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The western Atlantic Ocean harbors a diverse fauna of squat lobsters, particularly in the family Munidopsidae. This study introduces Munidopsis sedna sp. nov., a species only found in the Gulf of Mexico and the first species reported to be endemic to cold seeps in the western Atlantic. Our investigation incorporates morphological analyses including micro-CT scanning evidence, multilocus molecular phylogeny, and mtDNA phylogeography, as well as ecological data derived from in situ observations and geographic distribution patterns to substantiate the recognition of the new species. Shallow molecular divergences and multiple morphological differences differentiate the new species from its closest relative, M. longimanus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880). Additionally, we explore the potential scenario for ecological speciation within this newly identified taxon and discuss its significance in the context of conservation efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the results of a high-resolution pollen study covering the 8720-7990 cal yr BP time interval from a well-dated core of lacustrine sediments in Lake Amalvas, southwest Lithuania, supplemented by loss-on-ignition and magnetic susceptibility analyses. The 20-25-year interval between samples allows for a temporally-detailed investigation of changes in sedimentation in the lake's catchment and vegetation in its surroundings. Key findings include a marked increase in magnetic susceptibility and a simultaneous decrease in organic matter values at 8650 cal yr BP, indicating landscape instability due to local hydrological changes. An increase in alder pollen during 8510-8260 cal yr BP suggests heightened humidity, while a slight rise in birch pollen from 8530 to 8430 cal yr BP and a nearly simultaneous decrease in thermophilous tree pollen imply a cooling trend, probably linked to broader climatic fluctuations preceding the 8.2 ka event. Notably, evidence of the 8.2 ka event itself is negligible from the Lake Amalvas sediments, indicating a mild environmental impact in southern Lithuania. The precise dating of the Early Holocene hazel maximum (8640-8590 cal yr BP) and a notable increase in pine pollen between 8200 and 8160 cal yr BP provide valuable regional chronological markers. These findings enhance our understanding of Holocene environmental dynamics in southern Lithuania and offer reference points for future paleoenvironmental research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mesopelagic zone represents one of the few habitats that remains relatively untouched from anthropogenic activities. Among the many species inhabiting the north Atlantic mesopelagic zone, glacier lanternfish (Benthosema glaciale) is the most abundant and widely distributed. This species has been regarded as a potential target for a dedicated fishery despite the scarce knowledge of its population genetic structure. Here, we investigated its genetic structure across the North Atlantic and into the Mediterranean Sea using 121 SNPs, which revealed strong differentiation among three main groups: the Mediterranean Sea, oceanic samples, and Norwegian fjords. The Mediterranean samples displayed less than half the genetic variation of the remaining ones. Very weak or nearly absent genetic structure was detected among geographically distinct oceanic samples across the North Atlantic, which contrasts with the low motility of the species. In contrast, a longitudinal gradient of differentiation was observed in the Mediterranean Sea, where genetic connectivity is known to be strongly shaped by oceanographic processes such as current patterns and oceanographic discontinuities. In addition, 12 of the SNPs, in linkage disequilibrium, drove a three clusters' pattern detectable through Principal Component Analysis biplot matching the genetic signatures generally associated with large chromosomal rearrangements, such as inversions. The arrangement of this putative inversion showed frequency differences between open‐ocean and more confined water bodies such as the fjords and the Mediterranean, as it was fixed in the latter for the second most common arrangement of the fjord's samples. However, whether genetic differentiation was driven by local adaptation, secondary contact, or a combination of both factors remains undetermined. The major finding of this study is that B. glaciale in the North Atlantic‐Mediterranean is divided into three major genetic units, information that should be combined with demographic properties to outline the management of this species prior to any eventual fishery attempt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brissidae is a family of heart urchins that includes shallow‑water, infaunal species, some of which are rarely observed. One species, Rhynobrissus cuneus Cooke, 1957, has only been recorded from the western Atlantic off the coast of North Carolina, USA and in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Veracruz, Mexico. This work identifies new records from the coast of Florida, USA, increasing our knowledge of this species’ geographic distribution.

Abstract Seabird colonies with long-term monitoring records, i.e., > 50 years, are rare. The population data for northern gannets (Morus bassanus) in Cape St. Mary’s (CSM) Ecological Reserve (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) is robust, extending back to 1883 when the colony was presumed established. We inferred the colony’s historical population shifts by measuring ornithogenic proxies in a dated sediment record collected from a nearby pond. Our record extended to the early eighteenth century, but the proxy data only began to show significant signs of seabird presence between ca. 1832 and 1910, aligning with the period gannets were first observed at CSM. Through the twentieth century, we observed significant increases in δ15N, P, Zn, Cd, and chlorophyll a, coeval with a shift in the dominant diatom species, indicating rapid colony growth. The proxies were overall highest in ca. 2005, corresponding to the reported historical maximum of the gannet colony in 2009. Our results validate that paleo-reconstructions using ornithogenic proxies can accurately reflect population trends and provide a stronger understanding of the colony’s establishment and growth. This study highlights the value of applying paleolimnological methods in seabird population studies to frame the history of a colony’s dynamics and inform conservation efforts.

