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There is Power in God's Promises
The New Year begins tomorrow. I am not going to encourage you to make a list or write out a resolution. I want to encourage you to begin praying God's promises if you don't already by weaving scripture into your prayers. Praying this way has changed me because I live secure in His promises. A prayer weaved with God's promises can break strongholds. Everything you ask that is according to God's will comes to pass. You can be confident you are praying God's will when you pray God's Word!" Praying scripture in prayer just reminds God what He said to you. You can pray, "God you said I am blessed and cannot be cursed, God you said your favor is not for a season but for a lifetime." When you can say, "God you said" all heaven comes to attention. God is faithful to His Word. The scripture does not say put God in remembrance of our problems but in remembrance of His promise. -Isaiah 62:6
Romans 10:17 tells us that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" So pray God's promises out loud again and again. There is Power in His Promises! That might seem weird to you. But weird is different right.? God calls us to be different.
Find a quiet place where you can be alone with God to speak these truths out loud so you can hear them, and let them echo in your thoughts. It makes a difference! When you pray God's words out loud, and you hear them. Then the Holy Spirit will engrave them on your heart and write them in your thoughts. Your faith will grow while you are being transformed from the inside out.
This New Year Pray the Power of God's Promises into Existence! Have A Wonderfully Blessed New Year in 2015!
Father God, I pray that You would give me a confident heart in Christ. Take me beyond believing in You to truly believing You. Help me to always rely on the power of Your promises and to always live like they are true. You say blessed is the one who trusts in You and whose hope and confidence are found in You. I know those who hope in You will not be disappointed, because Your word says You work all things together for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purpose. God, there are times when self-doubt tries to creep in and tell me I can't overcome my insecurities, but I am choosing to stand firm and believe Your promise that all things are possible to whoever believes. I will not throw away my confidence, because You say it will be richly rewarded. I will persevere so that when I have done the will of God, I will receive what You have promised. My confidence is in You, Jesus and I am no longer one who shrinks back and is destroyed, but I am one who believes and is saved! In Jesus' name, Amen.


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Sony has finally clarified when we can get our mitts on Naughty Dog's The Last of Us, confirming the hotly-anticipated adventure won't be released until 2013.
Up until now, the game had carried an ambiguous late 2012/early 2013 launch, though speaking to VG247 at E3 this week, Sony's Shuhei Yoshida revealed it won't make it out this year.
"We are not ready to talk about 2013. But some of the games we showed like God of War and The Last of Us are not coming out this year," said Yoshida-san.
"We will talk more about what our line-up of games will be like in 2013. PS Vita we just launched. It's been just four months."
He also touched briefly on PlayStation Vita, assuring gamers that we can expect more first-party efforts for the handheld's second year on the market.
"It's its second year next year; it's a really crucial year for us so we will continue to invest in making games from our first party studio standpoint, and at the same time, we would like to see more publishers do games like Assassin's Creed III Liberation; that is fantastic."

subset: commoncrawl


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Golden Fluid Mediums, Gel Mediums & Molding Pastes offer artists many ways to alter the consistency aswell as to build texture. They range in consistency from highly fluid, pourable to mouldable with varying degrees of sheen and transparency. Use them to create glazes, extend paints, build texture, and change finishes. Many are excellent glues for collage work.
Even though acrylic colors are offered in various different consistencies and finishes, the use of mediums, gels and molding pastes in conjunction with such colors will broaden the working properties and expand on the possible results.ENQUIRE


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Maybe once in a lifetime, an opportunity comes along to be part of something truly unique and special. This rare jewel is Hamilton Hill, a new master-planned community of architecturally designed homes just where the city meets the hills.
Hamilton Hill's location is exceptional, being in quick reach of the city and close to Magill, Norwood and Burnside for shopping, cafés and bars. It's in the catchment of good local state schools and neighbours Rostrevor College. Morialta Conservation Park is within walking distance and the Adelaide Hills, with their historic towns and world-renowned wineries are just a short drive away.
Enjoy an amazing and enviable lifestyle at Hamilton Hill – the absolute best of both worlds, urban and rural.


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7 Questions Before You Pick A Scheduling Automation Solution
With new scheduling tools popping up daily, there's no wonder why so many businesses are confused with where to start. We suggest asking the following seven questions before choosing a scheduling automation provider.
- Figure out what you need to be successful with your scheduling solution
- How scheduling impacts your revenue
- Scheduling automation and manager productivity
- Scheduling automation's effect on disengagement


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Staff Attorney - Healthcare
(505) 255-2840
Get in Touch
Mr. Townley joined the Center in 2017 and is a staff attorney working on healthcare issues. Before joining the Center, Mr. Townley clerked for a number of civil rights law firms and non-profit organizations in law school, including the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, in the Albuquerque area.
J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2016
B.A. from the University of New Mexico 2012


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Luke Carmichael Valmadrid: Violin and Viola solos plus a piano quartet (piano and string quartet.
This is an hour long program of the Music Appreciation Series organized by John Beutel and sponsored by the Stoughton Area Senior Center, The Stoughton Opera House, a grant from the Bryant Foundation, and the donations from attendees. The sessions are free and open to the public.


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Summer is right around the corner, so in this episode we're going to unpack some practical ways to be intentional in how you spend this season with your family, to maximize fun and memory-making, while minimizing the stresses and strains that often come from seasonal transitions.
What You'll Hear:
- Why it's important to plan and prepare for what matters in life
- My recommendations for adjusting your rhythms and routines for the summer
- How a summer bucket list can help you and your family be intentional about making what matters happen this summer
- How to create and prioritize a summer bucket list with your family
- My recommendations for how to prioritize and structure your time
- How to map out your schedule to find space for the things on your bucket list
- The importance of leaving white space in your life
Links & References:
Want to Dig Deeper? Join us in the Sisterhood!
The Simply Life on Purpose Sisterhood, an online monthly membership community created to give listeners like you the tools, action steps, and community you need to finally get unstuck, make progress toward your goals and live your best life, for God's glory!
Ready to live on purpose, but don't know where to start?
Grab your FREE Purposeful Life Toolkit, filled with all my favorite resources that will help you live on purpose in your faith, wellness, marriage, motherhood, and more
We Appreciate You!
Thanks so much for tuning in to the Simply, Life on Purpose Podcast! Be sure to come hang out with us on Facebook, Instagram or by joining our email family.
If you loved the show, come on over and leave a rating and review, which helps other women like you get connected with the Simply, Life on Purpose movement.


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Pig'n'aif Recordings
Pig'n'aif is both a band and a music project working in conjunction with Rising Records. The name is pronounced - in a typical Yorkshire accent - as Pig-an-Ayf. (Please feel free to use it as a surreptitious curse - we do...).
Originally born out of frustration, the name reflects the fact that it has often been a pig (and an 'aif) to bring these music and recording projects to fruition, or indeed to get the musicians together to play the material, but it also reflects a lighter side of things.
Pig'n'aif News
This is a video teaser of the track 'My Amie' from the forthcoming Pig'n'aif album 'Electronicalis'. of synth-based prog-rock.
We have another new prog-rock album due for release shortly called 'Musicalis Grumpiosa', (a "grumpy old rock album" as they term it - 'cos thay are getting that way). It is in the final stages of mixing and production. Watch this space and their Twitter feed.
"Handover" was the latest album release from the Pig'n'aif project. It was waiting for the opportunity to emerge for a long time. The album is a snapshot of original material written and demo'd by the first Pig'n'aif team of Pete Bangert and Steve Atkinson between 1969 and 1976. The demo's were worked up into finished songs, instrumental tracks, or incorporated into other completed works for release on this album. The material crosses many genre boundaries including Progressive Rock, Blues, Rock and Jazz. In this context it feels like a 'hand-over' from a foreign planet.
"Pig'n'aif Blue-ish" was the second release by the jam-band line-up and completes the theme they started in the 'Pig'n'aif Blue' album. We are quite certain that (unless you have seen Pig'n'aif perform these tracks live) you will not have heard these interpretations before.
All of these CD's are available for purchase or download through this website, (just click on the covers), or you can get them from the Pig'n'aif website. Go on, check out the links. You know you would like to.
Pig'n'aif have further parallel music projects on the go with many great contributing musicians. The projects will produce new albums in due course.
Check out the Pig'n'aif website for more details and more news about their thrilling exploits. You can also keep up with the guys using their Twitter and Facebook pages
Click on covers for audio
www.rising-records.com Please contact our Webmaster with questions or comments. Copyright 1980 to 2019 Rising Records. All rights reserved


