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The dataset comprises full list of species of macrozoobenthos collected from the Pechora Sea (SE Barents Sea). Grab samples were collected from 10 stations in the Pechora Bay from aboard RV Kartesh in 2020-2021. Macrobenthic invertebrates were identified with the maximum level of certainty through optical microscopy using regional taxonomic keys. All taxonomic names were standardised using the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). All specimens have been counted and weighted (wet biomass) on Ohaus Adventurer scales with reported accuracy to 0.01 g. Bivalve molluscs and gastropods were weighed in shells. Biomass (g. m-2) and abundance (ind m-2) are used to characterise macrozoobenthos. The sampling and identification work was carried out in collaboration with specialists from Lomonosov Moscow State University Marine Research Center and P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology.

The dataset comprises of physical and biogeochemical measurements of belowground (root) biomass from across four Scottish saltmarshes. Sites were chosen to represent contrasting habitats types in Scotland, in particular sediment types, vegetation and sea level history. The data provide a quantitative measure of belowground (root) biomass, organic carbon content and belowground (root) carbon. Samples were collected using a wide gauge gouge corer. The samples were processed to determine belowground (root) biomass, the organic carbon was quantified through elemental analysis and these two data sets were combined to calculate the belowground (root) carbon content. The data were collected to help create a detailed picture of saltmarsh carbon storage in surficial soils across Scotland. The work was carried out under the NERC programme - Carbon Storage in Intertidal Environment (C-SIDE), NERC grant reference NE/R010846/1 Soil cores were taken at each sampling location using a wide diameter gouge corer. The location of the sample was recorded using GPS. Prior to analysis the samples were stored at 4 degrees Celsius at the University of St Andrews. Belowground (root) biomass, organic carbon content and belowground (root) carbon data was produced using standard analytical procedures (detailed in the supporting documentation). All laboratory equipment were calibrated in accordance with the laboratory practises at the University of St Andrews. Results were recorded on to lab sheets and transferred into an Excel file. Results were exported as comma separated value (.csv) files for ingestion into the EIDC.

This dataset contains nitrate and ammonium concentrations, nitrification and mineralisation rates, particle size and microbial biomass data from soils taken from an experiment based at Winklebury Hill, UK. The experiment used seeds and plug plants to create different plant communities on the bare chalk on Winklebury Hill and tested the resulting carbon and nutrient cycling rates and compared these to the characteristics of different plant functional groups. The experiment ran from 2013 to 2016 and this dataset contains data from 2013 only. This experiment was part of the Wessex BESS project, a six-year (2011-2017) project aimed at understanding how biodiversity underpins the ecosystem functions and services that landscapes provide. KCl extractable N and potential mineralisation were measured using an autoanalyser, running 5% analytical replicates, recalibration (at 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 ppm) and blanks every 20 samples. Extracts were adjusted for soil moisture. Standardised protocols were followed in all cases, details of which can be found in the supporting documentation.

Featured paper: See Editorial p553

Use of a pilot-scale fixed-film bioreactor was investigated for remediation of bromate contamination within groundwater. Bromate reduction with stoichiometric production of bromide was observed, providing supporting evidence for complete reduction of bromate with no production of stable intermediates. Reduction of 87-90% bromate from an influent concentration of 1.1 mg L(-1) was observed with retention times of 40-80 h. Lower retention times led to decreases in bromate reduction capability, with 11.5% removal at a 10 h retention time. Nitrate reduction of 76-99% from a 30.7 mg L(-1) as NO(3)(-) influent was observed at retention times of 10-80 h, although an increase in nitrite production to 2.7 mg L(-1) occurred with a 10 h retention time. Backwashing was not required, with the large plastic packing media able to accommodate biomass accumulation without decreases in operational efficiency. This study has provided proof of concept and demonstrated the potential of biological bromate reduction by fixed-film processes for remediation of a bromate contaminated groundwater source.

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates stability conditions of an empirical predator-prey system using a model that includes a single delay term,τ, in description of the predator dynamics. We derive theoretical conditions onτ, in terms of other model parameters, and determine how changes in these conditions define different stability regimes of the system. We derive optimal model parameters by fitting model to empirical data, using unconstrained optimization. The optimization results are combined with those from the theoretical analysis, to make inference about the empirical system stability.Our results show that Hopf bifurcation occurs in the predatory-prey system whenτexceeds a theoretically derived valueτ* > 0. This value represents the critical time for prey availability in advance of the optimal predator growth period. Set into an ecological context, our findings provide mathematical evidence for validity of the match-mismatch hypothesis, for this particular species.

Overexploitation is recognized as one of the main threats to global biodiversity. Here, we report a widespread change in the functional diversity of fisheries catches from the large marine ecosystems (LMEs) of the world over the past 65 years (1950 to 2014). The spatial and temporal trends of functional diversity exploited from the LMEs were calculated using global reconstructed marine fisheries catch data provided by the Sea Around Us initiative (including subsistence, artisanal, recreational, industrial fisheries, and discards) and functional trait data available in FishBase. Our analyses uncovered a substantial increase in the functional richness of both ray-finned fishes (80% of LMEs) and cartilaginous species (sharks and rays) (75% of LMESs), in line with an increase in the taxonomic richness, extracted from these ecosystems. The functional evenness and functional divergence of these catches have also altered substantially over the time span of this study, with considerable geographic variation in the patterns detected. These trends show that global fisheries are increasingly targeting species that play diverse roles within the marine ecosystem and underline the importance of incorporating functional diversity in ecosystem management.

While the physical dimensions of climate change are now routinely assessed through multimodel intercomparisons, projected impacts on the global ocean ecosystem generally rely on individual models with a specific set of assumptions. To address these single-model limitations, we present standardized ensemble projections from six global marine ecosystem models forced with two Earth system models and four emission scenarios with and without fishing. We derive average biomass trends and associated uncertainties across the marine food web. Without fishing, mean global animal biomass decreased by 5% (±4% SD) under low emissions and 17% (±11% SD) under high emissions by 2100, with an average 5% decline for every 1 °C of warming. Projected biomass declines were primarily driven by increasing temperature and decreasing primary production, and were more pronounced at higher trophic levels, a process known as trophic amplification. Fishing did not substantially alter the effects of climate change. Considerable regional variation featured strong biomass increases at high latitudes and decreases at middle to low latitudes, with good model agreement on the direction of change but variable magnitude. Uncertainties due to variations in marine ecosystem and Earth system models were similar. Ensemble projections performed well compared with empirical data, emphasizing the benefits of multimodel inference to project future outcomes. Our results indicate that global ocean animal biomass consistently declines with climate change, and that these impacts are amplified at higher trophic levels. Next steps for model development include dynamic scenarios of fishing, cumulative human impacts, and the effects of management measures on future ocean biomass trends.