Raymond D. Ward

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Verified

Raymond verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

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• PhD
• Reader at Queen Mary University of London

Blue carbon (C) storage in mangroves soils is linked to the anaerobic organic matter (OM) decomposition under saline conditions. Therefore, studies concerning the decomposition in mangroves are relevant to evaluate factors that could affect C storage, a pivot strategy to climate change adaptation. Thus, OM decomposition was assessed using a standar...

The semiarid northeast coast of Brazil harbours just less than 44,300 ha of mangroves, 4% of Brazilian total. Notwithstanding this relatively small area, these forests have high ecological and economic importance, sustaining traditional fisheries and protecting biodiversity, including many threatened species. They present unique biogeochemical char...

The aim of this study was to address the gaps in understanding and managing the resilience and connectivity of coastal Green Infrastructure (GI) in Estonia, particularly in response to increasing human-related pressures and natural changes. By using the GUIDOS Toolbox for morphological spatial pattern analysis, the study offers a detailed mapping o...

The "Mangroves of the Tropical Southwestern Atlantic" (TSA) is a regional ecosystem subgroup (level 4 unit of the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology). It includes the marine ecoregions of Eastern Brazil, Northeastern Brazil, including the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and Rocas Atoll. The TSA mangroves had a mapped extent of 1719.7 km 2 in 2020, repr...

Sri Lanka's extensive 1,740-kilometer shoreline boasts a wealth of carbon-sequestering marine habitats, encompassing coastal forests, underwater meadows, and tidal wetlands. This review paper discussed the current status, recent changes, and future potential of the trio of carbon-rich coastal habitats in Sri Lanka. As with other countries in South...

Climate change (CC) represents an increasing threat to mangroves worldwide and can amplify impacts caused by local anthropogenic activities. The direct effects of CC on mangrove forests have been extensively discussed, but indirect impacts such as the alteration of ecological processes driven by specific functional groups of the biota are poorly in...

Microplastic pollution in estuarine, coastal and riverine areas is considered a serious environmental and human health concern in Vietnam. The present study investigated potential sources, location, transport, and environmental impacts of microplastics in Vietnamese aquatic environments through a literature review and scientometrics analysis. Findi...

Coastal wetlands provide a range of ecosystem services, yet they are currently under threat from global change impacts. Thus, their monitoring and assessment is vital for evaluating their status, extent and distribution. Remote sensing provides an excellent tool for evaluating coastal ecosystems, whether with small-scale studies using drones or nat...

Coastlines are projected to face unprecedented pressures over the next century due to climate change-induced changes in sea level, storm, wave, and tidal regimes. This projection of increasing pressure is driving a reappraisal of existing shoreline management practices, with both science and policy calling for future strategies to work with the nat...

Coastal vegetated ecosystems are acknowledged for their capacity to sequester organic carbon (OC), known as blue C. Yet, blue C global accounting is incomplete, with major gaps in southern hemisphere data. It also shows a large variability suggesting that the interaction between environmental and biological drivers is important at the local scale....

Tidal marshes store large amounts of organic carbon in their soils. Field data quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks provide an important resource for researchers, natural resource managers, and policy-makers working towards the protection, restoration, and valuation of these ecosystems. We collated a global dataset of tidal marsh soil organ...

The aim of this study was to provide an evaluation of the current methods used to assess carbon sequestration (C seq) rates from intertidal Zostera spp. meadows in central Southern England. This study evaluated the use of 210 Pb dating methods to calculate sediment accretion rates from four intertidal seagrass meadows along the southern central coa...

The aim of this study was to provide an evaluation of the current methods used to assess carbon sequestration (C seq) rates from intertidal Zostera spp. meadows in central Southern England. This study evaluated the use of 210 Pb dating methods to calculate sediment accretion rates from four intertidal seagrass meadows along the southern central coa...

Mangroves contain large amounts of carbon that can reduce the effects of global climate change, which is termed as blue carbon and noted as an important ecosystem service. However, mangrove ecosystems have experienced a huge decline due to human activities and any rehabilitation and restoration efforts should be undertaken with careful planning to...

