Abstract: This Book Brings Together Expert Opinions From Scientists To Consider The Evidence For Climate Change And Its Impacts On Ticks And Tick-borne Infections, And Provide Predictions For The Future. It Considers What Is Meant By 'Climate Change', How Good Are Climate Models Relevant To Ecosystems, And Predictions For Changes In Climate At Global, Regional, And Local Scales Relevant For Ticks And Tick-borne Infections. It Examines Changes To Tick Distribution And The Evidence That Climate Change Is Responsible. The Effect Of Climate On The Physiology And Metabolism Of Ticks, Including Potentially Critical Impacts On The Tick Microbiome Is Stressed. Given That The Notoriety Of Ticks Derives From Pathogens They Transmit, Do Changes In Climate Affect Vector Capacity? Ticks Transmit A Remarkable Range Of Micro- And Macro-parasites Many Of Which Are Pathogens Of Humans And Domesticated Animals. The Intimacy Between Tick-borne Agent And Tick Vector Means That Any Impacts Of Climate On A Tick Vector Will Impact Tick-borne Pathogens. Most Obviously, Such Impacts Will Be Apparent As Changes In Disease Incidence And Prevalence. The Evidence That Climate Change Is Affecting Diseases Caused By Tick-borne Pathogens Is Considered, Along With The Potential To Make Robust Predictions Of Future Events.

Abstract: Climate And Water Cycle Reconstruction Over The Last Centuries And Prediction Should Be Improved In The Southern Hemisphere (E.g. Last Ipcc Report). First, Direct Observations Are Scarce (E.g. In Antarctica, Mainly Basic Automatic Weather Station – Aws – Only Since The 50’s And Satellite Observations). As A Consequence, Climate And Water Cycle Reconstructions Are Largely Dependent On Proxy Measurements Such As Water Isotopes In Polar Ice Cores, Even Over The Last Century. Second, Climate And Water Cycle Reconstructions Using Models Should Be Improved. In Particular, Problems Have Been Identified For (1) Estimation Of Precipitation Amounts (Large Discrepancies Among Models Over The Austral Ocean And The Ice-sheet), (2) Description Of Particular Atmospheric Processes Associated With Cloud Microphysics And Exchanges Between Surface And Atmosphere In Polar Regions And (3) Seasonal To Interannual Evolution Of The Locations Of The Westerlies And Subtropical Jet And Associated Air Mass Trajectories. The Last Aspect Has Important Direct Consequences For The Atmospheric Dynamics In This Region But Also Indirect Consequences Such As The Links Between Westerlies, Co2 Outgassing And Sea Ice Extent In The Austral Ocean (Saunders Et Al. 2018; Menviel Et Al. 2018; Holland And Kwok, 2012). With The Objectives To Provide (1) A Better Description Of Water Cycle Dynamic In The Southern Ocean At Annual And Interannual Scales And (2) An Improved Transfer Function Between Climate / Water Cycle And Water Isotopes In This Region, A Bunch Of Instruments Measuring Continuously The Isotopic Composition Of Water In The Water Vapor And In The Precipitation Has Been Installed Over The Last Years Along A Transect From La Réunion To Antarctica.first Results From The Antarctic Instruments Reveal Clear Isotopic Signatures Of Large Scale Water Cycle Features Such As Atmospheric Rivers Dominating The Surface Mass Balance In Antarctica. In La Réunion, An Extensive Study Of The Drivers Of The Isotopic Composition Of The Water Vapor Showed That The Influence Of The Subtropical Westerly Jet Dominates The Water Isotopic Signal At Night. To Connect The Two Regions, An Instrument Is Running On Amsterdam Island Since November 2019 With First Results Showing A Clear Isotopic Signature During The High Pressure And Low Pressure Synoptic Events. Still, No In-depth Study Of The Data Trying To Connect The Isotopic Record In Amsterdam Island To Larger Scale Patterns Of The Water Cycle Has Been Initiated.the Goal Of This Internship Is To Provide The First Analyses Of The Isotopic (Water Vapor And Precipitation) Records On Amsterdam Island With A Comparison With Meteorological Data And Environmental Data Collected In Parallel On The Observatory Of Amsterdam Island (E.g. Gaseous Elemental Mercury). After These First Analyses Of The Data, Comparisons Will Be Performed With Water Isotopic Records In La Réunion Over Selected Events (Subtropical Jet Or Cold Fronts Intrusions). This Study Will Involve Analyses Of Meteorological Maps As Well As Backtrajectories.this Internship Requires Skills For (Python Or R Languages) And Involves Large Interactions Within A Large Research Team.

