A Review of Subsidence Monitoring Techniques in Offshore Environments.

In view of the ever-increasing global energy demands and the imperative for sustainability in extraction methods, this article surveys subsidence monitoring systems applied to oil and gas fields located in offshore areas. Subsidence is an issue that can harm infrastructure, whether onshore or especially offshore, so it must be carefully monitored to ensure safety and prevent potential environmental damage. A comprehensive review of major monitoring technologies used offshore is still lacking; here, we address this gap by evaluating several techniques, including InSAR, GNSSs, hydrostatic leveling, and fiber optic cables, among others. Their accuracy, applicability, and limitations within offshore operations have also been assessed. Based on an extensive literature review of more than 60 published papers and technical reports, we have found that no single method works best for all settings; instead, a combination of different monitoring approaches is more likely to provide a reliable subsidence assessment. We also present selected case histories to document the results achieved using integrated monitoring studies. With the emerging offshore energy industry, combining GNSSs, InSAR, and other subsidence monitoring technologies offers a pathway to achieving precision in the assessment of offshore infrastructural stability, thus underpinning the sustainability and safety of offshore oil and gas operations. Reliable and comprehensive subsidence monitoring systems are essential for safety, to protect the environment, and ensure the sustainable exploitation of hydrocarbon resources.

What are standard monitoring devices for anesthesia in future?

Monitoring the patient's physiological functions is critical in clinical anesthesia. The latest version of the Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists' Guidelines for Safe Anesthesia Monitoring, revised in 2019, covers various factors, including electroencephalogram monitoring, oxygenation, ventilation, circulation, and muscle relaxation. However, with recent advances in monitoring technologies, the information provided has become more detailed, requiring practitioners to update their knowledge. At a symposium organized by the Journal of Anesthesia in 2023, experts across five fields discussed their respective topics: anesthesiologists need to interpret not only the values displayed on processed electroencephalogram monitors but also raw electroencephalogram data in the foreseeable future. In addition to the traditional concern of preventing hypoxemia, monitoring for potential hyperoxemia and the effects of mechanical ventilation itself will become increasingly important. The importance of using AI analytics to predict hypotension, assess nociception, and evaluate microcirculation may increase. With the recent increase in the availability of neuromuscular monitoring devices in Japan, it is important for anesthesiologists to become thoroughly familiar with the features of each device to ensure its effective use. There is a growing desire to develop and introduce a well-organized, integrated "single screen" monitor.

Antimicrobial use in animals: a journey towards integrated surveillance.

In 2015, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE) initiated the annual collection of data on antimicrobials intended for use in animals using a Microsoft Excel questionnaire. In 2022, WOAH initiated the migration to a customised interactive online system: ANIMUSE Global Database. This system enables national Veterinary Services not only to monitor and report data more easily and more accurately, but also to visualise, analyse and use data for surveillance purposes to their own benefit in the implementation of national action plans on antimicrobial resistance. This journey started seven years ago, with progressive improvements in the way data are collected, analysed and reported and continuous adaptations to overcome various challenges encountered (e.g. data confidentiality, training of civil servants, calculation of active ingredients, standardisation to enable fair comparisons and trend analyses, and data interoperability). Technical developments have been key in the success of this endeavour. However, it is important not to underestimate the importance of the human element: to listen to WOAH Members and their needs, and to exchange to solve issues, adapt tools, and gain and maintain trust. The journey is not over yet, and more developments are foreseen, such as to complement current data sources with data collected directly at the farm level; strengthen interoperability and integrated analysis with cross-sectoral databases; and facilitate institutionalisation of data collection and systematic use in monitoring, evaluation, lesson learning, reporting and, eventually, surveillance of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance when implementing and updating national action plans. This paper describes how all these challenges were overcome and how future challenges will be addressed.

