Sphagnum mosses, the impact of disturbances and anthropogenic management actions on their ecological role in CO2 fluxes generated in peatland ecosystems.

Mosses of the genus Sphagnum are the dominant vegetation in most pristine peatlands in temperate and high-latitude regions. They play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, being responsible for ca. 50% of carbon accumulation through their active participation in peat formation. They have a significant influence on the dynamics of CO2 emissions due to an efficient maximum potential photosynthetic rate, lower respiration rates, and the production of a recalcitrant litter whose decomposition is gradual. However, various anthropogenic disturbances and land use management actions that favor its reestablishment have the potential to modify the dynamics of these CO2 emissions. Therefore, the objective of this review is to discuss the role of Sphagnum in CO2 emissions generated in peatland ecosystems, and to understand the impacts of anthropogenic practices favorable and detrimental to Sphagnum on these emissions. Based on our review, increased Sphagnum cover reduces CO2 emissions and fosters C sequestration, but drainage transforms peatlands dominated by Sphagnum into a persistent source of CO2 due to lower gross primary productivity of the moss and increased respiration rates. Sites with moss removal used as donor material for peatland restoration emit twice as much CO2 as adjacent undisturbed natural sites, and those with commercial Sphagnum extraction generate almost neutral CO2 emissions, yet both can recover their sink status in the short term. The reintroduction of fragments and natural recolonization of Sphagnum in transitional peatlands, can reduce emissions, recover, or increase the CO2 sink function in the short and medium term. Furthermore, Sphagnum paludiculture is seen as a sustainable alternative for the use of transitional peatlands, allowing moss production strips to become CO2 sink, however, it is necessary to quantify the emissions of all the components of the field of production (ditches, causeway), and the biomass harvested from the moss to establish a final closing balance of C.

Milk microbiome transplantation: recolonizing donor milk with mother's own milk microbiota.

Donor human milk (DHM) provides myriad nutritional and immunological benefits for preterm and low birthweight infants. However, pasteurization leaves DHM devoid of potentially beneficial milk microbiota. In the present study, we performed milk microbiome transplantation from freshly collected mother's own milk (MOM) into pasteurized DHM. Small volumes of MOM (5%, 10%, or 30% v/v) were inoculated into pasteurized DHM and incubated at 37 °C for up to 8 h. Further, we compared microbiome recolonization in UV-C-treated and Holder-pasteurized DHM, as UV-C treatment has been shown to conserve important biochemical components of DHM that are lost during Holder pasteurization. Bacterial culture and viability-coupled metataxonomic sequencing were employed to assess the effectiveness of milk microbiome transplantation. Growth of transplanted MOM bacteria occurred rapidly in recolonized DHM samples; however, a greater level of growth was observed in Holder-pasteurized DHM compared to UV-C-treated DHM, potentially due to the conserved antimicrobial properties in UV-C-treated DHM. Viability-coupled metataxonomic analysis demonstrated similarity between recolonized DHM samples and fresh MOM samples, suggesting that the milk microbiome can be successfully transplanted into pasteurized DHM. These results highlight the potential of MOM microbiota transplantation to restore the microbial composition of UV-C-treated and Holder-pasteurized DHM and enhance the nutritional and immunological benefits of DHM for preterm and vulnerable infants. KEY POINTS: • Mother's own milk microbiome can be successfully transplanted into donor human milk. • Recolonization is equally successful in UV-C-treated and Holder-pasteurized milk. • Recolonization time should be restricted due to rapid bacterial growth.

Landscape and Climatic Variations Shaped Secondary Contacts amid Barn Owls of the Western Palearctic.

