Can niche plasticity mediate species persistence under ocean acidification?

Global change stressors can modify ecological niches of species, thereby altering ecological interactions within communities and food webs. Yet, some species might take advantage of a fast-changing environment, allowing species with high niche plasticity to thrive under climate change. We used natural CO2 vents to test the effects of ocean acidification on niche modifications of a temperate rocky reef fish assemblage. We quantified three ecological niche traits (overlap, shift and breadth) across three key niche dimensions (trophic, habitat and behavioural). Only one species increased its niche width along multiple niche dimensions (trophic and behavioural), shifted its niche in the remaining (habitat) was the only species to experience a highly increased density (i.e. doubling) at vents. The other three species that showed slightly increased or declining densities at vents only displayed a niche width increase in one (habitat niche) out of seven niche metrics considered. This niche modification was likely in response to habitat simplification (transition to a system dominated by turf algae) under ocean acidification. We further showed that, at the vents, the less abundant fishes had a negligible competitive impact on the most abundant and common species. This species appeared to expand its niche space, overlapping with other species, which likely led to lower abundances of the latter under elevated CO2. We conclude that niche plasticity across multiple dimensions could be a potential adaptation in fishes to benefit from a changing environment in a high-CO2 world.

Anthropogenic noise disrupts acoustic cues for recruitment.

Anthropogenic noise is rising and may interfere with natural acoustic cues used by organisms to recruit. Newly developed acoustic technology provides enriched settlement cues to boost recruitment of target organisms navigating to restoration sites, but can it boost recruitment in noise-polluted sites? To address this dilemma, we coupled replicated aquarium experiments with field experiments. Under controlled and replicated laboratory conditions, acoustic enrichment boosted recruitment by 2.57 times in the absence of anthropogenic noise, but yielded comparable recruitment in its presence (i.e. no boosting effect). Using the same technique, we then tested the replicability of these responses in real-world settings where independently replicated 'sites' are unfeasible owing to the inherent differences in soundscapes. Again, acoustic enrichment increased recruitment where anthropogenic noise was low (by 3.33 times), but had no effect at a site of noise pollution. Together, these coupled laboratory-to-field outcomes indicate that anthropogenic noise can mask the signal of acoustic enrichment. While noise pollution may reduce the effectiveness of acoustic enrichment, some of our reported observations suggest that anthropogenic noise per se might also provide an attractive cue for oyster larvae to recruit. These findings underscore the complexity of larval behavioural responses to acoustic stimuli during recruitment processes.

Knockout mice with pituitary malformations help identify human cases of hypopituitarism.

BACKGROUND: Congenital hypopituitarism (CH) and its associated syndromes, septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) and holoprosencephaly (HPE), are midline defects that cause significant morbidity for affected people. Variants in 67 genes are associated with CH, but a vast majority of CH cases lack a genetic diagnosis. Whole exome and whole genome sequencing of CH patients identifies sequence variants in genes known to cause CH, and in new candidate genes, but many of these are variants of uncertain significance (VUS). METHODS: The International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) is an effort to establish gene function by knocking-out all genes in the mouse genome and generating corresponding phenotype data. We used mouse embryonic imaging data generated by the Deciphering Mechanisms of Developmental Disorders (DMDD) project to screen 209 embryonic lethal and sub-viable knockout mouse lines for pituitary malformations. RESULTS: Of the 209 knockout mouse lines, we identified 51 that have embryonic pituitary malformations. These genes not only represent new candidates for CH, but also reveal new molecular pathways not previously associated with pituitary organogenesis. We used this list of candidate genes to mine whole exome sequencing data of a cohort of patients with CH, and we identified variants in two unrelated cases for two genes, MORC2 and SETD5, with CH and other syndromic features. CONCLUSIONS: The screening and analysis of IMPC phenotyping data provide proof-of-principle that recessive lethal mouse mutants generated by the knockout mouse project are an excellent source of candidate genes for congenital hypopituitarism in children.

Myomatrix arrays for high-definition muscle recording.

