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nina marn

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I like both applied and theoretical science, and have been studying sea turtles, fish, and some mammals. My main research interests include the interplay between environmental changes and organism adaptations, applications of mathematical modeling and theoretical biology to biological patterns and observations, management of protected areas and species, and reduction of plastic pollution and its adverse effects in the environment.

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Goran Klobučar

Gerard van der Velde

Estonian University of Life Sciences

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science

Göran Klobučar

University of Zagreb

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Catherine Souty

Catherine Souty-grosset

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Papers by nina marn

Physiological performance of native and invasive crayfish species in a changing environment: insights from Dynamic Energy Budget models

Conservation Physiology

Crayfish are keystone species important for maintaining healthy freshwater ecosystems. Crayfish s... more Crayfish are keystone species important for maintaining healthy freshwater ecosystems. Crayfish species native to Europe, such as Astacus astacus and Austropotamobius torrentium, are facing decline and are increasingly endangered by changing climate and invasions of non-native crayfish, such as Pacifastacus leniusculus and Procambarus virginalis. The success of these invasions largely depends on differences in ontogeny between the native species and the invaders and how changes in the environment will affect the ontogeny. Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) models can be used to investigate such differences because the models capture dependence of metabolism, and therefore ontogeny, on environmental conditions. We develop DEB models for all four species and investigate key elements of ontogeny and metabolism affecting interspecific competition. We then use the DEB models to predict individual growth and reproduction in current and new conditions that are expected to arise from climate chang...

Std instead of abj type DEB model should beassumed when fitting freshwater crayfishontogeny

7th International Symposium on DEB theory for metabolic organization - Book of Abstracts, 2021

Modeli dinamičkih energijskih budžeta za ugrožene autohtone i invazivne vrste rakova

Knjiga sažetaka (5. Simpozij studenata doktorskih studija Prirodoslovno-matematičkog fakulteta), 2021

Multidimensional scaling for animal traits in the context of dynamic energy budget theory

Conservation Physiology, 2021

The method of multidimensional scaling (MDS) has long existed, but could only recently be applied... more The method of multidimensional scaling (MDS) has long existed, but could only recently be applied to animal traits in the context of dynamic energy budget (DEB) theory. The application became possible because of the following: (i) the Add-my-Pet (AmP) collection of DEB parameters and traits (approximately 280) recently reached 3000 animal species with 45000 data sets of measurements; (ii) we found a natural distance measure for species based on their traits as a side result of our research on parameter estimation in DEB context; and (iii) we developed plotting code for visualization that allows labelling of taxonomic relationships. Traits, here defined as DEB parameters or any function of these parameters, have different dimensions, which hamper application of many popular distance measures since they (implicitly) assume that all traits have the same dimensions. The AmP collection follows the workflow that measured data determine parameters and parameters determine trait values. In ...

The comparative energetics of the turtles and crocodiles

The Add-my-Pet (AmP) collection of data on energetics and Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) parameters ... more The Add-my-Pet (AmP) collection of data on energetics and Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) parameters currently contains 92 species of turtles and 23 species of crocodiles. We discuss patterns of eco-physiological traits of turtles and crocodiles, as functions of parameter values, and compare them with other taxa. Turtles and crocodiles accurately match the general rule that the life-time cumulated neonate mass production equals ultimate weight. The weight at birth for reptiles scales with ultimate weight to the power 0.6. The scaling exponent is between that of amphibians and birds, while that for mammals is close to 1. We explain why this points to limitations imposed by embryonic respiration, the role of water stress and the accumulation of nitrogen waste during the embryo stage. Weight at puberty is proportional to ultimate weight, and is the largest for crocodiles, followed by that of turtles. These facts explain why the precociality coefficient – approximated by the ratio of weight...

Prihvatni kapacitet okoliša za posjetitelje Nacionalnog parka „Krka“

The effects of plastic ingestion on an endangered sea turtle

Relating daily change of visitor number to crowding perception and overall satisfaction in Nature Park Telašćica, Croatia

Morfološka i genetička obilježja rakova vrste Austropotamobius torrentium (Schrank, 1803) na području Parka prirode Žumberak – Samoborsko gorje

Potocni rak (Austropotamobius torrentium) jedna je od cetiri autohtone vrste rakova porodice Asta... more

Estimating benefits of nature conservation: ecosystem service valuation in Krka National Park (Croatia)

Morphological and genetic features of crayfish (Astacidae)in Croatia

Species of freshwater crayfish of the familiy Astacidae are divided in three genera and are indig... more Species of freshwater crayfish of the familiy Astacidae are divided in three genera and are indigeniuos to Europe (genera Astacus and Austropotamobius) and western North America (genus Pacifastacus). There are four native Croatian crayfish species of the family Astacidae. Phylogenetic relationships among different populations of some of these species are not yet completely resolved. In this research morphological characteristics and phylogenetic relationships of 61 individuals were studied. The crayfish were collected from nine sites situated in Žumberak - Samoborsko gorje Nature Park. Mitochondrial genes were used for molecular phylogenetic analyses and in morphological aspect of research we measured morphometrical and meristic characteristics, which were then grouped in accordance with the results of previous genetic analyses and processed with statistical methods. Obtained results show a large genetic diversity of studied populations and statistical analyses of morphological data...