The combined actions of climatic variations and landscape barriers shape the history of natural populations. When organisms follow their shifting niches, obstacles in the landscape can lead to the splitting of populations, on which evolution will then act independently. When two such populations are reunited, secondary contact occurs in a broad range of admixture patterns, from narrow hybrid zones to the complete dissolution of lineages. A previous study suggested that barn owls colonized the Western Palearctic after the last glaciation in a ring-like fashion around the Mediterranean Sea, and conjectured an admixture zone in the Balkans. Here, we take advantage of whole-genome sequences of 94 individuals across the Western Palearctic to reveal the complex history of the species in the region using observational and modeling approaches. Even though our results confirm that two distinct lineages colonized the region, one in Europe and one in the Levant, they suggest that it predates the last glaciation and identify a secondary contact zone between the two in Anatolia. We also show that barn owls recolonized Europe after the glaciation from two distinct glacial refugia: a previously identified western one in Iberia and a new eastern one in Italy. Both glacial lineages now communicate via eastern Europe, in a wide and permeable contact zone. This complex history of populations enlightens the taxonomy of Tyto alba in the region, highlights the key role played by mountain ranges and large water bodies as barriers and illustrates the power of population genomics in uncovering intricate demographic patterns.

Post-glacial range formation of temperate forest understorey herbs - Insights from a spatio-temporally explicit modelling approach.

Aim: Our knowledge of Pleistocene refugia and post-glacial recolonization routes of forest understorey plants is still very limited. The geographical ranges of these species are often rather narrow and show highly idiosyncratic, often fragmented patterns indicating either narrow and species-specific ecological tolerances or strong dispersal limitations. However, the relative roles of these factors are inherently difficult to disentangle. Location: Central and south-eastern Europe. Time period: 17,100 BP - present. Major taxa studied: Five understorey herbs of European beech forests: Aposeris foetida, Cardamine trifolia, Euphorbia carniolica, Hacquetia epipactis and Helleborus niger. Methods: We used spatio-temporally explicit modelling to reconstruct the post-glacial range dynamics of the five forest understorey herbs. We varied niche requirements, demographic rates and dispersal abilities across plausible ranges and simulated the spread of species from potential Pleistocene refugia identified by phylogeographical analyses. Then we identified the parameter settings allowing for the most accurate reconstruction of their current geographical ranges. Results: We found a largely homogenous pattern of optimal parameter settings among species. Broad ecological niches had to be combined with very low but non-zero rates of long-distance dispersal via chance events and low rates of seed dispersal over moderate distances by standard dispersal vectors. However, long-distance dispersal events, although rare, led to high variation among replicated simulation runs. Main conclusions: Small and fragmented ranges of many forest understorey species are best explained by a combination of broad ecological niches and rare medium- and long-distance dispersal events. Stochasticity is thus an important determinant of current species ranges, explaining the idiosyncratic distribution patterns of the study species despite strong similarities in refugia, ecological tolerances and dispersal abilities.

Deterministic Development of Soil Microbial Communities in Disturbed Soils Depends on Microbial Biomass of the Bioinoculum.

Despite its enormous importance for ecosystem services, factors driving microbial recolonization of soils after disturbance are still poorly understood. Here, we compared the microbial recolonization patterns of a disturbed, autoclaved soil using different amounts of the original non-disturbed soil as inoculum. By using this approach, we manipulated microbial biomass, but did not change microbial diversity of the inoculum. We followed the development of a new soil microbiome after reinoculation over a period of 4 weeks using a molecular barcoding approach as well as qPCR. Focus was given on the assessment of bacteria and archaea. We could show that 1 week after inoculation in all inoculated treatments bacterial biomass exceeded the values from the original soil as a consequence of high dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in the disturbed soil resulting from the disturbance. This high biomass was persistent over the complete experimental period. In line with the high DOC concentrations, in the first 2 weeks of incubation, copiotrophic bacteria dominated the community, which derived from the inoculum used. Only in the disturbed control soils which did not receive a microbial inoculum, recolonization pattern differed. In contrast, archaeal biomass did not recover over the experimental period and recolonization was strongly triggered by amount of inoculated original soil added. Interestingly, the variability between replicates of the same inoculation density decreased with increasing biomass in the inoculum, indicating a deterministic development of soil microbiomes if higher numbers of cells are used for reinoculation.