En 2015, l'Organisation mondiale de la santé animale (OMSA, fondée en tant qu'OIE) a démarré, au moyen d'un questionnaire Microsoft Excel, une collecte annuelle de données sur les agents antimicrobiens destinés à être utilisés chez les animaux. L'OMSA a engagé, en 2022, la migration de cette collecte vers un système interactif en ligne sur mesure : la base de données mondiale ANIMUSE. Grâce à ce système, les Services vétérinaires pourront non seulement suivre et faire remonter les données plus facilement et avec davantage de précision, mais ils pourront aussi visualiser, analyser et utiliser ces données à leurs propres fins de surveillance, dans le cadre de la mise en oeuvre de plans d'action nationaux sur la résistance aux antimicrobiens. Ce travail a commencé il y a sept ans et des progrès constants ont été enregistrés en termes de collecte, d'analyse et de notification des données ; des adaptations continues ont également permis de dépasser les différents défis rencontrés (par exemple, en termes de confidentialité des données, de formation des fonctionnaires, de calcul des ingrédients actifs, de normalisation permettant d'établir des comparaisons équitables et des analyses de tendances et d'interopérabilité des données). Les avancées techniques ont joué un rôle clé dans la réussite de cette initiative. Il est cependant essentiel de ne pas sous-estimer l'importance du facteur humain : écoute des Membres de l'OMSA et de leurs besoins, échanges afin de résoudre les problèmes, adaptation des outils et obtention et préservation de la confiance. Cette aventure n'est pas terminée et des évolutions sont à venir : ajout des données collectées directement au niveau des élevages parmi les sources de données actuelles ; renforcement de l'interopérabilité et de l'analyse intégrée en recourant aux bases de données intersectorielles ; et institutionnalisation de la collecte de données et de son usage systématique dans le suivi, l'évaluation, les enseignements, les notifications et, à terme, la surveillance de l'utilisation des agents antimicrobiens et de l'antibiorésistance lors du déploiement et de la mise à jour des plans d'action nationaux. Cet article décrit comment tous ces défis ont été surmontés, ainsi que la manière dont les futurs défis seront relevés.

En 2015, la Organización Mundial de Sanidad Animal (OMSA, fundada como OIE) implantó un sistema de obtención anual de datos sobre los productos antimicrobianos destinados a los animales, empleando para ello un cuestionario en forma de hoja de cálculo Excel. En 2022, la OMSA inició la migración de este dispositivo a un sistema interactivo en línea especialmente adaptado al efecto: la base de datos mundial ANIMUSE. Este sistema permite a los Servicios Veterinarios nacionales no solo obtener y notificar datos con más facilidad y exactitud, sino también visualizar, analizar y aprovechar esta información con fines de vigilancia en la aplicación de planes nacionales de acción sobre la resistencia a antimicrobianos. Este viaje, que empezó hace siete años, ha supuesto una progresiva mejora de los métodos de obtención, análisis y notificación de los datos y continuas adaptaciones para superar las diversas dificultades que iban surgiendo (p.ej. en cuanto a confidencialidad de los datos, formación de funcionarios, cálculo de las cantidades de principio activo, normalización con fines de comparación y de análisis de tendencias, o compatibilidad de los datos). Aunque los avances técnicos han sido fundamentales para el éxito de la empresa, no cabe subestimar la importancia del factor humano, ese empeño de escuchar a los Miembros de la OMSA y tener en cuenta sus necesidades, favorecer el intercambio para resolver problemas, adaptar las herramientas y forjar y mantener relaciones de confianza. El viaje aún no ha terminado. Previsiblemente habrá nuevos avances que permitan, por ejemplo, complementar las actuales fuentes de información con datos obtenidos directamente en la explotación, mejorar la compatibilidad y los análisis integrados con bases de datos intersectoriales, o institucionalizar en mayor medida la obtención de datos y su uso sistemático con fines de seguimiento, evaluación, aprendizaje, notificación y a la postre vigilancia del uso de antimicrobianos y de eventuales resistencias a la hora de aplicar o actualizar planes nacionales de acción. Los autores explican cómo se fueron superando todas esas dificultades y cómo se abordarán los problemas que puedan ir surgiendo en el futuro.

We need to plan streamlined environmental impact assessment for the future X-Press Pearl disasters.