Abstract: The ever-increasing number of introduced species profoundly threatens global biodiversity. While the ecological and evolutionary consequences of invasive alien species are receiving increasing attention, their economic impacts have largely remained understudied, especially in France. Here, we aimed at providing a general overview of the monetary losses (damages caused by) and expenditures (management of) associated with invasive alien species in France. This country has a long history of alien species presence, partly due to its long-standing global trade activities, highly developed tourism, and presence of overseas territories in different regions of the globe, resulting in a conservative minimum of 2,750 introduced and invasive alien species. By synthesizing for the first time the monetary losses and expenditures incurred by invasive alien species in Metropolitan France and French overseas territories, we obtained 1,583 cost records for 98 invasive alien species. We found that they caused a conservative total amount ranging between US$ 1,280 million and 11,535 million in costs over the period 1993–2018. We extrapolated costs for species invading France, for which costs were reported in other countries but not in France, which yielded an additional cost ranging from US$ 151 to 3,030 millions. Damage costs were nearly eight times higher than management expenditure. Insects, and in particular the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus and the yellow fever mosquito Ae. aegypti, totalled very high economic costs, followed by non-graminoid terrestrial flowering and aquatic plants (Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Ludwigia sp. and Lagarosiphon major). Over 90% of alien species currently recorded in France had no costs reported in the literature, resulting in high biases in taxonomic, regional and activity sector coverages. To conclude, we report alarming costs and even more alarming knowledge gaps. Our results should raise awareness of the importance of biosecurity and biosurveillance in France, and beyond, as well as the crucial need for better reporting and documentation of cost data.

Abstract: Seabirds accumulate significant amounts of mercury (Hg) due to their long-life span together with their medium to high trophic position in marine food webs. Hg speciation and Hg isotopic analyses of total Hg in different tissues (pectoral muscles, liver, brain, kidneys, blood and feathers) were assessed to investigate their detoxification mechanisms. Three species with contrasted ecological characteristics were studied: the Antarctic prion (zooplankton feeder), the white-chinned petrel (pelagic generalist consumer) and the southern giant petrel (scavenger on seabirds and marine mammals). The difference of mass-dependent fractionation (MDF, δ202Hg) values between liver and muscles (up to 0.94 ‰) in all three seabirds strongly suggests hepatic demethylation of the isotopically lighter methylmercury (MeHg) and subsequent redistribution of the isotopically heavier fraction of MeHg towards the muscles. Similarly, higher δ202Hg values in feathers (up to 1.88 ‰) relative to muscles and higher proportion of MeHg in feathers (94–97%) than muscles (30–70%) likely indicate potential MeHg demethylation in muscle and preferential excretion of MeHg (isotopically heavier) in the growing feathers during moult. The extents of these key detoxification processes were strongly dependent on the species-specific detoxification strategies and levels of dietary MeHg exposure. We also found higher mass-independent fractionation (MIF, Δ199Hg) values in feathers relative to internal tissues, possibly due to different integration times of Hg exposure between permanently active organs and inert tissues as feathers. Hg isotope variations reported in this study show evidence of detoxification processes in seabirds and propose a powerful approach for deep investigation of the Hg metabolic processes in seabirds.

Abstract: Much research effort has been invested in understanding ecological impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) across ecosystems and taxonomic groups, but empirical studies about economic effects lack synthesis. Using a comprehensive global database, we determine patterns and trends in economic costs of aquatic IAS by examining: (i) the distribution of these costs across taxa, geographic regions and cost types; (ii) the temporal dynamics of global costs; and (iii) knowledge gaps, especially compared to terrestrial IAS. Based on the costs recorded from the existing literature, the global cost of aquatic IAS conservatively summed to US$345 billion, with the majority attributed to invertebrates (62%), followed by vertebrates (28%), then plants (6%). The largest costs were reported in North America (48%) and Asia (13%), and were principally a result of resource damages (74%); only 6% of recorded costs were from management. The magnitude and number of reported costs were highest in the United States of America and for semi-aquatic taxa. Many countries and known aquatic alien species had no reported costs, especially in Africa and Asia. Accordingly, a network analysis revealed limited connectivity among countries, indicating disparate cost reporting. Aquatic IAS costs have increased in recent decades by several orders of magnitude, reaching at least US$23 billion in 2020. Costs are likely considerably underrepresented compared to terrestrial IAS; only 5% of reported costs were from aquatic species, despite 26% of known invaders being aquatic. Additionally, only 1% of aquatic invasion costs were from marine species. Costs of aquatic IAS are thus substantial, but likely underreported. Costs have increased over time and are expected to continue rising with future invasions. We urge increased and improved cost reporting by managers, practitioners and researchers to reduce knowledge gaps. Few costs are proactive investments; increased management spending is urgently needed to prevent and limit current and future aquatic IAS damages.