The Diablotin or Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata is an endangered gadfly petrel found in the western North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and northern Gulf of Mexico. An estimated ~2000 pairs nest at five known sites on Hispaniola, Greater Antilles, although only 120 nests have been located to date. We collected breast feathers and feces from breeding adults in the Dominican Republic in April 2018 (n = 10) and from non-breeding adults at sea offshore of North Carolina, USA, in May 2019 (n = 10). We measured mercury burden in feathers and used fecal DNA metabarcoding to compare diets. We found higher concentrations of total mercury compared to other Pterodroma petrels worldwide, with mean concentrations of 30.3 ± 11.1 ppm dry weight (range: 15.2-53.9; n = 20). Diet was dominated by fish, including a high proportion of mesopelagic groups such as myctophids, as well as fishes of interest to artisanal and commercial Caribbean fisheries. These results confirm earlier suggestions of elevated ingestion of mercury by Black-capped Petrels, likely through the consumption of mesopelagic prey or fishery discards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seabird colonies with long-term monitoring records, i.e., > 50 years, are rare. The population data for northern gannets (Morus bassanus) in Cape St. Mary's (CSM) Ecological Reserve (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) is robust, extending back to 1883 when the colony was presumed established. We inferred the colony's historical population shifts by measuring ornithogenic proxies in a dated sediment record collected from a nearby pond. Our record extended to the early eighteenth century, but the proxy data only began to show significant signs of seabird presence between ca. 1832 and 1910, aligning with the period gannets were first observed at CSM. Through the twentieth century, we observed significant increases in δ15N, P, Zn, Cd, and chlorophyll a, coeval with a shift in the dominant diatom species, indicating rapid colony growth. The proxies were overall highest in ca. 2005, corresponding to the reported historical maximum of the gannet colony in 2009. Our results validate that paleo-reconstructions using ornithogenic proxies can accurately reflect population trends and provide a stronger understanding of the colony's establishment and growth. This study highlights the value of applying paleolimnological methods in seabird population studies to frame the history of a colony's dynamics and inform conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The taxonomic status of butterfly rays within the genus Gymnura remains a subject of ongoing debate among researchers. Some authors recognize up to five valid species for the Americas, while others considered several to be synonyms, which has posed a persistent challenge. We aimed to shed light on this complexity by employing molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) based on the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI). Genetic sequences were obtained from fresh muscle tissue collected in the marine ecoregions corresponding to the type locality from all the nominal butterfly ray species distributed along the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). Our results unveiled compelling findings; all the species delimitation models used consistently identified seven MOTUs for the American continent and an extra G. altavela MOTU restricted to Africa. In addition, our results and models exceeded the worldwide accepted interspecific threshold of 2.0%. Remarkably, our results support the taxonomic reinstatement of Gymnura afuerae (Hildebrand, 1946) as a valid species, with a range expanding into the ETP in the Southern Hemisphere. Similarly, our data support the recent suggestion of resurrecting Gymnura valenciennii (Duméril, 1865) as a valid species in the western Atlantic. These findings urge a reassessment of the conservation status and a comprehensive taxonomic revision of American butterfly rays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early stages of developing wave energy converter (WEC) projects, a quantitative assessment of component failure consequence costs is essential. The WEC types, deployment site features, and accessibility should all be carefully considered. This study introduces an operation and maintenance failure consequence cost (O&M-FC) model, distinct from conventional O&M models. The model is illustrated with case studies at three energetic Atlantic sites, each of which considers two types of generic floating WECs: a 300 kW point absorber (PA) with a hydraulic power-take-off (PTO) and a 1000 kW oscillating water column (OWC) with an air-wells-turbine PTO. This study compares 39 failure modes for PA and 27 for OWC in terms of direct repair costs and indirect lost production costs, examining the impact of location accessibility, capacity factors, and the mean annual energy production. The discussion revolves around the sensitive parameters. Recommendations for failure mitigations are presented, and the impact of planned maintenance (PM) during the operational phase is examined for 20 MW PA and OWC WEC projects. For a given WEC type, the method thoroughly evaluates how the location affects performance metrics. It offers a decision-making tool for determining optimal PM intervals to meet targets such as O&M costs, operating profit, or availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The effect of wind‐induced vertical velocity on the meridional coherence of Atlantic meridional overtuning circulation (AMOC) is examined using theory, observations, and a numerical model. Two cases are considered: (a) the AMOC computed in depth coordinates and (b) the AMOC computed in isopycnal coordinates. In depth space, the difference between the AMOC at different latitudes is largely explained by vertical transport across the 1000m depth surface induced by Ekman pumping. In density space, this difference is explained by Ekman‐driven heave of the neutral surface separating the upper and lower limbs. This adiabatic “sloshing” changes the relative volumes of the upper and lower AMOC limbs, obscuring the distribution and advection of the diapycnal transports which characterize the AMOC.

ABSTRACT The mesopelagic zone represents one of the few habitats that remains relatively untouched from anthropogenic activities. Among the many species inhabiting the north Atlantic mesopelagic zone, glacier lanternfish (Benthosema glaciale) is the most abundant and widely distributed. This species has been regarded as a potential target for a dedicated fishery despite the scarce knowledge of its population genetic structure. Here, we investigated its genetic structure across the North Atlantic and into the Mediterranean Sea using 121 SNPs, which revealed strong differentiation among three main groups: the Mediterranean Sea, oceanic samples, and Norwegian fjords. The Mediterranean samples displayed less than half the genetic variation of the remaining ones. Very weak or nearly absent genetic structure was detected among geographically distinct oceanic samples across the North Atlantic, which contrasts with the low motility of the species. In contrast, a longitudinal gradient of differentiation was observed in the Mediterranean Sea, where genetic connectivity is known to be strongly shaped by oceanographic processes such as current patterns and oceanographic discontinuities. In addition, 12 of the SNPs, in linkage disequilibrium, drove a three clusters' pattern detectable through Principal Component Analysis biplot matching the genetic signatures generally associated with large chromosomal rearrangements, such as inversions. The arrangement of this putative inversion showed frequency differences between open‐ocean and more confined water bodies such as the fjords and the Mediterranean, as it was fixed in the latter for the second most common arrangement of the fjord's samples. However, whether genetic differentiation was driven by local adaptation, secondary contact, or a combination of both factors remains undetermined. The major finding of this study is that B. glaciale in the North Atlantic‐Mediterranean is divided into three major genetic units, information that should be combined with demographic properties to outline the management of this species prior to any eventual fishery attempt.