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H&LA consultants will be in Raleigh, North Carolina and western New York to assess the markets and gather information for an impact study and a feasibility study.
Home > Our Blog > H&LA Fieldwork: Week of May 27, 2014
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- H&LA Development Update: Newport, KentuckyOctober 18, 2019
- Blackstone buys stake in Great Wolf ResortsOctober 3, 2019
- CoStar Acquires STR for $450 millionOctober 2, 2019
- H&LA Consultants to Attend WWA ConferenceSeptember 26, 2019
- Waterparks State of the Market: Better and BiggerSeptember 23, 2019
Featured Publications
Immersive entertainment a new opportunity for hotels
September 11, 2019
In the span of only a few years, the immersive entertainment concept has taken much of the attractions world by storm. A relatively new phenomenon, it has quickly moved into the mainstream, covering everything from immersive art installations and virtual reality to escape rooms and fully-themed immersive parks. What connects all of these experiences isREAD MORE


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Findings from a recent study could ultimately help doctors tailor treatment for patients with prostate cancer. Learn more about research on more personalized therapies.
Do Men Really Need PSA Tests for Prostate Cancer?
The merits of PSA (prostate-specific antigen) testing for prostate cancer have long been debated. Does testing identify too many harmless, slow-growing cancers — or does it save lives? Tap or click to reveal the answer.
Minority Men: How to Take Control of Your Unique Health Needs
Disparities in health care often are thought to be the result of poverty and a related lack of access to quality health care. But clinical experience and research show that this is overly simplistic.
Does Your Prostate Cancer Need Treatment?
If you've been diagnosed with prostate cancer, don't assume that surgery or radiation therapy is in your future. First, talk to your doctor about how aggressive your cancer may be. While surgery or radiation is best for some aggressive cancers, it's not always necessary.
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
New Blood Test Helps You Avoid Unnecessary Prostate Cancer Biopsies
A new screening tool for prostate cancer has been shown to offer better accuracy than the test currently used by most physicians in the United States. The new test, called the 4Kscore™ test (OPKO Lab), offers various advantages over the more commonly used prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test. The new test improves on these … Read More
Fusion Guided Biopsy: A Smarter Way to Look for Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer can be hard to detect. Deciding what to do about it if we find or suspect it can be even tougher, for patients and their doctors.
Men: Are You at Risk for Prostate Health Issues?
Listen up, gentlemen. You may be getting older and wiser. But if you're not paying attention to — and acting on — changes in your urination habits, you're not making the smart bet on health. You may be experiencing a weak urine stream, a sensation like urination is incomplete or an increase in the number of … Read More
Stop Believing These 3 Common Myths About Prostate Cancer
Common myths about prostate cancer, including misconceptions about prostate-specific-antigen (PSA) testing and prostate surgery.
Should Prostate Cancer Always Be Treated?
The decision on whether to actively treat prostate cancer in certain patients can be controversial. Some doctors question the wisdom of giving advanced treatment to some older patients. These patients may have a low risk of dying from the cancer itself — and little chance the treatment will provide benefit. Dying with prostate cancer rather … Read More


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The store on Billy Sauerland Photography is now OPEN! Yay!
I've opened the store with a few items and I'm adding new items regularly. Such as a new line of gift card sets that feature my photography of course as well as custom printing for home decor items such as posters, wall hangings and more.
So make sure to sign up for the newsletter to receive updates about not only the store but about all things BillySPhoto.


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You are cordially invited to yet another blissful festival at ISKCON Dublin Krishna Temple.
We are celebrating Rama Navami, the appearance day of Lord Ramacandra in Dublin. It's an opportunity to get together with like-minded souls to chant, dance, discuss the past time of Lord Ramacandra and honour a huge feast of Krishna Prasadam - the magic formula for happiness in this dark age of Kali.
When is it? Wednesday 5 April, 2017 at 18.00 until 20.30
Where is it? Dublin Krishna Temple - 83, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1. We are on the third floor of the Govindas Restaurant.
Need directions? Email us at email@example.com or message us via Facebook.
More information can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1780461075605464/
Looking forward to your esteemed company!
Yours humbly,
ISKCON Dublin
Rama Navami 2017 Celebration in Dublin!
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Missions Expert: Churches Must 'Keep Christianity Weird,' Embrace Eccentricity
If the Church wants to grow, it must celebrate those who take eccentric actions to spread the faith, says Michael Frost in his new book about Church "rule-breaker" movements.
In Keep Christianity Weird: Embracing the Discipline of Being Different, Frost, co-founder of Forge Mission Training Network, calls on pastors to use unconventional methods in their ministry to foster "greater creativity and innovation."
"Could it be that the church has closed its doors to the misfits and rebels and troublemakers? Does the church make space for and foster the contributions of those who see things differently?" asks Frost in the first chapter of his book.
"... the broader culture increasingly recognizes the contribution of eccentricity to the greater good. But not the church. Just as business and education is fostering greater creativity and innovation, the church is in a phase of rewarding compliance and conservatism and suppressing eccentricity."
Frost, who's an expert on international church missions, cites multiple examples of groups within Christianity that exhibit the healthy eccentricity he supports, including the Cistercians, Anabaptists and Pentecostals.
"All the great Christian rule-breakers of history submitted themselves to rigorous instruction and discipline as part of their journey into eccentricity," wrote Frost.
Below is an edited transcript of The Christian Post's interview with Frost about his book, Keep Christianity Weird.
CP: You say in Chapter 1 that the Church suppresses eccentric creativity. In what specific ways do you believe institutional churches do this?
Frost: All institutions do this, not just the church. In an attempt to maintain cohesion, they require a level of conformity by their members. To maintain this, they marginalize anyone who questions the status quo. It takes a concerted effort by an institution to encourage innovation and creativity.
Churches can then add a "spiritualized" dimension to it, by labeling these eccentrics as disloyal or claiming they are fostering disunity. In some churches, to even question the leadership is tantamount to attacking God's anointed ones.
I think we need leaders who can tell the difference between fractious troublemakers and those who are clearly discerning the Spirit of God, calling the church to rediscover its vision as a genuinely alternative society.
CP: Do you believe there are churches in the modern day that do not suppress eccentric behavior or creativity? If so, which ones? Does it vary from denomination to denomination?
Frost: Some church planting movements value creativity and innovation. Not the franchise model in the U.S., but the rapid multiplication movements we see in Africa and Asia. That being said, I don't think you could say any one denomination suppresses eccentricity less than the others. It varies from church to church, not denomination to denomination.
I mention that several "eccentric" movements have occurred in the church down through history — the Celts, the Cistercians, the Anabaptists and the Pentecostals. They are quite different in terms of ecclesiology and, in some ways, theology. But what they had in common was a radical resolve to obey God even if that meant sticking out like a sore thumb.
CP: In Chapter 3, you explain how Jesus was a "weirdo" and give examples from the Gospel. What other example(s), aside from the ones explained in the chapter, would you give as proof that Jesus was eccentric?
Frost: He questioned the status quo, relentlessly. He accused the religious leadership of Israel of locking the people up in filthy sheep pens and preying on their worst fears, and declared he had come to throw open the gate and lead the people to freedom, instead of teaching in the traditional fashion of commentating laboriously on the Hebrew Scriptures.
He popularized His message by using quaint agrarian stories drawn from the everyday. He ate with Roman collaborators, tax collectors, and those referred to as "sinners." He taught people how to shame the Romans by turning the other cheek or carrying their pack an extra mile.
I could go on and on. Jesus was completely off center, a square peg in a round hole. And those who were most attracted to Him were the ones who had nothing to lose — women, children, young fishermen, the poor, the disabled. With this band of misfits and outcasts, he changed the entire world.
CP: You document several movements within Christianity over the centuries that had this healthy eccentric weirdness, only to eventually fall into conformity. Is the failure of "weird Christianity" an inevitability? Or is there a way to make a lasting positive impact?
Frost: No, like all fresh movements, they eventually concretize the very thing that made them fresh in the first place. They turn their charism (or gift) into an institutional distinctive and demand conformity to it. That's the way of institutions. We shouldn't bemoan that fact. However, the spirit of fresh, vital, weird Christianity emerges again and again throughout the Church. That's where the lasting impact is.
The Church keeps finding its weird, sometimes in the most unlikely ways. It's OK that the Cistercians drifted into legalism, or that the Pentecostals became more socially acceptable. These movements burst to life, shifted the Church back to its center, and eventually ran out of steam. We just need to continue to encourage fresh new movements of the spirit.
I read once that when NASA was sending spacecraft to the moon, those rockets didn't have their jets burning the whole way. They took off in the direction of the moon and then the engines shut off, allowing the ship to drift toward the destination. Inevitably though, they drifted slightly off target. When that happened the thrusters would light up and surge the ship back in the direction of the moon. These thrusts occurred regularly, reorienting the rocket to its destination.
I think renewal movements do that for the Church. These weird movements are like thrusters, pushing the Church back where God wants it. And I think we could do with a big thrust right now at this point in history.
CP: Would you say your book is more for those who are eccentric or for those in positions of power in the Church who need to be more aware of the benefits of keeping Christianity weird?
Frost: Definitely the latter. The word "eccentric" comes from a combination of the Greek terms ek (out of) and kentron (center). When put together, ekkentros means "out of center." A more colloquial expression would be "off center." And when you think about it, anyone who has displaced their own ego at the center of their being and put God there as the center and focus of their lives can rightly be called eccentric. Church leaders need to help all Christians to recover this off-center way of living out their faith in the eccentric way of Jesus.


