| 1. |
- Anthony, Kenneth R. N., et al.
(author)
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Operationalizing resilience for adaptive coral reef management under global environmental change
- 2015
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In: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 21:1, s. 48-61
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cumulative pressures from global climate and ocean change combined with multiple regional and local-scale stressors pose fundamental challenges to coral reef managers worldwide. Understanding how cumulative stressors affect coral reef vulnerability is critical for successful reef conservation now and in the future. In this review, we present the case that strategically managing for increased ecological resilience (capacity for stress resistance and recovery) can reduce coral reef vulnerability (risk of net decline) up to a point. Specifically, we propose an operational framework for identifying effective management levers to enhance resilience and support management decisions that reduce reef vulnerability. Building on a system understanding of biological and ecological processes that drive resilience of coral reefs in different environmental and socio-economic settings, we present an Adaptive Resilience-Based management (ARBM) framework and suggest a set of guidelines for how and where resilience can be enhanced via management interventions. We argue that press-type stressors (pollution, sedimentation, overfishing, ocean warming and acidification) are key threats to coral reef resilience by affecting processes underpinning resistance and recovery, while pulse-type (acute) stressors (e.g. storms, bleaching events, crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks) increase the demand for resilience. We apply the framework to a set of example problems for Caribbean and Indo-Pacific reefs. A combined strategy of active risk reduction and resilience support is needed, informed by key management objectives, knowledge of reef ecosystem processes and consideration of environmental and social drivers. As climate change and ocean acidification erode the resilience and increase the vulnerability of coral reefs globally, successful adaptive management of coral reefs will become increasingly difficult. Given limited resources, on-the-ground solutions are likely to focus increasingly on actions that support resilience at finer spatial scales, and that are tightly linked to ecosystem goods and services.
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| 2. |
- Keogh, S. M., et al.
(author)
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Anthropogenic 129I in precipitation and surface waters in Ireland
- 2010
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In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-583X .- 1872-9584. ; 268:7-8, s. 1232-1235
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The I-129 content in precipitation, lake and river waters sampled in Ireland in 2005-2006 has been determined by accelerator mass spectrometry. In the case of lake and river waters, the data reveal little if any geographic dispersion with a mean (n = 14) concentration of 4.6 +/- 1.2(1 sigma) x 10(8) atoms L-1. In contrast, concentrations of I-129 in precipitation show significant variations both in time and space, with concentrations ranging from a low of 1.9 x 10(8) atoms L-1 to a high of 303 x 10(8) atoms L-1. These variations in precipitation are attributed to temporal changes in on-going discharges of I-129 from west European reprocessing plants in conjunction with the trajectories of airstreams prevailing over Ireland at the time of sampling.
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| 3. |
- Layton, K. K. S., et al.
(author)
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Predicting the future of our oceans : Evaluating genomic forecasting approaches in marine species
- 2024
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In: Global Change Biology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 30:3
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Climate change is restructuring biodiversity on multiple scales and there is a pressing need to understand the downstream ecological and genomic consequences of this change. Recent advancements in the field of eco-evolutionary genomics have sought to include evolutionary processes in forecasting species' responses to climate change (e.g., genomic offset), but to date, much of this work has focused on terrestrial species. Coastal and offshore species, and the fisheries they support, may be even more vulnerable to climate change than their terrestrial counterparts, warranting a critical appraisal of these approaches in marine systems. First, we synthesize knowledge about the genomic basis of adaptation in marine species, and then we discuss the few examples where genomic forecasting has been applied in marine systems. Next, we identify the key challenges in validating genomic offset estimates in marine species, and we advocate for the inclusion of historical sampling data and hindcasting in the validation phase. Lastly, we describe a workflow to guide marine managers in incorporating these predictions into the decision-making process. Predicting climate change impacts is of central importance in marine ecosystems that provide a major source of nutrition to global communities and this work must be based on a sound understanding of both ecological and genomic impacts. This opinion synthesizes knowledge about the genomic basis of adaptation in marine species, highlights the few examples where genomic forecasting has been applied in marine systems, identifies the key challenges in validating genomic offset estimates in marine species, and provides a workflow to guide marine managers in incorporating these predictions into the decision-making process.
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| 4. |
- Amato, G., et al.
(author)
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Robotic Ubiquitous Cognitive Ecology for Smart Homes
- 2015
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In: Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems. - : Springer. - 0921-0296 .- 1573-0409. ; 80, s. S57-S81
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Robotic ecologies are networks of heterogeneous robotic devices pervasively embedded in everyday environments, where they cooperate to perform complex tasks. While their potential makes them increasingly popular, one fundamental problem is how to make them both autonomous and adaptive, so as to reduce the amount of preparation, pre-programming and human supervision that they require in real world applications. The project RUBICON develops learning solutions which yield cheaper, adaptive and efficient coordination of robotic ecologies. The approach we pursue builds upon a unique combination of methods from cognitive robotics, machine learning, planning and agent-based control, and wireless sensor networks. This paper illustrates the innovations advanced by RUBICON in each of these fronts before describing how the resulting techniques have been integrated and applied to a proof of concept smart home scenario. The resulting system is able to provide useful services and pro-actively assist the users in their activities. RUBICON learns through an incremental and progressive approach driven by the feedback received from its own activities and from the user, while also self-organizing the manner in which it uses available sensors, actuators and other functional components in the process. This paper summarises some of the lessons learned by adopting such an approach and outlines promising directions for future work.