The taxonomic status of butterfly rays within the genus Gymnura remains a subject of ongoing debate among researchers. Some authors recognize up to five valid species for the Americas, while others considered several to be synonyms, which has posed a persistent challenge. We aimed to shed light on this complexity by employing molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) based on the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI). Genetic sequences were obtained from fresh muscle tissue collected in the marine ecoregions corresponding to the type locality from all the nominal butterfly ray species distributed along the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). Our results unveiled compelling findings; all the species delimitation models used consistently identified seven MOTUs for the American continent and an extra G. altavela MOTU restricted to Africa. In addition, our results and models exceeded the worldwide accepted interspecific threshold of 2.0%. Remarkably, our results support the taxonomic reinstatement of Gymnura afuerae (Hildebrand, 1946) as a valid species, with a range expanding into the ETP in the Southern Hemisphere. Similarly, our data support the recent suggestion of resurrecting Gymnura valenciennii (Duméril, 1865) as a valid species in the western Atlantic. These findings urge a reassessment of the conservation status and a comprehensive taxonomic revision of American butterfly rays.

Finding prehistoric sites, on the sea floor off the United States, has proven to be a difficult task. Over four decades of innovative attempts have produced few discoveries. This discussion outlines the difficulties in finding submerged prehistory on the sea floor, examines current methodology(ies), and presents a new methodology that demonstrates promise based on research conducted over the past decade. The purpose of this discussion is to outline the problems facing archaeologists searching the sea floor for archaeological sites. It is less of a critique of past efforts and methodologies used in those attempts. Without those efforts, a reason for developing a different methodological approach would be unnecessary. Any “one size fits all” methodology is limiting, and the scant number of marine archaeological sites located off the shores of the United States can attest to the need for practitioners to continue refining their methods. This is especially the case on the continental shelf of the eastern United States, where sediment cover is often meters, or several meters, thick. This opportunistic methodology developed on the continental shelf of the Georgia Bight, western Atlantic Ocean, has located intact paleo-landforms with in situ, palaeoecological remains thereby offering promise for future archaeological discoveries.

