| 1. |
- Blösch, Günter, et al.
(author)
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Twenty-three unsolved problems in hydrology (UPH) - a community perspective
- 2019
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In: Hydrological Sciences Journal. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0262-6667 .- 2150-3435. ; 64:10, s. 1141-1158
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper is the outcome of a community initiative to identify major unsolved scientific problems in hydrology motivated by a need for stronger harmonisation of research efforts. The procedure involved a public consultation through online media, followed by two workshops through which a large number of potential science questions were collated, prioritised, and synthesised. In spite of the diversity of the participants (230 scientists in total), the process revealed much about community priorities and the state of our science: a preference for continuity in research questions rather than radical departures or redirections from past and current work. Questions remain focused on the process-based understanding of hydrological variability and causality at all space and time scales. Increased attention to environmental change drives a new emphasis on understanding how change propagates across interfaces within the hydrological system and across disciplinary boundaries. In particular, the expansion of the human footprint raises a new set of questions related to human interactions with nature and water cycle feedbacks in the context of complex water management problems. We hope that this reflection and synthesis of the 23 unsolved problems in hydrology will help guide research efforts for some years to come.
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| 2. |
- Blom, Eva-Lotta, et al.
(author)
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Continuous and intermittent noise has a negative impact on reproductive success and early life survival in marine fish
- 2022
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Anthropogenic underwater noise is a global pollutant of increasing concern and its effect on marine organisms is largely unknown. Importantly, direct assessments of fitness consequences are lacking especially in fish. The effect of noise pattern with continuous or intermittent noise are poorly understood and the few existing studies investigating the effect highlight contradictory responses in fish. Working in aquaria, we experimentally tested the impact of broadband noise exposure (similar frequency range as anthropogenic boat noise; added either continuously or intermittently) on the behaviour and reproductive success, assessed by the number of obtained eggs, of the common goby (Pomatoschistus microps), a vocal fish with exclusive paternal care. The continuous noise treatment had the most detrimental effect by reducing spawning probability and females took longer to spawn under continuous noise. Males exposed to continuous noise got significantly fewer egg clutches (4 compared to 11 and 15 in the intermittent noise and silence treatments). Clutch area did not differ among treatments but clutches in the intermittent and continuous noise treatment had significantly more eggs per cm2. In addition, eggs in the control tanks hatched earlier than in the intermittent and noisy treatments. Larvae reared in continuous noise treatment were larger and had a smaller yolk-sac at hatching than larvae in the intermittent noise treatment and the control. Taken together, we show that noise, particularly a continuous noise exposure, negatively affects reproductive success and early life survival in fish larvae.
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| 3. |
- Blom, Eva-Lotta, 1973, et al.
(author)
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Male acoustic display in the sand goby – Essential cue in female choice, but unaffected by supplemental feeding
- 2022
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In: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. - : Elsevier. - 0022-0981 .- 1879-1697. ; 556
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many teleost fishes use acoustic and visual signalling during courtship. Such displays may convey information about body condition. Here we experimentally altered body condition of sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus) males to examine effects on acoustic and visual courtship and subsequent spawning decisions. Over two weeks, males fed in excess were fed daily, whereas food-deprived males were fed once a week. Females only spawned with males that produced courtship sound. However, there were no treatment effects on the occurrence of spawning and males fed in excess did not invest more in visual or acoustic courtship than food-deprived males. That said, males fed in excess built more well-covered nests, with more sand piled on top, compared to food-deprived males. Male condition measured as lipid content differed significantly between treatments. However, only males fed in excess differed in lipid content from wild caught males, indicating that in nature, males are of similar condition to males in the low condition treatment group. Apart from the importance of courtship sound, the only male or female behaviour predicting reproductive success was if male displayed in the nest opening. Males often produce courtship sounds together with a visual display in this position. A female dark-eye display did not associate with reproductive success which, together with previous results, suggest a non-ornamental function of this trait. We conclude that male courtship sounds appear to be crucial in female mate choice, but the information content of the courtship sounds and how it relates to male condition remains elusive.
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| 4. |
- Svensson, Ola, 1971-, et al.
(author)
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Sand goby females do not spawn with silent males - but do males sing out their condition and can female hear the song in a noisy environment?
- 2022
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Males of sand gobies (Pomatoschistus spp.) spawn in shallow water and produce a courtship sound to entice females to spawn. Previous work on field-caught males shows that courtship sounds differ between males of different body condition and between species suggesting that females use acoustic information in mate choice. Here, we manipulated male body condition via feeding regimes and measured courtship and subsequent spawning decisions. Although male condition measured as lipid content differed significantly between feeding regimes, neither male visual courtship, acoustic courtship nor spawning success were affected. However, comparing the lipid content of the experimental males to field-caught males show that in nature, males are of similar condition to males in the low condition treatment group. Acoustic signals might be masked by anthropogenic noise. Thus, to test if noise may affect spawning success we exposed courting males to experimental noise, resembling boat noise. We found that females only spawned with males that produced courtship sounds and significantly less often when exposed to noise. We conclude that the information content of male courtship sound and how it relates to male condition remains elusive, but that acoustic courtship is essential for mating success, making sand gobies potentially vulnerable to noise pollution. These results will be discussed in the light of preliminary data from a field experiment using the same noise set-up where male mating success was unaffected by treatment, and a pond experiment where variation in male mating success was affected by low levels of playback noise.
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