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Modulation Of Innate Immune Cells By The Nad+ Pathway, Abbas Jawad Al-Shabany Jan 2017

Modulation Of Innate Immune Cells By The Nad+ Pathway, Abbas Jawad Al-Shabany

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

NAD+ has previously been shown to regulate TNF-α synthesis and TNF-α has been shown to regulate NAD+ homeostasis, thus providing a link between a pro-inflammatory response and redox status. Despite the well-established link between TNF-α and NAD+, the mechanism as to how NAD+ modulates TNF-α release is not fully understood. To achieve this, this link was investigated using THP-1 cell line-derived M1-like (pro-inflammatory) and M2-like (anti-inflammatory) macrophages using PMA and vitamin D3, respectively. NAD+ levels differed markedly between M1-like and M2-like macrophages, with M1-like having much higher basal levels. LPS increases NAD+ levels and TNF-α secretion in M1-like but not …


Authenticity And Quality Of Muscle Foods: Assessing Consumer Trust And Fraud Detection Approaches, Salih Mustafa Salih Jan 2017

Authenticity And Quality Of Muscle Foods: Assessing Consumer Trust And Fraud Detection Approaches, Salih Mustafa Salih

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Authenticity issues and fraudulent practices regarding animal products are affecting consumer confidence. Verifying the description, composition, processing or origin of foods can be challenging. To explore British and Kurdish consumers’ perceptions of kebab meat products, focus groups and questionnaire surveys were applied. About 40% of participants in the UK tend to purchase fewer processed meats after the European horsemeat scandal. Issues raised by participants indicated their concerns about the declaration of species, meat content, and other ingredients incorporated in kebab and other meat products. Lack of consumer trust has been linked to authenticity issues. Reactions towards the addition of fat-replacing …


Understanding Rarity And Latitudinal Range Relationships In European Diving Beetles (Dytiscidae) Using Metabolic Plasticity And Immunocompetence., Rebekah Katie Elizabeth Cioffi Jan 2017

Understanding Rarity And Latitudinal Range Relationships In European Diving Beetles (Dytiscidae) Using Metabolic Plasticity And Immunocompetence., Rebekah Katie Elizabeth Cioffi

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Whilst the geographical range of species is a fundamental unit of macroecology and a leading predictor of extinction risk, the evolutionary dynamics of species’ ranges remain poorly understood. In some aquatic beetles, thermal niche has been shown to be related to both the relative range size and position of congeners but whether other physiological niche parameters play a role is unknown. Here, immunocompetence and metabolic plasticity were related to biogeography in these insects. Immunocompetence was first compared within a rare-common pair of Hydroporus species, finding species-specific immunity, which was affected by sex and acclimation time in the laboratory, with no …


Field Observations Of Infragravity Wave Response To Variable Sea-Swell Wave Forcing, Kris William Inch Jan 2017

Field Observations Of Infragravity Wave Response To Variable Sea-Swell Wave Forcing, Kris William Inch

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Infragravity waves are low frequency (0.005-0.04 Hz) waves that can dominate the spectrum of water motions and sediment transport processes within the inner surf zone. Despite the established importance of infragravity waves in shaping our coasts and numerous studies dating back to the 1950s, several aspects of infragravity wave analysis, generation and dissipation remain poorly understood. As much of the recent infragravity research has focussed on fetch-limited coasts, less is known about the climatology of these waves on energetic coastlines subject to both swell and fetch-limited waves. It has been postulated that bed friction only plays a significant role in …


Factors Affecting Participation In Group Agri-Environment Schemes: A Case Study Of The Dartmoor Commons, Ann Willcocks Jan 2017

Factors Affecting Participation In Group Agri-Environment Schemes: A Case Study Of The Dartmoor Commons, Ann Willcocks

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Environmental stewardship schemes are an important driver of biodiversity and habitat improvement throughout England, with the provision of funding to land managers to deliver effective land management that will benefit wildlife, habitats, natural resources and the population. Participation in agri-environment schemes is voluntary and much is done to encourage scheme participation. Dartmoor is a designated landscape, a National Park, and a Special Area of Conservation and encompasses areas of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Dartmoor is a farmed landscape, with the area divided into 92 common land units, over which a diversity of common rights are exercised. At present, …