Benthic δ18O stacks are the benchmarks by which paleoceanographic data are stratigraphically aligned and compared. However, a recent study found that between 1.8 and 1.9 million years ago (Ma) several Ceara Rise records differed substantially from the widely used LR04 global stack. Here, we use new Bayesian stacking software to construct regional stacks and demonstrate a geographical divergence in benthic δ18O features from 1.8 to 1.9 Ma. The pattern of isotopic stage features observed in the Ceara Rise is widespread throughout the Atlantic and differs notably from Pacific records. We propose that this regional difference in isotopic stages may be the result of relatively strong precession forcing and weaker obliquity forcing between 1.8 and 1.9 Ma. In accordance with the Antiphase Hypothesis, our results highlight a period of apparent sensitivity to regional precession forcing that is masked during most of the 41‐Kyr world due to the amplitude modulation of obliquity forcing. Plain Language Summary: To determine the age of deep‐sea sediments, often the oxygen isotope ratios of microfossils are measured and compared to a previously compiled global benchmark. Recently, one of the most widely used oxygen isotope benchmarks has been challenged based on a comparison with several Atlantic records. In this study we assess several lines of evidence including utilizing newly available data and software. We confirm the challenge to the global oxygen isotope benchmark and find that it is more widespread than originally realized. Particularly, we find that oxygen isotope records display different patterns between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans from 1.8 to 1.9 million years ago (Ma). We propose that this difference is the result of the opposing seasonal solar radiation anomalies received by the northern and southern hemispheres, which exhibited particularly large amplitudes during this time. Our study adds supporting evidence to a hypothesis that explains the dominant frequency of oxygen isotopic cycles from 1.2 to 2.6 Ma. Key Points: New Atlantic and Pacific benthic δ18O stacks show different patterns between 1.8 and 1.9 MaThe Atlantic‐Pacific difference in this portion of the 41‐Kyr world may be caused by regional sensitivity to relatively strong precessionRegional benthic δ18O stacks are preferable to global stacks for stratigraphic alignment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyse the trajectory of men who left Ponte de Lima, in the north of Portugal, and headed for Bahia, the capital of the South American colony, crossing and making a life on the other side of the Atlantic, manuscript sources from the local Misericórdia archive, which we have analysed qualitatively. With very similar life journeys, although with several differences, these men achieved what they wanted, leading a path of social ascent, made up of work and professional networks and trust. Once they had crossed the Atlantic and achieved success, they planned to distribute their wealth distribution of their wealth, benefiting family, friends and the poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding prehistoric sites, on the sea floor off the United States, has proven to be a difficult task. Over four decades of innovative attempts have produced few discoveries. This discussion outlines the difficulties in finding submerged prehistory on the sea floor, examines current methodology(ies), and presents a new methodology that demonstrates promise based on research conducted over the past decade. The purpose of this discussion is to outline the problems facing archaeologists searching the sea floor for archaeological sites. It is less of a critique of past efforts and methodologies used in those attempts. Without those efforts, a reason for developing a different methodological approach would be unnecessary. Any "one size fits all" methodology is limiting, and the scant number of marine archaeological sites located off the shores of the United States can attest to the need for practitioners to continue refining their methods. This is especially the case on the continental shelf of the eastern United States, where sediment cover is often meters, or several meters, thick. This opportunistic methodology developed on the continental shelf of the Georgia Bight, western Atlantic Ocean, has located intact paleo-landforms with in situ, palaeoecological remains thereby offering promise for future archaeological discoveries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Knowledge gaps and sampling bias can lead to underestimations of species richness and distortions in the known distribution of species. The goal of this study is to identify potential gaps and biases in marine organisms sampling at the Western Atlantic Ocean, determine their causes and assess its effect on biodiversity metrics. We tested the potential interference of this bias with the representation of environmental conditions, potentially affecting biodiversity model predictions. Location: Western Atlantic Ocean. Methods: This study compiled data of marine species in online and institutional databases. The analysis of sampling effort and bias was conducted by mapping the density of records. A spatial autoregressive model (SAR) was employed to investigate the influence of accessibility as a determinant factor of the sampling bias. We tested whether the effect of the sampling bias could result from environmental bias in the samples, contrasting the environmental variables of the study area with those present in the biodiversity records. We examined the correlation between sampling effort in species richness and endemism. Results: The USA has the highest number of records and density of records. There was a low correlation between the vertebrates, invertebrates and algae sample density patterns. Accessibility was identified as one of the main causes of sampling bias. The analysis of environmental bias indicated that the records do not represent all conditions present in the environment. Sampling density showed a strong relationship with endemism and a weaker relationship with species richness. Main Conclusions: We have identified a strong sampling bias related to ease of access that equally affects vertebrates, invertebrates and algae, resulting in a skewed sampling of the environmental conditions where species occur. Sampling patterns differ among the groups. The intensity of sampling effort significantly impacts measures of richness and endemism, potentially undermining the accurate recognition of real biological diversity patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of the prey of three amphiatlantic dolphin species, Tursiops truncatus, Stenella coeruleoalba and Delphinus delphis, is carried out. The main objective of this work is to review the feeding of these species in the Atlantic in order to assess the degrees of trophic competition and speciation pressure. A total of 103 fish families, 22 cephalopod families and 19 crustacean families have been counted, from which the species identified to the genus level only included seventy-one fish, twenty cephalopods and five crustaceans, and the total species identified included three-hundred-one fish, fifty cephalopods and twenty-six crustaceans. The most consumed prey were fish, followed by cephalopods and crustaceans. The exclusive prey consumed by each of the three dolphin species, as well as those shared by all or at least two of them, have also been counted. T. truncatus is the most general; however, the western Atlantic populations exhibit high dietary specialization compared to the eastern Atlantic populations, reflecting strong speciation pressure on both sides of the Atlantic. D. delphis and S. coeruleoalba, despite their amphiatlantism, have hardly been studied in the western Atlantic, except for a few references in the southern hemisphere, so the fundamental differences between the two species and their comparison with T. truncatus have been established with records from the eastern Atlantic. All three dolphin species have been observed to be expanding, especially D. delphis. This northward expansion and that of their prey is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isostichopus badionotus (Selenka, 1867) is distributed in the Atlantic Ocean. It has been recognized as a species with highly variable intraspecific coloration. To clarify taxonomic confusion and show the characters for correct identification of this valuable species, mitochondrial DNA (16S and COI), color patterns, external and internal morphology, ossicles, and habitat were examined in specimens from museum collections and from original sampling. As part of the revision, I. fuscus (Ludwig, 1875) from the Eastern Pacific Ocean and I. macroparentheses (Clark, 1922) from the Caribbean Sea, the only other two species currently recognized in the genus Isostichopus, were included. It was concluded that I. fuscus and I. macroparentheses are distinct and valid species, and that I. badionotus consists of two species: I. badionotus and I. maculatus (Greeff, 1882), previously synonymized as I. baqdionotus by Clark (1922). Isostichopus maculatus includes two subspecies, the nominal I. maculatus maculatus (Greeff, 1882) and I. maculatus phoenius (Clark, 1922), described as Stichopus badionotus var. phoenius Clark, 1922. Isostichopus maculatus maculatus, distributed in the East Atlantic, is very similar to I. maculatus phoenius, but differs in DNA characters, color pattern, and the size and shape of the tables in the dorsal papillae. Isostichopus maculatus phoenius, widely distributed in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, is sympatric with I. badionotus, has similar ossicles but is clearly distinguished by its DNA sequences, color patterns, and habitat preferences. For the first time, ossicles from internal organs are described for Isostichopus, enhancing original species descriptions. Distribution maps, habitat, biology, conservation status, and a taxonomic key for distinguishing these species to aid their fishery management and aquaculture are presented.

Catch, bycatch and discard information is important for the assessment and management of fisheries. Using Chinese pelagic tuna longline observer data from 2010 to 2018, we studied the catch composition in the Chinese pelagic tuna longline fisheries in Atlantic targeting bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) and bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), and analyzed the survival status and discard rates of common bycatch species. A total of 55 species, including tunas, billfishes, sharks, sea turtles, cetaceans, seabirds, and other pelagic species, were observed. The results indicated that the catch composition of the Chinese pelagic tuna longline fishery targeting bigeye tuna was significantly different from that targeting bluefin tuna. The annual discard rates of common species decreased over this period. Discard rate by length and discard mortality for common species were varied among species. This is the first study to estimate catch, bycatch, and discard using Chinese pelagic tuna longline observer data in the Atlantic Ocean, which is important for the management of Chinese tuna longline fisheries in Atlantic Ocean.

The Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) is often used for subseasonal forecasting of tropical cyclone (TC) activity. However, TC activity still has considerable variability even given the state of the MJO. This study evaluates the connection between MJO propagation speed with Atlantic TC activity and possible physical mechanisms guiding this relation. We find the Atlantic sees the highest accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) during MJO phase 2. However, the odds of above average ACE in the Atlantic is greatest during slow MJO propagation. We find that slow propagation of the MJO results in lower vertical wind shear anomalies over the Caribbean and main development region compared with typical MJO propagation. Typical MJO propagation produces an amplified height pattern and lower height anomalies along the region of the tropical upper tropospheric trough which is known to impede Atlantic TC activity. Slow MJO propagation sees weaker height anomalies over the Atlantic. Plain Language Summary: The Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) is a large region of storminess and winds that moves slowly eastward from the Indian ocean eastward into the Pacific over the course of 40–90 days. When the MJO is over the Indian Ocean it produces more hurricanes in the Atlantic because it reduces wind shear which is the difference in winds at different heights of the atmosphere. When the MJO moves slowly or is nearly stationary over the Indian Ocean there is even more hurricane activity in the Atlantic. When the MJO moves at a normal pace, it influences the jet stream which can then dip into the Atlantic creating high wind shear. When the MJO moves slowly there is less shear over the Atlantic. Key Points: The Atlantic basin sees the most subseasonal tropical cyclone activity when the Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) is moving slowly prior to entering phase 2Under normal MJO propagation higher shear occurs in the main development region than during slow propagating MJOsUnder slow propagating MJO regimes the 500 mb geopotential height pattern has smaller wavelengths and weaker anomalies over the Atlantic [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Benthic δ18O stacks are the benchmarks by which paleoceanographic data are stratigraphically aligned and compared. However, a recent study found that between 1.8 and 1.9 million years ago (Ma) several Ceara Rise records differed substantially from the widely used LR04 global stack. Here, we use new Bayesian stacking software to construct regional stacks and demonstrate a geographical divergence in benthic δ18O features from 1.8 to 1.9 Ma. The pattern of isotopic stage features observed in the Ceara Rise is widespread throughout the Atlantic and differs notably from Pacific records. We propose that this regional difference in isotopic stages may be the result of relatively strong precession forcing and weaker obliquity forcing between 1.8 and 1.9 Ma. In accordance with the Antiphase Hypothesis, our results highlight a period of apparent sensitivity to regional precession forcing that is masked during most of the 41‐Kyr world due to the amplitude modulation of obliquity forcing.

Summer extreme heat events happen frequently in northern China during recent decades, which have serious impacts on the society and ecosystem. The present study reveals that there is a synergistic effect of the preceding winter positive mid-latitude North Atlantic SST anomaly (pMNA SSTA) and summer negative tropical eastern Indian Ocean SST anomaly (nTEI SSTA) on strengthening the summer extreme heat events in northern China. The extreme heat events are stronger and more frequent when the two factors cooccur, and the probability of a strengthened extreme heat events is higher, which indicates a synergistic effect of the two factors. The preceding winter pMNA SSTA and summer nTEI SSTA exert their synergistic effect through a series of coupled oceanic-land-atmospheric bridges. The preceding winter pMNA SSTA could lead to an anomalous anticyclone over central Asia via the eastward propagating Rossby wave, which decreases snowfall and the subsequent snow cover there. The negative snow cover anomaly may persist into spring and induce a local anomalous anticyclone in spring via the snow-hydrological effect, which decreases the precipitation over the southern flank of the anomalous anticyclone. The decreased soil moisture persists into summer and induces the eastward propagating Rossby wave, and favors the increase of atmosphere thickness over northern China. The summer nTEI SSTA can also induce the anomalous anticyclone over northern China via the northeastward Rossby wave propagation. Thus, the two factors exhibit evident synergistic effect on the atmospheric circulation anomaly over northern China. The anomalous anticyclone corresponds to the increased atmosphere thickness, which favors the increase of air temperature in northern China and strengthening of extreme heat events. Therefore, the preceding winter pMNA SSTA and summer nTEI SSTA have significant synergistic effect on strengthening the summer extreme heat events in northern China.

Five species of Platorchestia Bousfield, 1982, are described and figured from Atlantic Ocean shores (including the Caribbean, Baltic, and Mediterranean seas). Four of these are new to science. All five species had previously been illustrated in the literature but four of them had incorrectly been allocated to either Orchestia platensis Krøyer, 1945 or O. monodi Mateus, Mateus & Afonso, 1986.

After Christopher Columbus’s 1492 landfall on the island of Guanahaní, artistic representations over the next century worked to visualize the Americas from a Eurocentric perspective. The male explorers associated with “discovery” such as Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci were bonded to the intellectual creation of “America” happening in early modern Europe and were often visualized in littoral spaces to convey their arrival. This essay analyzes the role of the explorer as an essential instrument in the place-making of the Americas. It examines the ways in which the European navigator, through his positioning in coastal areas and the deep sea, became a figure visually bound to green land and blue waters and inserted into developing narratives of the “New World.”