The X-Press Pearl disaster illustrates the urgent needs for streamlined environmental impact assessment to inform decision making. The environmental contamination caused by the disaster is complex, and the biological impact of different environmental stressors, and at different biological scales, needs to be determined. Traditional methods for analyzing complex environmental stressors are often inefficient and do not reflect the biological impact of pollution. The combination of chemical stressors and biological impacts is the key to environmental impact assessment based on integrated monitoring. Whole-cell bioreporters are tools for rapid, efficient and quantitative detection of the bioavailability, stressor effects, and toxicity of pollutants, i.e., spanning a wide range of applications. Here we propose the view that using whole-cell bioreporter technology to streamline short-term environmental impact assessment for maritime disasters such as the X-Press Pearl is more fit-for-purpose/practical than other approaches in use.

Monitoring water transparency, total suspended matter and the beam attenuation coefficient in inland water using innovative ground-based proximal sensing technology.

Long-term and high-frequency observations are vital to reveal water quality dynamics and responses to climate change and human activities. However, the datasets collected from traditional in situ and satellite observations may miss the rapid dynamics of water quality in the short term due to low temporal-spatial monitoring frequency and cloudy or rainy weather. To address this shortage, innovative ground-based proximal sensing (GBPS) technology was proposed to monitor water quality and identify emergencies with a wavelength range of 400-1000 nm, a spectral resolution of 1 nm and a minimal observation interval of 30 s. The GBPS was equipped with a hyperspectral imager placed 4-5 m above the water surface to minimize the impacts of the atmosphere and clouds. In this study, combined with 583 water samples obtained from four field samplings, GBPS datasets were first applied to estimate the total suspended matter (TSM), Secchi disk depth (SDD) and beam attenuation coefficient at 550 nm (C(550)) in Taihu Lake (TL), Liangxi River (LR) and Funchunjiang Reservoir (FR). The results demonstrated good performance with the TSM (R2 = 0.83, RMSE = 8.35 mg/L, MAPE = 24.0%), SDD (R2 = 0.88, RMSE = 0.09 m, MAPE = 14.7%), and C(550) (R2 = 0.79, RMSE = 3.55 m-1, MAPE = 35.8%). The time series of TSM and C(550) at the second-minute level showed consistent changes, but they were opposite to those of SDD. Taking TSM as an example, the datasets captured two mutations in TL with an 853.6% increase in 65 min and a rapid change from 40.3 mg/L to 256.9 mg/L and then to 51.0 mg/L in 224 min on November 1 and 3, respectively. Meanwhile, a significant decreasing trend (r = -0.83, p < 0.01) in LR from November 7 to 9 and a periodic diurnal increasing trend of TSM in FR during November 11 to 13 (0.46 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.70, p < 0.01) were observed. GBPS, with the advantages of high-frequency observations and the applicability of complex weather conditions, compensates for the in situ, aircraft and satellite observation deficiencies. Therefore, GBPS allows us to capture more detailed water quality information and episodic events, which is an important part of an integrated air-space-ground monitoring system in the future.

Landscape-scale conservation mitigates the biodiversity loss of grassland birds.

The decline of biodiversity from anthropogenic landscape modification is among the most pressing conservation problems worldwide. In North America, long-term population declines have elevated the recovery of the grassland avifauna to among the highest conservationpriorities. Because the vast majority of grasslands of the Great Plains are privately owned, the recovery of these ecosystems and bird populations within them depend on landscape-scale conservation strategies that integrate social, economic, and biodiversity objectives. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a voluntary program for private agricultural producers administered by the United States Department of Agriculture that provides financial incentives to take cropland out of production and restore perennial grassland. We investigated spatial patterns of grassland availability and restoration to inform landscape-scale conservation for a comprehensive community of grassland birds in the Great Plains. The research objectives were to (1) determine how apparent habitat loss has affected spatial patterns of grassland bird biodiversity, (2) evaluate the effectiveness of CRP for offsetting the biodiversity declines of grassland birds, and (3) develop spatially explicit predictions to estimate the biodiversity benefit of adding CRP to landscapes impacted by habitat loss. We used the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions program to evaluate hypotheses for the effects of habitat loss and restoration on both the occupancy and species richness of grassland specialists within a continuum-modeling framework. We found the odds of community occupancy declined by 37% for every 1 SD decrease in grassland availability [loge (km2 )] and increased by 20% for every 1 SD increase in CRP land cover [loge (km2 )]. There was 17% turnover in species composition between intact grasslands and CRP landscapes, suggesting that grasslands restored by CRP retained considerable, but incomplete, representation of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Spatially explicit predictions indicated that absolute conservation outcomes were greatest at high latitudes in regions with high biodiversity, whereas the relative outcomes were greater at low latitudes in highly modified landscapes. By evaluating community-wide responses to landscape modification and CRP restoration at bioregional scales, our study fills key information gaps for developing collaborative strategies, and for balancing conservation of avian biodiversity and social well-being in the agricultural production landscapes of the Great Plains.

Improving the assessment of polluted sites using an integrated bio-physico-chemical monitoring framework.

Soil - water pollution resulting from anthropogenic activities is a growing concern internationally. Effective monitoring techniques play a crucial role in the detection, prevention, and remediation of polluted sites. Current pollution monitoring practices in many geographical locations are primarily based on physico-chemical assessments which do not always reflect the potential toxicity of contaminant 'cocktails' and harmful chemicals not screened for routinely. Biomonitoring provides a range of sensitive techniques to characterise the eco-toxicological effects of chemical contamination. The bioavailability of contaminants, in addition to their effects on organisms at the molecular, cellular, individual, and community level allows the characterisation of the overall health status of polluted sites and ecosystems. Quantifying bioaccumulation, changes to community structure, faunal morphology, behavioural, and biochemical responses are standard procedures employed in biomonitoring studies in many High-Income Countries (HICs). This review highlights the need to integrate biomonitoring tools alongside physico-chemical monitoring techniques by using 'effect-based' tools to provide more holistic information on the ecological impairment of soil-water systems. This paper considers the wider implementation of biomonitoring methods in Low to Middle Income Countries (LMICs) and their significance in pollution investigations and proposes an integrated monitoring framework that can identify toxicity drivers by utilising 'effect-based' and 'risk-based' monitoring approaches.

Triboelectric Rotary Motion Sensor for Industrial-Grade Speed and Angle Monitoring.

Mechanical motion sensing and monitoring is an important component in the field of industrial automation. Rotary motion is one of the most basic forms of mechanical motion, so it is of great significance for the development of the entire industry to realize rotary motion state monitoring. In this paper, a triboelectric rotary motion sensor (TRMS) with variable amplitude differential hybrid electrodes is proposed, and an integrated monitoring system (IMS) is designed to realize real-time monitoring of industrial-grade rotary motion state. First, the operating principle and monitoring characteristics are studied. The experiment results indicate that the TRMS can achieve rotation speed measurement in the range of 10-1000 rpm with good linearity, and the error rate of rotation speed is less than 0.8%. Besides, the TRMS has an angle monitoring range of 360° and its resolution is 1.5° in bidirectional rotation. Finally, the applications of the designed TRMS and IMS prove the feasibility of self-powered rotary motion monitoring. This work further promotes the development of triboelectric sensors (TESs) in industrial application.

Scaling up private land conservation to meet recovery goals for grassland birds.

Long-term population declines have elevated recovery of grassland avifauna to among the highest conservation priorities in North America. Because most of the Great Plains is privately owned, recovery of grassland bird populations depends on voluntary conservation with strong partnerships between private landowners and resource professionals. Despite large areas enrolled in voluntary practices through U.S. Department of Agriculture's Lesser Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) Initiative (LPCI), the effectiveness of Farm Bill investments for meeting wildlife conservation goals remains an open question. Our objectives were to evaluate extents to which Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and LPCI-grazing practices influence population densities of grassland birds; estimate relative contributions of practices to regional bird populations; and evaluate percentages of populations conserved relative to vulnerability of species. We designed a large-scale impact-reference study and used the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions program to evaluate bird population targets of the Playa Lakes Joint Venture. We used point transect distance sampling to estimate density and population size for 35 species of grassland birds on private lands enrolled in native or introduced CRP plantings and LPCI-prescribed grazing. Treatment effects indicated CRP plantings increased densities of three grassland obligates vulnerable to habitat loss, and LPCI grazing increased densities of four species requiring heterogeneity in dense, tall-grass structure (α = 0.1). Population estimates in 2016 indicated the practices conserved breeding habitat for 4.5 million birds (90% CI: 4.0-5.1), and increased population sizes of 16 species , totaling 1.8 million birds (CI: 1.4-2.4). Conservation practices on private land benefited the most vulnerable grassland obligate species (AICc weight = 0.53). By addressing habitat loss and degradation in agricultural landscapes, conservation on private land provides a solution to declining avifauna of North America and scales up to meet population recovery goals for the most imperiled grassland birds.

