The Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea is a recent initiative of the non-governmental organization (NGO), Human Rights at Sea, and provides an opportunity to examine how an NGO-led initiative may contribute to international law-making. This article compares the Geneva Declaration to other NGO-led endeavours that resulted in the adoption of international treaties, including the Ottawa Convention, Cluster Munitions Convention, and Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty. It also assesses how NGOs may contribute to the development of informal agreements that influence state decision-making. In doing so, the discussion draws on interviews with the drafters of the Geneva Declaration to further assess the possible trajectory of the instrument in international law-making. The experience of Human Rights at Sea in developing the Geneva Declaration provides a striking example of the current potential and limits of civil society actors in international law-making.

Hydrodynamic consequences of using simpler geometric shapes to represent coral canopies are examined through a laboratory study. A canopy composed of cylinders is compared with a canopy composed of 3-D-printed, scaled down coral heads in a recirculating flume. Vertical velocity profiles are measured at four horizontal locations for each canopy type, and mean velocity and turbulence statistics are compared both within and above the canopy. A narrow, defined wake on the scale of the canopy element is present behind the cylinder canopy elements that is absent in the coral canopy. There is also a peak in shear stress at the top of the cylinder canopy, likely due to the sharp edge at the top of the cylinder. Above the canopy, however, turbulence statistics and friction velocities behave similarly for both canopy types. Therefore, the results indicate we may reasonably get coral reef drag estimates from canopies with simpler geometric surrogates, especially when the mean free-stream and within-canopy flow speeds are matched to environmental conditions.

This study investigates the reproductive biology of Holothuria arguinensis over one year (December 2016 to December 2017) from two locations on the Atlantic coast of Morocco: Skhirat (North Atlantic) and Souiria K'dima (Central Atlantic), including the sex ratio, size at sexual maturity, and reproductive cycle. Monthly sampling was carried out, along with the collection of environmental and biometric data at each site. The sex ratio did not differ significantly from 1:1 at either study site. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) reached its peak during spring (April and May) for both sexes, and the spawning period was observed from summer to autumn (June–October) at both locations, suggest annual spawning. GSI was correlated with increasing or high chlorophyll-a concentrations, salinity, and spawning with rainfall periods. The estimated size at sexual maturity was 15.9 cm body length, 189.1 g total body weight, and 92.5 g gutted body weight. The minimum mean oocyte diameter was recorded during the recovery stage (31 ± 11 μm (mean ± SD) at Skhirat and 34 ± 23 μm (mean ± SD) at Souiria K'dima), while the highest values were observed in the partial spawning stage (112 ± 27 μm (mean ± SD) at Skhirat and 104 ± 19 μm (mean ± SD) at Souiria K'dima). This study highlights the need for further research to expand our knowledge of the biological and ecological characteristics of H. arguinensis populations, to facilitate the cultivation of juveniles in captivity, and to develop fishing regulations based on scientific findings. As a fishery management strategy, we suggest a closed season from April to October to protect the reproductive period of H. arguinensis on the Moroccan coast.

Multifaceted geopolitical conflicts have led to disruptions in the trade regime and multilateral negotiations. As a paradigm shift, green regionalism has emerged as a new normative process for regional economic frameworks to integrate and operationalize environmental sustainability. The article offers the first interdisciplinary analysis of green regionalism in world trade law. It argues that green regionalism, which has evolved amid various waves of global regionalism, constructs the normative foundation for ‘Trade and Sustainability 2.0’. The article employs the concept of recognition in international relations to unveil the motivations and actions of major states in catalyzing green regionalism. Legal and political challenges confronting the Environmental Goods Agreement of the World Trade Organization, environmental agreements, and mega-trade agreements are also examined. Second, the article explores the multipolar frameworks for implementing green regionalism. Case studies involving recent developments of US and EU trade pacts, as well as of new Asia-Pacific green economy agreements, shed light on the trade-sustainability nexus. Hence, the theoretical and empirical implications of the research are valuable for devising trade law approaches to advancing Sustainable Development Goals.

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of recent mental illness research by utilizing an advanced bibliographic method capable of analyzing up to 12,965 papers indexed in the Web of Science database, overcoming the limitations of traditional tools like VOSviewer, which typically analyze fewer than 1,000 papers. By examining a vast dataset, this study identifies key trends, significant keywords, and prominent contributors, including leading researchers, universities, and countries/regions, in the field of mental illness research. Additionally, the study highlights eight major contributors to mental health problems, offering critical insights into the field’s current state. The findings underscore the importance of advanced bibliographic methods in providing a more detailed and accurate overview of mental illness research. This analysis not only enhances the understanding of young scholars entering the field but also uncovers significant trends and identifies notable gaps in the literature. The study advocates for continued innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration to deepen understanding and address unresolved challenges in mental health research.

The windmill palm is a distinctive outdoor ornamental palm adapted to cooler climates. Weeds pose significant challenges in palm nurseries, particularly during seedling and establishment stages. This research was conducted in a nursery with 5,500 windmill palm seedlings, starting in April 2014 when the palm trees were three years old. Experiments were terminated in October 2018 when weed control was no longer necessary due to the advanced growth stages of the palm trees. The objectives were to determine the weed composition and diversity, elucidate the effects of mechanical weed management (MWM) on growth rate of palm, and develop a sustainable program to maximize palm tree growth through effective weed management and soil tillage. Owing to the lack of registered nursery herbicides in Türkiye, weed control was performed mechanically using garden hoeing machines between rows and hand hoeing for intra-row strips. The most common and dense weeds were purple nutsedge, annual mercury, and common purslane in summer-autumn, and burning nettle in winter-spring. In 2014, weed densities were 100, 127, and 145 weeds m–2 for MWM, hand-weeding (HW), and nontreated (NT), respectively. Transplanted palm seedlings required at least two, ideally three growing seasons of intensive weed control until the palm tree crowns block sunlight and suppress weed growth. The research indicated palm trees in the MWM treatment had approximately 84 leaves and a height of 210 cm by October 2018, compared to 54 leaves and 136 cm for HW, and 40 leaves and 100 cm for NT. These results highlight the critical role of MWM in promoting optimal growth of Chinese windmill palms. Effective and sustainable weed management, combining MWM and HW, is essential for producing high-quality palm trees, which are valuable insights for nursery managers and contribute to best practices for cultivating windmill palm trees in similar climatic regions.