Neurons coordinate their activity to produce an astonishing variety of motor behaviors. Our present understanding of motor control has grown rapidly thanks to new methods for recording and analyzing populations of many individual neurons over time. In contrast, current methods for recording the nervous system's actual motor output - the activation of muscle fibers by motor neurons - typically cannot detect the individual electrical events produced by muscle fibers during natural behaviors and scale poorly across species and muscle groups. Here we present a novel class of electrode devices ('Myomatrix arrays') that record muscle activity at unprecedented resolution across muscles and behaviors. High-density, flexible electrode arrays allow for stable recordings from the muscle fibers activated by a single motor neuron, called a 'motor unit,' during natural behaviors in many species, including mice, rats, primates, songbirds, frogs, and insects. This technology therefore allows the nervous system's motor output to be monitored in unprecedented detail during complex behaviors across species and muscle morphologies. We anticipate that this technology will allow rapid advances in understanding the neural control of behavior and identifying pathologies of the motor system.

CryoEM reveals that ribosomes in microsporidian spores are locked in a dimeric hibernating state.

Translational control is an essential process for the cell to adapt to varying physiological or environmental conditions. To survive adverse conditions such as low nutrient levels, translation can be shut down almost entirely by inhibiting ribosomal function. Here we investigated eukaryotic hibernating ribosomes from the microsporidian parasite Spraguea lophii in situ by a combination of electron cryo-tomography and single-particle electron cryo-microscopy. We show that microsporidian spores contain hibernating ribosomes that are locked in a dimeric (100S) state, which is formed by a unique dimerization mechanism involving the beak region. The ribosomes within the dimer are fully assembled, suggesting that they are ready to be activated once the host cell is invaded. This study provides structural evidence for dimerization acting as a mechanism for ribosomal hibernation in microsporidia, and therefore demonstrates that eukaryotes utilize this mechanism in translational control.

CryoEM analysis of the essential native UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from Aspergillus nidulans reveals key conformations for activity regulation and function.

Invasive aspergillosis is one of the most serious clinical invasive fungal infections, resulting in a high case fatality rate among immunocompromised patients. The disease is caused by saprophytic molds in the genus Aspergillus, including Aspergillus fumigatus, the most significant pathogenic species. The fungal cell wall, an essential structure mainly composed of glucan, chitin, galactomannan, and galactosaminogalactan, represents an important target for the development of antifungal drugs. UDP (uridine diphosphate)-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGP) is a central enzyme in the metabolism of carbohydrates that catalyzes the biosynthesis of UDP-glucose, a key precursor of fungal cell wall polysaccharides. Here, we demonstrate that the function of UGP is vital for Aspergillus nidulans (AnUGP). To understand the molecular basis of AnUGP function, we describe a cryoEM structure (global resolution of 3.5 Å for the locally refined subunit and 4 Å for the octameric complex) of a native AnUGP. The structure reveals an octameric architecture with each subunit comprising an N-terminal α-helical domain, a central catalytic glycosyltransferase A-like (GT-A-like) domain, and a C-terminal (CT) left-handed ß-helix oligomerization domain. AnUGP displays unprecedented conformational variability between the CT oligomerization domain and the central GT-A-like catalytic domain. In combination with activity measurements and bioinformatics analysis, we unveil the molecular mechanism of substrate recognition and specificity for AnUGP. Altogether, our study not only contributes to understanding the molecular mechanism of catalysis/regulation of an important class of enzymes but also provides the genetic, biochemical, and structural groundwork for the future exploitation of UGP as a potential antifungal target. IMPORTANCE Fungi cause diverse diseases in humans, ranging from allergic syndromes to life-threatening invasive diseases, together affecting more than a billion people worldwide. Increasing drug resistance in Aspergillus species represents an emerging global health threat, making the design of antifungals with novel mechanisms of action a worldwide priority. The cryoEM structure of UDP (uridine diphosphate)-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGP) from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans reveals an octameric architecture displaying unprecedented conformational variability between the C-terminal oligomerization domain and the central glycosyltransferase A-like catalytic domain in the individual protomers. While the active site and oligomerization interfaces are more highly conserved, these dynamic interfaces include motifs restricted to specific clades of filamentous fungi. Functional study of these motifs could lead to the definition of new targets for antifungals inhibiting UGP activity and, thus, the architecture of the cell wall of filamentous fungal pathogens.

A novel method for identifying fine-scale bottom-use in a benthic-foraging pinniped.

