Sustainability Institute

Solar-driven photocatalytic ceramic membrane reactors from tunisian clay for efficient paracetamol degradation

Pharmaceutical residues such as paracetamol are increasingly detected in aquatic environments, raising concerns about their persistence and potential ecological impact. In this study, a solar-driven photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR) was developed using low-cost ceramic membra...

How volant seabirds benefit from sub-surface predators during multi-predator feeding aggregations

Abstract Multi-predator feeding aggregations are common in marine ecosystems and frequently involve seabirds. Often labelled opportunistic ‘scroungers’, volant seabirds derive diverse benefits from the association with sub-surface predators (such as cetaceans, pinnipeds, Teleosts...

Ice-ray pentagonal packing of pseudo-fivefold helices

While fivefold point symmetry is common in nature, fivefold spatial symmetry is seldom observed. Regular pentagons cannot tile a plane without leaving voids, and even the densest “ice-ray” packing is exceptionally rare. Fivefold helices are equally elusive. We report a small mole...

Unlocking the potential of aquatic animal telemetry research to advance management and conservation: Barriers and a blueprint for Great Britain and Ireland

Aquatic animal telemetry research can provide important knowledge for how populations, anthropogenic pressures and, indeed, entire ecosystems are managed. However, the true scale, extent and impact in Britain and Ireland is poorly understood. We surveyed 53 researchers about past...

Stabilization of 3.5-valent vanadium electrolytes via thermodynamic phase-boundary mapping

Despite the potential of vanadium flow batteries (VFBs) for large-scale energy storage, their commercialization is still hindered by the poor thermal stability of VO 2 + in the positive electrolyte. Additives have improved the electrolyte to some extent, yet they are usually intr...

Enabling climate action: A nexus approach for delivering co-benefits across biodiversity, water, food, and health

Climate response options rarely affect biodiversity, water, food, and health in uniform ways. This comparative analysis examines why technically viable response options generate uneven cross-nexus outcomes, and how governance and justice conditions shape whether these outcomes be...

Life‑cycle analysis of bio‑based phase change materials in recycled‑aggregate mortars: sourcing sensitivity and trade‑offs

Abstract The decarbonization of construction materials requires circular design strategies supported by life‑cycle thinking. This study quantifies the cradle‑to‑gate (A1–A3) environmental impacts of three mortar formulations: (i) a Reference mortar, (ii) a mortar incorporating re...

Promoting sustainability teaching and learning in HEI through the ecological footprint concept

Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a key role in democratising quality education for sustainability, for all. This study aims to present the outcomes of implementing the EUSTEPs Sustainability Module, which acquaints HEI students with sustainability concepts in an...

Do cork oak trees grow in the dry, hot summer of the mediterranean climate?

Abstract Monitoring stem radial intra-annual growth dynamics is a useful approach for characterising tree growth responses to climate change. In the Mediterranean there have been only a few studies reporting growth responses of cork oak ( Quercus suber L.) to seasonal water short...

Ethnobotanical and phytochemical insights into native and naturalized plants for cashew pest control in Guinea-Bissau

Abstract Essential oils are increasingly recognized as ecofriendly alternatives to synthetic pesticides, especially in tropical regions with high pest pressure and limited crop protection resources. This study evaluates native and naturalized plants in Guinea-Bissau— Ageratum con...

ERGA-BGE Reference Genome: Corema album ((L.) D. Don, 1830) - the Portuguese crowberry, endemic to the Iberian Peninsula.

Corema album is a perennial, dioecious shrub endemic to the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula and the Azores. It inhabits coastal dune ecosystems from Galicia to the Strait of Gibraltar, where it plays an important ecological role. The goal of this study was to assemble and...

Investigations of black carbon aerosol sources and strengths over a rural-valley location in Haryana, India

Observations of equivalent Black Carbon (eBC) aerosols were carried out at Panchgaon, a rural site in Haryana, nestled amidst the Aravali hillocks (285 m AMSL) in northwest India. These measurements were carried out using a next-generation seven-wavelength Aethalometer (AE33) fro...

Grounds for comparison: linking Arabica cup scores to soil fertility and plant nutrition in rust-resistant cultivars and traditional American coffees

Abstract The cup quality of rust-resistant Arabica ( Coffea arabica L.) × Robusta ( C. canephora Pierre ex Froehner) cultivars is thought to be inferior to traditional Arabicas, but few studies have examined the extent to which coffee cup scores are affected by local variation in...

Typology and critical analysis of structural and institutional barriers to sustainable intensification education in Nigeria and Ghana: A systematic review

Background The ongoing issues of food insecurity, poverty, and environmental degradation in West Africa make sustainable intensification (SI) essential. To combat these challenges, scholars and policymakers increasingly agree that training and education in SI is necessary, partic...

Hydroclimate variability affects habitat-specific (pelagic and littoral-benthic) metabolism in a eutrophic terminal lake

This study shows that hydroclimate variability affects habitat-specific (pelagic and littoral-benthic) metabolism in a eutrophic terminal lake. Hydroclimate influences lake metabolism (gross primary production, GPP; ecosystem respiration, ER; and net ecosystem production, NEP). W...

Waste Management in Multi-Unit Dwellings: a Systematic Review of System Determinants and Circular Economy Positioning

Abstract Waste diversion and recycling performance in multi-unit dwellings (MUDs) frequently underperforms compared to single-unit dwellings (SUDs). As urban densification in big cities increases the prevalence of MUDs, concerns have emerged regarding the effectiveness of waste m...

Consumer behavioral outcomes in agrifood traceability: a systematic review and a proposed definition of consumer habit

Purpose This systematic literature review maps behavioral outcomes and elicitation methods used in consumer research on traceable agrifood products and examines how consumer habit has been conceptualized and measured. Design/methodology/approach Adapting the preferred reporting i...

Introducing saliva as an analytical sample in higher education through an interdisciplinary blended-learning programme

Saliva is an emerging analytical sample increasingly supported by scientific evidence as a viable alternative or complement to serum or plasma in both human and veterinary medicine. Despite its demonstrated potential, its inclusion in higher education curricula within human and a...

Characterization of the Healthy Ocular Mycobiome of Purebred Lusitano Horses Using Oxford Nanopore Long-Read Sequencing

The ocular surface represents a unique microbial ecosystem continuously exposed to environmental microorganisms; however, the fungal component of the healthy equine ocular microbiome remains poorly characterized. This study aimed to characterize the ocular surface mycobiome of 12...

Improving landcover data governance in developing countries

Recent advances in open-access satellite imagery and processing tools have accelerated the production of national-scale landcover (LC) maps for land use planning and ecological monitoring. While such technological democratisation has expanded analytical capacity, it has also gene...