Description: Despite increasing recognition of the need for more diverse and equitable representation in the sciences, it is unclear whether measurable progress has been made. Here, we examine trends in authorship in coral reef science from 1,677 articles published over the past 16 years (2003–2018) and find that while representation of authors that are women (from 18 to 33%) and from non-OECD nations (from 4 to 13%) have increased over time, progress is slow in achieving more equitable representation. For example, at the current rate, it would take over two decades for female representation to reach 50%. Given that there are more coral reef non-OECD countries, at the current rate, truly equitable representation of non-OECD countries would take even longer. OECD nations also continue to dominate authorship contributions in coral reef science (89%), in research conducted in both OECD (63%) and non-OECD nations (68%). We identify systemic issues that remain prevalent in coral reef science (i.e., parachute science, gender bias) that likely contribute to observed trends. We provide recommendations to address systemic biases in research to foster a more inclusive global science community. Adoption of these recommendations will lead to more creative, innovative, and impactful scientific approaches urgently needed for coral reefs and contribute to environmental justice efforts.

Description: 〈jats:p〉Plastic debris is ubiquitous in all ecosystems and has even reached locations that humans will hardly reach such as the deep ocean floor and the atmosphere. Research has highlighted that plastic debris is now pervasive even in remote Arctic regions. While modeling projections indicated local sources and long-distance transport as causes, empirical data about its origin and sources are scarce. Data collected by citizen scientists can increase the scale of observations, especially in such remote regions. Here, we report abundance and composition data of marine debris collected by citizen scientists on 14 remote Arctic beaches on the Spitsbergen archipelago. In addition, citizen scientists collected three large, industrial sized canvas bags (hereafter: big packs), filled with beached debris, of which composition, sources and origin were determined. A total debris mass of 1,620 kg was collected on about 38,000 m〈jats:sup〉2〈/jats:sup〉 (total mean = 41.83 g m〈jats:sup〉-2〈/jats:sup〉, SEM = ± 31.62). In terms of abundance, 23,000 pieces of debris were collected on 25,500 m〈jats:sup〉2〈/jats:sup〉 (total mean = 0.37 items of debris m〈jats:sup〉-2〈/jats:sup〉, SEM = ± 0.17). Although most items were plastic in both abundance and mass, fisheries waste, such as nets, rope, and large containers, dominated in mass (87%), and general plastics, such as packaging and plastic articles, dominated in abundance (80%). Fisheries-related debris points to local sea-based sources from vessels operating in the Arctic and nearby. General plastics could point to both land- and ship based sources, as household items are also used on ships and debris can be transported to the north 〈jats:italic〉via〈/jats:italic〉 the oceans current. Overall, 1% of the items (206 out of 14,707 pieces) collected in two big packs (2017 and 2021), bore imprints or labels allowing an analysis of their origin. If the categories ‘global’ and ‘English language’ were excluded, most of identifiable items originated from Arctic states (65%), especially from Russia (32%) and Norway (16%). But almost a third of the items (30%) was of European provenance, especially from Germany (8%). Five percent originated from more distant sources (e.g. USA, China, Korea, Brazil). Global measures such as an efficient and legally binding plastic treaty with improved upstream measures and waste management are urgently needed, to lower the amount of plastic entering our environments and in turn lifting the pressure on the Arctic region and its sensitive biota.〈/jats:p〉

Description: The highly populated coasts of the Bay of Bengal are particularly vulnerable to water-borne diseases, pollution and climatic extremes. The environmental factors behind bacterial community composition and Vibrio distribution were investigated in an estuarine system of a cholera-endemic region in the coastline of Bangladesh. Higher temperatures and sewage pollution were important drivers of the abundance of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae. A closer relation between non-culturable Vibrio and particulate organic matter (POM) was inferred during the post-monsoon. The distribution of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of Vibrio genus was likely driven by salinity and temperature. The resuspension of sediments increased Vibrio abundance and organic nutrient concentrations. The δ13C dynamic in POM followed an increasing gradient from freshwater to marine stations; nevertheless, it was not a marker of sewage pollution. Bacteroidales and culturable coliforms were reliable indicators of untreated wastewater during pre and post-monsoon seasons. The presumptive incorporation of depleted-ammonium derived from ammonification processes under the hypoxic conditions, by some microorganisms such as Cloacibacterium and particularly by Arcobacter nearby the sewage discharge, contributed to the drastic 15N depletion in the POM. The likely capacity of extracellular polymeric substances production of these taxa may facilitate the colonization of POM from anthropogenic origin and may signify important properties for wastewater bioremediation. Genera of potential pathogens other than Vibrio associated with sewage pollution were Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Arcobacter, and Bergeyella. The changing environmental conditions of the estuary favored the abundance of early colonizers and the island biogeography theory explained the distribution of some bacterial groups. This multidisciplinary study evidenced clearly the eutrophic conditions of the Karnaphuli estuary and assessed comprehensively its current bacterial baseline and potential risks. The prevailing conditions together with human overpopulation and frequent natural disasters, transform the region in one of the most vulnerable to climate change. Adaptive management strategies are urgently needed to enhance ecosystem health.