Bombus terrestris terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758) and hybrids with the endemic Bombus xanthopus spotted on Capraia Island (Tuscan Archipelago, Italy): some conservation management implications.

Expansion of wild and managed allochthonous species leads to potential negative consequences for the endemic wildlife, such as resource competition, pathogens spread, hybridization and native species replacements. On Capraia Island, the last sighting of Bombus terrestris terrestris dates back to 1917. All subsequent surveys carried out on the island only reported the presence of B. xanthopus and B. pascuorum melleofacies with B. t. terrestris apparently no longer existing in the area. In 2021 B. t. terrestris was again detected on the island raising two main hypotheses: (i) B. t. terrestris has always been present with a low population density, such as not to be detected in previous investigations, or (ii) its presence is the result of a more recent recolonization. The recolonization event may be promoted by either intentional or unintentional introduction or it may be the result of a natural migration from the mainland or surrounding islands. Hybridization between B. t. terrestris × B. xanthopus on Capraia Island has been also ascertained by the detection of hybrid queens, workers and males. These new finding provides insight on the distribution range of B. t. terrestris in the Tuscan Archipelago and raise concern on the conservation of the endemic B. xanthopus population.

Phytoremediation of chloride from marine dredged sediments: A new model based on a natural vegetation recolonization.

Phytoremediation is a type of bioremediation process that involves the use of plants to remove or degrade contaminants from soil, water, or air. In most of the observed phytoremediation models, plants are introduced and planted on a polluted site to take up, absorb, or transform contaminants. This study aims to explore a new mixed phytoremediation approach that involves natural recolonization of a contaminated substrate, by identifying the species growing naturally, their bioaccumulation capacity, and by modeling annual mowing cycles of their aerial parts. This approach aims to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of such a model. Both natural and human interventions are involved in this approach, which is referred to as a mixed phytoremediation process. The study focuses on chloride phytoremediation from a chloride-rich and regulated substrate that is marine dredged sediments abandoned for 12 years and recolonized for 4 years. The sediments are colonized by a Suaeda vera dominated vegetation and possess heterogeneity in lixiviate chloride and conductivity. The study found that despite Suaeda vera is the well adapted species for this environment, it is not an effective species for phytoremediation as it has low bioaccumulation and translocation rates (9.3 and 2.6 respectively), and disturbs chloride leaching below in the substrate. Other identified species, such as Salicornia sp., Suaeda maritima, and Halimione portulacoides, have better phytoaccumulation (respectively 39.8, 40.1, 34.8) and translocation rates (respectively 7.0, 4.5, 5.6) and can successfully remediate the sediment in 2-9 years. The following species have been found to bioaccumulate chloride in aboveground biomass at the following rates: Salicornia sp. (181 g/kg DW), Suaeda maritima (160 g/kg DW), Sarcocornia perennis (150 g/kg DW), Halimione portulacoides (111 g/kg DW) and Suaeda vera (40 g/kg DW).

Between decolonization and recolonization: investigating Chinese doctoral students in Malaysia as a case of global South-South student mobility.

International student mobility has traditionally witnessed a global South-North pattern. In recent years, a shift has occurred as the appeal of alternative geographies waxes, with Malaysia being an exemplar of inbound student mobility destination. To facilitate a deep probe of the under-researched global South-South student mobility, this study utilized a qualitative method to delve into 10 Chinese doctoral students' emic perceptions of their sojourn in Malaysia. Guided by a theoretical framework incorporating decolonization and recolonization, this study unpacks how these sociohistorical forces penetrate into and shape the students' preparation and navigation of a doctoral sojourn. Findings of the study reveal that while taking advantage of the Southern niche to yield commensurate benefits, thereby delegitimizing the Western supremacy, the students' make-do mentality and self-subjugating resistance inadvertently reinforce the Western dominance. Besides, these macro effects generate interlocking and conflicting affective consequences, instilling simultaneously positivity and inclusivity, inferiority, and anxiety. Altogether, decolonization and recolonization are concretely registered at the emotional level and bear a broader social significance. This article concludes with an alert and a call to address covert yet compelling inequalities in international student mobility.

