environmental_2023-part-b

Environmental studies 2023 - Part B

Authors: Michail Ragkousis, Maria Sini, Nikoletta Koukourouvli, Argyro Zenetos,and Stelios Katsanevaki. The Greek Seas are extensively exposed to the proliferation of marine alien species. At least 242 alien species have been reported while their introduction rate is increasing. Some species severely impact native ecosystems. The spatio-temporal proliferation of these species outside their natural boundaries depends on several parameters, including their biological characteristics, native distribution range, introduction pathway, and time of initial introduction. Knowing the current and potential alien species distribution is essential for implementing effective management actions.

Authors: Cecilia Paula Alonso, Mariano Rodríguez, Cintia Fraysse, Gustavo Lovrich, and Gregorio Bigatti Underwater sampling must balance time-efficient and standardized data to compare areas and times. The roving diver survey involves divers meandering and actively searching for species and has been useful for producing fish species lists but has seldom been implemented for benthic taxa. In this study, the authors used this non- destructive technique to register species associated with kelp forests at the sub-Antarctic Bécasses Island (Beagle Channel, Argentina), detecting numerous species while providing the first multi-taxa inventory for the area.

Authors: Leigh W. Tait, Jeremy Bulleid, Lily Pryor Rodgers, Kimberley Seaward, Louis Olsen, Chris Woods, Henry Lane, and Graeme J. Inglis The authors assessed the sensitivity and efficiency of ROVs and divers for detecting marine non-indigenous species (NIS), including the potential for automated detection algorithms to reduce post-processing costs of ROV methods.

Authors: Delphine Lobelle, Li Shen, Bas van Huet, Tim van Emmerik, Mikael Kaandorp, Giulia Iattoni, Cornelius Peter Baldé, Kara Lavender Law, and Erik van Sebille Plastic entering the environment is a growing threat for ecosystems. the authors estimate the annual mass of known Dutch plastic waste generated and littered and where it ends up. The author used two methods: a material flow analysis of plastic waste separately collected from 13 economic sectors, and estimate the amount sent to processing plants or exported and a mismanagement model from observations of litter plus estimates of inadequately managed exported plastic scraps entering the environment abroad.

Authors: Maximilian P. Born,* Catrina Brull, and Holger Schuttrumpf Studies investigating different effects on the fragmentation of plastics have mostly disregarded a sufficient mechanical component for fragmentation, focusing on degradation by UV radiation. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of the mechanical fragmentation drivers, wave impact, and sediment abrasion on the fragmentation of expanded polystyrene (EPS), high-density polyethylene (PE-HD), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) particles

06 - Forensic seismology vis-à-vis an underwater explosion for the Roks Cheonan sinking in the Yellow Sea of the Korean Peninsula

Author: So Gu Kim Most underwater explosions show characteristics of a bubble pulse and reverberation effects. To specifically identify the cause of an underwater explosion, it is most important to find a bubble pulse and reverberation effects using spectral and cepstral analyses. For a very shallow underwater explosion, spectral analysis is preferable to cepstral analysis. Time-domain analyses show bubble pulses as well as positive polarities of the first P-wave arrivals on the vertical component, and frequency- domain spectral analyses also clearly reveal the bubble pulse and reverberation effects. This study includes comparative studies including a Russian underwater nuclear explosion and US Navy shock trials.

Authors: Luca Andolfi, Mirko Antonini, Stefano Binda, Paolo Braca, Luciano Bozzi, Sandro Carniel, Nicola Forti, Giorgio Ioannou, Elizabeth Laier English, Margherita Lenoci, Leonardo M. Millefiori, Alfredo Renga, Aniello Russo, Giuseppe Tomasicchio Although satellites are very accurate in monitoring the melting glaciers, they provide scarce or no information about under-ice water characteristics. However, mobile platforms would represent a substantial integration of the Ice Tethered Profilers, which move slowly with the sea ice without possibility to select the specific area where the data are collected. This paper givies an overview on how capabilities provided by underwater Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) technologies can support Climate Change Monitoring.

03 - Addressing marine restoration success: evidence of species and functional diversity recovery in a ten-year restored macroalgal forest

Authors: Cristina Galobart, Enric Ballesteros, Raül Golo, and Emma Cebrian Active restoration actions are becoming increasingly common for the recovery of degraded ecosystems. However, establishing when an ecosystem is fully restored is rarely achieved, since the recovery of entire communities requires long-term trajectories. The lack of evidence of success is even more severe in marine ecosystems, especially in the context of macroalgal forests, where, beyond the vegetation structure and species diversity, there is no approximation to determine the recovery of the overall functionality. The authors used a trait-based approach to assess the recovery ten years after the initiation of a restoration action in a marine macroalgal forest.