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Press release: ONS figures on people aged 50+ in the workplace - Companies should offer employees mid-life MOTs
UK monthly unemployment figures – Jobs market robust on the surface but there is underlying workforce anxiety
6 September 2019 - 3:04pm | Source:
The government has followed the House of Lords' Regenerating Seaside Towns Committee's recommendation, to give Blackpool a town deal in a major step forward in securing its future. Read more
One in four people have had to leave at least one job in the last five years because of pressure and the negative impact it had on their mental health
23 August 2019 - 12:12pm | Source:
22 August 2019 - 11:28am | Source:
Today's publication of the 2019 GCSE results reveal a marked difference in grades between rich and poor pupils. Read more
Business in the Community underline importance of balance between academic attainment and essential skills for future employment
Ahead of the publication of the 2019 A-level results, Rachael Saunders, Education Campaign Director at Business in the Community, says: Read more
14 August 2019 - 12:49pm | Source:
Organisations from the education and employment sectors, including Business in the Community, have united to build a universal framework of essential skills for workplaces of the future. Read more


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Title: We the Children
Author: Andrew Clements
Age Range: ages 9-12 ; grades 3-6
Genre: mystery
First in the Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School series,
Ben and his friend Jill, sixth-graders at the Oakes School, learn that something fishy is going on in their seaside school. Mysterious coins, sneaky adults, changes and challenges in Ben's family, and a thrilling sailing race add up to an adventure in which Ben and Jill try to save their school – given to the community in 1783! – from being destroyed to make way for an amusement park. Will they succeed or are Ben and Jill in over their heads? Andrew Clements is a master at the school story – the kids are empowered and brave and realistically drawn, often fighting unevenly matched battles against semi-nefarious adults. The only downside to We the Children is the very abrupt ending, with little resolution to the main challenge; this book is definitely the first in a series.
Find it in the catalog.


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Fashion Fix 005: Welcome Back
After a two month hiatus its time to dust off the cobwebs and bring you more links you can take a bite out of...
- As you all should know by now: The Costume Institute's Spring exhibition has been announced. The exhibition is called Heavenly Bodies and we have so many ideas for a podcast to highlight why fashion history needs to have more conversations about religion and dress. (Dezeen)
- A lot of people reached out to us about the article on Business of Fashion, or BOF. They do not mention Unravel Podcast or Pop Fashion. They overlook us to discuss more mainstream opinion on fashion and the industry as a whole. That is a shame because we have been a fan of BOF since its infancy. So we thought we would leave the link here and provide an opportunity for you to send the comments about our work. (BOF)
- At Unravel Headquarters we have never considered that fashion hasn't had an impact. In fact, fashion is one of the more powerful engines supporting capitalism, while a western concept, has permeated globally. Disclosure, this is a sponsored article. (Guardian)
- Did you know that the newest Doctor Who, Jodie Whittaker, is a postmodernist embodiment of all Doctor's that have come before her? Writer Joanna Robinson dissects the wardrobe of each doctor. (Vanity Fair)
- Modest fashion is here to stay and the New York Times seems to be into it. Will the sack dresses make a return? (New York Times)


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I've featured Sophie Jamieson here a few times already and with good reason too. Towards the end of last year and early this I talked about a beguiling singer/songwriter with a great future ahead of her. Today, the release of her first 'proper' single confirms just that, "Waterloo" / "Gold" is available to download (free) via Bandcamp now.
"Waterloo" sees Sophie's delicately played acoustic accompanied by shimmering guitar and pared-down drums which add beautifully haunting textures to her genuine, pure vocals and down-right beautiful lyrics. "Gold" is more lonesome, stark and introspective, circling guitars, carefully placed percussion and those vocals – Sophie doesn't need much more to produce atmosphere and goosebumps to the listener.
An EP Where follows this release via Folk Room Records on June 24th and is launched with a show at London's Slaughtered Lamb on June 26th – details.