The universality and the future prospects of physiological energetics: Reply to comments on "Physics of metabolic organization

Physics of life reviews, Mar 1, 2017

In response to the comments on review "Physics of metabolic organization", we discuss t... more In response to the comments on review "Physics of metabolic organization", we discuss the universality and the future prospects of physiological energetics. The topics range from the role of entropy in modeling living organisms to the apparent ubiquity of the von Bertalanffy curve, and the potential applications of the theory in yet unexplored domains. Tradeoffs in outreach to non-specialists are also briefly considered.

Physics of metabolic organization

Physics of Life Reviews, 2017

Inferring physiological energetics of loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) from existing data using a general metabolic theory

Loggerhead turtle is an endangered sea turtle species with a migratory lifestyle and worldwide di... more Loggerhead turtle is an endangered sea turtle species with a migratory lifestyle and worldwide distribution, experiencing markedly different habitats throughout its lifetime. Environmental conditions, especially food availability and temperature, constrain the acquisition and the use of available energy, thus affecting physiological processes such as growth, maturation, and reproduction. These physiological processes at the population level determine survival, fecundity, and ultimately the population growth rate—a key indicator of the success of conservation efforts. As a first step towards the comprehensive understanding of how environment shapes the physiology and the life cycle of a loggerhead turtle, we constructed a full life cycle model based on the principles of energy acquisition and utilization embedded in the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) theory. We adapted the standard DEB model using data from published and unpublished sources to obtain parameter estimates and model predic...

Size Scaling in Western North Atlantic Loggerhead Turtles Permits Extrapolation between Regions, but Not Life Stages

PLOS ONE, 2015

Epigenetic drug 5-azacytidine impairs proliferation of rat limb buds in an organotypic model-system in vitro

Croatian Medical Journal, 2013

Aim To establish an organotypic in vitro model of limb bud development to verify whether epigenet... more Aim To establish an organotypic in vitro model of limb bud development to verify whether epigenetic drug and teratogen 5-azacytidine (5azaC) has an effect on limb buds independent of its effects on the placenta. Methods Fischer strain rat fore-and hindlimb buds were microsurgically isolated from 13 days old embryos and cultivated in vitro for two weeks at the air-liquid interface in Eagle's minimum essential medium (MEM) with 50% rat serum. 30 µmol of 5azaC was added to the fresh medium. Overall growth was measured by an ocular micrometer. Routine histology, immunohistochemical detection of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and stereological quantification of PCNA expression were performed. Results At four time points, significantly lower overall growth was detected for fore-and hindlimb bud explants cultivated with 5azaC in comparison to controls. After the culture period, numerical density of the PCNA signal for both types of limb buds was lower than for controls (P < 0.001). Limb buds were initially covered by immature epithelium and contained mesenchyme, myotubes, single hemangioblasts, hemangioblast aggregates, blood islands, and capillaries. Regardless of the treatment, cartilage and epidermis differentiated, but cells and structures typical for vasculogenesis disappeared. Conclusion Our findings, obtained outside of the maternal organism, stress the importance of compromised cell proliferation for 5azaC impact on limb buds. This investigation points to the necessity to establish alternatives to in vivo research on animals using teratogenic agents.

Morfoloka i genetička obiljeja rakova vrste Austopotamobius torrentium (Schrank, 1803) na području Parka prirode umberak-Samoborsko gorje

Potočni rak (Austropotamobius torrentium) jedna je od četiri autohtone vrste rakova porodice Asta... more

Life cycle and ecology of the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta, Linnaeus, 1758)

After the general introduction presented in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 tackles the problem of disjointe... more After the general introduction presented in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 tackles the problem of disjointed and conflicting data, and explores to what extent do loggerhead turtle populations and life stages differ in morphology. In order to take into account the possible geographic and life stage variability, I study two neighboring populations and all postembryonic life stages by comparing the ratio of carapace length, width and height of sea turtles. I conduct a detailed analysis of empirical models (growth curves, conversion formulae). One of the aims is to answer a somewhat technical question whether or not can the growth of loggerhead turtles be considered isomorphic. Considerable deviations from isomorphy would require additional steps when defining through out the life the acquisition (or use) of energy in relation to the surface area-volume ratio. The focus of Chapter 3 is on developing a full life cycle model of loggerhead turtles. Due to substantial variability present in data rela...