Abstract The Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) is often used for subseasonal forecasting of tropical cyclone (TC) activity. However, TC activity still has considerable variability even given the state of the MJO. This study evaluates the connection between MJO propagation speed with Atlantic TC activity and possible physical mechanisms guiding this relation. We find the Atlantic sees the highest accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) during MJO phase 2. However, the odds of above average ACE in the Atlantic is greatest during slow MJO propagation. We find that slow propagation of the MJO results in lower vertical wind shear anomalies over the Caribbean and main development region compared with typical MJO propagation. Typical MJO propagation produces an amplified height pattern and lower height anomalies along the region of the tropical upper tropospheric trough which is known to impede Atlantic TC activity. Slow MJO propagation sees weaker height anomalies over the Atlantic.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum, L.) is one of the most responsive crops to fertilizer application, which drives the need to rationalize and make the most of nutritional resources in efficient and sustainable management. Based on the hypothesis that the organomineral is a great alternative to increase potato productivity (Ágata and Atlantic cultivars) and that it can be indicated as a substitute for mineral fertilizers, this study aims to evaluate the effect of organomineral doses applied in the planting furrow on potato productivity to identify the best level of mineral fertilizer replacement. A study was conducted in the city of Cristalina (state of Goiás, Brazil), evaluating the replacement of 40, 60, 80, and 100% of mineral fertilizer (standard) provided via organomineral fertilizer in two widely cultivated varieties. The total productivity and the productivity in classes were monitored, as well as the nutrient contents in the leaves. The results showed that the organomineral is a great alternative to increase potato productivity and can be indicated as a substitute for mineral fertilizers. For the cultivar Ágata, an organomineral dose of 80% is recommended concerning mineral fertilization. On the other hand, for the Atlantic cultivar, the same dose of mineral fertilizer is recommended. In both cultivars, there was an increase in tuber size with organomineral fertilization, which indicates greater efficiency in tuber productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing and diversifying market opportunities for lesser known yet abundant seafood species has been a successful strategy for seafood businesses in the Northeast United States. Since climate change and other stressors are currently threatening the economic vitality of New England's seafood industry, it is important to identify if there are lesser-known species that could simultaneously support additional market opportunities and remain resilient in a warming climate. We developed a quantitative definition for the term "underutilized species'' based on five criteria derived from science-based sustainable fishing metrics. Using this definition, we evaluated 47 stocks in the Northeast United States during the initial time period of 2013-2017 to identify seven underutilized finfish species that could be considered for new market opportunities as part of a climate-smart approach: 1) Acadian redfish (Sebastes fasciatus), 2) Atlantic pollock (Pollachius virens), 3) butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus), 4) haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), 5) scup (Stenotomus chrysops), 6) silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis), and 7) white hake (Urophycis tenuis). The climate resiliency of these resulting seven species was then evaluated using a framework consisting of species-specific metrics on climate sensitivity, directionality (of responses to climate impacts) and future habitat availability under warming scenarios. Our results show that assessing underutilized species on a regular basis and evaluating their ongoing responses to climate change can be a part of a climate-smart approach towards building more diversified and adaptive markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large‐scale proliferation of pelagic Sargassum in the Tropical Atlantic from 2011 has been the subject of increasing attention because of its negative consequences on the environment, fishing, and socioeconomic activities when stranding on coastal areas. This recurrent phenomenon presents strong seasonal and year to year variations. Anticipating the abundances and stranding on seasonal scale poses important challenges in terms of observations and modeling. We show that skillful seasonal forecast of Sargassum distribution can be achieved with up to 7 months in advance over the Tropical Atlantic, by integrating both transport and current knowledge on physiology of Sargassum. This forecast is designed to help marine stakeholders to develop mitigation and resilience strategies through anticipatory decision‐making. Plain Language Summary: The Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Tropical Atlantic are facing a massive and growing proliferation of floating brown algae (Sargassum) since 2011, whose environmental and socioeconomic impacts are immense. Observing, modeling, and forecasting the Sargassum proliferation and strandings are essential for designing effective integrated risk management strategies and is a strong and pressing demand from the civil society. The present study shows that a skillful forecast can be produced up to 7 months ahead of time by building on current knowledge on Sargassum physiology, mechanistic modeling, and remote sensing observations. Key Points: A transport and physiology model of pelagic Sargassum has been developedSkillful seasonal forecast of Sargassum distribution can be achieved with up to 7 months in advanceThis forecast extends the current Sargassum observation and forecasting services [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between atmospheric aerosols and moisture is crucial for aerosol properties and their climate effects. In this study, thanks to the rich measurements of aerosol properties during the 2016 and 2018 ORACLES campaigns, we investigate the aerosol liquid water content (ALWC) over the south-eastern Atlantic Ocean during the biomass burning (BB) season, as well as the seldom-reported ALWC associated with organic aerosols (OA) (ALWCOA) (OA). ALWCOA is determined using the OA hygroscopicity parameter KOA, derived from in-situ hygroscopicity measurements, particle number size distribution, and chemical composition. The ALWC can be determined either with the overall hygroscopic parameter K/RH) or from the sum of ALWCOA and the ALWC simulated from ISORROPIA-II, a thermodynamic equilibrium model for inorganic aerosol. The ALWC from both methods is highly correlated at all RHs with an R² of 0.99. The ALWC increases with aerosol loading and ambient relative humidity (RH). Due to the lower RH and higher aerosol loading in the 2016 campaign, the ALWC for both campaigns are generally consistent. ALWCOA accounts for 38±16 % of the total ALWC during both campaigns. Notably, the contribution of ALWCOA is greater than commonly reported in the literature, highlighting the significance of OA in ALWC and therefore the aerosol direct radiative forcing in this climatically significant region. The strong correlation between kOA and ALWCOA/ALWC, as indicated by an R² value of 0.72, underscores the importance of a good estimation of kOA in the ALWC estimation. Additionally, the significant difference between ALWCOAvalues calculated using real-time kOA and those calculated with the campaign mean kOA, highlights the limitation of using a constant kOA value, a practice commonly adopted in climate models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the projected increases in shipping activity and hydrocarbon extraction globally, there is an increased risk of negative ecological impacts from oil pollution on the marine environment, including seabirds. Oil Vulnerability Indices (OVIs) are a common approach to assess seabird species vulnerability to oil pollution and to identify where species are most at risk, typically across regional spatial scales and for a relatively limited number of species. This approach generally requires comprehensive data on at-sea distributions and densities; however, for many regions, these data are limited. We present a simplified OVI to assess seabird species vulnerability to oil pollution. To create the spatial component of the OVI, we used a predictive foraging radius approach, using existing colony size and foraging range data, to project at-sea distributions of seabird populations during the breeding season. We demonstrate this approach over a large spatial scale, the eastern North Atlantic, which includes areas where seabird at-sea data are lacking. Our results reveal areas off west Greenland, Iceland, and Norway where seabirds are most vulnerable to oil pollution during the breeding season, largely driven by large colonies of auks (Alcidae). We also identify locations along the coast of mainland Norway, Iceland, and Scotland, where seabirds are particularly at risk to oil pollution associated with major shipping routes. Identifying areas where species are most at risk can help inform where, and which, measures should be put in place to mitigate the impacts of oil pollution, such as protecting and avoiding high risk areas, for example, through adopting dynamic Areas to be Avoided (ATBAs). Our simplified OVI combined with the predictive foraging radius approach can be adapted to other regions globally that lack seabird-at-sea distribution data, to other marine wildlife, and to assess risk from hydrocarbon extraction and other anthropogenic threats, including fishing activities and offshore renewable developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Headwater tidal creeks are a primary link between estuarine and upland habitats, serving as conduits for runoff. They are sentinel habitats, providing early warning of potential harm, thus ideal systems to evaluate the effects of coastal suburban and urban development on environmental quality. Estuarine sediments have concentrations of metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) that are associated with human activity. High concentrations of contaminants can impair faunal communities, habitat quality, and ecosystem function. Forty-three headwater creeks were sampled between 1994 and 2006 to assess contaminants, and 18 of these were sampled again in 2014/2015. Watersheds were classified as forested, forested to suburban, suburban, or urban land. These values are based on their percent impervious cover (IC) levels and change in IC from 1994–2014. Analyses of temporal data resulted in significant relationships between IC and select metals, PAHs, pesticides, PCBs, and PBDEs. In addition, 11 of the creeks sampled in 2014/2015 have paired data from 1994/1995, allowing for change analysis over the 20 years. Results indicated increasing chemical contamination occurring with increasing levels of development, although only PAHs and total dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) exhibited a statistically significant increase over time; PAHs also exhibited significantly higher concentrations in developed creeks. Additionally, several metals were deemed enriched in developed creeks based on reference conditions. These results expand our knowledge of how these systems respond to urban development and can inform managers about how human population growth along coastlines may predict altered tidal creek health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early stages of developing wave energy converter (WEC) projects, a quantitative assessment of component failure consequence costs is essential. The WEC types, deployment site features, and accessibility should all be carefully considered. This study introduces an operation and maintenance failure consequence cost (O&M-FC) model, distinct from conventional O&M models. The model is illustrated with case studies at three energetic Atlantic sites, each of which considers two types of generic floating WECs: a 300 kW point absorber (PA) with a hydraulic power-take-off (PTO) and a 1000 kW oscillating water column (OWC) with an air-wells-turbine PTO. This study compares 39 failure modes for PA and 27 for OWC in terms of direct repair costs and indirect lost production costs, examining the impact of location accessibility, capacity factors, and the mean annual energy production. The discussion revolves around the sensitive parameters. Recommendations for failure mitigations are presented, and the impact of planned maintenance (PM) during the operational phase is examined for 20 MW PA and OWC WEC projects. For a given WEC type, the method thoroughly evaluates how the location affects performance metrics. It offers a decision-making tool for determining optimal PM intervals to meet targets such as O&M costs, operating profit, or availability.