Migratory Behaviour And Spatial Dynamics Of Large Sharks And Their Conservation Implications, James Simon Eaton Lea Jan 2017

Migratory Behaviour And Spatial Dynamics Of Large Sharks And Their Conservation Implications, James Simon Eaton Lea

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Determining the dynamic nature of animal movement has been an important component in a wider understanding of animal population ecology. Generally, this is because temporal change in the density of a population at a specific geographic location is not only a function of births and deaths but also of movements, including migration. The increased availability of remote telemetry and biologging systems in recent years has enabled many studies tracking marine predators, such as turtles, seabirds and marine mammals, but a general understanding of spatial dynamics in large sharks remains less well developed. This is in part due to few studies …


Kinetic Measurements Of Di- And Tripeptide And Peptidomimetic Drug Transport In Different Kidney Regions Using The Fluorescent Membrane Potential-Sensitive Dye, Dis-C3-(3)., Othman A. Alghamdi, Nicola King, Graham L. Jones, Pierre D.J. Moens Jan 2017

Kinetic Measurements Of Di- And Tripeptide And Peptidomimetic Drug Transport In Different Kidney Regions Using The Fluorescent Membrane Potential-Sensitive Dye, Dis-C3-(3)., Othman A. Alghamdi, Nicola King, Graham L. Jones, Pierre D.J. Moens

School of Biomedical Sciences

Tri- and dipeptides are transported in the kidney by PEPT1 and PEPT2 isoforms. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in transport kinetics between renal brush border (BBMV) and outer medulla (OMMV) membrane vesicles (where PEPT1 and PEPT2 are sequentially available) for a range of di- and tripeptides and peptidomimetic drugs. This was accomplished through the use of the potential-sensitive fluorescent dye 3,3'-dipropylthiacarbocyanine iodide [DiS-C3-(3)]. BBMV and OMMV were prepared from the rat kidney using standard techniques. The presence of PEPT1 in BBMV and PEPT2 in OMMV was confirmed using Western blotting. Fluorescence changes were measured when extravesicular …


Personality, Life-History Traits And Pace Of Life In The Hermit Crab Pagurus Bernhardus, Mariana Velasque Borges Jan 2017

Personality, Life-History Traits And Pace Of Life In The Hermit Crab Pagurus Bernhardus, Mariana Velasque Borges

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Consistent between-individual differences in behaviour (termed “animal personality”) may be driven by adaptive differences in behavioural and physiological life-history traits. The Pace of Life Syndrome (POLS) hypothesis predicts a suit of correlations between those life-history traits along a fast-slow continuum. Therefore, according to the POLS, individuals that are fast-paced would be bolder, more explorative, show high growth-rates, lower immunity and a higher metabolic rate. A mechanistic link between such traits could also explain variation in cognitive traits, where bold individuals are faster at a given task but pay less attention to external cues and therefore make decisions less accurately. Here, …


The Effects Of A Variation In Noseband Tightness On The Rein Tension Of The Ridden Horse., Deborah Duke Jan 2017

The Effects Of A Variation In Noseband Tightness On The Rein Tension Of The Ridden Horse., Deborah Duke

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The noseband has been the topic of much recent attention from many within the equitation science field concerned with the welfare of the ridden horse. Nosebands have adapted over the years and are now used specifically for different purposes most being linked to increased control of the horse by either closing the mouth, placing additional pressure on the horse’s head in certain areas and preventing the horse avoid the pressure of the bit in their mouth. However, objective data do not exist on the consequences of tightening the noseband on the horse’s head. The possibilities are physical pain, skin and …


The Ecology Of Sabellaria Spinulosa Reefs, Bryony Pearce Jan 2017

The Ecology Of Sabellaria Spinulosa Reefs, Bryony Pearce

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Reef habitats built by the tubiculous polychaete Sabellaria spinulosa have been identified as a habitat with significant conservation importance, based on their historic decline across Europe and the assumption that, like many other biogenic reef systems, S. spinulosa reefs enhance biodiversity. Despite the high conservation status of this habitat very little work has been undertaken to explore the role that S. spinulosa reefs play in marine ecosystems, or their sensitivity to anthropogenic disturbance. Observations of the reproductive ecology and population dynamics of the reef building organism indicate that S. spinulosa exhibit life-history traits typically associated with r-strategists, indicating that this …