Authors: Pranali Roy Chowdhury, Malay Banerj Sergei Petrovskii Deoxygenation of the ocean often results in the formation of Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZ): large domains where the abundance of oxygen is much lower than that in the surrounding oceanic environment. Factors and processes resulting in OMZ formation remain controversial. The authors propose a conceptual model of coupled plankton- oxygen dynamics that, apart from the plankton growth and oxygen production by phytoplankton, also considers the difference in timescales between phyto- and zooplankton.

Authors: Rui He, Lijun Dong, Xiaomei Xu, Apostolos Tsouvalas Offshore wind energy is environmentally friendly for humans, but it may not be so for aquatic life. Underwater noise and seabed vibrations are generated during the construction, maintenance, operation and decommissioning of offshore wind farms. The potential impact of the generated noise and the seabed vibrations on aquatic species may hinder the further deployment of offshore wind farms and marine ranching.

Authors: J. R. Kerr, P. R. White, T. G. Leighton, L. G. M. Silva, & P. S. Kemp The expansion and potential rupture of the swim bladder, which to rapid decompression, a major cause of barotrauma injury in fish passing through turbines and pumps. It is generally assumed to be governed by Boyle’s Law. In this study, two swim bladder expansion models are presented and tested in silico.

Authors: Heiðrikur Bergsson, Morten Bo Søndergaard Svendsen, and John Fleng Steffensen To ensure optimal feed intake, growth, and general fish health in aquaculture sea cages, interactions between drivers that affect oxygen conditions need to be understood. The main drivers are oxygen consumption and water exchange, caused by flow through the cage. Swimming energetics in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in normoxia and hypoxia at 10, 15, and 20 C degrees were determined. Using the determinations, a conceptual model of oxygen conditions within sea cages was created.

Click on the octopus to return to the top of the page

Author: Valeri V. Lenchine Many marine infrastructure projects increase environmental impact during the construction and operational phases due to excessive noise. The lack of standardized methods for assessing and predicting underwater noise increases the risk of adverse changes to the marine environment. This study reviews methods for modeling the impact of underwater noise as part of marine project planning and identifies the need for noise mitigation measures.

Authors: Rene Smidt Lutzen, Søren Keller, & Jakob Tougaard Since 2016, guidelines from the Danish Energy Agency have addressed underwater noise from offshore wind farm construction in Danish waters. The guidelines were updated in 2022 to include technical methods for numerical prognosis and on-site measurements. Compliance is determined based on acoustic criteria such as Permanent Threshold Shift (PTS) and behavioral impact. Auditory frequency-weighted levels are used as the basis for these criteria.

Authors: Aude Benhemma-Le Gall, Paul Thompson, Nathan Merchant, Isla Graham The expansion of offshore wind farms overlaps with protected marine mammal habitats, and there are concerns for small cetaceans, such as harbor porpoises, due to the potential for injury from impulsive noise during turbine foundation installation. Current risk assessment methods compare predicted noise levels with estimates of baseline animal density. However, pre-piling activities may displace animals, potentially reducing the risk of injury.

Authors: Amar Prakash Kaushik, Vivek Kumar Himanshu, M.P. Roy, A.K. Mishra, Ashish Mishra, and Huzaifa Sufiyan Siddique This article outlines the core elements of underwater drilling and blasting operations. It highlights the enduring constraints and obstacles, underscoring the need for continued investigation and understanding.

27 - Comprehensive review on principles and practices of underwater drilling and blasting, its environmental impacts, and mitigation Techniques

10 - Fresh submarine groundwater discharge offshore Wellington (New Zealand): hydroacoustic characteristics and its influence on sea floor geomorphology

Author: Jasper J. L. Hoffmann, Joshu J. Mountjoy, Erica Spain, Mark Gall, Leigh W. Tait, Yoann Ladroit, & Aaron Micallef This study aimed to understand the biogeochemical influence of fresh submarine groundwater discharge (FSGD) sites on coastal areas (Wellington Harbour, New Zealand) and to explore the potential of offshore fresh groundwater (OFG) as a future drinking water resource. It describes the methods used, including hydroacoustic techniques, ROV dives, and sediment core analysis, to map and analyze the spatial extent and geomorphological expression of FSGD sites. It also highlights the challenges and need for new sensing strategies to improve the identification and quantification of groundwater discharge locations.