Coastal wetlands provide a range of ecosystem services, yet are currently under threat from global change impacts. Thus, monitoring and assessment is vital for evaluating their status, extent and distribution. Remote sensing provides an excellent tool for evaluating coastal ecosystems, whether with small scale studies using drones or national/regio...

Seagrasses are marine flowering plants, which form extensive meadows in intertidal and shallow water marine environments. They provide a wide range of ecosystem services, which directly or indirectly benefit humans and can be grouped into four broad categories: provisioning (e.g. food production); regulating (e.g. carbon sequestration); supporting...

Invasive plant species pose a direct threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services. Among these, Rosa rugosa has had a severe impact on Baltic coastal ecosystems in recent decades. Accurate mapping and monitoring tools are essential to quantify the location and spatial extent of invasive plant species to support eradication programs. In this paper...

Flooding is one of the most commonly occurring natural disasters across the world. Its occurrence is predicted to become more frequent with climate change and associated rainfall increases. This study used a bespoke software Flowroute-i, developed by Ambiental, UK specialists in flood risk assessment and modelling, utlising meteorological and spati...

Remotely sensed data contains a range of information (spectral, spatial, radiometric, and temporal) useful in mapping and monitoring grassland extent, minimizing the cost of field data collection and laboratory analysis, thereby improving management and conservation of these ecosystems. The South American pampa biome is one of the most productive e...

Mangroves provide a vital role in mitigating climate change through sequestering large amounts of carbon. Brazil contains the second largest extent of mangroves in the world, with 77% of this adjacent to the Amazon estuary, a largely understudied region, due to its extent and inaccessibility. To address this, this study analysed rates of carbon seq...

Cadmium is a toxic element and its effects are well understood for human health, but its biogeochemical behaviour is still poorly studied and understood in natural ecosystems. This work addresses knowledge gaps concerning its presence, biogeochemical behaviour and impacts in mangrove ecosystems. Through geochemical data and multivariate analysis (i...

Coastal wetlands provide a range of important ecosystem services, yet they are under threat from a range of stressors including climate change. This is predominantly as a result of alterations to the hydroregime and associated edaphic factors. We used a three-year mesocosm experiment to assess changes in coastal plant community composition for thre...

Coastal communities are impacted by climate change, including sea-level rise, intensification of storms, floodings, and soil erosion. The Climate Science Special Report by the United States Global Change Research Program noted that coastal flooding doubled worldwide in the past thirty years (Russi et al., 2013). The function of Blue-Green coastal e...

Coastal wetlands are considered important stores of blue carbon, containing some of the largest stores of pedologic and biotic carbon per unit area on the planet. These ecosystems are however highly sensitive to Climate Change and changes in the management practices. It is of utmost importance to address relevant ecosystem scales in order to fully...

Seagrass communities in Vietnam are important primary producers in the coastal environment and play a key role in shoreline protection as a bioshield in the country. In the past two decades, seagrass research in Vietnam has advanced in many aspects, including distribution mapping, plant genetics and biophysical characteristics, sustainable use of s...

In Thailand, 17% of the population lives by the coast, approximately 11 million people. A combination of coastal erosion, sea level rise and coastal land subsidence are critical issues threatening the livelihoods of coastal communities. Thailand has invested a lot of money and installed conservation policies to restore and protect coastal mangroves...

This study analyses total carbon stock (Cstocks) from the Isle of Wight, Solent, and adjacent harbours in southern England, including organic carbon (Corg) stored in the sediment and plant. Results from this study contribute to global blue carbon research by reporting the first direct assessment of sediment Cstocks in the top metre of intertidal se...

Coastal wetland systems are a priority habitat, according to the EU Habitats Directive (1992). They consist of a range of plant communities and in Europe can include salt marshes, coastal wet grasslands, swamp vegetation on the seaward edge, and scrub vegetation on the landward side. Coastal wetlands provide numerous essential ecosystem services, i...

Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) is a framing concept concerning the connectivity of ecosystems, founded on nature-based solutions and a multi-functionality approach, which includes contributions by nature to disaster risk reduction, infrastructure resilience, erosion control, land formation, and other ecosystem services (World Risk Report, 2012). T...