Description: 〈jats:p〉Climate change combined with anthropogenic stressors (e.g. overfishing, habitat destruction) may have particularly strong effects on threatened populations of coastal invertebrates. The collapse of the population of European lobster (〈jats:italic〉Homarus gammarus〈/jats:italic〉) around Helgoland constitutes a good example and prompted a large-scale restocking program. The question arises if recruitment of remaining natural individuals and program-released specimens could be stunted by ongoing climate change. We examined the joint effect of ocean warming and acidification on survival, development, morphology, energy metabolism and enzymatic antioxidant activity of the larval stages of the European lobster. Larvae from four independent hatches were reared from stage I to III under a gradient of 10 seawater temperatures (13–24°C) combined with moderate (∼470 µatm) and elevated (∼1160 µatm) seawater 〈jats:italic〉p〈/jats:italic〉CO〈jats:sub〉2〈/jats:sub〉 treatments. Those treatments correspond to the shared socio-economic pathways (SSP), SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5 (i.e. the low and the very high greenhouse gas emissions respectively) projected for 2100 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Larvae under the elevated 〈jats:italic〉p〈/jats:italic〉CO〈jats:sub〉2〈/jats:sub〉 treatment had not only lower survival rates, but also significantly smaller rostrum length. However, temperature was the main driver of energy demands with increased oxygen consumption rates and elemental C:N ratio towards warmer temperatures, with a reducing effect on development time. Using this large temperature gradient, we provide a more precise insight on the aerobic thermal window trade-offs of lobster larvae and whether exposure to the worst hypercapnia scenario may narrow it. This may have repercussions on the recruitment of the remaining natural and program-released specimens and thus, in the enhancement success of future lobster stocks.〈/jats:p〉

Description: The variety of Earth’s organisms is manifold. However, it is the small-scale marine community that makes the world goes round. Microbial organisms of pro- and eukaryotic origin drive the carbon supply and nutrient cycling, thus are mediating the primary productivity within the world largest ecosystem called ocean. But due to the ocean’s great size and large number of biogeographically habitats, the total of microbial species can hardly be grabbed and therefore their functional roles not fully described. However, recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies are revolutionizing our understanding of the marine microbial diversity, ecology and evolution. Nowadays, research questions on species differentiation can be solved with genomic approaches such as metabarcoding, while transcriptomics offers the possibility to assign gene functions even to a single cell, e.g., single-cell transcriptomics. On the other hand, due to the diversified amount of sequencing data, the certainty of a data crisis is currently evolving. Scientists are forced to broaden their view on bioinformatics resources for analysis and data storage in from of, e.g., cloud services, to ensure the data’s exchangeability. Which is why time resources are now shifting toward solving data problems rather than answering the eco-evolutionary questions stated in the first place. This review is intended to provide exchange on *omics approaches and key points for discussions on data handling used to decipher the relevant diversity and functions of microbial organisms in the marine ecosystem.

Description: Science Board Meeting 2022 — Note from the Science Board Chair. FUTURE SSC’s 8th Annual Meeting ~ Highlights. PICES-2022 and the first hybrid annual meeting. Featuring PICES-2022 Award recipients: (Chair Award, Wooster Award, Zhu-Peterson Award, PICES Ocean Monitoring Service Award, ECS Best Presentation Awards). PICES-2022 Workshop Reports: (W1: Distributions of pelagic, demersal, and benthic species associated with seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean and factors influencing their distributions, W2: Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) to understand the present and future of the Central Arctic Ocean (CAO) and Northern Bering and Chukchi Seas (NBS-CS), W3: SmartNet: Promoting PICES and ICES Leadership in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, W4: Exploring Engagement Opportunities for Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) within PICES and Internationally, W5: Integrating biological research, fisheries science and management of broadly distributed flatfish species across the North Pacific Ocean in the face of climate and environmental variability, W7: Anthropogenic stressors, mechanisms and potential impacts on Marine Birds, Mammals, and Sea Turtles, W8: Science Communication Training: How to Create Memorable PICES Science Stories, W10: A TCODE Workshop on “Openly Discoverable, Accessible, and Reusable Data and Information in the U.N. Decade”). PICES AP-NPCOOS "Ocean Big Data" Summer School. PICES AP-CREAMS Virtual Summer School on Ocean Turbulence: From Observing to Research. Science and Innovation to Scale Up Ocean Action: UN Ocean Conference 2022. ECOP Perspective on the 4th Early Career Scientist Conference (ECSC4). Symposium in Lisbon Re-unites the Global Community Investigating Small Pelagic Fish. SPF2022 Symposium Workshop Reports: (1: Application of Genetics to Small Pelagic Fish, 2: The Devil’s in the Details of Using Species Distribution Models to Inform Multispecies and Ecosystem Models, 3: Small Pelagics for Whom? Challenges and Opportunities for the Equitable Distribution of Nutritional Benefits, 4: Evaluating Inter-Sectoral Tradeoffs and Community-Level Response to Spatio-Temporal Changes in Forage Distribution and Abundance, 5: Recent Advances in the Daily Egg Production Method (DEPM): Challenges and Opportunities, 6: Small Pelagic Fish Reproductive Resilience). SOLAS Open Science Conference, 2022. Early Career Scientist Participation in SOLAS Open Science Conference, 2022. PICES SeaTurtle researchers find clues linking derelict fishing lines of “Urban Fishermen” to sea turtle stranding. NPAFC's IYS Synthesis Symposium - Key Takeaways. The Bering Sea: Current Status and Recent Trends. Western North Pacific: Current status and recent topic: Sea Surface Temperature during the 2022 warm season, The Northeast Pacific: Update on marine heatwave status and trends. PICES Events Calendar. PICES by the Numbers, and an Invitation to join SG-GREEN. Open call for PICES Press submissions | About PICES Press