BACKGROUND: For diving, marine predators, accelerometer and magnetometer data provides critical information on sub-surface foraging behaviours that cannot be identified from location or time-depth data. By measuring head movement and body orientation, accelerometers and magnetometers can help identify broad shifts in foraging movements, fine-scale habitat use and energy expenditure of terrestrial and marine species. Here, we use accelerometer and magnetometer data from tagged Australian sea lions and provide a new method to identify key benthic foraging areas. As Australian sea lions are listed as endangered by the IUCN and Australian legislation, identifying key areas for the species is vital to support targeted management of populations. METHODS: Firstly, tri-axial magnetometer and accelerometer data from adult female Australian sea lions is used in conjunction with GPS and dive data to dead-reckon their three-dimensional foraging paths. We then isolate all benthic phases from their foraging trips and calculate a range of dive metrics to characterise their bottom usage. Finally, k-means cluster analysis is used to identify core benthic areas utilised by sea lions. Backwards stepwise regressions are then iteratively performed to identify the most parsimonious model for describing bottom usage and its included predictor variables. RESULTS: Our results show distinct spatial partitioning in benthic habitat-use by Australian sea lions. This method has also identified individual differences in benthic habitat-use. Here, the application of high-resolution magnetometer/accelerometer data has helped reveal the tortuous foraging movements Australian sea lions use to exploit key benthic marine habitats and features. CONCLUSIONS: This study has illustrated how magnetometer and accelerometer data can provide a fine-scale description of the underwater movement of diving species, beyond GPS and depth data alone, For endangered species like Australian sea lions, management of populations must be spatially targeted. Here, this method demonstrates a fine-scale analysis of benthic habitat-use which can help identify key areas for both marine and terrestrial species. Future integration of this method with concurrent habitat and prey data would further augment its power as a tool for understanding the foraging behaviours of species.

Disruption of Dcp1 leads to a Dcp2-dependent aberrant ribosome profiles in Aspergillus nidulans.

There are multiple RNA degradation mechanisms in eukaryotes, key among these is mRNA decapping, which requires the Dcp1-Dcp2 complex. Decapping is involved in various processes including nonsense-mediated decay (NMD), a process by which aberrant transcripts with a premature termination codon are targeted for translational repression and rapid decay. NMD is ubiquitous throughout eukaryotes and the key factors involved are highly conserved, although many differences have evolved. We investigated the role of Aspergillus nidulans decapping factors in NMD and found that they are not required, unlike Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Intriguingly, we also observed that the disruption of one of the decapping factors, Dcp1, leads to an aberrant ribosome profile. Importantly this was not shared by mutations disrupting Dcp2, the catalytic component of the decapping complex. The aberrant profile is associated with the accumulation of a high proportion of 25S rRNA degradation intermediates. We identified the location of three rRNA cleavage sites and show that a mutation targeted to disrupt the catalytic domain of Dcp2 partially suppresses the aberrant profile of Δdcp1 strains. This suggests that in the absence of Dcp1, cleaved ribosomal components accumulate and Dcp2 may be directly involved in mediating these cleavage events. We discuss the implications of this.

Myomatrix arrays for high-definition muscle recording.

Neurons coordinate their activity to produce an astonishing variety of motor behaviors. Our present understanding of motor control has grown rapidly thanks to new methods for recording and analyzing populations of many individual neurons over time. In contrast, current methods for recording the nervous system's actual motor output - the activation of muscle fibers by motor neurons - typically cannot detect the individual electrical events produced by muscle fibers during natural behaviors and scale poorly across species and muscle groups. Here we present a novel class of electrode devices ("Myomatrix arrays") that record muscle activity at unprecedented resolution across muscles and behaviors. High-density, flexible electrode arrays allow for stable recordings from the muscle fibers activated by a single motor neuron, called a "motor unit", during natural behaviors in many species, including mice, rats, primates, songbirds, frogs, and insects. This technology therefore allows the nervous system's motor output to be monitored in unprecedented detail during complex behaviors across species and muscle morphologies. We anticipate that this technology will allow rapid advances in understanding the neural control of behavior and in identifying pathologies of the motor system.

Ocean acidification increases the impact of typhoons on algal communities.