The Vulnerability Of Different Populations Of The Commercially-Important Shrimp Pandalus Borealis To Environmental Stress, Emilie Florence Hall Jan 2017

The Vulnerability Of Different Populations Of The Commercially-Important Shrimp Pandalus Borealis To Environmental Stress, Emilie Florence Hall

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The present study adopted an integrative approach to conduct a population comparison of vulnerability to environmental stress in a commercially important species of ectotherm. Specifically, I investigated how differing environmental conditions in native habitats may drive intra-species divergence and alter performance when conditions shift. This study used northern prawn (Pandalus borealis Krøyer 1838) populations with known morphological differences from two spatially proximate fjord sites differing in oxygen regime as a model system. The genetic population structure was analysed and whole organism, physiological, and metabolomic performance under hypoxia and thermal stress were assessed. Genetic analyses displayed no significant dissimilarities between P. …


The Microbiological Safety Of Fresh Produce In Lebanon- A Holistic “Farm-To-Fork Chain” Approach To Evaluate Food Safety, Compliance Levels And Underlying Risk Factors, Dima Faour-Klingbeil Jan 2017

The Microbiological Safety Of Fresh Produce In Lebanon- A Holistic “Farm-To-Fork Chain” Approach To Evaluate Food Safety, Compliance Levels And Underlying Risk Factors, Dima Faour-Klingbeil

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The consumption of unsafe fresh vegetables has been linked to an increasing number of outbreaks of human infections. In Lebanon, although raw vegetables are major constituents of the national cuisine, studies on the safety of fresh produce are scant. This research employed a holistic approach to identify the different stages of the food chain that contribute to the microbiological risks on fresh produce and the spreading of hazards. A thorough analysis of the institutional and regulatory framework and the socio-political environment showed that the safety of local fresh produce in Lebanon is at risk due to largely unregulated practices and …


Validation Of The Oecd Reproduction Test Guideline With The New Zealand Mudsnail Potamopyrgus Antipodarum Using Trenbolone And Prochloraz, C Geiß, K Ruppert, C Askem, C Barroso, D Faber, V Ducrot, H Holbech, Th Hutchinson, P Kajankari, Kl Kinnberg, L Lagadic, P Matthiessen, S Morris, M Neiman, O-P Penttinen, P Sanchez-Marin, M Teigeler, L Weltje, J Oehlmann Jan 2017

Validation Of The Oecd Reproduction Test Guideline With The New Zealand Mudsnail Potamopyrgus Antipodarum Using Trenbolone And Prochloraz, C Geiß, K Ruppert, C Askem, C Barroso, D Faber, V Ducrot, H Holbech, Th Hutchinson, P Kajankari, Kl Kinnberg, L Lagadic, P Matthiessen, S Morris, M Neiman, O-P Penttinen, P Sanchez-Marin, M Teigeler, L Weltje, J Oehlmann

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) provides several standard test methods for the environmental hazard assessment of chemicals, mainly based on primary producers, arthropods, and fish. In April 2016, two new test guidelines with two mollusc species representing different reproductive strategies were approved by OECD member countries. One test guideline describes a 28-day reproduction test with the parthenogenetic New Zealand mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum. The main endpoint of the test is reproduction, reflected by the embryo number in the brood pouch per female. The development of a new OECD test guideline involves several phases including inter-laboratory validation studies to …


Cascading Of High Salinity Bottom Waters From The Arabian/Persian Gulf To The Northern Arabian Sea, Gi Shapiro, F Wobus, V Solovyev, X Francis, P Hyder, F Chen, M Asif Jan 2017

Cascading Of High Salinity Bottom Waters From The Arabian/Persian Gulf To The Northern Arabian Sea, Gi Shapiro, F Wobus, V Solovyev, X Francis, P Hyder, F Chen, M Asif

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.