Abstract The large‐scale proliferation of pelagic Sargassum in the Tropical Atlantic from 2011 has been the subject of increasing attention because of its negative consequences on the environment, fishing, and socioeconomic activities when stranding on coastal areas. This recurrent phenomenon presents strong seasonal and year to year variations. Anticipating the abundances and stranding on seasonal scale poses important challenges in terms of observations and modeling. We show that skillful seasonal forecast of Sargassum distribution can be achieved with up to 7 months in advance over the Tropical Atlantic, by integrating both transport and current knowledge on physiology of Sargassum. This forecast is designed to help marine stakeholders to develop mitigation and resilience strategies through anticipatory decision‐making.

We describe a dataset on the crustacean Order Tanaidacea from the coasts of the Iberian Peninsula and surrounding seas, including the archipelagos of the Azores, Madeira, Savage, and the Canary Islands. The dataset gathers the records from all available sources published between 1828 to 2019, which were collected following a standardized Google Scholar search and cross checking each article’s reference lists. For each record, the dataset includes taxonomic, geographical, and ecological information, as well as remarks regarding the sampling methods. The dataset was further completed with 52 additional unpublished records obtained from screening the collections of the University Complutense of Madrid gathered from 35 shallow water surveys. Furthermore, 698 records from different oceanographic deep-sea campaigns have also been included. In total, 3456 records from 186 species in 22 families have been compiled. The dataset organises the current published and unpublished knowledge on tanaidaceans in the area and, by making it open access, it will allow comparisons of the distribution of tanaidaceans in zoogeographic studies.

