Kyushu University · Environmental Science
Professor María Belén Alfonso's research lab focuses on aquatic ecosystem dynamics, with a strong emphasis on microplastic pollution and its ecological impacts in freshwater and marine environments. The lab investigates microplastic abundance, characterization, and trophic transfer, particularly through zooplankton, with a special interest in small microplastics (<300 μm) in understudied regions such as Southeast Asia. They also study the effects of environmental stressors—like storms and water management—on lake metabolism and plankton communities, integrating physicochemical, hydrological, and biological data to assess ecosystem health and resilience.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Digestion protocols are needed to determine microplastics abundance and features. This study assessed the organic matter (OM) digestion efficiency on plankton samples and the MPs' weight, size, and polymer changes under different digestion techniques. For this, 2-step (KOH and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> + Fe<sup>2+</sup>) and 3-step (2-step and enzymes) digestion techniques were assessed under different duration and temperature conditions. The results obtained for OM digestion with 2-step and 3-
Understanding the drivers and how they affect ecosystem metabolism is essential for developing effective management policy and plans. In this study, net ecosystem production (NEP), ecosystem respiration (R), and gross primary production (GPP) rates were estimated in relation to physicochemical, hydrological, and meteorological variables in La Salada (LS) and Sauce Grande (SG), two shallow lakes located in an important agricultural region with water management. LS is a mesosaline, mesotrophic-eut
In recent years, significant efforts have been dedicated to measuring and comprehending the impact of microplastics (MPs) in the ocean. Despite harmonization guidelines for MPs research, discrepancies persist in the applied methodologies and future challenges, mostly for the smaller fractions (< 100 μm). Whether intentional or accidental, ingesting plastic particles by zooplankton can lead to incorporating this pollutant into aquatic food chains. Therefore, zooplankton can serve as a suitable pr
Abstract The intensity and frequency of storms are projected to increase in many regions of the world because of climate change. Storms can alter environmental conditions in many ecosystems. In lakes and reservoirs, storms can reduce epilimnetic temperatures from wind‐induced mixing with colder hypolimnetic waters, direct precipitation to the lake's surface, and watershed runoff. We analyzed 18 long‐term and high‐frequency lake datasets from 11 countries to assess the magnitude of wind‐ vs. rain
La Salada is a shallow saline lake located in the SW of the Pampas subject to significant water management, so the primary objective was to assess whether the water input and physicochemical parameters have an impact on the plankton assemblages over a two year period (2013–dry and 2014–wet). The plankton community structure and physicochemical variables showed substantial changes over the study period. La Salada hosted a plankton community characterized by low diversity and small sized organisms
Microplastics could be ingested by many organisms, including zooplankton, involving bioaccumulation and biomagnification mechanisms a cross food webs. The information about microplastic ingestion by zooplankton keeps increasing worldwide. However, it is still limited for particle sizes under 300 μm (small microplastics, SMPs) and in areas such as Southeast Asia, which is considered one of the hotspots for plastic debris. This study aimed to characterize the size, shape, and polymer types of the
According to model projections, increases in the frequency and intensity of heatwaves are expected all over the world. This study analyzed, for the first time, the effect of heatwaves events on long-term surface latent (LE) and sensible heat fluxes (H) from two shallow lakes: La Salada lake (LS - 39°27′ S, 62°42′ W) and Sauce Grande lake (SG - 38°57′ S, 61°24′ W). The main drivers of LE and H are wind speed and direction, relative humidity, and the difference between air and water temperature. W
Fil: Alfonso, Maria Belen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Bahia Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografia. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografia; Argentina
Los organismos zooplanctónicos constituyen un eslabón importante en las redes tróficas de los cuerpos de agua, lo cual los convierte en indicadores útiles al evalúar el estado ecológico de un ambiente. En la presente tesis se estudió la estructura y dinámica del zooplancton de la laguna La Salada en relación a las variables fisicoquímicas, climáticas y al manejo antrópico. La Salada es una laguna salina somera, ubicada al SW de la provincia de Buenos Aires. Se caracteriza por presentar un import
The first comprehensive freshwater microplastics monitoring initiative is underway in South America, focusing on lakes, shallow lakes, reservoirs, streams, and rivers from Argentina. The project Monitoring and Analysis of Plastic Pollution in Aquatic Environments (MappA) aims to implement a standardized methodology to comprehensively understand microplastics' presence, characteristics, and distribution within these water bodies. Building upon the successes of prior international collaborations (
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