New article published in 12(4A) - ENAN / INAC 2024

Geological study of sediments from the Negro and Solimões rivers

Abstract: The Amazon is the largest and most complex ecosystem on the planet, and its entire evolutionary history was influenced by the dynamics of the Amazon River System. The geomorphological features of sections of the Solimões-Amazonas River have been studied using images from remote sensors, combined with multitemporal analysis data, and part of the sedimentary deposits is confined in four tectonic depressions that occurred during the Neomiocene-Pliocene, called hemigrábens of Paraná do Ariaú (GPA), Cacau do Pereira (GCP), Cachoeira do Castanho (GCC) and Lago do Miriti (GLM). The objective of this work was to characterize 59 sediment samples from the confluence region of the Negro and Solimões Rivers, Central Amazon using the instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The experimental results obtained were subjected to cluster and discriminate analysis, revealing the formation of three groups with similar chemical composition. The differences are related to the geochemical conditions inherent in the individual depositional environments. Read full article. 

Evaluating the Impact of Ocean Acidification on Seafood – a Global Approach

Abstract: The quality of human life and food security are closely linked to the health of the ocean and the many goods and services it provides. However, the ocean is under cumulative stress from various human-driven pressures, leading to eutrophication, deoxygenation, loss of genetic biodiversity, contamination with emerging pollutants (e.g., microplastics and pesticides), and climate change (warming and ocean acidification). The effects of multiple ocean stressors and their interplay on marine life and ecosystems remain poorly understood. This underscores the urgent need for innovative science to resolve the complexity of the interplay of stressors and the resulting impacts. This paper reports findings from the Coordinated Research Project CRP K41018, a five-year program framed by the IAEA. The project was explicitly designed to advance Member States’ understanding of both quantitative and qualitative impacts of ocean acidification on key economically relevant seafood species across different world regions. Furthermore, based on different sensitivity baselines across species, it aimed at exploring adaptation pathways for aquaculture and food industries. As a result, Member States would have improved their comprehension of resilience building in specific local contexts (e.g., types of environments, geographical parameters, human dimension). In this context, it is essential to look for ocean solutions to mitigate adverse impacts on seafood and support adaptation strategies based on nature that can counteract stressors. It is concluded that there is great synergy in planning integrated mitigation and adaptation strategies to multiple stressors in marine ecosystems. Read full article.