LabexMER

This paper explores the nature and dynamics of adaptation and resilience in the face of a diverse and varied environmental and ecological context using the case study of South Asia’s Indus Civilization (ca. 3000–1300 BC). Most early complex societies developed in regions where the climatic parameters faced by ancient subsistence farmers were varied but rain falls primarily in one season. In contrast, the Indus Civilization developed in a specific environmental context that spanned a very distinct environmental threshold, where winter and summer rainfall systems overlap. There is now evidence to show that this region was directly subject to climate change during the period when the Indus Civilization was at its height (ca. 2500–1900 BC). The Indus Civilization, therefore, provides a unique opportunity to understand how an ancient society coped with diverse and varied ecologies and change in the fundamental environmental parameters. This paper integrates research carried out as part of the Land, Water and Settlement project in northwest India between 2007 and 2014. Although coming from only one of the regions occupied by Indus populations, these data necessitate the reconsideration of several prevailing views about the Indus Civilization as a whole and invigorate discussion about human-environment interactions and their relationship to processes of cultural transformation.

Ocean acidification, climate change, and other environmental stressors threaten coral reef ecosystems and the people who depend upon them. New science reveals that these multiple stressors interact and may affect a multitude of physiological and ecological processes in complex ways. The interaction of multiple stressors and ecological complexity may mean that the negative effects on coral reef ecosystems will happen sooner and be more severe than previously thought. Yet, most research on the effects of global change on coral reefs focus on one or few stressors and pathways or outcomes (e.g. bleaching). Based on a critical review of the literature, we call for a regionally targeted strategy of mesocosm-level research that addresses this complexity and provides more realistic projections about coral reef impacts in the face of global environmental change. We believe similar approaches are needed for other ecosystems that face global environmental change.

The effects of unnatural disturbances on the behaviour and energetics of animals are an important issue for conservation and commercial animal production. Biologging enables estimation of the energy costs of these disturbances, but not specifically the effect these costs have on growth; a key outcome measure for animal farming enterprises. We looked at how natural and anthropogenically induced activity and energy expenditure of king scallops Pecten maximus varies with temperature. These data were then used to model growth time of king scallops reared in an aquaculture facility under different temperatures and anthropogenic disturbance levels. The scallops exhibited a typical total metabolic rate (MR)-temperature curve, with a peak reached at a middling temperature. The percentage of their total MR associated with spinning and swimming, behavioural responses to disturbance, was considerable. Interestingly, as temperature increased, the activity MR associated with a given level of activity decreased; a hitherto unreported relationship in any species. The model results suggest there is a trade-off in the ambient temperature that should be set by hatcheries between the optimal for scallop growth if completely undisturbed versus mitigating against the energy costs elicited by anthropogenic disturbance. Furthermore, the model indicates that this trade-off is affected by scallop size. Aquaculture facilities typically have controls to limit the impact of human activities, yet the present data indicate that hatcheries may be advised to consider whether more controls could further decrease extraneous scallop behaviours, resulting in enhanced scallop yields and improved financial margins.

Data loggers that measure acceleration are regularly used to quantify the behavioural energetics of animals. Calculating dynamic body acceleration (DBA) by smoothing acceleration data using a necessarily long-running mean of e.g. ≥1 s (the DBA method) is not appropriate for determining behaviour duration. In fact, the DBA method results in the elongation of behaviour durations (mean ± 95% CI behaviour duration elongation for scallops [n = 10 animals] and humans [n = 10 free-ranging aquatic biologists]: 508.5 ± 277.2 and 19.3 ± 1.1%, respectively) and consequently an overestimation of energy expenditure (mean ± 95% CI activity metabolic rate overestimation: 212.5 ± 48.0 and 6.12 ± 0.34%, for scallops and humans, respectively; overall metabolic rate overestimation: 91.1 ± 29.9 and 4.18 ± 0.20%, for scallops and humans, respectively). Behaviour duration elongation is of greatest significance when behaviour durations are short (minimum, mean and maximum single behaviour duration for scallops and humans recorded in this study: 0.12 and 0.37, 0.40 and 8.04, 0.84 and 185.73 s, respectively). Overestimation of the duration of behaviours naturally causes errors in the calculations of behavioural time-energy budgets for all species that move intermittently, as demonstrated for scallops, crabs, 'amphibious' signal crayfish and humans. Furthermore, behaviours of any duration should be accurately detected, quantified and when appropriate, the behaviour type should be identified. The R package BEnergetix can quickly calculate accurate invertebrate and vertebrate behavioural time-energy budgets from acceleration, metabolic rate and environmental data. © The authors 2014.

