Alice Newton

University of Algarve | UALG · Faculty of Sciences and Technology

The Ria Formosa is an important transitional and coastal lagoon on the south coast of Portugal that provides valuable ecosystem services. The lagoon is a protected area under national and international conventions. There is a great potential for Blue Growth sectors, such as aquaculture and coastal tourism, but these rely on good water quality. Euro...

Half the population of China live in coastal zones where 70% of large cities are also located. Intensive human activities pose significant environmental and ecological hazards to these cities that are already vulnerable to natural hazards and climate change. The sustainable development of coastal cities is thus both a national and international iss...

Changes in the composition of dinoflagellates from 1994 to 2001 at a station influenced by wind-induced seasonal upwelling off SW Portugal were analyzed in relation to oceanography. 194 taxa of dinoflagellates were detected, the most frequent belonged to the genera Tripos, Protoperidinium, Dinophysis, Diplopsalopsis, Prorocentrum and Lingulodinium....

Effective management of water resources entails the understanding of spatiotemporal changes in hydrologic fluxes with variation in land use, especially with a growing trend of urbanization , agricultural lands and non-stationarity of climate. This study explores the use of satellite-based Land Use Land Cover (LULC) data while simultaneously correct...

This study explores the use of satellite-based LULC (Land Use / Land Cover) data while simultaneously correcting potential evapotranspiration (PET) input with Leaf Area Index (LAI) to increase the performance of a physically distributed hydrologic model. The mesoscale hydrologic model (mHM) was selected for this purpose due to its unique features....

Electronic waste (e-waste) is a rapidly developing environmental problem particularly for the most developed countries. There are technological solutions for processing it, but these are costly, and the cheaper option for most developed countries has been to export most of the waste to less developed countries. There are various laws and policies f...

Natural and anthropogenic pressures drive coastal eutrophication worldwide, depending on the system's physical and biogeochemical dynamics in multiple spatial and temporal scales. Understanding the complexity of this process is essential to support management efforts and sustainability. Nutrients load to the Bay of Santa Catarina Island (BSCI), an...

Disruptions to global science networks have followed COVID-19 restrictions. Rather than wait for a return to normal, we propose four areas that can ensure a productive and collaborative future for marine science.

Transboundary marine socio-ecological systems (SESs) are complex and dynamic systems. Enhancing the sustainability of such systems requires adaptive governance supported by polycentric structures. However, adaptive governance of marine SESs across national boundaries can be challenging, as significant differences in institutional arrangements for r...

Variations in the physico-chemical characteristics of estuaries, such as surface water salinity and temperature, lead to the establishment of gradients that are closely related with the distribution of nutrients and suspended sediment. This affects light penetration, which in turn influences Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration and primary productiv...

Coastal eutrophication caused by anthropogenic nutrient inputs is one of the greatest threats to the health of coastal estuarine and marine ecosystems worldwide. Globally, ∼24% of the anthropogenic N released in coastal watersheds is estimated to reach coastal ecosystems. Seven contrasting coastal ecosystems subject to a range of riverine inputs of...

Coastal and marine management require the evaluation of multiple environmental threats and issues. However, there are gaps in the necessary data and poor access or dissemination of existing data in many countries around the world. This research identifies how remote sensing can contribute to filling these gaps so that environmental agencies, such a...

Coastal wetlands, such as saltmarshes and mangroves that fringe transitional waters, deliver important ecosystem services that support human development. Coastal wetlands are complex social-ecological systems that occur at all latitudes, from polar regions to the tropics. This overview covers wetlands in five continents. The wetlands are of varying...

Nutrient inputs and biogeochemical cycles in estuaries are strongly influenced by river discharge and suspended particulate matter (SPM). We evaluated temporal differences in nutrient bioavailability and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) and analyzed the effect of SPM on nutrient availability and estuary NEP in the mouth of the Magdalena River, Colo...

The coastal zone is a space where many social, economic, and political activities intersect with natural processes. In this paper, we present an adaptation of the method of ‘Circles of Sustainability’, used to provide a visual assessment of indicators that define sustainability profiles for cities. It is used as a basis for a ‘Circles of Coastal Su...

N/A

This study provides an overview of 11 lagoons in North Africa, from the Atlantic to the Eastern Mediterranean. Lagoons are complex, transitional, coastal zones providing valuable ecosystem services that contribute to the welfare of the human population. The main economic sectors in the lagoons included fishing, shellfish harvesting, and salt and sa...

Mangrove degradation threatens the capacity of these important ecosystems to provide goods and services that contribute to human wellbeing. This study uses a deliberative choice experiment to value non-market mangrove ecosystem services (ES) at Mida Creek, Kenya. The attributes assessed include "shoreline erosion protection", "biodiversity richness...

This study was implemented in the context of the emerging concept of aesthetic ecosystem services (AES) of coastal protected dunes and forests. The main problem addressed was that many coastal management research case studies focusing on AES still rely on the objectivist paradigm, eliciting aesthetic values based on objective sets of criteria indep...