Long-term environmental change, sudden pulses of extreme perturbation, or a combination of both can trigger regime shifts by changing the processes and feedbacks which determine community assembly, structure, and function, altering the state of ecosystems. Our understanding of the mechanisms that stabilise against regime shifts or lock communities into altered states is limited, yet also critical to anticipating future states, preventing regime shifts, and reversing unwanted state change. Ocean acidification contributes to the restructuring and simplification of algal systems, however the mechanisms through which this occurs and whether additional drivers are involved requires further study. Using monthly surveys over three years at a shallow-water volcanic seep we examined how the composition of algal communities change seasonally and following periods of significant physical disturbance by typhoons at three levels of ocean acidification (equivalent to means of contemporary ∼350 and future ∼500 and 900 µatm pCO2). Sites exposed to acidification were increasingly monopolised by structurally simple, fast-growing turf algae, and were clearly different to structurally complex macrophyte-dominated reference sites. The distinct contemporary and acidified community states were stabilised and maintained at their respective sites by different mechanisms following seasonal typhoon disturbance. Macroalgal-dominated sites were resistant to typhoon damage. In contrast, significant losses of algal biomass represented a near total ecosystem reset by typhoons for the turf-dominated communities at the elevated pCO2 sites (i.e. negligible resistance). A combination of disturbance and subsequent turf recovery maintained the same simplified state between years (elevated CO2 levels promote turf growth following algal removal, inhibiting macroalgal recruitment). Thus, ocean acidification may promote shifts in algal systems towards degraded ecosystem states, and short-term disturbances which reset successional trajectories may 'lock-in' these alternative states of low structural and functional diversity.

Ocean acidification drives global reshuffling of ecological communities.

The paradigm that climate change will alter global marine biodiversity is one of the most widely accepted. Yet, its predictions remain difficult to test because laboratory systems are inadequate at incorporating ecological complexity, and common biodiversity metrics have varying sensitivity to detect change. Here, we test for the prevalence of global responses in biodiversity and community-level change to future climate (acidification and warming) from studies at volcanic CO2 vents across four major global coastal ecosystems and studies in laboratory mesocosms. We detected globally replicable patterns of species replacements and community reshuffling under ocean acidification in major natural ecosystems, yet species diversity and other common biodiversity metrics were often insensitive to detect such community change, even under significant habitat loss. Where there was a lack of consistent patterns of biodiversity change, these were a function of similar numbers of studies observing negative versus positive species responses to climate stress. Laboratory studies showed weaker sensitivity to detect species replacements and community reshuffling in general. We conclude that common biodiversity metrics can be insensitive in revealing the anticipated effects of climate stress on biodiversity-even under significant biogenic habitat loss-and can mask widespread reshuffling of ecological communities in a future ocean. Although the influence of ocean acidification on community restructuring can be less evident than species loss, such changes can drive the dynamics of ecosystem stability or their functional change. Importantly, species identity matters, representing a substantial influence of future oceans.

Anisotropic Surface Broadening and Core Depletion during the Evolution of a Strong-Field Induced Nanoplasma.

Strong-field ionization of nanoscale clusters provides excellent opportunities to study the complex correlated electronic and nuclear dynamics of near-solid density plasmas. Yet, monitoring ultrafast, nanoscopic dynamics in real-time is challenging, which often complicates a direct comparison between theory and experiment. Here, near-infrared laser-induced plasma dynamics in ∼600 nm diameter helium droplets are studied by femtosecond time-resolved x-ray coherent diffractive imaging. An anisotropic, ∼20 nm wide surface region, defined as the range where the density lies between 10% and 90% of the core value, is established within ∼100 fs, in qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions. At longer timescales, however, the width of this region remains largely constant while the radius of the dense plasma core shrinks at average rates of ≈71 nm/ps along and ≈33 nm/ps perpendicular to the laser polarization. These dynamics are not captured by previous plasma expansion models. The observations are phenomenologically described within a numerical simulation; details of the underlying physics, however, remain to be explored.

Is Ocean Acidification Really a Threat to Marine Calcifiers? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 980+ Studies Spanning Two Decades.

Ocean acidification is considered detrimental to marine calcifiers, but mounting contradictory evidence suggests a need to revisit this concept. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to critically re-evaluate the prevailing paradigm of negative effects of ocean acidification on calcifiers. Based on 5153 observations from 985 studies, many calcifiers (e.g., echinoderms, crustaceans, and cephalopods) are found to be tolerant to near-future ocean acidification (pH ≈ 7.8 by the year 2100), but coccolithophores, calcifying algae, and corals appear to be sensitive. Calcifiers are generally more sensitive at the larval stage than adult stage. Over 70% of the observations in growth and calcification are non-negative, implying the acclimation capacity of many calcifiers to ocean acidification. This capacity can be mediated by phenotypic plasticity (e.g., physiological, mineralogical, structural, and molecular adjustments), transgenerational plasticity, increased food availability, or species interactions. The results suggest that the impacts of ocean acidification on calcifiers are less deleterious than initially thought as their adaptability has been underestimated. Therefore, in the forthcoming era of ocean acidification research, it is advocated that studying how marine organisms persist is as important as studying how they perish, and that future hypotheses and experimental designs are not constrained within the paradigm of negative effects.

