na základních a středních školách: Ověřená metodika With the development of 3D printing technology in recent years, there has been a significant decrease in the price of printers and thus an increase in the availability of this technology. This technological area opens up new possibilities in a wide range of fields from industry, medicine, construction and architecture to the level of everyday home use. We also see a huge didactic potential in 3D technology, which is currently not being used. The implementation of 3D technologies in teaching at primary and secondary schools enables the creation of completely new types of teaching aids and increases the availability of teaching models for pupils and students. Students can work with teaching models in class and, with methodological supports, they also actively participate in their creation.

Description: The construction industry is currently witnessing a transformative period characterized by the convergence of the green and digital transitions. The green transition seeks to address environmental challenges such as climate change and resource depletion, while the digital transition leverages advanced technologies to enhance construction processes. This paper specifically explores the integration of green roofs, as component of sustainable buildings, into the Building Information Modeling (BIM) framework, a key enabler of the digital transition. Green roofs, known for their environmental benefits, consist of layers that contribute to energy efficiency, stormwater management, and biodiversity enhancement. To optimize their design and performance, this research employs Dynamo Visual Programming Language (VPL) within Autodesk Revit to create parametric models of green roofs. These models facilitate the evaluation of thermal and structural characteristics under varying water content conditions (dry and saturated). Results reveal that the choice of substrate and drainage materials significantly impacts thermal resistance, particularly in dry conditions. However, in saturated conditions, the influence on thermal performance converges, emphasizing the importance of structural considerations in both scenarios. The research also highlights various limitations and outlines avenues for future studies, including expanding the range of materials, exploring additional performance metrics, and incorporating AI and machine learning techniques. By addressing these aspects, this research contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the integration of green roofs and BIM. It provides designers and researchers with a practical tool for optimizing green roof designs, aligning with contemporary sustainable construction practices, and promoting the holistic development of green buildings

Description: Virtual reality (VR) offers promise as a tool for building performance simulations, especially when considering human-building interactions in buildings or spaces still under design. However, the absence of standardized data protocols impedes the consistent sharing of VR-related experiments and findings. This makes advancing VR experimentation as a reliable method for studying human-building dynamics challenging. The authors introduced the Virtual Human-Building Interaction Experimentation Ontology (VHBIEO) to address the challenge. VHBIEO seeks to standardize experimentation details as a domain-specific ontology, enhancing their interoperability. It includes essential experimentation concepts and employs semantic web technologies to ensure machine readability. Moreover, it integrates an application view (APV) to tailor details to specific experiments. Using VHBIEO-based metadata, this paper presents a case study aiming to standardize experiments that validate thermal sensations in immersive virtual environments (IVE), encompassing experimental protocol, variables, design, and data gathering. By exploring the main characteristics of VHBIEO-based metadata, the authors discuss its potential to improve the reliability of human-building interaction research

Description: Title in English: The future of metropolitan cooperation in the czech republic: development, governance, management Metropolitan regions are engines of economic growth, where research, innovation, technology and creative human potential are concentrated. The cooperation of municipalities in metropolitan regions in economically developed Europe dates back to the mid-1990s, while in the Czech Republic this new form of cooperation has been discussed more intensively since 2014, when three metropolitan areas and ten urban agglomerations were defined. However, there is still no systemic coordination of the problems and needs of metropolitan areas. The first activities aimed at real strengthening of metropolitan cooperation and development took place in the Brno Metropolitan Area within the framework of the TAČR ÉTA project “Institutionalization of metropolitan cooperation as a factor to increase the motivation of municipalities to cooperate in metropolitan areas”. The aim of the publication is to present the results of the project, experiences from abroad and their possible application in the Czech environment, as well as real steps to set up metropolitan inter-municipal cooperation.

Description: The essay aims at reconstructing the history of the University of Florence, from the fall of fascism on July 25th 1943 to the post-World War II period. At the center of this path lies Piero Calamandrei's Rettorato, which began in the summer of 1943 and immediately interrupted by events related to September 8th and the armistice with the Allied powers. As dean of the university, in the aftermath of the Liberation of Florence in August 1944, Calamandrei marked a significant turning point. It was a turning point that not only promptly revived teaching and research functions; but it was also able to provide for the reinstatement of teachers expelled as a result of the racial legislation and for opposition to fascism, along with the beginning of the removals of teachers most involved with the dictatorship. At the same time, in the context of a city deeply involved in the Liberation, the new constitutional order of the Republic began to be drawn; a constitutional project to which Florentine professors - such as Piero Calamandrei and Giorgio La Pira - would offer an outstanding contribution.

Description: Many recent developments in mixed reality applications are exploited for research on improving training in the construction industry. While immersive technologies offer indisputable advantages over classic paper- or multi-media-based training material, access to this kind of technology is still very limited in the academic world and even less widespread in industry. In this paper, the authors follow the current trend of creating low-threshold micro-learning nuggets, which are easily consumable on mobile devices but can be accessed in every web browser. This is essential to reach the construction trade workforces, which for the most part will own a smart or mobile device, but neither specialized equipment, nor will there be time or patience for a lengthy setup phase before learning content consumption. The learning content aims to give construction workers a clear vision of what some of the fundamental components of a sustainable construction site should look like and what role they play in achieving the said vision. The learning content revolves around the initial idea of DGNB certification (German: German Sustainable Building Council), waste management, certification of construction wood, handling of harmful substances and chemicals and some general health and safety regulations that impact the emission of dust, noise and vibration. The paper describes the general approach of the planning, orchestration of learning material, development of the learning nugget, and deployment, as well as a study for acceptance and user experience