Concordant phylogeographic responses to large-scale coastal disturbance in intertidal macroalgae and their epibiota.

Major ecological disturbance events can provide opportunities to assess multispecies responses to upheaval. In particular, catastrophic disturbances that regionally extirpate habitat-forming species can potentially influence the genetic diversity of large numbers of codistributed taxa. However, due to the rarity of such disturbance events over ecological timeframes, the genetic dynamics of multispecies recolonization processes have remained little understood. Here, we use single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from multiple coastal species to track the dynamics of cocolonization events in response to ancient earthquake disturbance in southern New Zealand. Specifically, we use a comparative phylogeographic approach to understand the extent to which epifauna (with varying ecological associations with their macroalgal hosts) share comparable spatial and temporal recolonization patterns. Our study reveals concordant disturbance-related phylogeographic breaks in two intertidal macroalgal species along with two associated epibiotic species (a chiton and an isopod). By contrast, two codistributed species, one of which is an epibiotic amphipod and the other a subtidal macroalga, show few, if any, genetic effects of palaeoseismic coastal uplift. Phylogeographic model selection reveals similar post-uplift recolonization routes for the epibiotic chiton and isopod and their macroalgal hosts. Additionally, codemographic analyses support synchronous population expansions of these four phylogeographically similar taxa. Our findings indicate that coastal paleoseismic activity has driven concordant impacts on multiple codistributed species, with concerted recolonization events probably facilitated by macroalgal rafting. These results highlight that high-resolution comparative genomic data can help reconstruct concerted multispecies responses to recent ecological disturbance.

Extinction threshold and large population limit of a plant metapopulation model with recurrent extinction events and a seed bank component.

We introduce a new model for plant metapopulations with a seed bank component, living in a fragmented environment in which local extinction events are frequent. This model is an intermediate between population dynamics models with a seed bank component, based on the classical Wright-Fisher model, and Stochastic Patch Occupancy Models (SPOMs) used in metapopulation ecology. Its main feature is the use of "ghost" individuals, which can reproduce but with a very strong selective disadvantage against "real" individuals, to artificially ensure a constant population size. We show the existence of an extinction threshold above which persistence of the subpopulation of "real" individuals is not possible, and investigate how the seed bank characteristics affect this extinction threshold. We also show the convergence of the model to a SPOM under an appropriate scaling, bridging the gap between individual-based models and occupancy models.

Post-LGM environments and foragers on the move: New data from the lower Altmühl Valley (Franconian Jura, SE Germany).

After the Last Glacial Maximum, the Swabian and Franconian Jura (in SW and SE Germany, respectively) were repopulated by Magdalenian hunter-gatherers within the same communication network. However, while the Magdalenian settlement of the Swabian Jura dates to 17-14 ka cal BP, permanent Magdalenian occupations in the Franconian Jura date to 15-14 ka cal BP. In comparison with its western counterpart, the Franconian Jura was mostly excavated in the early days of archaeological research. Does this different chronology reflect the different history of research? Why did Magdalenian foragers establish permanent occupation in the Franconian Jura nearly 2 millennia after settling in Swabia, despite the fact these regions are only 150 km apart? To address these questions, we reinvestigated two sites in the Altmühl Valley with micromorphology and luminescence dating, namely Felsenhäusl-Kellerhöhle and Klausennische. Our data show that both sites have intact Pleistocene deposits. Among these, we identified sediments dating between 17 and 15 ka that show only rare lithic artifacts and microfeatures indicative of cold and arid conditions. Our work and published data suggest that the steady settlement of Magdalenian foragers in the Altmühl Valley starting 15 ka cal BP coincides with the end of this harsh period and the onset of cool and wetter environments. Data from the Swabian Jura demonstrated that in the Lone Valley, similar environments and Magdalenian occupations commenced earlier, starting 17 ka cal BP. Therefore, we propose that regional environments acted as a barrier against the dispersal of foragers in the Franconian Jura and determined its later Magdalenian occupation. Our research highlighted that different environments, taphonomic processes, and site uses probably coexisted across the German Jura. Therefore, it remains fundamental to expand the multisite data set proposed in this article to further test hypotheses about human/environment interaction in this region.