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Blue Carbon Storage in Tropical Seagrass Meadows Relates to Carbonate Stock Dynamics, Plant–Sediment Processes, and Landscape Context: Insights from the Western Indian Ocean
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- Citations
Globally, seagrass ecosystems are considered major blue carbon sinks and thus indirect contributors to climate change mitigation. Quantitative estimates and multi-scale appraisals of sources that underlie long-term storage of sedimentary carbon are vital for understanding coastal carbon dynamics. Across a tropical–subtropical coastal continuum in the Western Indian Ocean, we estimated organic (Corg) and inorganic (Ccarb) carbon stocks in seagrass sediment. Quantified levels and variability of the two carbon stocks were evaluated with regard to the relative importance of environmental attributes in terms of plant–sediment properties and landscape configuration. The explored seagrass habitats encompassed low to moderate levels of sedimentary Corg (ranging from 0.20 to 1.44% on average depending on species- and site-specific variability) but higher than unvegetated areas (ranging from 0.09 to 0.33% depending on site-specific variability), suggesting that some of the seagrass areas (at tropical Zanzibar in particular) are potentially important as carbon sinks. The amount of sedimentary inorganic carbon as carbonate (Ccarb) clearly corresponded to Corg levels, and as carbonates may represent a carbon source, this could diminish the strength of seagrass sediments as carbon sinks in the region. Partial least squares modelling indicated that variations in sedimentary Corg and Ccarb stocks in seagrass habitats were primarily predicted by sediment density (indicating a negative relationship with the content of carbon stocks) and landscape configuration (indicating a positive effect of seagrass meadow area, relative to the area of other major coastal habitats, on carbon stocks), while seagrass structural complexity also contributed, though to a lesser extent, to model performance. The findings suggest that accurate carbon sink assessments require an understanding of plant–sediment processes as well as better knowledge of how sedimentary carbon dynamics are driven by cross-habitat links and sink–source relationships in a scale-dependent landscape context, which should be a priority for carbon sink conservation.
KeywordsBlue carbon seagrass meadows marine sediment coastal carbon cycle organic carbon carbonate source–sink relationships landscape configuration Western Indian Ocean
Understanding the strength and variability of sedimentary carbon storage is crucial for accurately assessing coastal carbon dynamics (Lavery and others 2013; Watanabe and Kuwae 2015) and for developing efficient management strategies to absorb atmospheric CO2, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation (Duarte and others 2011). In recent years, an increasing number of studies have quantified or compiled data on Corg stored in sediment (reviewed by Kennedy and others 2010; Mcleod and others 2011; Alongi 2012), constituting the "blue carbon" of vegetated coastal habitats (that is, salt marshes, mangroves, and seagrass meadows), adding valuable information to global estimates of natural carbon sinks (Fourqurean and others 2012). Contemporary knowledge gained from direct measurements of spatial and regional variability in the Corg stock levels of coastal habitats is growing (Lavery and others 2013), especially for seagrass habitats (for example, Lavery and others 2013; Serrano and others 2014; Miyajima and others 2015; Armitage and Fourqurean 2016; Dahl and others 2016a; Röhr and others 2016; Samper-Villarreal and others 2016). Evidence of the rapid degradation and loss of vegetated blue carbon habitats (Davy and others 2009; Waycott and others 2009; Spalding and others 2010; Mcleod and others 2011; Macreadie and others 2015; Serrano and others 2016a) due to anthropogenic activity stresses the urgent need for widespread assessments of natural blue carbon sinks to spur directed conservation and restoration efforts (Laffoley and Grimsditch 2009; Duarte and others 2013) as well as for predictive modelling of habitat–carbon dynamics under global change (Macreadie and others 2013) linked to accurate estimates of future economic impacts (Pendleton and others 2012).
Seagrass meadows are among the Earth's most productive aquatic ecosystems (Duarte and Cebrián 1996) and provide efficient habitats for the long-term burial of sedimentary Corg (Smith 1981; Duarte and others 2005, 2010; Serrano and others 2016b), well exceeding the accumulation rates of terrestrial ecosystems (Mateo and others 2006; Mcleod and others 2011). Seagrass meadows are responsible for approximately 10–15% of global oceanic organic carbon storage (Duarte and others 2005; Kennedy and Björk 2009), which is thought to be the highest accumulation rate of blue carbon (Kennedy and others 2010; Mcleod and others 2011), and this carbon is potentially stored in sediment for centuries to millennia (Mateo and others 1997; Serrano and others 2012). The high carbon sink capacity of seagrass systems depends on carbon flow pathways and is linked to multiple intricate processes (Duarte and Cebrián 1996; Cebrian 1999). Carbon dioxide is captured by seagrasses (and algae) through photosynthesis, and the extent to which plant biomass accumulates as decay-resistant refractory matter is determined by the fate of plant primary production (that is, grazing, export, and burial; Cebrian 1999). Most seagrass meadows are net autotrophic systems (with gross primary production exceeding respiration; Duarte and others 2010) in which the photosynthetic activity supports high net primary production and efficient sequestration of carbon biomass. The proportion of seagrass biomass that accumulates as Corg stored in sediment depends on a low decomposition rate (Duarte and others 2011), as favoured by low oxygen levels (Barko and Smart 1983), although degradation continues even under anoxic conditions (Canfield and others 1993; Canfield 1994). High belowground biomass could potentially increase sedimentary Corg storage due to correspondingly high root production and rapid turnover (Duarte and others 1998). Along with the metabolic source of sedimentary Corg from seagrass tissue (Duarte and others 2011), seagrass canopies also trap suspended organic matter, retaining it in the sediment as accumulated organic matter (Hendriks and others 2008; Kennedy and others 2010). The efficiency with which seagrass sediment stores Corg is greatly influenced by its properties, such as density, porosity, and grain size (Avnimelech and others 2001; Dahl and others 2016a). Carbon sequestration and storage capacity are therefore driven partly by processes influencing the amount of derived allochthonous (that is, terrestrial and oceanic) carbon in seagrass sediment (Agawin and Duarte 2002) and partly by sediment composition.
The level of Corg stored in seagrass sediment can vary considerably among seagrass habitats (Lavery and others 2013; Alongi and others 2015), depending on multiple interrelated biogeochemical and physical factors operating at a range of scales (for example, Watanabe and Kuwae 2015; Samper-Villarreal and others 2016). Some recent studies have emphasized that the strength of processes responsible for the accumulation of blue carbon stocks (Duarte and Cebrián 1996; Kennedy and others 2010; Duarte and others 2011) is influenced by variables such as structural complexity (Trevathan-Tackett and others 2015), nutrient dynamics (Armitage and Fourqurean 2016), hydrodynamics (Samper-Villarreal and others 2016), water depth (Serrano and others 2014), small-scale patch heterogeneity (Ricart and others 2015), and size of the meadow (Ricart and others 2017). Such cause–effect links are important to understand when assessing seagrass carbon storage over broader geographical ranges to improve management at both local and regional levels (Lavery and others 2013; Macreadie and others 2013). To date, comparatively few studies have explored the relative contribution of multiple factors to patterns of variability in Corg storage in seagrass sediment (for example, Samper-Villarreal and others 2016), with even fewer exploring the influence of factors at scales ranging from the local to landscape levels.
The notion of seagrass meadows as carbon sinks has generally been based on their ability to accumulate organic carbon in the sediment, while the importance of inorganic sedimentary carbon as carbonate (Ccarb) for their carbon sink function has until recently received little attention (Mazarrasa and others 2015). In fact, tropical seagrass meadows can harbour significant amounts of calcifiers, especially solitary green calcareous macroalgae such as Halimeda spp. (Gullström and others 2006) and coralline algal crusts living epiphytically on seagrass leaves (Walker and Woelkerling 1988). There are also reports that seagrasses might develop carbonate structures within their leaves (Enríquez and Schubert 2014). Such within-meadow carbonate production is promoted by the photosynthetic activities of the seagrasses themselves (Semesi and others 2009), partly counteracting the sequestration of carbon in the system. This is because while the calcification process precipitates CaCO3, it simultaneously reduces the seawater pH, driving CO2 from the water column to the atmosphere (Frankignoulle and Gattuso 1993). The amount of carbon lost from seawater as CO2 in proportion to the amount of carbon precipitated as CaCO3 depends on the buffering capacity of the water and is highly variable in marine plant systems. On average, this has been estimated to be approximately 0.6 in "normal" seawater (Ware and others 1992), so that for every mol of CaCO3 formed, pH decreases, resulting in the eventual release of approximately 0.6 mol of CO2 to the atmosphere. The large amounts of CaCO3 in the sediment of many seagrass meadows (Mazarrasa and others 2015) undoubtedly constitute a major carbon stock; parts of this stock could, however, be considered a source of CO2, as suggested earlier by, for example, Mateo and Serrano (2012). Thus, to understand net carbon sequestration rates in seagrass meadows, the strength and variability of both primary productivity and within-meadow calcification must be considered.
