The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants poses challenges to global surveillance efforts, necessitating swift actions in their detection, evaluation, and management. Among the most recent variants, Omicron BA.2.86 and its sub-lineages have gained attention due to their potential immune evasion properties. This study describes the development of a digital PCR assay for the rapid detection of BA.2.86 and its descendant lineages,...

In salt marshes of the Southeastern USA, purple marsh crabs ( Sesarma reticulatum ), hereafter Sesarma , aggregate in grazing and burrowing fronts at the heads of tidal creeks, accelerating creek incision into marsh platforms. We explored the effects of this keystone grazer and sediment engineer on salt marsh sediment accumulation, hydrology, and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) turnover using radionuclides ( 210 Pb and 7 Be), tota...

Only two Coccoloba -associated xerocomoid boletes with smooth basidiospores are currently known from the Dominican Republic, namely Boletus ruborculus and Xerocomus coccolobae . A multilocus phylogenetic analysis of four gene markers (ITS, LSU, RPB2 , TEF1 ) reveals that B . ruborculus forms an autonomous clade in the Boletaceae corresponding to a novel genus, which is introduced here as Tropicoboletus gen. nov., whereas X. co...

Disturbances are one of the most important processes affecting natural systems, but there is a gap between simple conceptual models of disturbance and complex empirical studies. We studied the perturbation caused by headward‐eroding creeks in southeastern USA salt marshes. We measured disturbance responses (magnitude and recovery trajectory) of 19 variables. Some variables (shoot density, root biomass, snail density, soil pH,...

Foundation species enhance biodiversity and multifunctionality across many systems; however, whether foundation species patch configuration mediates their ecological effects is unknown. In a 6‐month field experiment, we test which attributes of foundation species patch configuration – i.e. patch size, total patch area, perimeter, area‐perimeter ratio, or connectivity – control biodiversity, stability and multifunctionality by...