Advances in unmanned aerial systems (UASs) have increased the potential of remote sensing to overcome scale issues for soil moisture (SM) quantification. Regardless, optical imagery is acquired using various sensors and platforms, resulting in simpler operations for management purposes. In this respect, we predicted SM at 10 cm depth using partial...

There has been limited research on the breakdown, recycling, and flux of carbon from large woody detritus (LWD) in mangrove forests. The breakdown of LWD is caused by guilds of terrestrial and marine biodegrading organisms that degrade wood at a range of rates and efficiencies. Spatial variations in environmental factors within mangroves affect the...

Brazil has the third mangrove extension in the world, occupying around one million hectares. These forests occur along almost the entire Brazilian coast but are unevenly distributed, showing distinct biological and ecological characteristics, depending on climate, fluvial contribution, and littoral geomorphology. Most extensive forests are in the n...

Coastal wetlands provide a range of important ecosystem services, yet they are under threat from a range of stressors including climate change. This is predominantly as a result of alterations to the hydroregime and associated edaphic factors. We used a three year mesocosm experiment to assess changes in coastal plant community composition for thre...

This review discusses observed impacts from different climate change-driven pressures on mangrove's role in modulating trace metal transfer at the land-ocean interface. It contributes to the literature in a global context and shows mangroves as mitigators or providing positive feedback to metal mobilization. Most chalcophile metals2+ accumulate in...

Industrial and commercial port activities are widely recognized worldwide as an important source of pollution to proximal estuaries. In this study, we analysed geochemical and sedimentological parameters including major and trace elements, organic matter and sediment texture in surface sediments from the estuarine environment of Southampton Water,...

Mangrove ecosystems worldwide have been affected by anthropogenic activities that modify natural conditions and supply trace elements that affect mangrove health and development. In order to gain a better understanding of these ecosystems, and assess the influence of physicochemical (granulometry, pH, salinity and ORP) and geochemical variables (co...

Despite the significant increase in protected territory globally, there is a common understanding that the designation of protected areas alone does not guarantee their effectiveness nor halt the loss of biodiversity. In addition to biodiversity conservation, protected areas are expected to perform a number of other functions, such as provide ecosy...

High-resolution images obtained by multispectral cameras mounted on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are helping to capture the heterogeneity of the environment in images that can be discretized in categories during a classification process. Currently, there is an increasing use of supervised machine learning (ML) classifiers to retrieve accurate re...

The coastline of Vietnam is vulnerable to a number of threats including shoreline erosion, flooding, sea level rise, typhoons and storms. Natural and anthropogenic factors have been highlighted as key drivers and the physical setting of the coastline, including elevation in relation to mean sea level influence the degree of vulnerability. In this r...

Sessile benthic organisms are considered good bioindicators for monitoring environmental quality of coastal ecosystems. However, these environments are impacted by new pollutants such as microplastics (MPs), where there is limited information about organisms that can be used as reliable bioindicators of these emerging contaminants. We evaluated MP...

Microplastic (MPL) contamination in the marine environment is extensively studied yet little is known about the extent of MPL abundance in seagrass beds. The aim of this study was to evaluate MPL accumulation in coastal seagrass (Zostera marina) beds in the Baltic Sea, Estonia. Surface water was sampled by pumping using 40 μm plankton net, and sedi...

Brazilian mangroves cover about 11,100 km 2 and provide a wide range of ecosystem services. Despite their importance, they are one of the most impacted ecosystems because of combined influences of climate change, pollution, and direct conversion and loss. A major driver of environmental impacts is shrimp farming and this is particularly acute in th...

Brazilian mangroves cover 1.0 - 1.4 million hectares, provide a wide range of ecosystem services and yet are one of the most impacted ecosystems as a result of combined influences of climate change, pollution, and direct conversion and loss. A major driver of environmental impacts is shrimp farming and this is particularly acute in the semi-arid no...

The application of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in forest research includes a wide range of equipment, systems, and flight settings, creating a need for enhancing data acquisition efficiency and quality. Thus, we assessed the effects of flying altitude and lateral and longitudinal overlaps on digital aerial photogrammetry (DAP) processing and the...