Turning a lost reef ecosystem into a national restoration program.

Achieving a sustainable socioecological future now requires large-scale environmental repair across legislative borders. Yet, enabling large-scale conservation is complicated by policy-making processes that are disconnected from socioeconomic interests, multiple sources of knowledge, and differing applications of policy. We considered how a multidisciplinary approach to marine habitat restoration generated the scientific evidence base, community support, and funding needed to begin the restoration of a forgotten, functionally extinct shellfish reef ecosystem. The key actors came together as a multidisciplinary community of researchers, conservation practitioners, recreational fisher communities, and government bodies that collaborated across sectors to rediscover Australia's lost shellfish reefs and communicate the value of its restoration. Actions undertaken to build a case for large-scale marine restoration included synthesizing current knowledge on Australian shellfish reefs and their historical decline, using this history to tell a compelling story to spark public and political interest, integrating restoration into government policy, and rallying local support through community engagement. Clearly articulating the social, economic, and environmental business case for restoration led to state and national funding for reef restoration to meet diverse sustainability goals (e.g., enhanced biodiversity and fisheries productivity) and socioeconomic goals (e.g., job creation and recreational opportunities). A key lesson learned was the importance of aligning project goals with public and industry interests so that projects could address multiple political obligations. This process culminated in Australia's largest marine restoration initiative and shows that solutions for large-scale ecosystem repair can rapidly occur when socially valued science acts on political opportunities.

Transformación de un Ecosistema Arrecifal Perdido en un Programa Nacional de Restauración Resumen Actualmente se requiere una reparación ambiental a gran escala que atraviese fronteras legislativas para lograr un futuro socio-ecológico sustentable. Aun así, habilitar la conservación a gran escala es complicado debido a los procesos de elaboración de políticas que están desconectadas de los intereses socio-económicos, las múltiples fuentes de conocimiento y las diferentes aplicaciones de las políticas. Consideramos cómo una estrategia multidisciplinaria para la restauración de hábitats marinos generó una base de evidencia científica, apoyo comunitario y el financiamiento necesario para así iniciar la restauración de un ecosistema arrecifal de conchas funcionalmente extinto. Los actores clave formaron una comunidad multidisciplinaria de investigadores, practicantes de la conservación, comunidades de pescadores recreativos y órganos gubernamentales que colaboró con varios sectores para redescubrir los arrecifes perdidos de Australia y comunicó el valor de su restauración. Las acciones realizadas para armar el caso para la restauración marina a gran escala incluyeron la síntesis del conocimiento actual sobre los arrecifes de conchas en Australia y su declinación histórica, el uso de esta historia para contar una narración convincente que active el interés público y político, la integración de la restauración a la política gubernamental y la movilización del apoyo local por medio de la participación comunitaria. Claramente, la articulación del caso del negocio social, económico y ambiental para la restauración llevó al financiamiento estatal y nacional para la restauración arrecifal a cumplir diversos objetivos socio-económicos (p. ej.: creación de empleos, oportunidades recreativas) y de restauración (p. ej.: una productividad realzada de la biodiversidad y las pesquerías). Una lección clave que aprendimos fue lo importante que es alinear los objetivos del proyecto con los intereses públicos y de la industria, de tal manera que los proyectos aborden las múltiples obligaciones políticas. Este proceso culminó con la iniciativa de restauración marina más grande en Australia y demuestra que las soluciones para la reparación de los ecosistemas a gran escala pueden ocurrir rápidamente cuando la ciencia con valor social actúa sobre las oportunidades políticas.

Assessing the Mobility of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Spike Protein Glycans by Structural and Computational Methods.