The management of forest ecosystems globally is shifting from a top-down-approach, through centralised management by the state, to a more inclusive bottom-up approach involving community participation. Increasingly, there is a realisation that sustainable management of natural resources is dependent on the inclusion of local people or institutions...

This article explores the prospects for adaptive governance in a proposed marine transboundary conservation initiative in East Africa. Adaptive governance that involves interdependent state and non-state actors learning and taking action on joint environmental problems is suggested for effective transboundary resource governance. Using the concept...

The Mekong Delta, located in Southern Vietnam, is one of the most affected areas in the world by climate change and sea level rises, especially flooding. Therefore, flood mapping is essential for understanding the flood regime and mitigating its impacts. Remote sensing and GIS can support the accurate and area wide evaluation of floods. In this stu...

The study region in Sagres, SW Portugal, is subject to natural eutrophication of coastal waters by wind-driven upwelling, which stimulates high primary productivity facilitating the recent economic expansion of bivalve aquaculture in the region. However, this economic activity is threatened by harmful algal blooms (HAB) caused by the diatoms Pseudo...

Restoration strategies for coral reefs are usually focused on the recovery of bio-physical characteristics. They seldom include an evaluation of the recovery of the socio-ecological and ecosystem services features of coral reef systems. This paper proposes a conceptual framework to address both the socio-ecological system features of coral reefs wi...

This study is a preliminary assessment of the greenhouse effect of methane (CH4) emissions in the South China Sea (SCS) on human welfare using the driver-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR) framework and the systems approach framework (SAF). The SCS is surrounded by nations of the Asia-Pacific region that are currently experiencing rapid urbaniz...

This study presents a specifically designed Mercury module in a coupled benthic-pelagic reactive-transport model - Bottom RedOx Model (BROM) that allows to study mercury (Hg) biogeochemistry under different conditions. This module considers the transformation of elemental mercury (Hg(0)), divalent mercury (Hg(II)) and methylmercury (MeHg). The beha...

A portion of Colombia’s water resources is located on the Pacific coast within the territory of the Community Council of Alto and Medio Dagua (CC-AMDA). Though a harmonious balance between the communities’ subsistent activities and nature was maintained for centuries, the appearance of modern modes of resource extraction has negatively affected the...

Sustainable urban infrastructure transition is perhaps the biggest challenge confronting cities in the global south in a time of climate change. Fast-growing cities are increasingly faced with deficiencies in the provisioning of public infrastructures, such as delivering water and sewage treatment and mitigating the risk of flooding to large segmen...

The effects of acidification related to the CO2enrichment in the coastal environments on marine macrobenthic abundance, diversity and richness were analyzed in a medium- term (21 days) using mesocosm experiments. Two sampling sites located in the Bay of Cadiz - SW, Spain were selected and tested at pH values ranged from 7.9 to 6.0 (± 0.1). Moreover...

The natural conservation of coastal lagoons is important not only for their ecological importance, but also because of the valuable ecosystem services they provide for human welfare and wellbeing. Coastal lagoons are shallow semi-enclosed systems that support important habitats such as wetlands, mangroves, salt-marshes and seagrass meadows, as well...

The artisanal fishers from the Pehuen Co and Monte Hermoso (Argentina) are aiming for sustainable use of the common pool resource of their socio-ecological system (SES). However, complex interactions between the artisanal fishers and other actors (the industrial fisheries, natural reserve managers, fish traders, conservationists and governance auth...

Coastal lagoons are some of the most inhabited and yet threatened ecosystems in the world. Cultural services in coastal lagoons are important for supporting human wellbeing and therefore their valuation is gaining recognition among decision makers responsible for managing development that affects these areas. This study is focused on the recreation...

There are a number of gaps in reviews relating Ostrom's design principles (DPs) to common-pool resource (CPR) institutions. These include the geographical distribution of CPRs, the performance of young CPRs relative to the DPs, and the relationship between robustness and success in adherence to the DPs. to This research aims to: (i) explicitly anal...

The 18S rRNA microarray in comparison with observations by microscopy provided more decisive identification of dinoflagellates of the genera Alexandrium, Azadinium, Karenia, Karlodinium, Gymnodinium and flagellates Prymnesium, Heterosigma. In the case of diatoms from the genus Pseudo-nitzschia, more species could be identified by microarray than th...

In this study, Algal Pigment Index 2 (API2) is investigated in Sagres, an area located in the Atlantic off the southwestern Iberian Peninsula. Standard results provided by the MEdium Resolution Image Spectrometer (MERIS) ocean colour sensor were compared with alternative data products, determined through a regional inversion scheme, using both MERI...

Marine environmental monitoring has tended to focus on site-specific methods of investigation. These traditional methods have low spatial and temporal resolution and are relatively labor intensive per unit area/time that they cover. To implement the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), European Member States are required to improve marine mo...

