Anthropogenic habitat transformation has led to population declines and increasing isolation of populations of many species, particularly top predators, where small and fragmented populations often experience limited dispersal and reduced genetic diversity. Jaguars ( Panthera onca ), for example, have lost half of their historical range and most populations outside the Amazon biome are small, isolated and highly threatened. He...

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is a powerful technique for assessing biodiversity in threatened Neotropical aquatic environments, yet the effect of water-level fluctuations in lentic systems on eDNA detectability and distribution remains poorly understood. Thus, we conducted a multi-year eDNA metabarcoding survey of the fish community in Ingleses Lake, a small urban Neotropical reservoir, across periods of high and low...

The growing global demand for farmed macroalgae highlights the need to better understand potential contaminant loads, including toxins from harmful algal blooms, and their implications to human health. In this study, the green macroalga Ulva rigida was co-cultivated with the epiphytic dinoflagellate Prorocentrum lima to determine whether toxins produced by the toxic dinoflagellate accumulate in the macroalgae and assess the ef...

Introduction Male hypogonadism, including age-related and functional forms, is characterized by insufficient testosterone production often associated with obesity and metabolic comorbidities. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) increases serum testosterone but suppresses spermatogenesis and may cause adverse effects. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), such as clomiphene citrate, have emerged as an alternative a...

Microbial pigments have been gaining prominence as sustainable alternatives to synthetic dyes, which are often associated with environmental impacts and potential health risks. A wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and yeasts, are capable of producing pigments of industrial interest. Despite their potential, large-scale production still faces challenges related to cultivation costs and, in particular, extra...

This study investigated the performance of four hydrochars derived from açaí seeds and curauá mucilage for methylene blue (MB) removal from aqueous solutions. Untreated (AWR, CWR) and phosphoric acid-treated (AAR, CAR) hydrochars were produced via hydrothermal carbonization and comprehensively characterized by Boehm titration, pH pzc , FTIR, SEM, TG/DTG, surface area, and elemental analyses. A 2 3 - factorial experimental desi...

Along more than 2,500 km of tropical coastline north of Rio de Janeiro, the invasive coral Tubastraea spp. has primarily been observed on shipwrecks and oil platforms located on the outer continental shelf or slope. An exception is Baía de Todos os Santos (BTS), a large estuary near 13°S, where Tubastraea spp . has been repeatedly documented since its first occurrence in 2012. These reports have raised concerns about BTS poten...

Bees play a pivotal role in terrestrial environments. Urbanization can affect these organisms and the ecosystem services they provide. However, knowledge of the global diversity of urban bees is limited. Thus, we summarized data on urban bee species identities and occurrences; compared distributions of all bees with those found in urban environments; described traits and resource collection across latitudinal regions; and dete...

Leaf herbivory is a ubiquitous ecological interaction that varies significantly in intensity across species, habitats, and biogeographic regions. Although quantification of leaf damage is crucial for understanding many ecological processes, the accuracy and precision of various damage estimation methods used by researchers, including visual estimation, digital image analysis, and artificial intelligence, have not been evaluate...

Circadian processes are key drivers of animal behaviour, influencing patterns of activity, resource partitioning and competition avoidance. Studies evaluating circadian changes on the structure of marine assemblages are lacking, especially for reef fish. Evaluating the changes imposed by the day–night cycle on the structure and functioning of these assemblages is of critical importance to understand the differences between the...

The urgent need to mitigate the severe environmental impacts of climate change urges for a global transition to low-carbon energy technologies, crucial for achieving global sustainability goals [...]