Systematic Review Of Countermeasures To Minimise Physiological Changes And Risk Of Injury To The Lumbopelvic Area Following Long-Term Microgravity, Andrew Winnard, Mona Nasser, Dorothee Debuse, Maria Stokes, Simon Evetts, Mick Wilkinson, Julie Hides, Nick Caplan Jan 2017

Systematic Review Of Countermeasures To Minimise Physiological Changes And Risk Of Injury To The Lumbopelvic Area Following Long-Term Microgravity, Andrew Winnard, Mona Nasser, Dorothee Debuse, Maria Stokes, Simon Evetts, Mick Wilkinson, Julie Hides, Nick Caplan

More Faculty of Health Research

No abstract provided.


Animal Behaviour: A Very Short Introduction, M Briffa Jan 2017

Animal Behaviour: A Very Short Introduction, M Briffa

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Animal behaviour: a very short introduction is number 513 in a vast series of very short introductions covering subjects from Accounting to Zionism. These pocket-sized paperbacks are nicely produced and dangerously collectable for those into that sort of thing. One reviewer has described the series as ‘the thinking person’s Wikipedia’ and the stated aim of the series is to provide ‘stimulating ways into new subjects’. So I am going to review Animal behaviour from this perspective: how effective would it be in stimulating a nonspecialist to delve into our field?


Reproductive Effects Of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, Bisphenol-A And 17Β-Oestradiol, On Cerastoderma Edule From South-West England: Field Study And Laboratory Exposure, Al Lusher, N Pope, Rd Handy Jan 2017

Reproductive Effects Of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, Bisphenol-A And 17Β-Oestradiol, On Cerastoderma Edule From South-West England: Field Study And Laboratory Exposure, Al Lusher, N Pope, Rd Handy

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.


Academic Capitalism In Architecture Schools: A Feminist Critique Of Employability, 24/7 Work And Entrepreneurship, I Troiani Jan 2017

Academic Capitalism In Architecture Schools: A Feminist Critique Of Employability, 24/7 Work And Entrepreneurship, I Troiani

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This chapter examines the current situation that many universities worldwide are facing due to globalisation, which is of transitioning from institutions for education (Foucault’s ‘premodern or medieval university’) toentrepreneurial businesses (the ‘modern university’). The modern university is governed by a neoliberal system of production and consumption of students, staff, knowledge and research for the purpose of improving nation economies. Looking particularly at schools of architecture, it discusses employability, 24-hour work and entrepreneurship in relation to marketisation and economisation. It tracks the inequalities that arise from the neoliberalisation of public universities on teaching content, an administrative-directed work, workloads, wellbeing and gender. …


An Alternative Surgical Approach Reduces Variability Following Filament Induction Of Experimental Stroke In Mice, Melissa Trotman-Lucas, Michael E. Kelly, Justyna Janus, Robert Fern, Claire L. Gibson Jan 2017

An Alternative Surgical Approach Reduces Variability Following Filament Induction Of Experimental Stroke In Mice, Melissa Trotman-Lucas, Michael E. Kelly, Justyna Janus, Robert Fern, Claire L. Gibson

More Faculty of Health Research

No abstract provided.


The Genomic Basis Of Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics, Alejandra Rodríguez-Verdugo, James Buckley, Jessica Stapley Jan 2017

The Genomic Basis Of Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics, Alejandra Rodríguez-Verdugo, James Buckley, Jessica Stapley

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Recent recognition that ecological and evolutionary processes can operate on similar timescales has led to a rapid increase in theoretical and empirical studies on eco-evolutionary dynamics. Progress in the fields of evolutionary biology, genomics and ecology is greatly enhancing our understanding of rapid adaptive processes, the predictability of adaptation and the genetics of ecologically important traits. However, progress in these fields has proceeded largely independently of one another. In an attempt to better integrate these fields, the centre for ‘Adaptation to a Changing Environment’ organized a conference entitled ‘The genomic basis of eco-evolutionary change’ and brought together experts in ecological …


Free Classification Of Large Sets Of Everyday Objects Is More Thematic Than Taxonomic, Rebecca Lawson, Franklin Chang, Andy J. Wills Jan 2017

Free Classification Of Large Sets Of Everyday Objects Is More Thematic Than Taxonomic, Rebecca Lawson, Franklin Chang, Andy J. Wills

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.