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: PICES Accomplishments in 2021 - Note from the Science Board Chair. Highlights from the FUTURE SCC's 2021 Annual Meeting. Highlightrs from PICES-2021. Featuring PICES-2021 Award recipients (Chair Award, Wooster Award, Zhu-Peterson Award, PICES Ocean Monitoring Services Award, ECS Best Presentation Awards). PICES New Code of Ethics. PICES-2021 Workshop Reports (BIO/FIS Topic WS1: Can we link zooplankton production to fisheries recruitment? FIS Topic Workshop WS2: Pelagic and forage species - predicting response and evaluating resiliency to environmental variability. AP-NPCOOS/MONITOR/TCODE/BIO/FUTURE Topic Workshop WS4: Monitoring Essential Biodiversity Variables in the coastal zone. FUTURE Topic Workshop WS5: Engaging Early Career Ocean Professionals in PICES to further the next generation of integrated ocean sustainability science). The western North Pacific during the 2021 warm season. Bering Sea: Current status and recent trends. Northeawst Pacific Update: Summer 2021 low oxygen event on the west coast of North America. Highlights from the MSEAS Teaser Event. PICES Event Calendar. Your PICES Science Images - Call for Submissions. About PICES Press.

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: Intersessional Science Board Meeting 2022 - Note from the Science Board Chair. FUTURE SSC's 8th Intersessional Meeting ~ Highlights. SmartNet Event: Establishing Global Knowledge Networks to Achieve "A Productive Ocean." PICES and ICES at Our Ocean 2022, Palau. Looking forward to a return to in-person annual meetings at PICES-2022. An Invitation to the Science Communication Workshop at PICES 2022: How to Create Memorable PICES Science Stories. PICES Ciguatera Project in International News. Exploring Human Networks to Power Sustainability. AP-ECOP's Early Career Ocean Professionals Update: ECOP cross-pollination in PICES and Internationally. Eagerly anticipating the 4th ICES/PICES ECS Conference this July! PICES Contributions to OSM 2022. Pacific Ecology and Evolution Conference (PEEC). Update on the Bering Sea. The western North Pacific during the 2021/2022 cold season. Cool winter and early spring conditions in the Northeast Pacific. Remembering Timothy Parsons - Pre-eminent Canadian marine scientist. PICES Calendar of Events. PICES Science Images & Call for submissions. PICES By the Numbers. About PICES Press.

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: Intersessional Science Board Meeting 2023 - Note from the new SB Chair. Future SSC's 9th Intersessional Meeting ~Highlights. PICES 2023 ~ See you in Seattle. The 5th International Conference on the Effects of Climate Change on the World's Ocean ECCWO5 (Together we will work; W1 Workshop Report; W2 Workshop Report; S2 Session Report; S3 Session Report; S10 Session Report; S18 Session Report; S19 Session Report; ECOP Update; Presentation Awards; EuroFish). PICES-MAFF Ciguartera Project - Summary of Activities. Exploring National ECOP hubs in PICES member countries. The 44th Pacific Ecology and Evolution Conference (PEEC). Regional Reports (The Bering Sea: Current Status and Recent Trends; Western North Pacific - Current Status and Updates: Sea surface temperatures for the 2022/2023 cold season; The Northeast Pacific: Update on marine heatwave status and trends). The Continuous Plankton Recorder as a platform for sensor development. ICES Annual Science Conference, 2022: Theme Session J. The Development of the SUPREME Network. Remembering Vera Alexander. PICES by the Numbers: #ECCWO5 Calculated Carbon Emissions. PICES Events Calendar. Your PICES Science Images. Open call for PICES Press submissions|About PICES Press

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: 2021 inter-sessional Science Board meeting - Note from the science Board Chair. FUTURE SCC's 7th inter-sessional meeting highlights. Sustainability of Marine Ecosystems Through Knowledge Networks (SMARTNET) Endorsed as a UN Decade of Ocean Science Program. SMARTNET featured in ECO magazine. Early Career Ocean Professionals: Evolving Contributions to PICES & the UN Ocean Decade. Pacific Ecology and Evolution Conference. The (Virtual) International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Regions. Hal Batchelder's legacy - in PICES words. The western North Pacific during the 2020/2021 cold season. Behring Sea: Current status and recent trends. The Northeast Pacific: Update on Marine Heat Wave Status. PICES by the numbers - finding balance. Your PICES science images Feature: SEAturtle Special Project. About PICES Press.

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed