Open Access Publications - Sustainability at UD

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Open access publications related to sustainability research.

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Challenging the Status Quo and Leading: Michele Kang, Building a Global Women’s Soccer Organization
(Women’s Leadership Initiative, Lerner College of Business & Economics, University of Delaware, 2025) Moszer, Aaron; Sullivan, Lauren; Idowu-Kunlere, Tosin; Bullough, Amanda
In 2022, Y. Michele Kang broke barriers by becoming the first woman majority owner of a multi-team soccer organization featuring the Washington Spirit and Olympique Lyonnais Féminin. In 2023, she expanded her organization by adding the London City Lionesses. Kang’s journey to soccer team ownership was unconventional, as she had primarily worked in healthcare IT. However, her reputation for challenging the status quo and driving change was immediately evident in the investment, resources, and attention she brought to her teams. This case study delves into the leadership challenge of Michele Kang as she sets out to build the first-of-its-kind global women’s soccer organization. The study aims to demonstrate that this venture is a promising business opportunity and a beacon of hope for achieving equity with male peer teams and their associated resources. Learning Outcomes By the end of this case study, the students should be able to: • Identify leadership skills necessary to elevate women’s soccer revenue, pay, profile, attendance, and interest. • Suggest how Michele Kang can navigate building a global culture of excellence and data sharing across her multi-team organization. • Identify attendant challenges to training women with equipment and programs designed specifically for women, rather than adapted from men’s programs and equipment.
Deepening water scarcity in breadbasket nations
(Nature Communications, 2025-01-28) Deng, Qinyu; Sharretts, Tyler; Ali, Tariq; Ao, Yufei Zoe; Chiarelli, Davide Danilo; Demeke, Betelhem; Marston, Landon; Mehta, Piyush; Mekonnen, Mesfin; Rulli, Maria Cristina; Tuninetti, Marta; Xie, Wei; Davis, Kyle Frankel
Water is crucial for meeting sustainability targets, but its unsustainable use threatens human wellbeing and the environment. Past assessments of water scarcity (i.e., water demand in exceedance of availability) have often been spatially coarse and temporally limited, reducing their utility for targeting interventions. Here we perform a detailed monthly sub-basin assessment of the evolution of blue (i.e., surface and ground) water scarcity (years 1980-2015) for the world’s three most populous countries – China, India, and the USA. Disaggregating by specific crops and sectors, we find that blue water demand rose by 60% (China), 71% (India), and 27% (USA), dominated by irrigation for a few key crops (alfalfa, maize, rice, wheat). We also find that unsustainable demand during peak months of use has increased by 101% (China), 82% (India), and 49% (USA) and that 32% (China), 61% (India), and 27% (US) of sub-basins experience at least 4 months of scarcity. These findings demonstrate that rising water demands are disproportionately being met by water resources in already stressed regions and provide a basis for targeting potential solutions that better balance the water needs of humanity and nature.
A Perceptual Model of Drivers and Limiters of Coastal Groundwater Dynamics
(Hydrological Processes, 2025-01-27) Kretschmer, Daniel V.; Michael, Holly A.; Moosdorf, Nils; Oude Essink, Gualbert H. P.; Bierkens, Marc F. P.; Wagener, Thorsten; Reinecke, Robert
Coastal groundwater is a vital resource for coastal communities around the globe, and submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) delivers nutrients to coastal marine ecosystems. Climatic changes and anthropogenic actions alter coastal hydrology, causing seawater intrusion (SWI) globally. However, the selection of SWI and SGD study sites may be highly biased, limiting our process knowledge. Here, we analyse hydroenvironmental characteristics of coastal basins studied in 1298 publications on SGD and SWI to understand these potential biases. We find that studies are biased towards basins with gross domestic product per capita below (SWI) and above (SGD) the median of all global coastal basins. Urban coastal basins are strongly overrepresented compared to rural coastal basins, limiting our progress in understanding undisturbed natural processes. Despite the connection between anthropogenic activity and coastal groundwater issues, and the consequential overrepresentation of urban basins in coastal groundwater studies, perceptual (or conceptual) models of coastal groundwater rarely include anthropogenic influences aside from pumping (e.g., subsidence, land use change). Taking a holistic view on coastal groundwater flows, we have developed an editable perceptual model illustrating the current understanding, including both natural and anthropogenic drivers. As SGD and SWI in new areas of the globe are studied, we advocate for researchers to utilise and further edit this perceptual model to openly communicate our process understanding and study assumptions.
Predictive habitat occupancy models for North American river otters along inland streams in New Jersey
(Wildlife Biology: A journal for wildlife science, 2025-01-23) Williams, Christopher K.; Bennett, Curtis; Schley, Hannah; Castelli, Paul
The North American river otter Lontra canadensis is a semi-aquatic furbearer species that historically ranged throughout North America. Starting in the mid-1800s and continuing through the early 1900s, the negative effects associated with anthropogenic disturbances (i.e. overharvest, development and ultimately habitat alternation) led to local extinctions. Researchers debate whether current land use patterns are affecting river otter occupancy. New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the United States, thus it provides a perfect study area to test potential anthropogenic effects on river otters. Using occupancy modeling to examine river otter habitat preferences, we measured presence/absence at 244 low order streams from January–April 2011–2012 along with 19 corresponding site/landscape covariates in both northern and southern New Jersey. In southern New Jersey, we detected otters at 83/141 sites (58.9%) with a detection probability of 97.7% across repeat visits and a predicted occupancy of 59.4 ± 0.04%. In northern New Jersey we detected otters at 31/103 sites (30.1%) with a detection probability of 44.5% across repeat visits and a predicted occupancy of 58.8 ± 0.04%. We determined the influence of habitat covariates on otter occupancy and found that water depth, water quality, stream width and mink presence were positively correlated with otter occupancy. The % commercial, industrial, transportation and recreational habitat, % low intensity development, bank slope, and distance to lake were negatively correlated with otter occupancy. Knowing the location of occupied stream and latrine sites will assist biologists in their efforts to monitor river otter populations and help estimate river otter density for harvest and conservation efforts.
Neutrons and Food 7: Bridging Innovation and Measurement Needs
(Neutron News, 2024-12-11) Teixeira, Susana
Neutrons and Food have made their inaugural transatlantic journey: the 7th edition of the meeting series was hosted at the University of Delaware, bringing together an international cohort of food and neutron researchers. The event featured presentations and discussions on cutting edge applications in food-related research, as well as the impact of advancements in neutron sources and instrumentation. The need to expand in-situ measurement capabilities to support food processing and engineering, and the importance of automation to enhance throughput and reliability, were highlighted.
A global dataset of nitrogen fixation rates across inland and coastal waters
(Limnology and Oceanography Letters, 2025-01-23) Fulweiler, Robinson W.; Berberich, Megan E.; Rinehart, Shelby A.; Taylor, Jason M.; Kelly, Michelle C.; Ray, Nicholas E.; Oczkowski, Autumn; Balint, Sawyer J.; Geisser, Alexandra H.; Mahoney, Catherine R.; Benavides, Mar; Church, Matthew J.; Loeks, Brianna; Newell, Silvia E.; Olofsson, Malin; Oppong, Jimmy C.; Roley, Sarah S.; Vizza, Carmella; Wilson, Samuel T.; Groffman, Peter M.; Scott, J. Thad; Marcarelli, Amy M.
Biological nitrogen fixation is the conversion of dinitrogen (N2) gas into bioavailable nitrogen by microorganisms with consequences for primary production, ecosystem function, and global climate. Here we present a compiled dataset of 4793 nitrogen fixation (N2-fixation) rates measured in the water column and benthos of inland and coastal systems via the acetylene reduction assay, 15N2 labeling, or N2/Ar technique. While the data are distributed across seven continents, most observations (88%) are from the northern hemisphere. 15N2 labeling accounted for 67% of water column measurements, while the acetylene reduction assay accounted for 81% of benthic N2-fixation observations. Dataset median area-, volume-, and mass-normalized N2-fixation rates are 7.1 μmol N2-N m−2 h−1, 2.3 × 10−4 μmol N2-N L−1 h−1, and 4.8 × 10−4 μmol N2-N g−1 h−1, respectively. This dataset will facilitate future efforts to study and scale N2-fixation contributions across inland and coastal aquatic environments. Scientific Significance Statement Here we provide and describe a dataset of global nitrogen fixation rates for the water column and benthos of inland and coastal waters. This dataset is useful for understanding how nitrogen fixation varies across these ecosystems and is a resource for focusing future research questions. We anticipate this is the first version of this dataset that will continue to develop with newly published rates and expanded data on environmental drivers.
Characterizing Storm-Induced Coastal Flooding Using SAR Imagery and Deep Learning
(IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, 2025-01-21) Edwing, Deanna; Meng, Lingsheng; Lv, Suna; Yan, Xiao-Hai
Flooding is among the most common yet costly worldwide annual disasters. Previous studies have proven that synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is an effective tool for flooding observation due to its high-resolution and timely observations, and deep learning-based models can accurately extract water bodies from SAR imagery. However, many previous flood analyses do not account for influences of tides and permanent water bodies, and the comprehensive characteristics of coastal storm flooding are still not fully understood. This study therefore presents a novel approach for isolating storm-induced flood waters in coastal regions from SAR imagery through the identification and removal of permanent water bodies and tidal inundation. This methodology is applied to the Delaware Bay region, with ancillary geospatial data used to determine resulting landcover impacts. Results indicate that flooding primarily impacts agricultural and marsh regions, as well as urban areas like airports and road systems adjacent to rivers or large inland bays. The sensitivity impacts of tides on flood estimates reveals that estimates significantly increase if included in analysis, highlighting the importance of their removal prior to flood identification. Finally, exploration into intense coastal storm events in the Delaware Bay region reveal the importance of storm characteristics like high water levels, wind, and precipitation in generating extreme flooding conditions. The case study presented here has important implications for other coastal regions and provides an innovative and comprehensive approach to coastal storm flood identification and characterization which can benefit coastal managers, emergency responders, coastal communities, and researchers interested in coastal flood hazards.
Knowledge-Informed Deep Learning Model for Subsurface Thermohaline Reconstruction From Satellite Observations
(IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 2024-12-02) Wang, An; Su, Hua; Huang, Zhanchao; Yan, Xiao-Hai
3-D ocean temperature and salinity data are the basis for studying ocean dynamic processes and warming. Satellite remote sensing observations on the ocean surface are abundant and full-coverage, while in situ observations in the ocean interior are very sparse and unevenly distributed. Currently, the remote sensing inversion models of temperature and salinity in the ocean interior are unable to learn both global and local detail information, and modeling layer-by-layer blocks the connection between vertical depth levels, resulting in poor accuracy. In this study, we proposed a novel clustering-guided and knowledge-distillation network (CGKDN) model based on the ocean knowledge-driven model. The model introduced K-means clustering for the partitions of ocean processes, knowledge distillation (KD) fusing global and local detail information, and adaptive depth gradient loss linking the vertical depth dimension, which enhanced the interpretability and accuracy of the model. Comparison of the reconstructions with the existing major publicly available datasets through the validation of 10% EN4 in situ profile observations from 2001 to 2020 reveals that the reconstructions are more accurate. Concretely, the average root mean square error (RMSE) (°C) across time-series and vertical levels of CGKDN/Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP)/OCEAN5 ocean analysis-reanalysis (ORAS5)/deep ocean remote sensing (DORS) ocean subsurface temperature (OST) is 0.590/0.598/0.690/0.723, and the average RMSE (PSU) of CGKDN/IAP/ORAS5 ocean subsurface salinity (OSS) is 0.101/0.103/0.106, respectively. Furthermore, the downscaled quarter-degree reconstructions present more mesoscale detail signals, consistent with the ARMOR3D data. This study not only improves the estimation accuracy of subsurface temperature and salinity but also serves the study of ocean interior dynamic processes and variabilities and provides valuable references for reconstructing other ocean subsurface physical variables.
Synthetic Aperture Radar for Geosciences
(Reviews of Geophysics, 2024-09-03) Meng, Lingsheng; Yan, Chi; Lv, Suna; Sun, Haiyang; Xue, Sihan; Li, Quankun; Zhou, Lingfeng; Edwing, Deanna; Edwing, Kelsea; Geng, Xupu; Wang, Yiren; Yan, Xiao-Hai
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has emerged as a pivotal technology in geosciences, offering unparalleled insights into Earth's surface. Indeed, its ability to provide high-resolution, all-weather, and day-night imaging has revolutionized our understanding of various geophysical processes. Recent advancements in SAR technology, that is, developing new satellite missions, enhancing signal processing techniques, and integrating machine learning algorithms, have significantly broadened the scope and depth of geosciences. Therefore, it is essential to summarize SAR's comprehensive applications for geosciences, especially emphasizing recent advancements in SAR technologies and applications. Moreover, current SAR-related review papers have primarily focused on SAR technology or SAR imaging and data processing techniques. Hence, a review that integrates SAR technology with geophysical features is needed to highlight the significance of SAR in addressing challenges in geosciences, as well as to explore SAR's potential in solving complex geoscience problems. Spurred by these requirements, this review comprehensively and in-depth reviews SAR applications for geosciences, broadly including various aspects in air-sea dynamics, oceanography, geography, disaster and hazard monitoring, climate change, and geosciences data fusion. For each applied field, the scientific advancements produced because of SAR are demonstrated by combining the SAR techniques with characteristics of geophysical phenomena and processes. Further outlooks are also explored, such as integrating SAR data with other geophysical data and conducting interdisciplinary research to offer comprehensive insights into geosciences. With the support of deep learning, this synergy will enhance the capability to model, simulate, and forecast geophysical phenomena with greater accuracy and reliability. Key Points - Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for geosciences is comprehensively reviewed broadly including oceanography, geography, hazards, and climate change - Scientific advances contributed by SAR techniques for each topic are overviewed in-depth with recent developments and frontiers highlighted - Data, techniques, and scientific insights of SAR are summarized and prospected, highlighting the role of machine learning Plain Language Summary Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) uses microwaves to remotely see the Earth's surface under all weather conditions, day and night. SAR has been providing high-resolution images for many decades and they have been applied to many fields in geosciences. Several SAR sensors have been launched in recent years, significantly increasing the SAR data volume and leading to great developments in SAR technology, thereby improving our understanding of geophysical phenomena and processes. This work comprehensively overviews the application of SAR in geosciences, including oceanography, geography, geodesy, climatology, seismology, meteorology, and environmental science. Moreover, this review paper highlights the significance of SAR in various aspects of geosciences, summarizes recent advancements in SAR technology, and demonstrates unique insights and important contributions of SAR in understanding and solving geophysical questions. Future directions and outlooks include integrating SAR with other geophysical data and interdisciplinary applications for complex questions. This review serves as an up-to-date guide to the cutting-edge uses of SAR technology in comprehensive geophysical studies. It is aimed at researchers and practitioners in geosciences, as well as policymakers and stakeholders interested in leveraging SAR for geosciences.
ReSpool: An Approach to Scaling a Circular System for Textile Recycling and Sustainable Textile Innovation Through Convergence Research
(International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings, 2025-01-20) Cobb, Kelly; Thomas, Kedron; Clarke-Sather, Abigail; Cao, Huantian
The fashion industry significantly contributes to environmental degradation, accounting for 8-10% of global CO2 emissions and 20% of industrial water pollution. With over 100 million tons of textile waste generated annually, the need for systemic change in production and consumption is urgent. ReSpool offers a scalable, circular approach to textile recycling and sustainable innovation through transdisciplinary convergence research. Leveraging regional ecosystems, the initiative partners with academia, government, industry, and nonprofits to transform post-consumer fashion waste into valuable products. Over the past year, ReSpool established partnerships across the Delaware Valley and Upper Midwest regions, including with Goodwill Industries and sustainable textile innovators. The team developed groundbreaking technologies such as a Fiber Shredder for creating reusable fibers and prototyped processes for manufacturing woven and nonwoven textiles. Through stakeholder interviews, design thinking methodologies, and user feedback, ReSpool refined processes, preparing for further testing and commercial applications. This research underscores the potential of regional collaboration.
Innovative Methods for Secondary Material Development in Mechanical Textile Recycling
(International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings, 2025-01-20) Yatvitskiy, Michelle; Ludwig, Kendall; Gupman, Sophia; Cobb, Kelly; Cao, Huantian; Clarke-Sather, Abigail
The textile and apparel industry generates significant waste, with only 14.7% of the 17 million tons produced in 2018 being recycled. Current mechanical recycling efforts often result in downcycled products and lack scalability for commercial viability. This research explored innovative methods for developing yarns and nonwoven fabrics using mechanically recycled fibers ("Respool fibers") to address these challenges. End-of-use 100% denim cotton and polyester fabrics were shredded into fibers and blended with new fibers at 65% and 85% recycled-to-new ratios. The fibers were processed into yarns and nonwoven fabrics, and their durability (tensile strength, elongation) and comfort (thickness, air permeability) properties were analyzed. Results showed that yarns with 65%, 85%, and 100% recycled polyester exhibited comparable tenacity, demonstrating potential for high recycled fiber content without sacrificing strength. Nonwoven fabrics with higher recycled content were more breathable, suggesting suitability for applications prioritizing air permeability. These findings advance circularity in textile production.
DelaWEAR: An interdisciplinary team’s discovery learning approach to reducing post-consumer textile waste through experiential retail
(International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings, 2025-01-20) Yatvitskiy, Michelle; Rack, Miranda; Mishra, Veepra; Cobb, Kelly
DelaWEAR explores a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to sustainable fashion by leveraging community partnerships and educational initiatives. In collaboration with Goodwill, discarded textiles are repurposed and sold in an on-campus fabric store at the University of Delaware, marking the first phase, “Collection and Re-Distribution.” The second phase, “Educational Initiatives,” focuses on consumer education through events like Sip and Sew workshops and children’s summer camps, teaching practical skills for clothing repair and upcycling. The final phase, “Merchandise Collection,” involves repurposing textiles into University of Delaware merchandise designed by students, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration and experiential learning. As a self-sustaining model, the initiative integrates learning into its framework, providing students with hands-on opportunities while addressing critical gaps in consumer education about sustainable fashion. With support from a $50,000 university grant, future efforts will focus on scaling the business model, including real estate acquisition, product development, and curriculum integration, to create long-term impact in sustainability education.
The Respool Fiber Research (RFR) model: A protocol for the evaluation of mechanically recycled materials towards “second life” product applications
(International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings, 2025-01-18) Ludwig, Kendall; Yatvitskiy, Michelle; Cobb, Kelly; Cao, Huantian
The Respool Fiber Research (RFR) model provides a comprehensive protocol for evaluating mechanically recycled textiles for "second life" product applications, addressing critical gaps in the circular economy. With textile waste predominantly landfilled, mechanical recycling often results in short, weak fibers unsuitable for high-value products. The RFR model leverages sensory evaluations and laboratory testing to guide the transformation of recycled fibers into yarn or nonwoven prototypes. Demonstrating its applicability with 100% recycled cotton denim and wool, the model prioritizes material consistency, compatibility, and upcycling potential. Key steps include assessing fiber properties, blending for consistency, and determining appropriate prototype pathways through tensile and elongation testing. The RFR model advances beyond existing frameworks, enabling educators, researchers, and developers to optimize recycled materials for multi-use cycles. Future research will scale the model for broader industry application, fostering sustainability and innovation in textile recycling.
Eco-Conscious Design Process: Natural Dyed Knitwear with Innovative 3D Motifs
(International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings, 2025-01-18) Tyler, Casey; Gorea, Adriana
This research project was aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of producing eco-conscious knitwear that prioritizes environmental sustainability without compromising on aesthetic appeal or functionality. The knowledge through practice methodology guided the development of a modular sweater on a flatbed knitting machine. By looking for innovative approaches to material selection, dyeing processes, and garment construction, this project seeks to inspire broader adoption of sustainable practices within the fashion industry. The inspiration for this study was derived from the octopus, reflecting its organic patterns and red-orange hues in the color of the yarns and the shape of the repeating 3D motif. Sustainability was prioritized through the hierarchy of the knitted garment design process, from fiber and yarn selection to fabric design and assembly stages. By integrating upcycled materials, natural dyeing, innovative 3D machine-knitting, and sustainable assembly techniques, the design process explored in this project achieved a balance between aesthetics and environmental consciousness.
Creating Open Educational Resources (OER) for Global Apparel Trade and Sourcing Courses
(International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings, 2025-01-13) Lu, Sheng
This study shared the best practices and discussed the opportunities and challenges of using open educational resources (OER) in global sourcing classes.
How Has the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Affected U.S. Apparel Import?
(International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings, 2025-01-13) Lu, Sheng; Delaye, Emilie
Implemented in June 2022, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) prohibits U.S. companies from importing apparel wholly or in part produced in China’s Xinjiang region. UFLPA could significantly alter U.S. apparel import patterns as fashion companies have begun or anticipate adjusting their sourcing base to comply with the law and mitigate the forced labor risks in the supply chain. This study quantitatively evaluated the impacts of the UFLPA on U.S. apparel imports nearly two years after the law’s implementation. Unlike existing studies primarily focusing on UFLPA’s political or legal aspects, this study’s findings enhance our understanding of the economic and trade implications of the new law. The results also provide valuable input, helping fashion companies develop appropriate strategies in response to UFLPA’s implementation and the shifting sourcing environment.
Reviving Fashion: Exploring U.S. Retailers’ Merchandising Strategies for Upcycled Clothing
(International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings, 2025-01-13) Hansen, Alexa; Lu, Sheng
This study explored U.S. retailers’ merchandising strategies for upcycled clothing compared with regular new garments (i.e., not upcycled). Specifically, by leveraging thousands of product-level data, the study examined U.S. retailers’ detailed product assortment, design features, and pricing practices for upcycled clothing. The study’s findings helped us gain more insights into the business aspect of upcycling, identify the supply gap, and provide valuable input for retailers interested in expanding into the growing upcycled clothing market.
Private versus Public Flood Insurance: Differences in Premiums and Uptake Observed in Two Coastal Housing Markets Using Survey Data
(Marine Resource Economics, 2025-01-01) Fielding, Samuel; Parsons, George
Using a natural experiment created by the 1982 Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA), we measure the extent to which insurance premiums vary between private and publicly backed flood insurance policies. The CBRA resulted in homeowners living in neighboring housing markets in which some have access to the federally backed National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and others do not. Flood risks and other features of the neighborhoods are otherwise indistinguishable. Those without access to publicly backed insurance must purchase private insurance if they desire coverage. We compare insurance premiums and uptake in the two markets and find that premiums for private coverage are significantly higher than public rates (after controlling for other factors in a reduced-form regression), implying a subsidy by NFIP. We also find a much lower uptake of insurance in the areas without federally backed insurance. Our results are based on a mail survey of residents in two US coastal communities with a 50% response rate: North Bethany Beach, Delaware, and North Topsail Beach, North Carolina. We also present results related to perceptions of flood hazards, of being under- or overinsured, and measures taken to mitigate flood damage.
Comparative metagenomics of tropical reef fishes show conserved core gut functions across hosts and diets with diet-related functional gene enrichments
(Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2025-01-22) Wu, Derek G.; Harris, Cassandra R.; Kalis, Katie M.; Bowen, Malique; Biddle, Jennifer F.; Farag, Ibrahim F.
Fish gut microbial communities are important for the breakdown and energy harvesting of the host diet. Microbes within the fish gut are selected by environmental and evolutionary factors. To understand how fish gut microbial communities are shaped by diet, three tropical fish species (hawkfish, Paracirrhites arcatus; yellow tang, Zebrasoma flavescens; and triggerfish, Rhinecanthus aculeatus) were fed piscivorous (fish meal pellets), herbivorous (seaweed), and invertivorous (shrimp) diets, respectively. From fecal samples, a total of 43 metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) were recovered from all fish diet treatments. Each host-diet treatment harbored distinct microbial communities based on taxonomy, with Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Firmicutes being the most represented. Based on their metagenomes, MAGs from all three host-diet treatments demonstrated a baseline ability to degrade proteinaceous, fatty acid, and simple carbohydrate inputs and carry out central carbon metabolism, lactate and formate fermentation, acetogenesis, nitrate respiration, and B vitamin synthesis. The herbivorous yellow tang harbored more functionally diverse MAGs with some complex polysaccharide degradation specialists, while the piscivorous hawkfish’s MAGs were more specialized for the degradation of proteins. The invertivorous triggerfish’s gut MAGs lacked many carbohydrate-degrading capabilities, resulting in them being more specialized and functionally uniform. Across all treatments, several MAGs were able to participate in only individual steps of the degradation of complex polysaccharides, suggestive of microbial community networks that degrade complex inputs. IMPORTANCE The benefits of healthy microbiomes for vertebrate hosts include the breakdown of food into more readily usable forms and production of essential vitamins from their host's diet. Compositions of microbial communities in the guts of fish in response to diet have been studied, but there is a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the genome-based metabolic capabilities of specific microbes and how they support their hosts. Therefore, we assembled genomes of several gut microbes collected from the feces of three fish species that were being fed different diets to illustrate how individual microbes can carry out specific steps in the degradation and energy utilization of various food inputs and support their host. We found evidence that fish gut microbial communities share several core functions despite differences in microbial taxonomy. Herbivorous fish harbored a functionally diverse microbial community with plant matter degraders, while the piscivorous and invertivorous fish had microbiomes more specialized in protein degradation.
Cropland expansion links climate extremes and diets in Nigeria
(Science Advances, 2025-01-10) Khan, Bhoktear; Mehta, Piyush; Wei, Dongyang; Ali, Hanan Abou; Adeluyi, Oluseun; Alabi, Tunrayo; Olayide, Olawale; Uponi, John; Davis, Kyle Frankel
Climate change threatens smallholder agriculture and food security in the Global South. While cropland expansion is often used to counter adverse climate effects despite ecological trade-offs, the benefits for diets and nutrition remain unclear. This study quantitatively examines relationships between climate anomalies, forest loss from cropland expansion, and dietary outcomes in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. Combining high-resolution data on forest cover and climate variables within random forest and panel regression models, we find that 25 to 31% of annual forest loss is linked to climate variability. Using georeferenced household survey data, we then find that changes in forest cover have a significant positive association with changes in child diet diversity—a key proxy of nutritional adequacy—while cropland expansion does not, suggesting that such forest conversions may be an ineffective climate adaptation strategy for improving nutrition. Our findings highlight the potential of nutrition-sensitive climate adaptation to enhance yields, promote nutritious cropping choices, and protect remaining forests.

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