This paper fulfils a gap in environmental management by producing a typology of stakeholders for effective participatory processes and co-design of solutions to complex social–environmental issues and then uses this typology for a stepwise roadmap methodology for balanced and productive stakeholder engagement. Definitions are given of terminology t...

Dissemination is now acknowledged as an important component of the research process, in particular for European Union (EU) funded research projects. This article builds on the authors' experience during the EU project DEVOTES (DEVelopment Of innovative Tools for understanding marine biodiversity and assessing good Environmental Status) and aims to...

Human activities, both established and emerging, increasingly affect the provision of marine ecosystem services that deliver societal and economic benefits. Monitoring the status of marine ecosystems and determining how human activities change their capacity to sustain benefits for society requires an evidence-based Integrated Ecosystem Assessment...

The quality of beaches is a very important factor for attracting tourists. Continuous improvement of beach quality is an important goal for coastal countries such as Italy, where “beach and sun” tourism is a prominent contributor to the economy. The challenge for beach managers is both to protect the environmental quality of beaches and improve the...

In this study, Algal Pigment Index 2 (API2) is investigated in Sagres, an area located in the Atlantic off the southwestern Iberian Peninsula. Standard results provided by MEdium Resolution Image Spectrometer (MERIS) ocean color sensor were compared with alternative data products, determined through a regional inversion scheme, using both MERIS and...

The Amazon Delta and Estuary (ADE) is a region of continental and global ecological importance. Controversy, many of the basic infrastructure and services essential for quality of life and sustainable development of this delta are absent. Using a conceptual model to define socio-economic vulnerability in the urban ADE, a thorough assessment of indi...

Most of the fish stocks in the world, including European fish stocks, are threatened by overfishing and/or degraded environmental conditions. Although the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the main policy instrument managing fish stocks in Europe, there is continued concern as to whether commercial fish stocks will achieve Good Environmental Status...

This study relates sea surface temperature (SST) to the upwelling conditions off the southwest coast of Portugal using statistical analyses of publically available data. Optimum Interpolation (OI) daily SST data were extracted from the United States (US) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and data for wind speed and direction we...

The European Space Agency has acquired 10 years of data on the temporal and spatial distribution of phytoplankton biomass from the MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) sensor for ocean color. The phytoplankton biomass was estimated with the MERIS product Algal Pigment Index 1 (API 1). Seasonal-Trend decomposition of time series based on L...

The MERIS time series for chlorophyll a (Chla, from MERIS standard Algal Pigment Index 1 algorithm), total suspended matter (TSM) and yellow substances (YS) are investigated in this work. The study focuses on the temporal variability of the MERIS water constituents off Sagres, in Southwest Iberian Peninsula using stl.fit(). stl.fit() was used to de...

The MERIS time series for chlorophyll a (Chla, from MERIS standard Algal Pigment Index 1 algorithm), total suspended matter (TSM) and yellow substances (YS) are investigated in this work. The study focuses on the temporal variability of the MERIS water constituents off Sagres, in Southwest Iberian Peninsula using stl.fit(), which has been used to d...

This study investigates standard and regional algal pigment index 1 (API1) estimates in the Atlantic off the southwestern Iberian Peninsula. Standard API1 data are those delivered by the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) orbiting sensor. Equivalent quantities are computed by applying a regional inversion scheme using as input both MERI...

Satellite ocean colour remote sensing provides a valuable source of information on the status of marine ecosystems. The study, analysis and interpretation of such a data is based on statistical techniques for dependent data. Seeing beyond the data analysis and inferring valid and conclusive conclusions will help in the management and planning of ma...

Satellite ocean colour remote sensing provides a valuable source of information on the status of marine ecosystems. The study, analysis and interpretation of such a data is based on statistical techniques for dependent data. Seeing beyond the data analysis and inferring valid and conclusive conclusions will help in the management and planning of ma...

Deltaic systems are among the most dynamic and productive environments on Earth and many have a high population density. Deltas play a central role in food and water security but are increasingly facing hazards such as submergence, riverine and coastal flooding, and coastal erosion. This paper synthesizes efforts of the Belmont Forum Deltas project...

The increasing development of aquaculture activity in the coast of Sagres, area included in the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina (PNSACV) SW Portugal, has to comply with regional and national regulations. The development also has to comply with EU directives including: Quality of Shellfish Waters Directive 2006/113/EC (QSWD);...

The increasing development of aquaculture activity in the coast of Sagres, area included in the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina (PNSACV) SW Portugal, has to comply with regional and national regulations. The development also has to comply with EU directives including: Quality of Shellfish Waters Directive 2006/113/EC (QSWD);...

The Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) project was established in 1993 as a core project of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) to provide the science knowledge to answer “How will changes in land use, sea level and climate alter coastal systems, and what are the wider consequences?” In its first phase of operati...