The application of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in forest research includes a wide range of equipment, systems, and flight settings, creating a need for enhancing data acquisition efficiency and quality. Thus, we assessed the effects of flying altitude and lateral and longitudinal overlaps on digital aerial photogrammetry (DAP) processing and the...

Plastics can enter biogeochemical cycles and thus be found in most ecosystems. Most studies emphasize plastic pollution in oceanic ecosystems even though rivers and estuaries are acknowledged as the main sources of plastics to the oceans. This review detected few studies approaching the transboundary issue, as well as patterns of estuarine gradient...

This study explores how local communities reflect on institutional frameworks and protected area governance in two national parks (NPs) with similar nature values in Estonia and Russia, and aims to understand the role of value systems in these interactions. It is based on 50 in-depth interviews with a broad range of stakeholders, and a desktop anal...

Coastal meadows provide a wide range of ecosystem services worldwide. In order to better target conservation efforts in these ecosystems, it is necessary to develop highly accurate models that account for the spatial nature of ecosystem structure, processes and functions. In this study, above-ground biomass was predicted at very high spatial resolu...

Mangroves are important as a result of the wide range of ecosystem services and the biological diversity they support. Due to their low relief, mangroves are likely to be under threat from sea level rise, although the extent of this threat is unknown as a result of the wide geographical variation in mangrove characteristics both within and between...

The environmental occurrence, fate and ecotoxicity of emerging contaminants (ECs) has been the subject of increasing research, policy and public concern over the past two decades. While a wide range of publications have examined the environmental persistence and sediment/soil interactions of ECs following their discharge into aquatic environments,...

Arctic coastal wetlands are of international importance, providing a range of ecosystem services. They differ markedly from Atlantic saltmarshes in the limited development of the creek network, associated plant species, and the influence of the rapid influx of sediment during the spring thaw. This study presents the findings of research conducted i...

Coastal wetlands contain some of the largest stores of pedologic and biotic carbon pools, and climate change is likely to influence the ability of these ecosystems to sequester carbon. Recent studies have attempted to provide data on carbon sequestration in both temperate and tropical coastal wetlands. Alteration of Arctic wetland carbon sequestrat...

The sustainable management of post-industrial coasts is a major emerging issue globally. Along such coasts, there may be a significant legacy of both contaminated land (including historic landfills and non-managed waste disposal) and contaminated sediments in and around urban and industrial areas, which require new strategies for cost-effective and...

The petrochemical industry and urban activities are widely recognized worldwide as a source of pollution to mangrove environments. They can supply pollutants such as trace elements that can modify the ecosystem structure and associated services, as well as human populations. Through geochemical data, multivariate statistical analysis and pollution...

Seagrass meadows are productive ecosystems that contribute to climate change mitigation by accumulating ‘Blue Carbon’ in their plant biomass and sediments. However, there is wide variation in reported sediment carbon stocks (Cstocks) across different global regions and between meadows composed of different seagrass species. Therefore, understanding...

Semi-natural grasslands harbour high biodiversity and play a key role in the supply of ecosystem services (ES). However, abandonment, changes in traditional management practices and agricultural intensification constitute a major threat to these grasslands worldwide and these practices have led to declines in species diversity. In this paper the mu...

Leaf Area Index (LAI; as an indicator of the health) of the mangrove ecosystems on the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman was measured in the field and modeled in response to observed (1986-2017) and predicted (2018-2100) drought occurrences (quantified using the Standardized Precipitation Index [SPI]). The relationship of LAI...

In mangroves, assessing the threat of multiple environmental hazards is important to inform effective management decisions to protect these habitats and to mitigate the environmental impacts. In this study, the threat of multiple environmental hazards including drought, reducing surface runoff of upstream catchments, strong winds, extreme temperatu...

Vietnamese mangroves are among the most productive and biologically important ecosystems of the world; providing habitat/nursing grounds for commercial and non-commercial fish species, food, medicine, building materials/fuel for local communities, as well as carbon storage (blue carbon) and coastal protection from storm events. However, Vietnam's m...

Recent developments in UAV technology allow for the rapid acquisition of highly detailed multispectral aerial imagery. As opposed to satellite-based earth observation techniques, the ability of UAVs to be operated at lower altitudes allow for repeated measurements without weather limitations such as dense cloud cover. These characteristics render U...