Authors: Polly Georgiana Hill & Sue Rodway-Dyer This article highlights the need for a more inclusive and localized approach to assessing and managing the risks associated with oil pollution from sunken wrecks. It critiques the current Eurocentric methodology predominantly used by Global North nations, which often fails to account for the specific vulnerabilities and conditions of regions in the Global South. The authors propose a decolonized risk assessment framework incorporating local knowledge and priorities, aiming to better capture the diverse and spatially heterogeneous nature of human vulnerability to oil pollution.

24 - Decolonising environmental risk assessments of Potentially Polluting Wrecks: A case study of the wreck of the USS Mississinewa in Ulithi Lagoon, Federated States of Micronesia

17 - Deep Aggregations of the Polychaete Amage adspersa (Grube, 1863) in the Ionian Sea (Central Mediterranean Sea) as Revealed via ROV Observations

Authors: Michela Angiolillo, Fabio Bertasi, Laura Grossi, Marco Loia, Danilo Vani, Sante Francesco Rende, Michela Giusti and Leonardo Tunesi This Paper explains a study on the discovery and analysis of benthic assemblages dominated by the polychaete species Ampharetidae Amage adspersa in the Ionian Sea, southern Sicily. It describes the habitat, distribution, and ecological role of these polychaetes, particularly their interaction with Posidonia oceanica debris and their impact on the spatial heterogeneity of the Mediterranean seafloor. It also highlights the presence of other marine species and environmental factors such as trawling and marine litter in the area.

18 - A New Remote Hyperspectral Imaging System Embedded on an Unmanned Aquatic Drone for the Detection and Identification of Floating Plastic Litter Using Machine Learning

Authors: Ahed Alboody, Nicolas Vandenbroucke, Alice Porebski, Rosa Sawan, Florence Viudes, Perine Doyen, and Rachid Amara This document describes the Remote Hyperspectral Imaging System (RHIS) embedded in an Unmanned Aquatic Drone (UAD), designed for detecting and identifying plastic waste in aquatic environments. It outlines the components and functionality of the system, the creation of a hyperspectral image database of plastic litter, and the use of machine learning methods to classify different types of plastic with high accuracy, which demonstrates the effectiveness and potential of this system in addressing plastic pollution in coastal and freshwater areas.

Authors: Wenle Song, Lei Wang, Xiangyu Hao, Le Wan, Chenyang Li To enhance the economy of offshore oil production platforms, a new technology for reactive power management in shore-based power systems is suggested. This includes creating optimization models for the power supply system and flexible DC transmission. Real-time monitoring of operational parameters is implemented. The proposed algorithm shows high efficiency, achieving optimal solutions with just 26 calculations, thus reducing failure rates and life cycle costs.

31 - Reactive power capacity allocation technology of shore-based power supply system of offshore oil production platform under different network topology reliability measures.

30 - Experimental and Numerical Study for Gas Release and Dispersion on Offshore Platforms.

Authors: HaiFengpu Xiao, Yanan Li, Jun Zhang, Hai Dong, Dongdong Yang, and Guoming Chen Accidental gas release is a significant event for offshore oil and gas operations. This paper examines how released gas disperses on offshore platforms through experimental and numerical studies. An experimental system was created to test various gas leakage scenarios. Data from these tests were used to develop a computational fluid dynamics model, which effectively replicates the experiments. This model aids in assessing risks and improving emergency plans for gas release incidents in offshore settings.

Authors: Eray Schulz, Mark Woollam, Paul Grocki, Michael D. Davis, and Mangilal Agarwal This study focuses on analyzing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), using an in- house sampling method called direct-breath SPME (DB- SPME) to extract VOCs from breath using a SPME fiber, that was compared to two alternative methods, Tedlar- SPME and cryotransfer, which were used to collect breath in a Tedlar bag. The cryotransfer method was the most sensitive, while Tedlar-SPME was more effective for targeting small VOCs. The DB-SPME method was less sensitive but more efficient for immediate analyses.

