10/10 I hope the ideas we share here will help to inspire new, solution-oriented research directions and provoke further thoughtful discussions among those looking to use mesocosm systems in their work!

#ecology #globalchange #mesocosms #solutions #restoration #connectivity #freshwater #marine

9/ Thanks to all those who contributed their thoughts and ideas to this synthesis; @jaypiggott.bsky.social, @csabavad.bsky.social, @spilling.bsky.social, @mstockenreiter.bsky.social, @aquafink.bsky.social, @zsofiahorvath.bsky.social and all those not yet on Bluesky - I enjoyed collating them all!

8/ Finally, integrating the results from controlled mesocosm studies with:
🔹 Large-scale observational datasets 🛰️, and
🔹 Advanced ecosystem models
will generate powerful insignts for management interventions to tackle human-driven impacts on Earth's ecosystems.

7/ Leveraging mesocosms’ high replication potential to employ regression-based designs will:
✅Generate more informative data for model evaluation 📈,
✅Detect thresholds and potential tipping points of biological and geochemical responses ⚠️,
✅Help guide prioritised interventions for mitigation 🌱.

6/ Metacosm studies—coordinated, distributed mesocosm experiments—spanning diverse climates & environmental gradients can tackle context dependency by:
🔹 Standardising methods of data generation
🔹 Improving cross-site comparisons
🔹 Enhancing insight into causal responses from local-to-global scales🌍

5/ Tackling limitations of isolation and temporal divergence? Think about enhancing connectivity by:
✅ Facilitating dispersal from a regional species pool, e.g., using open, flow-through systems
✅ Manually manipulating dispersal or incorporating a connectivity treatment to test its role in recovery.

4/ Addressing some solutions will require
🔹Scaling the system to replicate larger-scale environments.
But when restoration can’t initially be tested at scale
🔹A ‘work small to think big’ approach can yield valuable information by first testing outcomes of habitat-scale restoration at smaller scales.

3/ Overcoming spatio-temporal constraints is important, because:
🔹 Restoration is a prolonged process which typically occurs at large spatial scales,
🔹 Connectivity is important in ecological recovery.

2/Mesocosms have mostly been used to quantify impacts of environmental threats, but there's largely untapped potential in using them to test solutions!

We explore the opportunities that mesocosms offer in providing controlled, realistic and replicable environments for investigating novel solutions.

Great news, Patrick! Big congratulations 👏🏼

Hi, please add me if there’s still space! Thanks :)

Migrated just too late for this list I see! If a 2nd is made, please add me there, thanks!

Yes please, Frank! :)