Ampliación de la Conservación en Terrenos Privados para Cumplir los Objetivos de Recuperación para Aves de Pastizales Resumen La declinación a largo plazo de las poblaciones ha posicionado a la recuperación de la avifauna de los pastizales entre las prioridades de conservación más importantes en América del Norte. Debido a que la mayor parte de las Grandes Planicies es propiedad privada, la recuperación de las poblaciones de aves de los pastizales depende de la conservación voluntaria sumada a la colaboración entre los terratenientes privados y los profesionales de la gestión de recursos. A pesar de que varias áreas se encuentran inscritas en prácticas voluntarias por medio de la Iniciativa de la Gallina de Pradera Menor (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) (IGPM), la efectividad de la inversión del Proyecto de Ley de Granjas para cumplir con los objetivos de conservación de fauna todavía permanece como una pregunta abierta. Nuestros objetivos se enfocaron en evaluar hasta qué punto el Programa de Reservas de Conservación (PRC) y las prácticas de forrajeo de la IGPM influyen sobre la densidad poblacional de las aves de los pastizales; estimar las contribuciones relativas de las prácticas para las poblaciones de aves regionales; y evaluar el porcentaje de poblaciones conservadas en relación con la vulnerabilidad de la especie. Diseñamos un estudio a gran escala con referencia de impactos y usamos el programa de Monitoreo Integrado en las Regiones de Conservación de Aves para evaluar los objetivos poblacionales de las aves del Proyecto Conjunto de Playa Lakes. Usamos un muestreo de distancia por puntos en transecto para estimar la densidad y el tamaño poblacional de 35 especies de aves de pastizales en los terrenos privados inscritos en plantaciones nativas o introducidas del PRC y en las zonas de forrajeo prescritas por la IGPM. Los efectos del tratamiento indicaron que las plantaciones del PRC incrementaron la densidad de tres especies estrictas de pastizales vulnerables a la pérdida del hábitat, mientras que el forrajeo de la LPCI incrementó la densidad de cuatro especies que requieren heterogeneidad en la estructura de pastos altos y gruesos (α = 0.1). Las estimaciones poblacionales indicaron que las prácticas conservaron el hábitat de reproducción para 4.5 millones de aves (90% IC 4.0 - 5.1) e incrementaron el tamaño poblacional de 16 especies, para un total de 1.8 millones de aves (IC 1.4 - 2.4). Las prácticas de conservación en terrenos privados beneficiaron a las especies estrictas de pastizales más vulnerables (peso AICc = 0.53). Al abordar la pérdida y degradación del hábitat en los paisajes agrícolas, la conservación en terrenos privados proporciona una solución para la avifauna en declinación de América del Norte y se amplía para cumplir con los objetivos de recuperación establecidos para las aves de pastizales que se encuentran en mayor peligro.

Impact of Escherichia coli from stormwater drainage on recreational water quality: an integrated monitoring and modelling of urban catchment, pipes and lake.

In recent years, recreational waterbodies are increasingly favoured in urban areas. In spite of the growing concerns for maintaining the required bathing water quality, the impacts of stormwater drainage are still poorly controlled. In this context, this study originally develops an integrated urban catchment-pipes-lake monitoring and modelling approach to simulate the impacts of microbial quality from stormwater drainage on recreational water quality. The modelling system consists of three separated components: the urban catchment component, the 3D lake hydrodynamic component and the 3D lake water quality component. A series of processes are simulated in the model, such as rainfall-discharge, build-up, wash-off of Escherichia coli (E. coli) on urban surfaces, sewer flows, hydrothermal dynamics of lake water and transport and mortality of E. coli in the lake. This integrated model is tested for an urban catchment and its related recreational lake located in the Great Paris region. Continuous monitoring and samplings were performed at the stormwater drainage outlet and three different sites in the lake. Comparing the measured data with simulation results over 20 months, the modelling system can correctly represent the E. coli dynamics in the stormwater sewer systems and in the lake. Although uncertainties related to parameter values, pollution sources and E. coli mortality processes could be further discussed, the good performance of this modelling approach emphasizes a promising potential for urban bathing water quality management.

Integrated hemolysis monitoring for bottom-up protein bioanalysis.

Background: Hemolysis can result in analyte suppression or enhancement and it can affect the extraction efficiency and analyte stability. Triskelion developed an LC-MS method to monitor hemolysis. The concept can be integrated into existing and new quantitative protein LC-MS methods and can be validated according to the most appropriate tier. Results/methodology: In this proof of concept study, the tryptic target LLVVYPWTQR was used to quantify hemoglobin. The peptide target has only few variations considering the most common (laboratory) animals and is thus nearly generic. It was shown that LC-MS is a suitable technique for the quantification of hemoglobin in hemolyzed samples and that the signals are not affected by lipemia. Conclusion: LC-MS exhibited the best performance to monitor hemolysis when the results were compared with UV-VIS and visual inspection, especially when samples were lipemic.

An integrated approach to assess fish spatial pattern around offshore gas platforms: A pilot study in the Adriatic Sea.

Research on abundance and composition of fish assemblages surrounding offshore extraction platforms is essential to evaluate their impact as well as to understand relationships between natural and artificial habitats. Also decommissioning practice, which belongs to the lifecycle of these structures, can be encouraged or discouraged if fish school behaviour in the close proximity of the platform is well understood. With thousands of platforms to be decommissioned around the world in coming decades, understanding such dynamic interactions is key to improve spatial management of marine ecosystems. In this context, this study drafts a work plan that can be used to investigate fish presence and abundance, school movement and qualitative species composition around a platform over long time periods. It integrates fishing captures, multibeam echosounder (MBES) investigations, and drop camera shootings to overcome the limitations of the individual methods. Monthly samplings were conducted at a three-leg gas extraction platform placed at ~80 m depth in the central Adriatic Sea, for one year after its installation. MBES completely insonified the studied area, providing data on school shape, volume, surface area and position throughout the water column. Fishing captures were useful for MBES targets' identification by measuring the presence/abundance of nekto-benthic and pelagic species both in the nearby of the structure and in the open sea, while drop camera shootings added evidence of a few species in close proximity to the poles, which were not censused by the other methods. Results underlined the strong attraction exerted by the platform and the significant influence of the explanatory variable distance on the schools' nominal volume.

Elucidating fecal pollution patterns in alluvial water resources by linking standard fecal indicator bacteria to river connectivity and genetic microbial source tracking.

A novel concept for fecal pollution analysis was applied at alluvial water resources to substantially extend the information provided by fecal indicator bacteria (FIB). FIB data were linked to river connectivity and genetic microbial source tracking (MST). The concept was demonstrated at the Danube River and its associated backwater area downstream of the city of Vienna, using a comprehensive 3-year data set (10 selected sites, n = 317 samples). Enumeration of Escherichia coli (ISO 16649-2), intestinal enterococci (ISO 7899-2) and Clostridium perfringens (ISO 14189) revealed a patchy distribution for the investigation area. Based on these parameters alone a clear interpretation of the observed fecal contamination patterns was not possible. Comparison of FIB concentrations to river connectivity allowed defining sites with dominating versus rare fecal pollution influence from the River Danube. A strong connectivity gradient at the selected backwater sites became obvious by 2D hydrodynamic surface water modeling, ranging from 278 days (25%) down to 5 days (<1%) of hydraulic connectivity to the River Danube within the 3-year study period. Human sewage pollution could be identified as the dominating fecal source at the highly connected sites by adding information from MST analysis. In contrast, animal fecal pollution proofed to be dominating in areas with low river connectivity. The selection of genetic MST markers was focusing on potentially important pollution sources in the backwater area, using human (BacHum, HF183II), ruminant (BacR) and pig (Pig2Bac) -associated quantitative PCR assays. The presented approach is assumed to be useful to characterize alluvial water resources for water safety management throughout the globe, by allocating fecal pollution to autochthonous, allochthonous, human or animal contamination components. The established river connectivity metric is not limited to bacterial fecal pollution, but can be applied to any type of chemical and microbiological contamination.