Coastal wetlands, including salt marshes, mangroves and seagrasses, contain some of the largest stores of the pedologic and biotic carbon pools and climate change is likely to influence the ability of these ecosystems to sequester carbon. Recent studies have attempted to provide data on carbon sequestration in both temperate and tropical coastal we...

Influences of sea level and salinity changes on Baltic coastal wetland plant communitiesT.F. Bergamo1,2*, R.D.Ward1,2, C.B. Joyce2, K. Sepp11Estonian University of Life Sciences/Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonia2University of Brighton/Centre for Aquatic Environments, UK*thaisa.fernandes@student.emu.eeThe salinity of the...

Seagrass ecosystems have high carbon storage potential, acting as important global carbonsinks. However, seagrass soils are increasingly under threat from erosion, with meadowsexperiencing a global estimated decline of 7% per year, potentially leading to CO2 emissions.This decline has been driven by disturbances related to eutrophication, shading,...

Vietnamese mangroves are among the most productive and biologically important ecosystems of the world; providing habitat/nursing grounds for commercial and non-commercial fish species, food, medicine, building materials/fuel for local communities, as well as carbon storage (blue carbon) and coastal protection from storm events. However, Vietnam's m...

The aim of this study was to analyse and identify preferred atmospheric circulation conditions for migratory birds during their spring arrival in Estonia (for Tartu and Kuressaare). A total of 47 circulation classifications and 42 common bird species were studied. The analysis identified a clear division of species into two general clusters accordi...

Within animal communities the loss of a single keystone species can lead to substantial change, or in extreme cases, community collapse. This phenomenon has been documented in different communities and habitats but has not been widely investigated in bird communities. We studied the long-term dynamics of breeding birds in a medium-sized hemiboreal...

Inter-related and spatially variable climate change factors including sea level rise, increased storminess, altered precipitation regime and increasing temperature are impacting mangroves at regional scales. This review highlights extreme regional variation in climate change threats and impacts, and how these factors impact the structure of mangrov...

Rural population ageing and decline is a serious problem throughout Europe resulting in a deterioration of the socioeconomic situation in rural areas. This leads to land abandonment, and consequently the loss of valuable cultural landscapes. Protected areas are no exception and inhabitants also face restrictions arising from the protection status....

This study presents an enhanced methodology for modelling the impacts of sea level rise on coastal wetlands. The tool integrates dGPS-calibrated LiDAR data, isostatic uplift and sediment accretion rates to predict the location and extent of plant communities at three non-contiguous micro-topographical coastal wetlands in Estonia by 2100 in response...

This study investigated microtopography and edaphic factors to ascertain their use as determinants for identifying the location and extent of plant community types in internationally important Baltic coastal wetlands in Estonia. Plant community types were identified, and abundance and frequency of plant species were recorded within 105 1-m 2 quadra...

This paper discusses the conservation of protected areas of Estonia and rural cultural landscapes, in order to provide baseline information for key institutions in protected areas to develop more efficient management policies for cultural landscapes. Based on demographic and settlement analysis of protected areas, we found that present conservation...

Wader populations have been declining worldwide, providing a fundamental question as to which environmental factors limit population growth. Many studies have focused on the effects of habitat change on wader populations as a result of climate change, agricultural intensification or abandonment of arable land. However, there are few studies investi...

Boreal Baltic coastal wetlands differ markedly from temperate salt marshes by their generally low maximum elevation (between 0 and 1 m above m.s.l.), low seaward gradients and the irregular nature of flooding that is characteristic of the NE Baltic Sea coastal region. As a result of these factors these wetlands have been considered to be threatened...

The historical development of nature conservation ideas can be divided into a number of phases (Sepp et al 1999). First, the roots of nature conservation stem from the folk religion. Records from the 13th century speak of sacred trees and groves that were worshipped and preserved. To date, approximately 550 sacred groves and more than 2000 other an...

Wader populations have been declining worldwide, providing a fundamental question as to which environmental factors limit population growth. Many studies have focused on the effects of habitat change on wader populations as a result of climate change, agricultural intensification or abandonment of arable land. However, there are few studies investi...