BACKGROUND: Behaviour and time spent active and inactive are key factors in animal ecology, with important consequences for bioenergetics. For the first time, here, we equipped the gastropod Tectus (= Trochus) niloticus with accelerometers to describe activity rhythms at two sites in the Southwest Pacific with different temperature regimes: New Caledonia and Vanuatu. RESULTS: Based on a 24-hour cycle, T. niloticus activity began at dusk and gradually stopped during the night, before sunrise. This nocturnal behaviour was characterised by short (duration <30 s), low intensity (acceleration < 0.12 ɡ) movements and was probably associated with foraging behaviour. We assumed that activity ceased once the animal was satiated. Our analysis of two size groups in Vanuatu (80-90 mm vs. 120-140 mm, basal shell diameter) revealed a size effect; smaller specimens displayed greater activity, reflected by more intense and longer movements while migrating at night toward the edge of the reef. This nocturnal behaviour is not uncommon for grazing gastropods and is mainly associated with attempting to avoid visual predators whilst feeding. CONCLUSIONS: The use of accelerometers coupled with light and temperature sensors provided detailed information on topshell behaviour and physiology under natural conditions. These data provide a foundation for identifying potential changes in the fine-scale behaviour of T. niloticus in response to environmental changes, which is essential in animal ecology and stock conservation.

Antifouling coatings are widely used on leisure boats to prevent biofouling, yet their environmental impacts vary significantly depending on formulation. This study systematically evaluated seven commercial antifouling products, including five copper-based coatings (with varying cuprous oxide content), one tralopyril-based coating and one biocide-free silicone foul-release coating. The evaluation included three complementary approaches: field-based efficacy testing, environmental risk assessment (ERA) modeling and ecotoxicological assays. Field trials were conducted over six months at three European coastal sites (Skagerrak, Kattegat and Atlantic) to assess the antifouling performance. Biocide release rates were quantified using X-ray Fluorescence and used to model environmental risks in accordance with EU guidelines. Acute toxicity of leachates was tested on four marine species (Aliivibrio fischeri, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Artemia salina larvae and Oryzias melastigma larvae). The biocide-free silicone coating ranked highest in sustainability, combining strong antifouling efficacy with minimal acute toxicity. The copper-based coatings typically showed comparable efficacy at all sites despite differences in copper release but some only passed ERA thresholds in one of the sites (Atlantic). Lower copper content formulations generally exhibited reduced environmental impact. The tralopyril-based coating, despite being marketed as "environmentally safe", demonstrated the highest toxicity and environmental risk. These findings highlight the need for environmental assessment of antifouling products to validate environmental safety claims and to promote lower impact formulations. While ERA modeling is suitable for biocidal products, ecotoxicological testing remains essential for biocide-free alternatives. Improved and standardized leaching protocols are needed to better reflect real-world conditions and support sustainable product development.

<ns5:p> We present a genome assembly from an individual male <ns5:italic>Myotis nattereri</ns5:italic> (Natterer’s Bat; Chordata; Mammalia; Chiroptera; Vespertilionidae). The assembly contains two haplotypes with total lengths of 2 138.58 megabases and 1 932.61 megabases. Most of haplotype 1 (98.98%) is scaffolded into 23 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the X and Y sex chromosomes. Haplotype 2 was assembled to scaffold level. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled, with a length of 17.27 kilobases. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 19 245 protein-coding genes. This assembly was generated as part of the Darwin Tree of Life project, which produces genomes for eukaryotic species found in Britain and Ireland. </ns5:p>