The global lockdown to mitigate COVID-19 pandemic health risks has altered human interactions with nature. Here, we report immediate impacts of changes in human activities on wildlife and environmental threats during the early lockdown months of 2020, based on 877 qualitative reports and 332 quantitative assessments from different studies. Hundreds of reports of unusual species observations from around the world suggest that animals quickly responded to the reductions in human presence. However, negative effects of lockdown on conservation also emerged, as confinement resulted in some park officials being unable to perform conservation, restoration and enforcement tasks, resulting in local increases in illegal activities such as hunting. Overall, there is a complex mixture of positive and negative effects of the pandemic lockdown on nature, all of which have the potential to lead to cascading responses which in turn impact wildlife and nature conservation. While the net effect of the lockdown will need to be assessed over years as data becomes available and persistent effects emerge, immediate responses were detected across the world. Thus, initial qualitative and quantitative data arising from this serendipitous global quasi-experimental perturbation highlights the dual role that humans play in threatening and protecting species and ecosystems. Pathways to favorably tilt this delicate balance include reducing impacts and increasing conservation effectiveness.
BackgroundPreterm infants (PTI) in the NICU are often placed in incubators that may increase their exposure to volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). To determine whether PTI in incubators have higher urinary concentrations of VOC metabolites compared with infants in cribs.MethodsUrine from 40 PTI in incubators and 40 infants in cribs was collected and analyzed for 28 urinary VOC biomarkers. Differences in metabolite concentrations between the two groups were compared.ResultsTwenty two of the VOC metabolites were detected in at least one urine sample. All urine samples tested had measurable levels of six VOC metabolites. Biomarkers for acrolein, acrylonitrile, carbon disulfide, cyanide, N-dimethylformamide, ethylbenzene, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, styrene, toluene/benzyl alcohol, vinyl chloride, and xylene were higher in the incubator group. The geometric means of five VOC metabolites were 2-fold higher than those reported for NHANES children 6-11 years of age in one or both of the groups with benzyl mercapturic acid being 7-fold and 12-fold greater than NHANES in the crib and incubator group, respectively.ConclusionAll infants were exposed to VOCs. PTI in incubators have a different VOC exposure profile compared with infants in cribs. The health implications associated with these exposures require further study.
Many corals and reef-dwelling organisms are susceptible to the impacts of storm events, which are typically characterized by large inputs of freshwater, sediment, and nutrients. The majority of storm effects are focused on shallow, nearshore reef flats, as low salinity and sedimentation tend to dissipate with depth and distance from shore. In April 2018, record rainfall on the northern coast of Kaua‘i caused extensive flooding and landslides, introducing large amounts of freshwater and sediment into nearshore reefs. Using benthic and fish transects from 2016–2019 and temperature, sediment, and rainfall data gathered pre- and post-flood, this study aimed to quantify and explicate the effects of flooding on the various biotic populations of two reef habitats at Pila‘a and Hā‘ena, Kaua‘i. Results from the shallow Pila‘a reef suggest sediment and freshwater-associated declines in mean urchin abundance (−52.0%) and increases in mean coral bleaching (+54.5%) at the flood-prone eastern sector. Additionally, decreases in mean urchin (−65.7%) and fish (−42.3%) populations were observed at shallow Hā‘ena transects, but not deep sites, supporting the occurrence of depth-specific affliction. Multivariate community-level analyses affirmed much of these results, showing a significant shift in community structure before and after the flood at both Pila‘a and Hā‘ena. The outcomes of this study are pertinent to strategic design and solution development by local aquatic resource managers, especially as anthropogenic climate change continues to increase the frequency, duration, and intensity of storm events.
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