Benzoyl peroxide treatment decreases Cutibacterium acnes in shoulder surgery, from skin incision until wound closure.

INTRODUCTION: Most surgical site infections after shoulder surgery are caused by Cutibacterium acnes. Topically applied benzoyl peroxide (BPO) has for years been used to decrease the skin load of C acnes in treatment of acne vulgaris. The purpose of this study was to examine this effect on bacterial colonization in patients subjected to elective shoulder surgery at different stages of the procedure. METHODS: A total of 100 patients scheduled for primary elective open shoulder surgery were randomized to prepare either with BPO or according to local guidelines-with soap (control group). Four skin swabs were taken in a standardized manner at different times, before and after surgical skin preparation, 1 in dermis, and finally after the skin was sutured. Before skin incision, 5 punch biopsies (3 mm in diameter and maximum 4 mm deep) were retrieved spaced 2 cm apart in the planned skin incision. On culturing, quantification of C acnes was made by serial dilutions. RESULTS: Men had a 5-fold higher amount of C acnes on untreated skin. Treatment with BPO considerably lowered this count (P = .0001) both before and after skin disinfection compared to the control group. This positive effect of BPO persisted until skin closure, the point at which some recolonization of C acnes had occurred, but to a higher degree in the control group (P = .040). CONCLUSION: Preoperative BPO treatment of the shoulder may be an effective method to decrease bacterial skin load of C acnes from skin incision until wound closure.

Arctic coastal benthos long-term responses to perturbations under climate warming.

Climate warming influences structure and function of Arctic benthic ecosystems. Assessing the response of these systems to perturbations requires long-term studies addressing key ecological processes related to recolonization and succession of species. Based on unique time-series (1980-2017), this study addresses successional patterns of hard-bottom benthos in two fjords in NW Svalbard after a pulse perturbation in 1980 and during a period of rapid climate warming. Analysis of seafloor photographs revealed different return rates of taxa, and variability in species densities, through time. It took 13 and 24 years for the community compositions of cleared and control transects to converge in the two fjords. Nearly two decades after the study initiation, an increase in filamentous and foliose macroalgae was observed with a subsequent reorganization in the invertebrate community. Trait analyses showed a decrease in body size and longevity of taxa in response to the pulse perturbation and a shift towards small/medium size and intermediate longevity following the macroalgae takeover. The observed slow recovery rates and abrupt shifts in community structure document the vulnerability of Arctic coastal ecosystems to perturbations and continued effects of climate warming. This article is part of the theme issue 'The changing Arctic Ocean: consequences for biological communities, biogeochemical processes and ecosystem functioning'.

Phylogenetic Relationships of Burbot (Lota lota L., 1758) of the Volga-Kama River Basin Inferred from the Analysis of Mitochondrial DNA Markers.

The phylogenetic relationships of burbot (Lota lota L., 1758) of the Volga-Kama River basin are reconstructed for the first time. The sequences of the gene cytochrome b and the mtDNA control region obtained for 44 samples from the Kama River and Mezhevaya Utka River (the Volga River tributaries) are studied. New haplotypes of both markers were revealed. The results of phylogenetic reconstructions based on cytochrome b and control region mtDNA do not contradict the existing ideas about the phylogenetic structure of the species, and indicate inclusion of burbot from the Volga-Kama basin in Eurasian haplogroup. According to obtained data, the Volga-Kama River basin could play an important role in shaping the genetic diversity of burbot in Europe, and during certain periods it served as a corridor connecting the river systems of the European and Asian parts of the species range.