Geographical comparison across the globe indicates that estimates of sedimentary blue carbon in seagrass habitats are clearly regionally biased (Duarte and others 2011), with the coastal zone of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region being nearly unexplored (compare Dahl and others 2016b). In the WIO, seagrass is a significant habitat engineer of nearshore coastal waters with 14 known seagrass species represented (Gullström and others 2002; Duarte and others 2012) and widespread meadows potentially containing extensive blue carbon-rich seagrass habitats. In the present study, we assessed the natural variability of sedimentary Corg and Ccarb stocks in seagrass meadows, focusing on habitat-building species in locations spread along the East African coast from tropical Tanzania to subtropical areas of southern Mozambique. Using partial least squares (PLS) modelling, we explored the relative importance of environmental attributes at different spatial scales (that is, metre-level within-meadow patch scale and km-level landscape scale). Specifically, we assessed the influence of (1) plant structure (for example, seagrass canopy height and above- and belowground seagrass biomass), (2) nutrients in plants (that is, nitrogen and carbon in leaves or in the root–rhizome complex), (3) sediment properties (that is, sediment density and porosity), and (4) landscape configuration and composition (for example, area of nearby habitats and distance to mangroves or open ocean) on sedimentary Corg and Ccarb in seagrass meadows.
Materials and Methods
Study Areas
Sampling of Sediment, Seagrass Biomass, and Biometric Data
Metrics Used as Predictor Variables in Partial Least Squares (PLS) Regression Models (see Figure 5) for Organic (Corg) and Inorganic (Ccarb) Carbon Content (%) in Seagrass Sediment at Patch- and Landscape-Scale Levels
Predictor metric
Shoot density
Patch, landscape
Aboveground biomass
Patch, landscape
Belowground biomass
Patch, landscape
Canopy height
Patch, landscape
Seagrass cover
Patch, landscape
Carbon/nitrogen ratio in leaves
Patch, landscape
Carbon/nitrogen ratio in root and rhizomes
Patch, landscape
Sediment density
Patch, landscape
Porosity of sediment
Patch, landscape
Distance to mangrove
Distance to open ocean (>10 m depth)
Area of seagrass in 400 m landscapes
Seagr400 m
Area of seagrass in 1 km landscapes
Seagr1 km
Area of seagrass in 5 km landscapes
Seagr5 km
Area of mangrove in 1 km landscapes
Mangr1 km
Area of mangrove in 5 km landscapes
Mangr5 km
Area of unvegetated sediment in 1 km landscapes
Unveg1 km
Area of unvegetated sediment in 5 km landscapes
Unveg5 km
Area of open ocean in 5 km landscapes
Ocean5 km
Area of land in 1 km landscapes
Land1 km
Area of land in 5 km landscapes
Land5 km
Sediment and Biomass Carbon and Nitrogen Analysis
Each dried sediment sample (see above) was further homogenized by grinding with a mortar and pestle before carbon and nitrogen analysis in an organic elemental analyser (model CHNS-932; Leco, Saint Joseph, MI, USA) (Verardo and others 1990). Each sediment sample was divided into two subsamples for analysis of the total carbon and Corg contents (as percentage of sediment DW). The subsample for Corg determination was pre-treated with 1 and 3 M aqueous hydrochloric acid (HCl) to remove the Ccarb and was dried before analysis. The Ccarb content was then determined from the difference between the total carbon and Corg contents. To estimate areal carbon stocks (g DW m−2), we calculated the total mass of carbon (that is, Corg and Ccarb in grams) per square meter as a function of the depth at the base of each depth section. These Corg and Ccarb values were then used to perform a linear regression as a function of sediment depth. We finally extracted Corg and Ccarb values at a depth of 50 cm according to the regression line. This procedure was performed separately for each habitat in every study site. The seagrass biomass samples were ground; carbon and nitrogen were then separately analysed in the above- and belowground plant parts using the organic elemental analyser (Supplementary Table 2).
Landscape and Habitat Mapping Using Remote Sensing and GIS
The landscape composition and configuration were mapped for each site according to the protocol outlined by Knudby and others (2014), briefly summarized below. For each site, 16 spectral and spatial features were extracted from a Landsat satellite image for n georeferenced field observations divided into nine pre-defined habitat types (that is, coral, seagrass < 40% cover, seagrass ≥ 40% cover, algae, pavement, sand, optically deep water, land, and mangrove). Field observations that were tidally mismatched (for example, coral misidentified as terrestrial in the image) or covered by cloud or cloud shadow were removed, after which a random forest classifier was calibrated and applied to the parts of the image unaffected by cloud or cloud shadow, producing a partial habitat map. Repeating this process with i satellite images covering the site produced i partial habitat maps, each based on an image with a unique combination of cloud cover (below which habitat cannot be mapped), tidal stage, water quality, and sea surface state. These were then combined into a single complete habitat map using a voting procedure in which each image pixel was assigned the habitat type most frequently observed in the partial habitat maps. Map accuracy was quantified using the overall accuracy, based on tenfold cross-validation, which randomly splits the full dataset into 10 subsets of equal size and then uses each subset in turn as validation data and the rest as calibration data (Efron and Gong 1983; Efron and Tibshirani 1994). Three maps were finally produced: one for Zanzibar (n = 1309, i = 20, accuracy = 0.70), one for mainland Tanzania (n = 6592, i = 59, accuracy = 0.68), and one for Inhaca Island (n = 587, i = 17, accuracy = 0.78).
Various spatial metrics, comprising both distance- and area-based measurements at the landscape scale (Table 1), were derived from the image-based habitat maps using ArcGIS 10.4 software (ESRI, Redlands, CA, USA). Landscape units were produced using radial buffer zones spatially delimited with diameters of 400 m, 1 km, or 5 km. Distances to mangrove and to open ocean (> 10 m depth) were measured from the centroid of the buffer zone to the edge of the selected habitat, while habitat area was assessed within the buffer zone of the landscape unit. Landscape boundaries were not overlapping. Landscape unit sizes were chosen to represent relevant spatial scales to cover potential carbon exchange within the coastal landscape.
Data Analyses
Spatial variations in sedimentary Corg and Ccarb contents among habitats and across sites were tested separately (as all habitats were not found in all sites; see Supplementary Tables 1 and 2) using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Before the analyses, the assumption of homogeneity of variance was checked using Levene's test, and when necessary the data were log10(x + 1) transformed. In scale-dependent analyses (at metre-level patch scale and km-level landscape scale), the relative importance of environmental predictors (Table 1) for the sedimentary Corg and Ccarb contents of seagrass habitats was assessed by modelling projections to latent structures (that is, variables with the best predictive power) by means of partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis (Wold and others 2001) on untransformed data using SIMCA 13.0.3 software (UMETRICS, Malmö, Sweden). PLS modelling is particularly applicable when the number of predictor variables is large and when one must deal with multi-collinearity. This type of regression technique is useful for applications with ecological data (Carrascal and others 2009).
Variability of Sedimentary Corg Stocks
Variability of Sedimentary Ccarb Stocks
In general, in the sediment, the mean Ccarb level (31,071 ± 4131 g m−2; mean ± SE) was considerably higher (4–16 times depending on habitat type) than the mean Corg level (3498 ± 259 g m−2; mean ± SE) (Figure 2). As found for the sedimentary Corg, the mean sedimentary Ccarb stock was higher in most seagrass habitats and sites (ranging from 5585 to 85,478 g m−2) than in nearby unvegetated areas (ranging from 1800 to 88,951 g m−2) (Figures 2, 3B). An among-habitat comparison revealed clear differences in sedimentary Ccarb among seagrass habitats (ANOVA, F 4,204 = 8.22, p < 0.05; Figure 2). The mean sedimentary Ccarb content was clearly lower in Cymodocea spp. meadows and unvegetated areas than in the three other seagrass habitats (Tukey's HSD test, p < 0.05 to p < 0.001; Figure 2), which themselves did not differ from each other (Tukey's HSD test, p = 0.11–0.91). Unvegetated habitats had a higher mean sedimentary Ccarb level than did meadows dominated by Cymodocea spp. (Figure 2), but this difference was not significant (Tukey's HSD test, p = 0.12). The mean Ccarb in sediment differed significantly among sites (ANOVA, F 8,147 = 88.14, p < 0.001; Figure 3B). In general, the sedimentary Ccarb content was markedly higher in the four sites in Zanzibar (that is, Pongwe, Chwaka, ZanMbweni, and Fumba) than in the sites on the Tanzanian mainland (that is, Mbegani, MainMbweni, and Ocean road) and Inhaca Island (that is, Sangala and Saco) (Figure 3B). As found for Corg, the depth profiles of sedimentary Ccarb displayed no clear trends of variation, with a generally (but not consistently) higher sedimentary Ccarb content in seagrass habitats than in unvegetated areas (Supplementary Figure 2).
Correlations Between Sedimentary Corg and Ccarb Stocks
PLS Modelling Performance
Influence of Environmental Predictors on Sedimentary Corg Content
Sedimentary Corg content in seagrass habitats was strongly negatively correlated with sediment density, which was the most important predictor in models at both the patch and landscape scales (Figure 5A, C). Belowground seagrass biomass was positively correlated with sedimentary Corg content, although it was a less strong predictor than was sediment density (Figure 5A, C). Aboveground seagrass biomass and sediment porosity were also positively correlated with sedimentary Corg content, but contributed moderately or weakly to the performance of models (Figure 5A, C). Several landscape variables seem to be important for the sedimentary Corg content in seagrass meadows, including area of mangrove (negatively correlated), area of unvegetated sediment (negatively correlated), and seagrass area (positively correlated) (Figure 5C).
Influence of Environmental Predictors on Sedimentary Ccarb Content
As found in the Corg model analyses, the primary predictor of sedimentary Ccarb content in seagrass habitats was sediment density, which was strongly negatively associated with the level of Ccarb (Figure 5B, D). Seagrass shoot density (negatively correlated) and canopy height (positively correlated) were important predictors in the patch-scale model (Figure 5B). From a landscape-scale perspective, areas of mangrove and of unvegetated sediment were strongly negatively related to sedimentary Ccarb content (Figure 5D). Sediment porosity (positively correlated) contributed moderately to the model performance at landscape scale (Figure 5D).
