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1. Bioadhesive interface for marine sensors on diverse soft fragile species

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46833-4  

   Duque_Londono, Camilo; Cones, Seth F; Deng, Jue; Wu, Jingjing; Yuk, Hyunwoo; Guza, David E; Mooney, T Aran; Zhao, Xuanhe (December 2024, Nature Communications)

   Abstract Marine animals equipped with sensors provide vital information for understanding their ecophysiology and collect oceanographic data on climate change and for resource management. Existing methods for attaching sensors to marine animals mostly rely on invasive physical anchors, suction cups, and rigid glues. These methods can suffer from limitations, particularly for adhering to soft fragile marine species such as squid and jellyfish, including slow complex operations, unreliable fixation, tissue trauma, and behavior changes of the animals. However, soft fragile marine species constitute a significant portion of ocean biomass (>38.3 teragrams of carbon) and global commercial fisheries. Here we introduce a soft hydrogel-based bioadhesive interface for marine sensors that can provide rapid (time <22 s), robust (interfacial toughness >160 J m⁻²), and non-invasive adhesion on various marine animals. Reliable and rapid adhesion enables large-scale, multi-animal sensor deployments to study biomechanics, collective behaviors, interspecific interactions, and concurrent multi-species activity. These findings provide a promising method to expand a burgeoning research field of marine bio-sensing from large marine mammals and fishes to small, soft, and fragile marine animals. 

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2. A review of how we study coastal and marine conflicts: is social science taking a broad enough view?

   https://doi.org/10.1007/s40152-023-00319-z  

   Dahlet, Lol Iana; Selim, Samiya A; van_Putten, Ingrid (September 2023, Maritime Studies)

   Abstract Conflict in the marine environment is of increasing relevance as blue growth boundaries are pushed and resource access and use are in dispute. Social science disciplines have a long history and a wide range of approaches for studying conflict. However, understanding the approaches used to study marine conflict is challenging since the literature is large, broad, difficult to navigate, and there is little connection between conflict themes and the associated methods used to analyze these conflicts. In the present study, we take a first step to address this by systematically reviewing 109 peer-reviewed articles that employ empirical social science methods to study marine conflict. We find that studies on marine conflicts have centered on disputed space, mainly at local scale, and natural resources, such as fish. The main parties at the center of the conflicts are small-scale fisheries and public authorities, although with a growing presence of blue growth sectors. Most studies employed qualitative approaches to study marine conflicts. Current gaps in the understanding of marine conflict include gaps in understanding relational interactions and historical causal events. The need for social science research into marine conflict and the application of multiple social science methods is ongoing as different constellations of conflict actors emerge and as disputed ocean spaces expand beyond EEZs, to include polar regions, and the sea floor. 

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3. Visitors’ Environmental Concerns in Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary: An Offshore Marine Protected Area

   https://doi.org/10.3390/w15071425  

   Lemmen, Marieke; Burns, Robert C.; Andrew, Ross G.; Moreira, Jasmine Cardozo (April 2023, Water)

   Marine sanctuaries serve as popular destinations for ecotourism, natural resource exploration, and recreation across the US. While often positive, visitation in marine and coastal areas can cause ecological threats to these ecosystems. Increased visitation in marine environments has led to the need for management due to negative ecological and social impacts. Understanding environmental values, attitudes, and perceptions is important to the success of environmental protection. Using online surveys sent via Qualtrics asking questions regarding the users’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of ocean resources, goods and services, this research focused on identifying user profiles and understanding their environmental perception associated with Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, an offshore marine protected area, and surrounding coastal Georgia. The results show that across multiple types of threats or phenomena, respondents are most concerned about threats to resources related to pollution. Furthermore, they support marine protection and are willing to adjust their consumption habits, such as recycling and energy use, to ensure the sustainable use of ocean resources. The inclusion of insights achieved through research about visitor perceptions into management decision making and planning can positively contribute to the success of environmental protection. 

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4. Construction and characterization of an infectious cDNA clone of turtle grass virus X from a naturally infected Thalassia testudinum plant

   https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02828-24  

   Alvarado-Marchena, Luis; Furman, Bradley T; Breitbart, Mya (January 2025, mBio)

   ABSTRACT Seagrasses are a polyphyletic group of marine flowering plants that play crucial roles in nearshore ecology, yet their interactions with viruses remain largely unexplored. This study presents the construction and characterization of an infectious cDNA clone of the potexvirus turtle grass virus X (TGVX). The complete genome of this positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus was amplified from field samples ofThalassia testudinumand assembled into a pLX-based mini binary vector using a multi-fragment directional cloning strategy, resulting in the infectious clone pLX-TGVX. Agroinfection assays of potexvirus-freeT. testudinumplants resulted in systemic infections by TGVX, as confirmed by multiplex RT-PCR experiments and phenotypic changes reflecting virus-induced symptoms. Ultrastructural studies also demonstrated significant cytopathological changes resulting from TGVX infection, including chloroplast swelling, reduced thylakoid grana, and the presence of viral replication organelles and filamentous virus-like particles. The development of the TGVX infectious clone offers a novel tool for investigating the impact of this virus on seagrass health and productivity. This study demonstrates the first successful agroinfection of a marine plant with an infectious clone, creating a new avenue for studying viruses identified through sequence-based surveys and paving the way for exploring the ecological significance of viral infection in these critical marine ecosystems.IMPORTANCEThis study pioneers the construction of an infectious clone of turtle grass virus X and describes its application in the natural marine plant host,Thalassia testudinum. The creation of this infectious clone not only provides a valuable tool for marine plant virology research but also opens new avenues for exploring the influence of viral infections on the health and productivity of seagrass meadows. Given that seagrasses play a crucial role in sediment stabilization, nutrient cycling, and habitat provisioning, understanding the impact of viruses on these ecosystems is essential for their effective conservation and management. This methodological advance enables detailed studies of viral replication, virus-host interactions, and the broader ecological implications of viral infections in marine plants. 

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5. Susan Lynn Williams: the Life of an Exceptional Scholar, Leader, and Friend (1951–2018)

   https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00886-y  

   Dennison, William C.; Bracken, Matthew E.; Brown, Maria; Bruno, John F.; Carlton, James T.; Carpenter, Robert C.; Carruthers, Tim J.; Dethier, Megan N.; Duarte, Carlos M.; Fisher, Thomas R.; et al (March 2021, Estuaries and Coasts)

   null (Ed.)

   Abstract Susan Lynn Williams (1951–2018) was an exceptional marine ecologist whose research focused broadly on the ecology of benthic nearshore environments dominated by seagrasses, seaweeds, and coral reefs. She took an empirical approach founded in techniques of physiological ecology. Susan was committed to applying her research results to ocean management through outreach to decision-makers and resource managers. Susan’s career included research throughout the USA in tropical, temperate, and polar regions, but she specialized in tropical marine ecology. Susan’s scholarship, leadership, and friendship touched many people, leading to this multi-authored paper. Susan’s scholarship was multi-faceted, and she excelled in scientific discovery, integration of scientific results, application of science for conservation, and teaching, especially as a mentor to undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Susan served in a variety of leadership positions throughout her career. She embodied all facets of leadership; leading by example, listening to others, committing to the “long haul,” maintaining trust, and creating a platform for all to shine. Susan was an important role model for women in science. Susan was also a loyal friend, maintaining friendships for many decades. Susan loved cooking and entertaining with friends. This paper provides an overview of the accomplishments of Susan in the broad categories of scholarship, leadership, and friendship. 

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