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| 5. |
- Amato, Giuseppe, et al.
(author)
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Robotic UBIquitous COgnitive Network
- 2012
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In: Ambient Intelligence. - Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag New York. - 9783642287824 - 9783642287831 ; , s. 191-195
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Robotic ecologies are networks of heterogeneous robotic devices pervasively embedded in everyday environments, where they cooperate to perform complex tasks. While their potential makes them increasingly popular, one fundamental problem is how to make them self-adaptive, so as to reduce the amount of preparation, pre-programming and human supervision that they require in real world applications. The EU FP7 project RUBICON develops self-sustaining learning solutions yielding cheaper, adaptive and efficient coordination of robotic ecologies. The approach we pursue builds upon a unique combination of methods from cognitive robotics, agent control systems, wireless sensor networks and machine learning. This paper briefly illustrates how these techniques are being extended, integrated, and applied to AAL applications.
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| 6. |
- Dragone, Mauro, et al.
(author)
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A cognitive robotic ecology approach to self-configuring and evolving AAL systems
- 2015
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In: Engineering applications of artificial intelligence. - : Pergamon-Elsevier Science. - 0952-1976 .- 1873-6769. ; 45, s. 269-280
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Robotic ecologies are systems made out of several robotic devices, including mobile robots, wireless sensors and effectors embedded in everyday environments, where they cooperate to achieve complex tasks. This paper demonstrates how endowing robotic ecologies with information processing algorithms such as perception, learning, planning, and novelty detection can make these systems able to deliver modular, flexible, manageable and dependable Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) solutions. Specifically, we show how the integrated and self-organising cognitive solutions implemented within the EU project RUBICON (Robotic UBIquitous Cognitive Network) can reduce the need of costly pre-programming and maintenance of robotic ecologies. We illustrate how these solutions can be harnessed to (i) deliver a range of assistive services by coordinating the sensing & acting capabilities of heterogeneous devices, (ii) adapt and tune the overall behaviour of the ecology to the preferences and behaviour of its inhabitants, and also (iii) deal with novel events, due to the occurrence of new user's activities and changing user's habits.
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| 7. |
- Garcia-Tenorio, R., et al.
(author)
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From radiometry to chronology of a marine sediment core: A Pb-210 dating interlaboratory comparison exercise organised by the IAEA
- 2020
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In: Marine Pollution Bulletin. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0025-326X .- 1879-3363. ; 159
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Laboratories from 14 countries (with different levels of expertise in radionuclide measurements and Pb-210 dating) participated in an interlaboratory comparison exercise (ILC) related to the application of Pb-210 sediment dating technique within the framework of the IAEA Coordinated Research Project. The laboratories were provided with samples from a composite sediment core and were required to provide massic activities of several radionuclides and an age versus depth model from the obtained results, using the most suitable Pb-210 dating model. Massic concentrations of Zn and Cu were also determined to be used for chronology validation. The ILC results indicated good analytical performances while the dating results didnt demonstrate the same degree of competence in part due to the different experience in dating of the participant laboratories. The ILC exercise enabled evaluation of the difficulties faced by laboratories implementing Pb-210 dating methods and identified some limitations in providing reliable chronologies.
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| 8. |
- Rozmaric, M., et al.
(author)
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Fate of anthropogenic radionuclides (Sr-90, Cs-137, Pu-238, Pu-239, Pu-240, 241Am) in seawater in the northern Benguela upwelling system off Namibia
- 2022
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In: Chemosphere. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 286
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A baseline study on anthropogenic radioactivity in the Namibian marine ecosystem, which is part of the northern Benguela upwelling system, known as one of the most productive ocean areas in the world, has been performed. A scientific cruise carried out in 2014 covering inshore and offshore areas, exhibiting different oceanographic features, has provided a basis for better understanding the distributions, ratios and inventories of six anthropogenic radionuclides (90Sr, 137Cs, 238Pu, 239Pu, 240Pu and 241Am) in seawater. Although 3H was also measured, due to extremely low levels, its behaviour was not studied. The main source of 90Sr, 137Cs, 239Pu, 240Pu and 241Am in the samples analysed was proven to be global fallout, a finding further confirmed by 240Pu/239Pu and 90Sr/137Cs ratios. Furthermore, the 238Pu SNAP-9A satellite accident signal was confirmed once again through the determination of the 238Pu/239+240Pu activity ratio. Inshore and offshore samples showed different patterns due to the unique oceanographic features of this upwelling system. The levels of anthropogenic radionuclides, comprehensively assessed for the first time in this region, are comparable with the few existing data and filled a critical gap for the Southern Atlantic Ocean.
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