Our spatially widespread survey (across a tropical–subtropical coastal continuum) indicated that the patterns of variability in sedimentary Corg and Ccarb in seagrass habitats were largely related to sediment properties and partly related to seagrass structural complexity. We found low to moderate Corg and Ccarb contents in the seagrass sediments. The levels of these two carbon pools corresponded well to each other, indicating that the capture of organic carbon is linked to calcification at a broad spatial scale across latitudes. The findings further indicated the strong influence of the spatial arrangement of the coastal landscape, with higher levels of Corg and Ccarb stored in seagrass sediment within landscapes comprising large areas of seagrass meadows, relative to other major coastal habitats (that is, mangrove forest and unvegetated areas). When attempting to predict the sedimentary carbon sink capacity of tropical coasts, it is therefore important not only to understand the intricate plant–sediment (or plant–plant) processes but also to envision how the mechanisms underlying cross-habitat carbon exchange may vary in the context of larger, km-scale landscapes with differing configurations and compositions.
The present survey is the first major study focusing on seagrass blue carbon of the Western Indian Ocean and showed that seagrass habitats in this region can be important Corg sinks, with sedimentary carbon levels ranging from 0.20 to 1.44% on average, matching those found in previous studies (Lavery and others 2013; Rozaimi and others 2016; Samper-Villarreal and others 2016), but lower than the global mean of 2.0% (median of 1.4%) reported by Fourqurean and others (2012). Clear differences were seen among seagrass habitats, with the highest sedimentary Corg stocks found in meadows composed of the largest seagrass species, and meadows dominated by smaller species in turn having higher sedimentary Corg than do unvegetated areas. This emphasizes the influence of the intrinsic properties of the seagrass species themselves—depending, for example, on variation in morphology and/or biomass—on the sedimentary Corg storage capacity. Sediment Corg stocks also varied across the region, with the highest levels found in tropical seagrass meadows and lowest levels in the subtropical area. There is, however, considerable variation within the tropical region, with some sites having substantially higher sedimentary Corg contents and others having levels equalling those of the subtropical sites. This suggests an influence of large-scale factors such as surrounding environmental conditions and landscape structure.
As clearly indicated by the PLS models, sedimentary Corg stock levels were strongly negatively linked to sediment density and to some extent positively linked to porosity in seagrass habitats. These associations have previously been established in a range of sediments (Avnimelech and others 2001), including temperate seagrass sediments (Dahl and others 2016a; Röhr and others 2016). Higher Corg storage in seagrass sediment is therefore related to less sediment compaction and higher sediment porosity. The remineralization process in which organic matter is sequestered into the long-term storage of decay-resistant refractory carbon is also related to the belowground seagrass biomass. In accordance with this, belowground seagrass biomass was found to be a significant variable in the PLS models, being positively related to sedimentary Corg content. This relationship is expected, given that high primary production will benefit the accumulation of refractory Corg in the sediment (Cebrian 1999) and that the root–rhizome system often dominates the total seagrass plant biomass (Duarte and Chiscano 1999). In addition, high root production and turnover can contribute significantly to overall seagrass production (Duarte and others 1998). This results in the high inflow of decay-resistant detritus because of a high content of nutrient-poor organic compounds such as lignin (Klap and others 2000), in turn increasing the accumulation of sedimentary Corg in seagrass meadows. Aboveground variables such as shoot biomass, canopy height, shoot density, and coverage had little or no influence on sedimentary Corg content and are clearly less important than is belowground seagrass biomass. This calls into question the importance of the aboveground structural complexity of seagrass habitats for carbon trapping and emphasizes the importance of the belowground component for seagrass meadow productivity. The great influence of the belowground compartment may explain some of the observed differences in sedimentary Corg content among different seagrass habitats (comparing the larger E. acoroides and T. ciliatum with the smaller T. hemprichii and Cymodocea spp.), as large seagrass species tend to develop higher belowground biomass than do seagrass species of smaller size (Duarte and Chiscano 1999).
Regarding the size of the accumulated sediment stock of Ccarb, we found that the particular seagrass species dominating the studied habitat played a negligible role. Thus, site-specific environmental conditions, landscape configuration, and/or latitude would be more important factors explaining variability in sedimentary Ccarb. In our study, the Zanzibar sites had substantially higher Ccarb contents than did both mainland Tanzanian sites (at the same latitude) and the sites on Inhaca Island in Mozambique. Sediments in Chwaka Bay and Pongwe, on the east coast of Zanzibar, have previously been demonstrated to comprise almost 100% biogenic calcium carbonate, whereas the sediment on the west coast was found to be a mixture of calcium carbonate and siliciclastic components (Shaghude and Wannäs 2000). In Chwaka Bay, the sediment is entirely biogenic with at least 50% of the Ccarb coming from calcareous Halimeda algae (Muzuka and others 2001, Shaghude and Wannäs 2000). Halimeda contributes greatly to calcium carbonate production in tropical and subtropical coastal areas (Rees and others 2007), including seagrass meadows of Chwaka Bay (Gullström and others 2006; Kangwe and others 2012), which could explain their high sedimentary Ccarb contents. In contrast to Zanzibar, the low Ccarb contents in seagrass sediment at the two Inhaca sites correspond to earlier findings that calcareous epiphytic algae and carbonate-producing Halimeda are of minor importance as contributors to sedimentary particulate inorganic carbon in these seagrass systems (Perry 2003; Perry and Beavington-Penney 2005).
There was generally a higher amount of CaCO3 in the sediment of seagrass habitats than in adjacent unvegetated areas and a clear relationship between the accumulation of Corg and of Ccarb, with Corg:Ccarb ratios of 0.1–0.3 in seagrass habitats and 0.06 in unvegetated areas (that is lower than the global mean of 0.74, but comparable to the global median of 0.2; Mazarrasa and others 2015). The amount of CaCO3 attributed to seagrass meadows has great implications for their carbon sink function. The process of calcification is a source of CO2, since during CaCO3 precipitation seawater pH will decrease until CO2 is eventually released to the atmosphere. At the same time as seagrass primary productivity fixes carbon as organic matter, pH increases, often substantially, in the surrounding seawater (for example, Frankignoulle and Distèche 1984; Frankignoulle and Bouquegneau 1990; Buapet and others 2013; Hendriks and others 2014), thereby enhancing the rate of calcification (for example, Frankignoulle and Gattuso 1993; Semesi and others 2009). Seagrass meadows can therefore, like coral reefs (Smith and Gattuso 2009), simultaneously release and store CO2, and high production of carbonate could convert a seagrass meadow from a sink to a source. Considering the general relationship between fixed and released CO2 in calcification (where 1 mol of carbonate formed results in the release in ~0.6 mol of CO2 to the atmosphere; Ware and others 1992), it follows that 1.67 mol of carbon fixed in carbonate will counteract the sink effect of 1 mol of carbon fixed as Corg. The sediment we studied contained 1.8–15.9 times more Ccarb than Corg (that is, within the reported global range of seagrass sediment stocks; Mazarrasa and others 2015), which in theory could mean that all our seagrass meadows are carbon sources if the net accumulation of CaCO3 in the sediment can be considered to be produced by the seagrass plant system. However, calcium carbonate production by seagrass systems is promoted in various ways. A substantial part of the CaCO3 in sediments has, for example, been reported to be produced directly within the leaves of Thalassia testudinum (Enríquez and Schubert 2014), and although this has not been reported for the species growing in our study area, it strongly suggests seagrass plant involvement in calcification. Seagrasses also promote calcification in other organisms (for example, calcareous algae or corals) by changing the carbon chemistry of the surrounding seawater, which has been demonstrated in, for example, Mediterranean Posidonia meadows (for example, Frankignoulle and Disteche 1984) and Indo-Pacific seagrass meadows, where the calcification could potentially be increased by 18% in nearby coral reefs (Unsworth and others 2012). In Chwaka Bay, seagrasses have been estimated to increase the calcification rate of various calcareous algae species by up to about six times (Semesi and others 2009). Seagrasses also constitute a substrate for calcareous epiphytic algae, which can be major contributors to the Ccarb level in seagrass sediment (Walker and Woelkerling 1988). Finally, by providing habitat for a wide range of organisms, seagrass meadows facilitate calcium carbonate production by harbouring high abundances of calcareous animals such as molluscs, echinoderms, and foraminifera (Orth and others 1984; Prager and Halley 1999; Debenay and others 1999).
Given that calcareous algae contribute substantially to the Ccarb content of seagrass meadows at some of our tropical study sites and that seagrass photosynthesis promotes their calcification rates, it is reasonable to assume that part of the carbonate produced by calcareous algae should be included when estimating these sites' carbon sink–source balance. In addition, tropical and subtropical nearshore ecosystems are generally oversaturated in CO2 and considered net sources to the atmosphere (Borges and others 2005; Chen and Borges 2009). It is therefore probable that the carbon sink function of Chwaka Bay and Pongwe is counteracted by the CO2 released during the high production of carbonate. Generally, this would mean that highly productive tropical seagrass meadows with high carbonate production rates may not be as efficient carbon sinks as are seagrass habitats with proportionally lower carbonate contents.
We would like to thank Damboia Cossa, Marcia Nrepo, and Alima Taju for help with the fieldwork in Mozambique. We also thank Mathew Silas, Said Mgeleka, Gustav Palmqvist, Karolina Wikström, Alan Koliji, Regina Lindborg, Linus Hammar, Linda Eggertsen, Sandra Andersson, and Johan Haglund for help with the groundtruthing of habitat maps. Furthermore, we thank the staff at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Zanzibar and at the Estação de Biologia Marítima on Inhaca Island for facilitating laboratory work. The research was funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) through the Bilateral Marine Science Programme between Sweden and Tanzania and through a 3-year research project grant (SWE-2010-194).
Supplementary material
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Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.