Top-down and bottom-up processes to implement biological monitoring in protected areas.

Achieving biodiversity conservation objectives and targets requires environmental management agencies to undertake monitoring. Several management practices have been used but are they successful? Using SANParks as an example, we focus on three cases of national parks that use different techniques to implement environmental monitoring. We assessed a top-down, bottom-up and an integrated approach to setting targets using Table Mountain, Mokala and Bontebok National Parks respectively. Attainment of national and international objectives from State of Biodiversity assessment scores and achievement of objectives within individual Park Management Plans served as measurement criteria. We highlight several reasons for lack of achievement of objectives and targets for protected areas and illustrate that setting of objectives and monitoring must have complete full integration into park operations, both on staff and budget scales, rather than be seen as an external function from service divisions within parks or external service providers. An integrated approach to setting of objectives and targets of national and international importance is best achieved via the robust implementation of strategic adaptive management with interventions, measurement, reflection and adaptation integrated as learning by doing. Our results may not be unique but only a few organizations implement adaptive management in its full context.

Assessing the ecological status of fluvial ecosystems employing a macroinvertebrate multi-taxon and multi-biomarker approach.

Biomarkers are recognised sensitive early-warning tools of biological effects in aquatic organisms. In this scope, the main aim of this study was to investigate the potential usefulness of a battery of biomarkers, evaluated in different benthic macroinvertebrate taxa, to discriminate aquatic ecosystems with different levels of ecological status and to provide further clues supporting environmental management. The study took place during the autumn of 2013 and the spring and summer of 2014, and the study cases were two Mediterranean rivers (Âncora and Ferreira rivers), differing in their ecological status. The biomarkers determined are widely employed and comprise a large set of biochemical responses: the activity of enzymes (cholinesterases, glutathione S-transferases, catalase and lactate dehydrogenase) and the levels of lipid peroxidation. They were assessed seasonally and in different macroinvertebrate taxa. Thirteen water physico-chemical parameters were also seasonally determined, and the concentration of seven organophosphorus pesticides and the percentage of 32 trace metals in sediments were determined in the spring. This is particularly useful for water management. Based on this, authorities can take actions to prevent further damage in the ecological status. Multivariate analyses showed distinct patterns of biological response for the Calopteryx spp., Chironomidae and Baetis spp. taxa. Calopteryx spp. and Chironomidae, in particular, showed distinct response patterns for the two rivers, which were fairly stable across seasons. This study sets the foundations for future cost-effective biomonitoring campaigns in Mediterranean rivers, allowing to establish historical data important to understand ecosystem evolution, as well as baseline levels of diagnostic biomarkers in informative macroinvertebrate taxa.

Geodetic and Remote-Sensing Sensors for Dam Deformation Monitoring.

In recent years, the measurement of dam displacements has benefited from a great improvement of existing technology, which has allowed a higher degree of automation. This has led to data collection with an improved temporal and spatial resolution. Robotic total stations and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) techniques, often in an integrated manner, may provide efficient solutions for measuring 3D displacements on precise locations on the outer surfaces of dams. On the other hand, remote-sensing techniques, such as terrestrial laser scanning, ground-based SAR (synthetic aperture radar) and satellite differential interferometric SAR offer the chance to extend the observed region to a large portion of a structure and its surrounding areas, integrating the information that is usually provided in a limited number of in-situ control points. The design and implementation of integrated monitoring systems have been revealed as a strategic solution to analyze different situations in a spatial and temporal context. Research devoted to the optimization of data processing tools has evolved with the aim of improving the accuracy and reliability of the measured deformations. The analysis of the observed data for the interpretation and prediction of dam deformations under external loads has been largely investigated on the basis of purely statistical or deterministic methods. The latter may integrate observation from geodetic, remote-sensing and geotechnical/structural sensors with mechanical models of the dam structure. In this paper, a review of the available technologies for dam deformation monitoring is provided, including those sensors that are already applied in routinary operations and some experimental solutions. The aim was to support people who are working in this field to have a complete view of existing solutions, as well as to understand future directions and trends.

