A.L. Collins results 252
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Mercury (Hg), and specifically methylmercury (MeHg), is a contaminant of global concern to humans and wildlife, but there is still limited understanding of its effects on many taxa. Amphibians are closely associated with water, where Hg is converted to MeHg, and high concentrations of MeHg can reduce survival of amphibians in the wild. However, limited non-lethal proxies exist for estimating MeHg bioaccumulation in amphibian l...
Nutrient Enrichment Increases Grassland Biomass Sensitivity to Interannual Precipitation VariationNARA Subscribed
Primary production underpins much of ecosystem functioning and is often limited by nutrient and water availability. Ongoing global increases in nutrient inputs and interannual precipitation variability are thus likely to impact primary production, with unclear consequences for interannual variability in plant biomass. We used data from 35 grasslands in the Nutrient Network coordinated fertilization experiment to test if nutrie...
Macrourid species constitute the main bycatch in Southern Ocean toothfish longline fisheries. We report the first confirmed record of Whitson's grenadier, Macrourus whitsoni , in the South Georgia toothfish fishery. Mitochondrial cox1 DNA barcoding confirmed its presence in bycatch samples collected around South Georgia and the northern South Sandwich Islands, with approximately 1% divergence from its congener, M. caml . Haplo...
Modified fin morphology in mackerel icefish ( Champsocephalus gunnari ) may indicate nesting behaviourNARA Subscribed
Monitoring reproductive traits in Southern Ocean species is challenging. Males in some channichthyids thicken the epithelium along their anal fins to aid nest construction. This study presents initial evidence that the only commercially harvested channichthyid, mackerel icefish ( Champsocephalus gunnari ), exhibits modifications to their anal fins, and that these features are ephemeral and possibly sexually dimorphic. The evid...
Diversity and functional group composition drive biogeographic patterns in marine biogenic structural complexityNARA Subscribed
Biogenic structural complexity is a key driver of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, yet its ecological and environmental determinants remain poorly understood across broad biogeographic scales. Here, we conducted standardized 90‐day field experiments at 16 coastal sites, spanning a 41‐degree latitudinal gradient, using naturally assembled marine fouling communities on settlement panels. We measured rugosity as our metric...
Biological products improved tomato crop growth and altered soil nutrient levels without changing microbial community compositionNARA Subscribed
Background and aims Alternatives to synthetic fertilisers for field-grown crops are needed to increase crop production. This study investigated the application of three commercial biological products, Popul8 (microbial), Eco-Humate (organic-acid) and Eco-Vital® (fish + seaweed) to field-grown tomatoes and their impact on crop growth, soil properties, and the microbiome. Methods Field trials were conducted at two farms in the 2...
SNAPSHOT USA 2024: Year 6 of the Coordinated National Camera Trap Survey of the United StatesNARA Subscribed
Motivation SNAPSHOT USA is an annual, multi‐contributor camera trap survey of mammals across the United States. The growing SNAPSHOT USA dataset is intended for tracking the spatial and temporal responses of mammal populations to changes in land use, land cover and climate. These data will be useful for exploring the drivers of spatial and temporal changes in relative abundance and distribution, as well as the impacts of speci...
Precipitation variability interacts with mean precipitation to restructure a semiarid grassland communityNARA Subscribed
Climate forecasts project change not only in the mean of climate variables but also in their variance. If these dual changes interact, then future ecological dynamics will be difficult to predict using current experimental approaches, which typically change the mean or impose a single extreme event, such as drought. We designed a new field experiment to factorially reduce mean precipitation and increase its interannual variabi...
Distribution and ecology of the four Macrourus species by‐caught in the longline fishery at South Georgia, Southern OceanNARA Subscribed
Although Macrourus species are the main by‐catch across Southern Ocean longline fisheries, including around South Georgia, the lack of species‐specific data has hindered effective management and ecological understanding. Aggregation of macrourids at genus level masks critical interspecific differences in life‐history strategies and vulnerabilities to fishing. Here, we provide the first comprehensive biological assessment of th...