text: I truly believe that nowhere in the world does October quite like Ontario. I'm so in love with the rich, deep colours, that perfect fall temperature, and a little wind that's perfect for pulling someone close. I got to meet up with Lacey and Devin at Lemoine Point park in Kingston on a perfect October evening to watch the sun set. These two were so much fun to photograph and I am so in love with how these photos turned out!


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RESIN JEWELLERY Workshop Thursday 14.11.19 6.30 - 9.30 pm
Product Description
Create your own unique colourful accessories using resin. It's wearable art!
In this workshop with Pretty Burd you will learn how to work with resin safely and efficiently. You will be provided with a variety of moulds to choose from to cast your jewellery pieces as well as a vast selection of vibrant pigments to create colourful designs.
Walk away with (or wear) your accessories on the day!
In this 3 hour workshop, we will demonstrate the procedures for making jewellery with resin and you will create three bangles and three rings. You will also be shown procedures for finishing off your pieces after they have been removed from the moulds.
Please note: We do not recommend this workshop to pregnant women as chemicals in the form of resins are used.
Our address is Unit 4102, 4 Daydream Street Warriewood 2102
Your space in a class is reserved only once full payment has been received.
Our workshop tickets are non refundable, but if you are aware you will be unable to attend, you may pass your ticket to someone else you wish to come in your place.
In the event you forget to come or you are unable to attend a workshop, the ticket is non transferable after the event.
Whilst arriving, attending and leaving the workshops, it is your responsibility to ensure that you maintain and adhere to all safety precautions and requirements during the workshop. Little Lane workshops and the attending creatives hold no personal liability or responsibility for any damage, loss or theft incurred to personal property, or any physical injuries obtained during the workshop. By attending a workshop, you agree in holding full responsibility and liability for any damages, injuries to parties involved and physical and/or personal property that may occur during the workshop.
Product Details
- Product Type: Workshop