Long-term insect successional patterns on pig carcasses in central Spain.

Baseline data on the insect successional patterns on carcasses can be a valuable estimation tool in the investigations of suspicious deaths, particularly when the post-mortem interval is longer than months or years. However, although carrion insect succession is a recurrent topic in forensic science research, the duration of the published studies is typically shorter than 1 year, with only one published study from central Europe documenting successional patterns beyond the first year of decomposition. We provide here the first data on the long-term insect successional patterns in southern Europe, using pig carcasses exposed in the four seasons of the year and documenting the carrion entomofauna during the second and third year of decomposition. Our results confirmed previous observations from central Europe that several Coleoptera species are able to recolonize cadavers during the second and third year after death, with their larvae residing on the remains for long periods. The season of cadaver exposure appears to be a main factor determining the composition of the insect fauna that exploits the remains during subsequent years. Our results suggest that it might be possible to estimate the year and season of death analyzing the composition of the insect fauna occurring on a cadaver. The present data highlight the need for further studies on the long-term insect succession on cadavers in different seasons and geographical areas, in order to fully understand its patterns and ensure its proper application in PMI estimations.

Assessing Illinois Residents' Support for Natural Recolonization of Apex Predators.

Understanding sources of difference in public attitudes toward wildlife is critical for the design of effective policy instruments. In this article we explored the role of wildlife value orientations and stakeholder group membership (general public versus agricultural producers) in shaping residents support for the natural recolonization of apex predators (black bear, cougar, gray wolf), in Illinois, USA. Results demonstrate differences in attitudes toward recolonization as a function of residents' basic beliefs about the human-wildlife relationship and stakeholder group membership. Results revealed varying degrees of opposition and/or antipathy toward recolonization of apex predators across wildlife values types and stakeholder groups. Individuals that were identified to hold utilitarian beliefs about wildlife (traditionalist orientation) and agricultural producers were found to exhibit the most negative attitudes toward natural recolonization, compared to individuals that believe wildlife have intrinsic rights (mutualist orientation) or members of the general public. Individuals' attitudes toward the recolonization of black bears were found to differ according to their wildlife value orientations, stakeholder group membership, and the combination of the two factors.

Post-glacial recolonization of insular Newfoundland across the Strait of Belle Isle gave rise to an endemic subspecies of woodland caribou, Rangifer tarandus terranovae (Bangs, 1896): evidence from mtDNA haplotypes.

Post-glacial origins of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus subsp.) on the island of Newfoundland and their relationship to mainland populations have been uncertain. Sequence analysis of 2223 bp of the mitochondrial DNA control region and cytochrome b gene from 233 Newfoundland caribou identified 32 haplotypes in four major clades. Comparison with other Nearctic caribou confirms a closer affinity of the basal Clade A with animals from the mainland, and as an outgroup to Clades B, C, and D that are endemic to the island. This indicates re-entry of caribou to post-glacial Newfoundland across the Strait of Belle Isle from Labrador, rather than from southern coastal refugia. Newfoundland caribou are a distinct subspecies, Rangifer tarandus terranovae (Bangs, 1896). Hierarchical AMOVA shows significant clinal differentiation of the major clades from northwest to southeast across the island. The isolated Avalon Peninsula population in the extreme southeast is genetically depauperate. Founder effects are evident in herds introduced to previously unoccupied areas by wildlife managers over the past 40-50 years. Reindeer introduced in the early 20th century have not contributed to mtDNA diversity in Newfoundland caribou.