Evidence Of A Goal-Directed Process In Human Pavlovian-Instrumental Transfer, Tina Seabrooke, Pelley Me Le, Lee Hogarth, Chris J. Mitchell Jan 2017

Evidence Of A Goal-Directed Process In Human Pavlovian-Instrumental Transfer, Tina Seabrooke, Pelley Me Le, Lee Hogarth, Chris J. Mitchell

School of Psychology

© 2017 APA, all rights reserved). Cues that signal rewards can motivate reward-seeking behaviors, even for outcomes that are not currently desired. Three experiments examined this phenomenon, using an outcome-selective Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT) design and an outcome devaluation procedure. In Experiment 1, participants learned to perform one response to earn crisps points and another response to earn popcorn points. One outcome was then devalued by adulterating it to make it taste unpleasant. On test, overall response choice was biased toward the outcome that had not been devalued, indicating goal-directed control. Stimuli that signaled crisps and popcorn also biased instrumental response …


Neural Correlates Of Evidence Accumulation During Value-Based Decisions Revealed Via Simultaneous Eeg-Fmri, M. Andrea Pisauro, Elsa Fouragnan, Chris Retzler, Marios G. Philiastides Jan 2017

Neural Correlates Of Evidence Accumulation During Value-Based Decisions Revealed Via Simultaneous Eeg-Fmri, M. Andrea Pisauro, Elsa Fouragnan, Chris Retzler, Marios G. Philiastides

School of Psychology

AbstractCurrent computational accounts posit that, in simple binary choices, humans accumulate evidence in favour of the different alternatives before committing to a decision. Neural correlates of this accumulating activity have been found during perceptual decisions in parietal and prefrontal cortex; however the source of such activity in value-based choices remains unknown. Here we use simultaneous EEG–fMRI and computational modelling to identify EEG signals reflecting an accumulation process and demonstrate that the within- and across-trial variability in these signals explains fMRI responses in posterior-medial frontal cortex. Consistent with its role in integrating the evidence prior to reaching a decision, this region …


Assessing The Cellular And Adhesive Interactions In In Vitro Models Of Mantle Cell Lymphoma, David Tucker Jan 2017

Assessing The Cellular And Adhesive Interactions In In Vitro Models Of Mantle Cell Lymphoma, David Tucker

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD) that has very poor survival. Like other LPDs, the neoplastic cells of MCL have an intimate dependence upon accessory cells within haematopoietic tissues. Understanding and exploiting the tissue-relationships of the mantle cells may therefore lead to further new approaches to treatment. This study work has set out to construct an in vitro system to model relevant aspects of the tissue-dependent behaviour of the neoplastic mantle cells, seeking to establish the link between in vitro behaviour and clinical phenotype, and establishing the feasibility of this system to study the effects of …


Dynamical Systems Theory For Transparent Symbolic Computation In Neuronal Networks, Giovanni Sirio Carmantini Jan 2017

Dynamical Systems Theory For Transparent Symbolic Computation In Neuronal Networks, Giovanni Sirio Carmantini

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

In this thesis, we explore the interface between symbolic and dynamical system computation, with particular regard to dynamical system models of neuronal networks. In doing so, we adhere to a definition of computation as the physical realization of a formal system, where we say that a dynamical system performs a computation if a correspondence can be found between its dynamics on a vectorial space and the formal system’s dynamics on a symbolic space. Guided by this definition, we characterize computation in a range of neuronal network models. We first present a constructive mapping between a range of formal systems and …


Simulation Tools For The Study Of The Interaction Between Communication And Action In Cognitive Robots, Tomassino Ferrauto Jan 2017

Simulation Tools For The Study Of The Interaction Between Communication And Action In Cognitive Robots, Tomassino Ferrauto