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$89.95 $116.98
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inflammatory and traumatic swellings. In one double-blind study of Serrapeptase conducted by Esch et al at the German State Hospital in UIm, 66 patients with fresh rupture of the lateral ligament treated surgically were divided in three randomized groups.
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* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Results may vary.
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November 2018 VIP Host Code: CQHEC9EJ
Hi friend! Today's video shows you a quick and simple faux leather technique that I used to create the background on this card. It's a lot easier than it looks and takes minutes to complete! Enjoy!
November 2018 VIP Host Code: CQHEC9EJ
Use the host code with your qualifying order and receive a free gift! Details
November 2018 Qualifying Order: $65+
VIP Gift: Glitter Enamel Dots


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Flower village Hillegom is were Hotel Villa Flora is located. At this hotel there are a number of things to do. Come along in our Restaurant & Grand Café for a bite or a drink. Or choose one of the several private rooms for a celebration, anniversary or meeting.
Have a cosy breakfast in our Grand Café
For breakfast you should go to Hotel Villa Flora. In the homely environment of our Grand Café you will be welcomed by our friendly staff. Enjoy a buffet breakfast with assorted breads and toppings, fresh fruit, yogurt, coffee, tea and juices.
A la Carte Food & Drinks
From early in the morning until late in the evening you can enjoy a nice cup of coffee or a glass of wine in our restaurant. Take a nice club sandwich for lunch or have a three course á la carte dinner. On weekdays we offer a special dish of the day.
Come and play at Villa Flora
What's more fun than going out with your kids. At the Grand Café of Hotel Villa Flora is a special cosy children's corner where they can color, play and read books. And of course there are also special dishes for the little ones.
Get the party started!
Something to celebrate? Then Villa Flora might be the perfect place for you.
We have several rooms available where you can enjoy the atmosphere of Hotel Villa Flora. We have different packages to make the party the way you wish, so there's something for everyone.
Villa Flora Gift Card
Are you looking for a original gift, please consider a Villa Flora Gift Card.
There are Culinary Gift Certificates for lunch & dinner. And specialized Gift Cards for High Tea, High Wine and High Beer. You can get these vouchers at any price and for different number of people. Ask our staff for the Gift Card you prefer.


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ArtPrize Staff
The team working behind the scenes at ArtPrize is a dynamic, creative, innovative group of individuals. Some of them joined the team this year, some have been around since day one. They work around the clock during the event to put on the best possible experience for the City of Grand Rapids, here are some of their favorite stories from the past ten years.
What has been the one of the most challenging moments during your time at ArtPrize?
Anne Rosenbaum, Community Support Manager: My first year at ArtPrize was 2011. The website went down for more than 12 hours, due to thousands of people accessing it and not enough servers. We were growing and didn't anticipate the traffic online! There were so many visitors that wanted to vote and couldn't. They were angry, frustrated and very critical, yet so set on voting. We didn't want to disappoint them. I created a form for manual registration and printed it out for our registrars to use. We registered a couple hundred people. I didn't sleep for over 24 hours, but knowing more visitors could vote for their favorite entries was well worth the manual inputting of more than 200 voters. Registrar volunteers were amazing that day. We couldn't have done it without their willingness to help and be patient with visitors.
What was a misconception you had about ArtPrize that you've gained new understanding on since working at ArtPrize?
Madeline Kroll, Business Development Manager: That there weren't going to be moments of challenge. I came from the political world which was truly full of challenges and tough situations on a regular basis. Coming to an arts non-profit, I definitely had the misconception that things would be daisies and rainbows much of the time. While ArtPrize is certainly a positive place to work and a positive force within the community, it doesn't mean there aren't moments when things get stressful or when I am pushed professionally. At the end of the day, ArtPrize is a HUGE event and the pressures can sometimes feel equally as huge. I think the wonderful thing about working at ArtPrize is our team and the fact that we are all in it together. Our staff truly cares about and supports one another.
Maggie Henderson, Design Intern: I guess I didn't really realize how much of the experience is out of the hands of the organization. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that we're building a platform for true unpredictability and that's all a part of the fun. Also, hearing the way Jori talks about the ever-experimental and ever-evolving nature of the event and organization was inspiring. It just reinforced, for me, how one of a kind it is.
What is one misconception you think the general public has about ArtPrize?
Jori Bennett, Executive Director: ArtPrize is a multi-faceted, dynamic event unlike any other in the world. For this reason, there are many misconceptions floating out there. That's actually okay, I enjoy having new conversations with people in the community and sometimes surprising people who thought they knew everything about ArtPrize.
Melissa Elliott, Director of Finance, HR, and Business Affairs: That the staff only works part-time and is mostly volunteer. I've been asked so many times "So what do you do in the off-season?" They don't realize that it takes an incredible team working year-round to pull the event off!
What has been one of the most rewarding projects you've worked on at ArtPrize?
Vanessa Autumn, Social Media Manager: Honestly, this one! I've been working on the Storytelling Campaign all summer. I've never really done a project quite like this, especially on this grand of a scale. I've been able to sit down with some of the most creative and innovative artists, community members, educators, and curators in Michigan (and sometimes beyond). To have the privilege to talk to them about the things they are passionate about— that has been so rewarding. Some of the conversations I've had through interviews have been really eye opening for me personally and will definitely stick with me long beyond my chapter at ArtPrize.
Maggie Henderson, Design Intern: Designing the street banners, though that rewarding feeling won't really sink in until they get installed. They will adorn the city streets and appear in photos. I've never had the opportunity to work on a graphic design project on that large a scale and I can't wait to see them go up in a couple of weeks!
If you could trade jobs with one other position at ArtPrize, what would it be and why?
Jori Bennett, Executive Director: I would love to be an artist and experience the event through their point of view. I would learn so much!
If you had to pick one favorite memory from your time working at ArtPrize, what would that be?
Melissa Elliott, Director of Finance, HR, and Business Affairs: My favorite memory would be of the first ArtPrize in 2009. As a team, we had no idea what was going to happen....if artists would care enough to be involved, if the venues would latch on to the event, if the crowds would come downtown. As everyone knows, what actually happened during the first ArtPrize blew away everyone's expectations. It was incredible to be behind the scenes, working harder that year than I ever have, and seeing how the event came together and crowning a winner that was very worthy of a large prize.
Katie Moore, Exhibitions Manager: My favorite memory of ArtPrize is performing in Kate Gilmore's Higher Ground in 2015. SiTE:LAB was short on performers the opening night and Leah (2015 Exhibitions Assistant) and myself got asked to help out while we were at the opening. We said yes immediately and were taken in the backdoor of the "pink house" where there was a sign indicating that only women were allowed. We entered a dimly lit room where a rack of white dresses and box of red shoes awaited us. We changed into our uniforms during the chaos of a new shift of and picked which room we were swinging in. It was dark but there was enough light to see everyone looking up from below as my legs went in and out of the open window. It was exhilarating at first being alone in a room with the threat of flying out of a second story window while a group of people watched, but quickly became physically taxing. At the end of the night Leah and I shared a beer and couldn't believe we had performed in a Kate Gilmore piece.
Madeline Kroll, Business Development Manager: My favorite memory from my time at ArtPrize would probably be Opening Day of last year's event. I moved to Grand Rapids when I was offered my position at ArtPrize. So, having never experienced the event before, I was totally taken aback by the scale and incredible quality of the art around the city. I don't think I will ever forget the impact that day had on me and how it changed the way I talk about the event going forward.
Jori Bennett, Executive Director: There are SO many! One memory that stands out was walking around the City on my first ArtPrize Opening Day. I was truly blown away by the energy buzzing around the City and the amount of people talking about art on the streets. This memory never leaves me and fuels the work we do in the off season — I look forward to experiencing the buzz and conversation every year.
Alee'a Ulsh-Cherry, Public Relations Specialist: My favorite memory was when Richard Schlatter, 2017 Public Vote winner, came upstairs to the press room and asked me to pinch him so he could make sure he wasn't dreaming. He was completely in shock and disbelief when he found out he was the recipient of $200,000. It was amazing to see his reaction, among others, and how grateful they were to have been chosen for their respective prizes. I felt like I was on a reality TV show! I can't wait to be a part of that experience again this year.