01 - Methods to Detect Volatile Organic Compounds for Breath Biopsy Using Solid-Phase Microextraction and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

02 - Recommendations for advancing media preparation methods used to assess aquatic hazards of oils and spill response agents

Authors: Thomas Parkerton, Michel Boufadel, Trond Nordtug, Carys Mitchelmore, Kat Colvin, Dana Wetzel, Mace G Barron, Gail E Bragin, Benjamin de Jourdan, Jennifer Loughery This paper reviews media preparation strategies for oil spill response decision-making. It highlights advantages and limitations, provides recommendations for improvement, and promotes standardization. Advantages include consistent dissolved oil composition across treatments, reduced exposure confirmation, and bioavailable exposures. Recommendations include optimizing WAF mixing and settling times, using droplet generators, and passive dosing techniques.

13 - Impact of chemical pollution on threatened marine mammals: A systematic review

Author: Iris Schaap, Larissa Buedenbender, Sarah Johann, Henner Hollert, Gulsah Dogruer Marine mammals face significant health risks from accumulating contaminants due to their long life span and role in the food web. This systematic review of literature on pollutant-induced adverse health effects in IUCN-listed species reveals gaps in research across different extinction risk categories, habitats, methodologies, pollutants, and mechanisms. It also highlights the need for more research on pollution-effect relationships for threatened species in the Southern Hemisphere.

14 - Measurements of underwater operational noise caused by offshore wind turbine off the southwest coast of Korea

Authors: Young Geul Yoon, Dong-Gyun Han, and Jee Woong Cho The increasing interest in renewable energy has led to the construction of offshore wind farms worldwide, posing a threat to marine ecosystems. This paper investigates the acoustic characteristics of underwater operational noise near a 3-MW wind turbine off the southwest coast of Korea.

21 - Bioremediation of n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and heavy metals from wastewater using seaweeds

Authors: Faiza M. A. Akl, Suzan I. Ahmed, Mostafa M. El- Sheekh, Mofida E. M. Makhlof This study evaluates the potential of three dried seaweeds, Ulva intestinalis Linnaeus, Sargassum latifolium C.Agardh, and Corallina officinalis Kützing, as inexpensive adsorbents for wastewater treatment. Results show that the adsorption of n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons increases with contact time, with S. latifolium having the most potential as a bioadsorbent. This study also found that S. latifolium had a more negatively charged surface than U. intestinalis and C. officinalis, suggesting its potential as an eco-friendly bioremediation system.

22 - Species-specific responses of marine bacteria to environmental Perturbation

Authors: Tito D. Peña-Montenegro, Sara Kleindienst, Andrew E. Allen, A. Murat Eren, John P. McCrow, Juan D. Sánchez-Calderón, Jonathan Arnold, and Samantha B. Joye Environmental perturbations, such as oil spills, affect microbial communities' structure and function. This study’s authors merged metatranscriptomic libraries with pangenomes to create Core-Accessory Metatranscriptomes (CA-Metatranscriptomes) for two microbial hydrocarbon degraders. The results showed dispersant-driven acceleration of core and accessory gene transcription, suggesting an opportunistic strategy, and an effective hydrocarbon-degrading lifestyle.

23 - Temperature Modulation of MOS Sensors for Enhanced Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds

Authors: Andrea Rescalli, Davide Marzorati, Simone Gelosa, Francesco Cellesi, and Pietro Cerveri Exhaled breath analysis is increasingly important for disease diagnosis due to volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Electronic noses offer a promising alternative for disease screening, but limited specificity and sensitivity pose challenges. This paper proposes temperature modulation (TM) to address these issues, focusing on the square and triangular combination for optimal discrimination accuracy.

25 - Do oil droplets and chemical dispersants contribute to uptake of oil compounds and toxicity of crude oil dispersions in cold-water copepods?

Authors: Bjørn Henrik Hansen, Dag Altin & Trond Nordtug This 15-year study on the effects of crude oil spills on the filter-feeding cold-water copepod, Calanus finmarchicus, found that exposure to oil dispersions causes PAH uptake and oil droplet accumulation, resulting in reduced feeding activity, reproductive impairments, and increased mortality. High exposure levels were slightly higher in the presence of chemical dispersants, possibly due to higher filtration of chemically dispersed droplets.

26 - Innovative Strategy for Truly Reversible Capture of Polluting Gases—Application to Carbon Dioxide

Authors: Abdelkrim Azzouz, and René Roy This paper analyzes and compares strategies for reversible carbon dioxide capture, focusing on optimized gas uptakes and weak retention strength. Most failed due to higher CO2 produced by equivalent energy than captured. A sustainable approach should balance effective CO2 capture with lowest energy for adsorbent regeneration. This study also suggests smart approaches to tailor CO2 retention strength, such as zero-valent metal, OH-enriched amines, or amine-enriched polyol species.