The energetic basis of population growth in animal kingdom

Ecological Modelling

Quantifying impacts of plastic debris on marine wildlife identifies ecological breakpoints

Ecology Letters

Physiological performance of native and invasive crayfish species in a changing environment: insights from Dynamic Energy Budget models

Conservation Physiology

Crayfish are keystone species important for maintaining healthy freshwater ecosystems. Crayfish s... more Crayfish are keystone species important for maintaining healthy freshwater ecosystems. Crayfish species native to Europe, such as Astacus astacus and Austropotamobius torrentium, are facing decline and are increasingly endangered by changing climate and invasions of non-native crayfish, such as Pacifastacus leniusculus and Procambarus virginalis. The success of these invasions largely depends on differences in ontogeny between the native species and the invaders and how changes in the environment will affect the ontogeny. Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) models can be used to investigate such differences because the models capture dependence of metabolism, and therefore ontogeny, on environmental conditions. We develop DEB models for all four species and investigate key elements of ontogeny and metabolism affecting interspecific competition. We then use the DEB models to predict individual growth and reproduction in current and new conditions that are expected to arise from climate chang...

Std instead of abj type DEB model should beassumed when fitting freshwater crayfishontogeny

7th International Symposium on DEB theory for metabolic organization - Book of Abstracts, 2021

Modeli dinamičkih energijskih budžeta za ugrožene autohtone i invazivne vrste rakova

Knjiga sažetaka (5. Simpozij studenata doktorskih studija Prirodoslovno-matematičkog fakulteta), 2021

Multidimensional scaling for animal traits in the context of dynamic energy budget theory

Conservation Physiology, 2021

The method of multidimensional scaling (MDS) has long existed, but could only recently be applied... more The method of multidimensional scaling (MDS) has long existed, but could only recently be applied to animal traits in the context of dynamic energy budget (DEB) theory. The application became possible because of the following: (i) the Add-my-Pet (AmP) collection of DEB parameters and traits (approximately 280) recently reached 3000 animal species with 45000 data sets of measurements; (ii) we found a natural distance measure for species based on their traits as a side result of our research on parameter estimation in DEB context; and (iii) we developed plotting code for visualization that allows labelling of taxonomic relationships. Traits, here defined as DEB parameters or any function of these parameters, have different dimensions, which hamper application of many popular distance measures since they (implicitly) assume that all traits have the same dimensions. The AmP collection follows the workflow that measured data determine parameters and parameters determine trait values. In ...

The comparative energetics of the turtles and crocodiles

The Add-my-Pet (AmP) collection of data on energetics and Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) parameters ... more The Add-my-Pet (AmP) collection of data on energetics and Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) parameters currently contains 92 species of turtles and 23 species of crocodiles. We discuss patterns of eco-physiological traits of turtles and crocodiles, as functions of parameter values, and compare them with other taxa. Turtles and crocodiles accurately match the general rule that the life-time cumulated neonate mass production equals ultimate weight. The weight at birth for reptiles scales with ultimate weight to the power 0.6. The scaling exponent is between that of amphibians and birds, while that for mammals is close to 1. We explain why this points to limitations imposed by embryonic respiration, the role of water stress and the accumulation of nitrogen waste during the embryo stage. Weight at puberty is proportional to ultimate weight, and is the largest for crocodiles, followed by that of turtles. These facts explain why the precociality coefficient – approximated by the ratio of weight...

Prihvatni kapacitet okoliša za posjetitelje Nacionalnog parka „Krka“

The effects of plastic ingestion on an endangered sea turtle

Relating daily change of visitor number to crowding perception and overall satisfaction in Nature Park Telašćica, Croatia

Morfološka i genetička obilježja rakova vrste Austropotamobius torrentium (Schrank, 1803) na području Parka prirode Žumberak – Samoborsko gorje

Potocni rak (Austropotamobius torrentium) jedna je od cetiri autohtone vrste rakova porodice Asta... more

Estimating benefits of nature conservation: ecosystem service valuation in Krka National Park (Croatia)

Morphological and genetic features of crayfish (Astacidae)in Croatia

Species of freshwater crayfish of the familiy Astacidae are divided in three genera and are indig... more Species of freshwater crayfish of the familiy Astacidae are divided in three genera and are indigeniuos to Europe (genera Astacus and Austropotamobius) and western North America (genus Pacifastacus). There are four native Croatian crayfish species of the family Astacidae. Phylogenetic relationships among different populations of some of these species are not yet completely resolved. In this research morphological characteristics and phylogenetic relationships of 61 individuals were studied. The crayfish were collected from nine sites situated in Žumberak - Samoborsko gorje Nature Park. Mitochondrial genes were used for molecular phylogenetic analyses and in morphological aspect of research we measured morphometrical and meristic characteristics, which were then grouped in accordance with the results of previous genetic analyses and processed with statistical methods. Obtained results show a large genetic diversity of studied populations and statistical analyses of morphological data...