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

In this thesis I report the development of FARSA (Framework for Autonomous Robotics Simulation and Analysis), a simulation tool for the study of the interaction between language and action in cognitive robots and more in general for experiments in embodied cognitive science. Before presenting the tools, I will describe a series of experiments that involve simulated humanoid robots that acquire their behavioural and language skills autonomously through a trial-and-error adaptive process in which random variations of the free parameters of the robots’ controller are retained or discarded on the basis of their effect on the overall behaviour exhibited by the …


Adaptive Behaviour In Evolving Robots, Jônata Tyska Carvalho Jan 2017

Adaptive Behaviour In Evolving Robots, Jônata Tyska Carvalho

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

In this thesis, the evolution of adaptive behaviour in artificial agents is studied. More specifically, two types of adaptive behaviours are studied: articulated and cognitive ones. Chapter 1 presents a general introduction together with a brief presentation of the research area of this thesis, its main goals and a brief overview of the experimental studies done, the results and conclusions obtained. On chapter 2, I briefly present some promising methods that automatically generate robot controllers and/or body plans and potentially could help in the development of adaptive robots. Among these methods I present in details evolutionary robotics, a method inspired …


Exchanges Between The Shelf And The Deep Black Sea: An Integrated Analysis Of Physical Mechanisms, Gi Shapiro, F Wobus, A Zatsepin, T Akivis, F Zhou Jan 2017

Exchanges Between The Shelf And The Deep Black Sea: An Integrated Analysis Of Physical Mechanisms, Gi Shapiro, F Wobus, A Zatsepin, T Akivis, F Zhou

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

This study provides an integrated analysis of exchanges of water, salt and heat between the north-western Black Sea shelf and the deep basin. Three contributing physical mechanisms are quantified, namely: Ekman drift, transport by mesoscale eddies at the edge of the NW Black Sea shelf and non-local cascading assisted by the rim current and mesoscale eddies.


Bottom Trapped Internal Waves Over The Malin Sea Continental Slope, Nataliya Stashchuk, Vasiliy Vlasenko Jan 2017

Bottom Trapped Internal Waves Over The Malin Sea Continental Slope, Nataliya Stashchuk, Vasiliy Vlasenko

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Three-dimensional dynamics of internal tides on the continental slope of the Malin Sea is studied numerically and validated with the observational data collected on the 88-th cruise of the RRS “James Cook” in June–July 2013. Observed in-situ bottom intensification of baroclinic tidal currents was reproduced in a series of numerical experiments using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model. The baroclinic tidal dynamics is explained in terms of superposition of two wave processes developing in the area. One of them is a tidal beam generated at the shelf break and radiating tidal energy downward into abyss. The second important …


Identifying The Consequences Of Ocean Sprawl For Sedimentary Habitats, Eliza C. Heery, Melanie J. Bishop, Lincoln P. Critchley, Ana B. Bugnot, Laura Airoldi, Mariana Mayer-Pinto, Emma V. Sheehan, Ross A. Coleman, Lynette H.L. Loke, Emma L. Johnston, Valeriya Komyakova, Rebecca L. Morris, Elisabeth M.A. Strain, Larissa A. Naylor, Katherine A. Dafforn Jan 2017

Identifying The Consequences Of Ocean Sprawl For Sedimentary Habitats, Eliza C. Heery, Melanie J. Bishop, Lincoln P. Critchley, Ana B. Bugnot, Laura Airoldi, Mariana Mayer-Pinto, Emma V. Sheehan, Ross A. Coleman, Lynette H.L. Loke, Emma L. Johnston, Valeriya Komyakova, Rebecca L. Morris, Elisabeth M.A. Strain, Larissa A. Naylor, Katherine A. Dafforn

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Extensive development and construction in marine and coastal systems is driving a phenomenon known as “ocean sprawl”. Ocean sprawl removes or transforms marine habitats through the addition of artificial structures and some of the most significant impacts are occurring in sedimentary environments. Marine sediments have substantial social, ecological, and economic value, as they are rich in biodiversity, crucial to fisheries productivity, and major sites of nutrient transformation. Yet the impact of ocean sprawl on sedimentary environments has largely been ignored. Here we review current knowledge of the impacts to sedimentary ecosystems arising from artificial structures. Artificial structures alter the composition …