Aerosol hygroscopicity plays a vital role in aerosol radiative forcing. One key parameter describing hygroscopicity is the scattering enhancement factor, f(RH), defined as the ratio of the scattering coefficient at humidified relative humidity (RH) to its dry value. Here, we utilize the f(80%) from ORACLES 2016 and 2018 airborne measurements to investigate the hygroscopicity of aerosols, its vertical distribution, its relationship with chemical composition, and its sensitivity to organic aerosol (OA) hygroscopicity over the South-East Atlantic (SEA) Ocean during the biomass burning (BB) season. We found that aerosol hygroscopicity remains steady above 2 km, with a mean f(80%) of 1.40±0.17. Below 2 km, aerosol hygroscopicity increases with decreasing altitude, with a mean f(80%) of 1.51±0.22, consistent with higher values of BB hygroscopicity found in the literature. The hygroscopicity parameter of OA (OA) is retrieved from the Mie model with a mean value of 0.11±0.08, which is in the middle to upper range compared to literature. Higher OA hygroscopicity is related to aerosols that are more aged, oxidized, and present at lower altitudes. The enhanced BBA hygroscopicity at lower altitudes is mainly due to a lower OA fraction, increased sulphate fraction, and greater OA at lower altitudes. We propose a parameterization that quantifies f(RH) with chemical composition and OA based on Mie simulation of internally mixed OA-(NH4)2SO4-BC mixture. The good agreement between the predictions and the ORACLES measurements implies that the aerosols in the SEA during the BB season can be largely represented by the OA-(NH4)2SO4-BC internal mixture with respect to the f(RH) prediction. The sensitivity of f(RH) to OA indicates that applying a constant OA is only suitable when the OA fraction is low and OA shows limited variation. However, in situations deviating these two criteria, OA can notably impact scattering coefficients and aerosol radiative effect; therefore, accounting for OA variability is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Territories are made up of contrasts that become more apparent the more we study them. The same goes for territories of the past. In this research, we seek to present two apparently opposing perspectives that simultaneously made up Portuguese America: "extreme slowness" and an Atlantic network of people and ideas. Both topics are approached from the writings of the French botanist Auguste de Saint-Hilaire, either from his own experiences at the beginning of the 19th century, or from secondary accounts contained in his work. The analysis of these territorial contrasts is supported by the geographical perspective, which emphasizes the scalar nature of phenomena, constantly overlapping and reconsidering them in the light of history and its irregularities, with the use of correspondence from the Portuguese administration at the time. In our view, geography has largely contributed to studies on the territories of the past, beyond cartography and other visual products. Geographical reasoning spatializes phenomena, locating them in a specific structure, conferring upon them not only certain attributions but, above all, correlating them with other phenomena located on different scales. Based on the necessary dialectic of this inter-scalar movement, we propose an apparently contradictory conceptualization of a territory that could be both "extremely slow" and connected to an ocean of people and ideas, having the backlands ("sertão") a key-participation in this dynamic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five species of Platorchestia Bousfield, 1982, are described and figured from Atlantic Ocean shores (including the Caribbean, Baltic, and Mediterranean seas). Four of these are new to science. All five species had previously been illustrated in the literature but four of them had incorrectly been allocated to either Orchestia platensis Krøyer, 1945 or O. monodi Mateus, Mateus & Afonso, 1986. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with a decade and a half of virtual and real Atlantic crossings through which John Lennon, in the mid-1950s a British adolescent fan of American rock’n’roll, in the early 1970s turned into a global rock star, and eventually became an activist songwriter, denouncing racial and cultural inequities of American society. Such crossings open a window on the dialectics between the personal and the political, the artistic and the corporate underpinning popular music in the «long Sixties.» In the process, the article casts light on the routes and infrastructures through which cultural items, ideas, and people moved across the Atlantic, enriching and complicating traditional notions of Americanization and hybridization between the two sides of the ocean.

Six species of marine turtles occur in the Azores Archipelago. The loggerhead, Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758), is by far the most common species and is being constantly monitored and tagged by a joint project between the University of the Azores and the University of Florida since 1989. With the implementation of the tuna fishery observers (for dolphin safe seals), an increment of sea turtle reports has been verified as expected. The leather back turtle, Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761) is the second most observed species in the Azores' EEZ, a fact probably also linked to the tuna fishery observation programme. All other species are occasional/vagrant albeit the green turtle, Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) is more commonly seen than the others. Historically, sea turtles were occasionally taken for food in specific fishing villages and ports. Since 1986, sea turtles, as well as all marine mammals, are fully protected in the Azores although human-related activities (e.g. plastics, discarded fishing gear) do generate serious injuries and deaths.In this paper, we update sea turtle species' checklist for the Azores and give detailed geographic coordinates on their known occurrences.

Frequent heavy precipitation and severe flood disasters struck northern China in early autumn 2021, with seven provinces/municipalities surpassing their precipitation records since 1961. Causes for such extreme events from the climate perspective are unclear because the variability of autumn precipitation in northern China is poorly understood. This study revealed that the event was directly caused by the extremely north-westward location of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), which was jointly induced by several tropical and mid-latitude factors. The developing La Niña and warmer than normal tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature altered the Pacific Walker Circulation and enhanced the convection over the tropical western Pacific. Meanwhile, the Madden–Julian Oscillation stagnated for a long time in its phases 3–5 in early autumn and contributed constructively to the active convection over the tropical eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific. These effects altogether excited a lower-tropospheric cyclone anomaly to the west of the Philippines and shifted the WPSH northwestwards in early autumn. A mid-latitude cyclonic centre was also observed upstream of East Asia. It dispersed Rossby wave energy southeastwards in the form of cold air invasions. The resultant convergence of cold and dry air from the north with warm and moist air from the south together caused extreme precipitation over northern China in autumn 2021. Relevant conclusions can enhance our current understanding of the causes of autumn extreme precipitation events in northern China and improve our ability to predict such events and prevent resultant disasters.

The hake (Merluccius merluccius) fishery occupies an important place in the Moroccan trawl fishery. Despite the ecological and commercial value of this species, the reproductive biology of European hake populations in Moroccan coastal waters has been little studied. Here, we describe the seasonal variations of gonad histology of hake collected from August 2017 to August 2018 along the northern Atlantic coast of Morocco. The histological changes were compared with macroscopical changes, and the body length at first maturity (L50) was calculated. The results revealed differences between macroscopic and histological maturity staging of the gonads. The L50 was estimated to be 34.7 cm for females and 28.6 cm for males (histology-based) and 30.6 cm for females and 26.8 cm for males (macroscopy-based). In addition, the observations of ovarian maturity indicated the presence of a protracted spawning season throughout the year with a peak around January and in midsummer.

Morphometric aspects, sexual ratio and reproductive activity of striped red snapper (L. synagris) in the Atlantic coastal zone were analyzed, based on the relationship between length and weight of the fish and weight of the gonad and reproductive indices. The coefficient of determination of the total length and total weight in females (R2=0.98) and in males (R2=0.91), gonad weight and total length in females (R2=0.73). indicating relationship between total length and total weight. Meanwhile, for males there was no relationship between gonad weight and total length (R2=0.49). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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