A5041869674- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Marine and fisheries research
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Offshore Engineering and Technologies
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
Ghent University
2015-2024
Ghent University Hospital
2022-2023
Abstract High‐throughput sequencing has the potential to describe biological communities with high efficiency yet comprehensive assessment of diversity species‐level resolution remains one most challenging aspects metabarcoding studies. We investigated utility curated ribosomal and mitochondrial nematode reference sequence databases for determining phylum‐specific clustering thresholds. compiled 438 290 sequences which identified 99% 94% as species delineation threshold, respectively. These...
Abstract. Mining of polymetallic nodules in abyssal seafloor sediments promises to address the growing worldwide demand for metallic minerals. Given that prospective mining operations are likely have profound impacts on deep communities, industrial investment has been accompanied by scientific involvement assessment baseline conditions and provision guidelines environmentally sustainable practices. Benthic meiofaunal communities were studied four areas Clarion–Clipperton Zone (CCZ) eastern...
An understanding of the forces controlling community structure in deep sea is essential at a time when its pristineness threatened by polymetallic nodule mining. Because abiotically defined communities are more sensitive to environmental change, we applied occurrence- and phylogeny-based metrics determine importance biotic versus abiotic structuring processes nematodes, most abundant invertebrate taxon Clarion–Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ), an area targeted for We investigated prevalence...
Abstract The increasing demand for metals is pushing forward the progress of deep‐sea mining industry. abyss between Clarion and Clipperton Fracture Zones (CCFZ), a region holding higher concentration minerals than land deposits, most targeted area exploration polymetallic nodules worldwide, which may likely disturb seafloor across large areas over many years. Effects from nodule extraction cause acute biodiversity loss organisms inhabiting sediments nodules. Attention to ecosystems their...
Following several small-scale benthic disturbance experiments, an industrial polymetallic nodule collector trial was conducted by the company Global Sea mineral Resources (GSR) in their exploration contract area Clarion-Clipperton Zone using pre-prototype vehicle Patania II (PATII). In this study, meiofaunal (i.e., nematode abundance, ASV diversity and genus composition) environmental grain size, total organic carbon/total nitrogen pigment) properties are compared between categories...
Abstract The deep-sea mining industry is currently at a point where large-sale, commercial polymetallic nodule exploitation becoming more realistic scenario. At the same time, certain aspects such as spatiotemporal scale of impacts, sediment plume dispersion and disturbance-related biological responses remain highly uncertain. In this paper, findings from small-scale seabed disturbance experiment in German contract area (Clarion-Clipperton Zone, CCZ) are described, with focus on...
Recent years have seen a rapid increase in survey and sampling expeditions to the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) abyssal plain, vast area of central Pacific that is currently being actively explored for deep-sea minerals (ISA, 2016). Critical development evidence-based environmental policy CCZ are data on biogeography connectivity species at CCZ-regional level. The London Workshop Biogeography Connectivity was convened support integration synthesis from European Union (EU) projects, supported...
This study provides a snapshot of the largely understudied meiobenthic and nematode communities in Prince Gustav Channel (PGC) Duse Bay (DB). We compared five stations sampled at different water depths along shelf investigated their community structure. approached biodiversity combining traditional taxonomic identification high throughput sequencing (HTS), with use Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs). Additionally, we characterized environment by primary production proxies, grain size seasonal...
Abstract. Mining of polymetallic nodules in abyssal seafloor sediments promises to address the growing worldwide demand for metallic minerals. Given that prospective mining operations are likely have profound impacts on deep communities, industrial investment has been accompanied by scientific involvement assessment baseline conditions and provision guidelines environmentally sustainable practices. Benthic meiofaunal communities were studied four areas Clarion–Clipperton Zone (CCZ) east...
Cold seeps occur globally in areas where gases escape from the seafloor, occasionally resulting formation of topographic depressions (pockmarks), characterised by unique physicochemical conditions such as anoxic and sulphuric sediments. Free-living marine nematodes tend to dominate meiofaunal component environments, often occurring at extremely high densities low richness; mechanisms defining community assembly fluid seepage, however, have received little attention. Here we focus on a...
Identifying and understanding patterns of biological diversity is crucial at a time when even the most remote pristine marine ecosystems are threatened by resource exploitation such as deep-seabed mining. Metabarcoding provides means through which to perform comprehensive investigations examining entire assemblages simultaneously. Nematodes commonly represent abundant infaunal metazoan group in soft sediments. In this meta-analysis, we compiled all publicly available metabarcoding datasets...
An understanding of the forces controlling community structure in deep sea is essential at a time when its pristineness threatened by polymetallic nodule mining. Because abiotically defined communities are more sensitive to environmental change, we applied occurrence- and phylogeny-based metrics determine importance biotic versus abiotic structuring processes nematodes, most abundant invertebrate taxon Clarion– Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ), an area targeted for We investigated prevalence...
Identifying and understanding patterns of biological diversity is crucial at a time when even the most remote pristine marine ecosystems are threatened by resource exploitation such as deep-seabed mining. Metabarcoding provides means through which to perform comprehensive investigations examining entire assemblages simultaneously. Nematodes commonly represent abundant infaunal metazoan group in soft sediments. In this meta-analysis, we compiled all publicly available metabarcoding datasets...