Assessment of decadal changes in coastal nitrogen sources in NW Spain with stable isotopes in macroalgae and mussels.

Upwelling is one of the major mechanisms responsible for the input of nutrients sustaining high levels of marine primary production. As a consequence of global change, variations in upwelling intensity may affect nutrient supply thus impacting marine food webs. In this study, we examine the effects of decadal variability of upwelling strength on nitrate supply and its influence on the nitrogen stable isotope composition at the base of the marine food web at the northern boundary of the Canary Current upwelling system (NW Spain) between 1989 and 2023.

Three Decades of Change in Potentially Toxic Elements in Brown Algae in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean.

Marine pollution from potentially toxic elements (PTEs) threatens coastal ecosystems, making long-term assessments essential. This study analyzes trends in Al, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Hg using 446 samples of , , and collected between 1990 and 2021 at 173 coastal sites in NW Spain. A consistent resampling approach revealed significant declines in most anthropogenic PTEs, including Cu (-84.

Effects of climate on leaf phenolics, insect herbivory, and their relationship in pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) across its geographic range in Europe.

An increase in biotic interactions towards lower latitudes is one of the most consistent patterns in ecology. Higher temperatures and more stable climatic conditions at low latitudes are thought to enhance biotic interactions, accelerating biological evolution and leading to stronger anti-herbivore defences in plants. However, some studies report contradictory findings, highlighting the need for further investigation into the underlying mechanisms.

Preliminary vegetation-based evaluation of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) using pine species: Towards pollution data comparability.

Pine needles are suitable biomonitors of airborne semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). However, the various pine species, each with unique distribution and ecological traits, may differ in their ability to retain pollutants. The SVOC uptake capacities between different vegetation species remain largely unknown, and this study seeks to address this gap.

The role of lag phases between real-term marine heatwaves in the trait responses of two macrophyte species.

Coastal marine macrophytes are critical ecosystem engineers providing valuable ecosystem services. However, they experience detrimental impacts from climate change-induced stresses such as marine heatwaves (MHW), which are becoming more intense and frequent. This study investigated trait responses in real-term heatwaves, Continuous (1MHW) and Consecutive (with a 4-day lag phase, 2MHW), on two key macrophytes, the seaweed Fucus vesiculosus and seagrass Zostera marina.

Relationship between foliar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations and plant traits: Intracanopy variability for a broadleaf species in an urban environment.

The emission of potentially harmful compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and the resulting air pollution is a serious problem in modern cities. It is therefore important to develop mitigation strategies, such as "smart" planting of trees that act as sinks for PAHs. However, the intra-individual (within-tree) variability in leaf PAH concentrations remains unknown.

Case report of plastic nurdles pollution in Galicia (NW Atlantic) following the Toconao's spill in December 2023: The VIEIRA Collaborative.

Plastic nurdles pose a significant environmental threat due to recurrent accidental spills into marine ecosystems. This report examines the nurdle pollution over the 1498 km of the Galician coastline (Spain) following the spill of 25 t of nurdles into the Northwest Atlantic after the loss of six containers from the Toconao vessel in December 2023. This accident highlights the urgent need for proactive, effective measures in maritime transport to prevent and mitigate such environmental catastrophes.

Tree Physiological Variables as a Proxy of Heavy Metal and Platinum Group Elements Pollution in Urban Areas.

Physiological variables (the content of chlorophyll, flavonoids and nitrogen, together with F/F) and the content of ten heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, V and Zn) and two platinum group elements (PGEs: Pd and Rh) were measured in the leaves of 50 individuals of trees regularly distributed in the city of Logroño (Northern Spain). Three of these variables increased with increasing physiological vitality (chlorophyll, nitrogen and F/F), whereas flavonoids increased in response to different abiotic stresses, including pollution. Our aim was to test their adequacy as proxies for the pollution due to heavy metals and PGEs.

Optimising Artificial Moss Growth for Environmental Studies in the Mediterranean Area.

Bryophytes are poikilohydric organisms that play a key role in ecosystems, while some of them are also resistant to drought and environmental disturbances but present a slow growth rate. Moss culture in the laboratory can be a very useful tool for ecological restoration or the development of urban green spaces (roof and wall) in the Mediterranean region. Therefore, we aim to: (i) determine the optimal culture conditions for the growth of four moss species present in the Mediterranean climate, such as , , and ; (ii) study the optimal growth conditions of the invasive moss to find out if it can be a threat to native species.

Testing different methods of estimating edaphic inputs in moss biomonitoring.

Although soil is known to contribute to the concentrations of elements in moss, protocols for atmospheric biomonitoring with terrestrial moss do not include recommendations on how to address this factor. As a result, researchers indiscriminately use a wide range of detection/correction methods without considering whether the results are equivalent. In this study, three of these methods were compared: i) use of the enrichment factor (EF) index; ii) calculation of the ratios of different elements in soil and moss, and subtraction of the contribution of soil concentrations from the raw concentrations of elements in mosses (SCS); and iii) positive matrix factorization (PMF), a receptor modelling method for source apportioning based on multivariate analysis techniques.

Temporal trends in mercury concentrations in raptor flight feathers stored in an environmental specimen bank in Galicia (NW Spain) between 2000 and 2013.

Temporal trends in Hg concentrations were investigated in primary flight feathers from 319 specimens of three birds of prey: P7 in the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), P6 in the common buzzard (Buteo buteo) and P5 in the tawny owl (Strix aluco). The samples were stored in a regional environmental specimen bank and belonged to specimens which died between 2000 and 2013 in Galicia (NW Spain). We would expect to see a decline in Hg concentrations across the study period, as data of atmospheric emissions show a gradual reduction of this pollutant in Europe in the last two decades.