Exploring bacterial growth and recolonization after preoperative hand disinfection and surgery between operating room nurses and non-health care workers: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: To prevent cross infection the surgical team perform preoperative hand disinfection before dressed in surgical gowns and gloves. Preoperative hand disinfection does not make hands sterile and the surgical glove cuff end has been regarded as a weak link, since it is not a liquid-proof interface. The aims were to investigate if there were differences in bacterial growth and recolonization of hands between operating room nurses and non-health care workers as well as to investigate if bacterial growth existed at the surgical glove cuff end during surgery. METHODS: This pilot project was conducted as an exploratory comparative clinical trial. Bacterial cultures were taken from the glove and gown interface and at three sites of the hands of 12 operating room nurses and 13 non-health care workers controls directly after preoperative hand disinfection and again after wearing surgical gloves and gowns. Colony forming units were analysed with Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon Sign Ranks test comparing repeated measurements. Categorical variables were evaluated with chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Operating room nurses compared to non-health care workers had significant higher bacterial growth at two of three culture sites after surgical hand disinfection. Both groups had higher recolonization at one of the three culture sites after wearing surgical gloves. There were no differences between the groups in total colony forming units, that is, all sampling sites. Five out of 12 of the operating room nurses had bacterial growth at the glove cuff end and of those, four had the same bacteria at the glove cuff end as found in the cultures from the hands. Bacteria isolated from the glove cuff were P. acnes, S. warneri, S. epidermidis and Micrococcus species, the CFU/mL ranged from 10 to 40. CONCLUSIONS: There were differences in bacterial growth and re-colonization between the groups but this was inconclusive. However, bacterial growth exists at the glove cuff and gown interface, further investigation in larger study is needed, to build on these promising, but preliminary, findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration was performed prospectively at Research web (FOU in Sweden, 117,971) 14/01/2013, and retrospectively at ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT02359708 ). 01/27/2015.

An investigation on the impact of substrate type, temperature, and iodine on moon jellyfish production.

Jellyfish are a popular public aquarium species, however, their collection from natural populations is undesirable due to impact on species abundance and bycatch. Thus, a sustainable supply of jellyfish bred in-house would be highly desirable. Here we describe an investigation into developing a sustainable moon jellyfish, Aurelia aurita, breeding program by determining the impact of substrate type on reattachment of polyps and the influence of iodine and temperature on strobilation and ephyra production. To test whether reattachment and growth of moon jellyfish polyps are influenced by substrate type polyps were provided with anthropogenic and natural substrates after being dislodged in experimental aquaria. Polyps selectively re-attached to plastics rather than natural materials. However, polyp growth was similar on all tested substrates. We tested whether cooling and addition of iodine affected strobilation. A period of cooling of around 10 °C while also introducing soluble iodine to the polyps enhanced strobilation rate. This method produced ephyra at a reliable rate in captivity negating the need for collection of wild individuals providing a supply of individuals for exhibit and for conservation research within a public aquarium. These results demonstrate that plastics should be adopted as an easier to colonize substrate and the use of cooling with iodine addition can enhance sustainable breeding protocols of moon jellyfish and may be relevant to the production of comparable jellyfish species.

Ancient DNA and morphometric analysis reveal extinction and replacement of New Zealand's unique black swans.

Prehistoric human impacts on megafaunal populations have dramatically reshaped ecosystems worldwide. However, the effects of human exploitation on smaller species, such as anatids (ducks, geese, and swans) are less clear. In this study we apply ancient DNA and osteological approaches to reassess the history of Australasia's iconic black swans (Cygnus atratus) including the palaeo-behaviour of prehistoric populations. Our study shows that at the time of human colonization, New Zealand housed a genetically, morphologically, and potentially ecologically distinct swan lineage (C. sumnerensis, Pouwa), divergent from modern (Australian) C. atratus Morphological analyses indicate C. sumnerensis exhibited classic signs of the 'island rule' effect, being larger, and likely flight-reduced compared to C. atratus Our research reveals sudden extinction and replacement events within this anatid species complex, coinciding with recent human colonization of New Zealand. This research highlights the role of anthropogenic processes in rapidly reshaping island ecosystems and raises new questions for avian conservation, ecosystem re-wilding, and de-extinction.