Sensors for Deformation Monitoring of Large Civil Infrastructures.

In the maintenance of large infrastructures such as dams, bridges, railways, underground structures (tunnels, mines) and others, monitoring of deformations plays a key role in maintaining the safety serviceability conditions and for mitigating any consequences due to ageing factors and possible structural failures. [...].

[Environmental justice as an approach to tackle environmental health inequalities]. / Umweltgerechtigkeit als Ansatz zur Verringerung sozialer Ungleichheiten bei Umwelt und Gesundheit.

Current international studies show that environment-related diseases disproportionately affect vulnerable people. This is a case of environmental injustice. Environmental justice goes beyond the mere description of environment- and health-related social inequalities by comprising two dimensions of justice as a normative approach: distributional and procedural justice. Attempts to explain the link between social circumstances, the environment and health deal with both the socially unequal distribution of environmental hazards and environmental resources (exposure variation) and social differences in vulnerability to the health effects of environmental exposures (effect modification). Integrated monitoring approaches provide the basis for deriving interventions under various aspects of environmental justice. Parting from public health research and embedded in the Health in All Policies (HiAP) concept, environmental justice has now been taken up in a number of fields, including politics, administration and practice. There are strategic considerations and attempts to anchor it in politics at the federal, state and the communal level, both by government and non-government groups. Health-promoting urban development is a core field for intervention. The Soziale Stadt (Social City) programme for promoting urban planning and construction as well as place oriented sectoral planning make an important contribution by helping to focus on urban spaces with multiple health hazards and to implement target group-oriented participation processes. There continues to be a need to develop methods and systematically implemented evaluations of political strategies and corresponding interventions regarding their effects on inequalities in health and environmental justice.

Improving the implementation of marine monitoring in the northeast Atlantic.

Marine monitoring in the northeast Atlantic is delivered within identifiable monitoring themes, established through time and defined by the geographical area and policy drivers they serve, the sampling methodologies they use, their assessment methodologies, their funding and governance structures and the people or organisations involved in their implementation. Within a monitoring theme, essential components for effective monitoring are governance, strategy and work plan, sampling protocols, quality assurance, and data and assessment structures. This simple framework is used to analyse two monitoring theme case studies; national ecosystem health monitoring, and regional fish stock monitoring. Such essential component analyses, within marine monitoring themes, can help improve monitoring implementation by identifying gaps and overlaps. Once monitoring themes are recognised, explicitly defined and streamlined, travel towards integrated monitoring may be made easier as the current lack of clarity in thematic marine monitoring implementation is one barrier to integration at both national and regional scales.

Integrated monitoring of chemicals and their effects on four sentinel species, Limanda limanda, Platichthys flesus, Nucella lapillus and Mytilus sp., in Seine Bay: A key step towards applying biological effects to monitoring.

The International workshop on Integrated Assessment of CONtaminants impacts on the North sea (ICON) provided a framework to validate the application of chemical and biological assessment thresholds (BACs and EACs) in the Seine Bay in France. Bioassays (oyster larval anomalies, Corophium arenarium toxicity assay and DR Calux) for sediment and biomarkers: ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, lysosomal membrane stability (LMS), DNA strand breaks using the Comet assay, DNA adducts, micronucleus (MN), PAH metabolites, imposex, intersex and fish external pathologies were analysed in four marine sentinel species (Platichthys flesus, Limanda limanda, Mytilus sp. and Nucella lapilus). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals were analysed in biota and sediment. Results for sediment and four species in 2008-2009 made it possible to quantify the impact of contaminants using thresholds (Environmental Assessment Criteria/EAC2008: 70% and EAC2009: 60%) and effects (EAC2008: 50% and EAC2009: 40%) in the Seine estuary. The Seine estuary is ranked among Europe's most highly polluted sites.