Two years after its emergence, the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains difficult to control despite the availability of several vaccines. The extensively glycosylated SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, which mediates host cell entry by binding to the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) through its receptor binding domain (RBD), is the major target of neutralizing antibodies. Like to many other viral fusion proteins, the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein utilizes a glycan shield to thwart the host immune response. To grasp the influence of chemical signatures on carbohydrate mobility and reconcile the cryo-EM density of specific glycans we combined our cryo-EM map of the S ectodomain to 4.1 Å resolution, reconstructed from a limited number of particles, and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Chemical modifications modeled on representative glycans (defucosylation, sialylation and addition of terminal LacNAc units) show no significant influence on either protein shielding or glycan flexibility. By estimating at selected sites the local correlation between the full density map and atomic model-based maps derived from molecular dynamics simulations, we provide insight into the geometries of the α-Man-(1→3)-[α-Man-(1→6)-]-ß-Man-(1→4)-ß-GlcNAc(1→4)-ß-GlcNAc core common to all N-glycosylation sites.

Climate Donations Inspired by Evidence-Based Fundraising.

Everyone has an opportunity to contribute to climate solutions. To help people engage with this opportunity, it is critical to understand how climate organizations and fundraisers can best communicate with people and win their financial support. In particular, fundraisers often rely on practical skills and anecdotal beliefs at the expense of scientific knowledge. Fundraisers could be motivated to achieve a substantial boost in funding for climate solutions, if there is evidence of the financial gains that science-based fundraising makes available. In this Perspective, we provide a preliminary foray into such evidence. We bring together findings from philanthropic research and climate psychology to identify what factors can help captivate donors. Then, through an experimental study of a charitable appeal for a climate charity, we show how putting these factors into practice may contribute toward an increase in donated money. This provides optimism that evidence-based fundraising can inspire donors to contribute much-needed resources toward climate solutions.

Shark teeth can resist ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification can cause dissolution of calcium carbonate minerals in biological structures of many marine organisms, which can be exacerbated by warming. However, it is still unclear whether this also affects organisms that have body parts made of calcium phosphate minerals (e.g. shark teeth), which may also be impacted by the 'corrosive' effect of acidified seawater. Thus, we examined the effect of ocean acidification and warming on the mechanical properties of shark teeth (Port Jackson shark, Heterodontus portusjacksoni), and assessed whether their mineralogical properties can be modified in response to predicted near-future seawater pH (-0.3 units) and temperature (+3°C) changes. We found that warming resulted in the production of more brittle teeth (higher elastic modulus and lower mechanical resilience) that were more vulnerable to physical damage. Yet, when combined with ocean acidification, the durability of teeth increased (i.e. less prone to physical damage due to the production of more elastic teeth) so that they did not differ from those raised under ambient conditions. The teeth were chiefly made of fluorapatite (Ca5 (PO4 )3 F), with increased fluoride content under ocean acidification that was associated with increased crystallinity. The increased precipitation of this highly insoluble mineral under ocean acidification suggests that the sharks could modulate and enhance biomineralization to produce teeth which are more resistant to corrosion. This adaptive mineralogical adjustment could allow some shark species to maintain durability and functionality of their teeth, which underpins a fundamental component of predation and sustenance of the trophic dynamics of future oceans.

Better Writing in Scientific Publications Builds Reader Confidence and Understanding.

Scientific publications are the building blocks of discovery and collaboration, but their impact is limited by the style in which they are traditionally written. Recently, many authors have called for a switch to an engaging, accessible writing style. Here, we experimentally test how readers respond to such a style. We hypothesized that scientific abstracts written in a more accessible style would improve readers' reported readability and confidence as well as their understanding, assessed using multiple-choice questions on the content. We created a series of scientific abstracts, corresponding to real publications on three scientific topics at four levels of difficulty-varying from the difficult, traditional style to an engaging, accessible style. We gave these abstracts to a team of readers consisting of 170 third-year undergraduate students. Then, we posed questions to measure the readers' readability, confidence, and understanding with the content. The scientific abstracts written in a more accessible style resulted in higher readability, understanding, and confidence. These findings demonstrate that rethinking the way we communicate our science may empower a more collaborative and diverse industry.

Valuing marine restoration beyond the 'too small and too expensive'.

Restoration is criticized as ineffectively small scale, a smoke screen against global-scale action. Yet, large-scale solutions arise from small-scale successes, which inject social values and optimism needed for global investment. Human values are central to achieving socio-ecological sustainability; understanding human behavior is now arguably more important than understanding the ecological processes.