The universality and the future prospects of physiological energetics: Reply to comments on "Physics of metabolic organization

Physics of life reviews, Mar 1, 2017

In response to the comments on review "Physics of metabolic organization", we discuss t... more In response to the comments on review "Physics of metabolic organization", we discuss the universality and the future prospects of physiological energetics. The topics range from the role of entropy in modeling living organisms to the apparent ubiquity of the von Bertalanffy curve, and the potential applications of the theory in yet unexplored domains. Tradeoffs in outreach to non-specialists are also briefly considered.

Physics of metabolic organization

Physics of Life Reviews, 2017

Inferring physiological energetics of loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) from existing data using a general metabolic theory

Loggerhead turtle is an endangered sea turtle species with a migratory lifestyle and worldwide di... more Loggerhead turtle is an endangered sea turtle species with a migratory lifestyle and worldwide distribution, experiencing markedly different habitats throughout its lifetime. Environmental conditions, especially food availability and temperature, constrain the acquisition and the use of available energy, thus affecting physiological processes such as growth, maturation, and reproduction. These physiological processes at the population level determine survival, fecundity, and ultimately the population growth rate—a key indicator of the success of conservation efforts. As a first step towards the comprehensive understanding of how environment shapes the physiology and the life cycle of a loggerhead turtle, we constructed a full life cycle model based on the principles of energy acquisition and utilization embedded in the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) theory. We adapted the standard DEB model using data from published and unpublished sources to obtain parameter estimates and model predic...

Size Scaling in Western North Atlantic Loggerhead Turtles Permits Extrapolation between Regions, but Not Life Stages

PLOS ONE, 2015

Epigenetic drug 5-azacytidine impairs proliferation of rat limb buds in an organotypic model-system in vitro

Croatian Medical Journal, 2013

Aim To establish an organotypic in vitro model of limb bud development to verify whether epigenet... more Aim To establish an organotypic in vitro model of limb bud development to verify whether epigenetic drug and teratogen 5-azacytidine (5azaC) has an effect on limb buds independent of its effects on the placenta. Methods Fischer strain rat fore-and hindlimb buds were microsurgically isolated from 13 days old embryos and cultivated in vitro for two weeks at the air-liquid interface in Eagle's minimum essential medium (MEM) with 50% rat serum. 30 µmol of 5azaC was added to the fresh medium. Overall growth was measured by an ocular micrometer. Routine histology, immunohistochemical detection of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and stereological quantification of PCNA expression were performed. Results At four time points, significantly lower overall growth was detected for fore-and hindlimb bud explants cultivated with 5azaC in comparison to controls. After the culture period, numerical density of the PCNA signal for both types of limb buds was lower than for controls (P < 0.001). Limb buds were initially covered by immature epithelium and contained mesenchyme, myotubes, single hemangioblasts, hemangioblast aggregates, blood islands, and capillaries. Regardless of the treatment, cartilage and epidermis differentiated, but cells and structures typical for vasculogenesis disappeared. Conclusion Our findings, obtained outside of the maternal organism, stress the importance of compromised cell proliferation for 5azaC impact on limb buds. This investigation points to the necessity to establish alternatives to in vivo research on animals using teratogenic agents.

Morfoloka i genetička obiljeja rakova vrste Austopotamobius torrentium (Schrank, 1803) na području Parka prirode umberak-Samoborsko gorje

Potočni rak (Austropotamobius torrentium) jedna je od četiri autohtone vrste rakova porodice Asta... more

Life cycle and ecology of the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta, Linnaeus, 1758)

After the general introduction presented in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 tackles the problem of disjointe... more After the general introduction presented in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 tackles the problem of disjointed and conflicting data, and explores to what extent do loggerhead turtle populations and life stages differ in morphology. In order to take into account the possible geographic and life stage variability, I study two neighboring populations and all postembryonic life stages by comparing the ratio of carapace length, width and height of sea turtles. I conduct a detailed analysis of empirical models (growth curves, conversion formulae). One of the aims is to answer a somewhat technical question whether or not can the growth of loggerhead turtles be considered isomorphic. Considerable deviations from isomorphy would require additional steps when defining through out the life the acquisition (or use) of energy in relation to the surface area-volume ratio. The focus of Chapter 3 is on developing a full life cycle model of loggerhead turtles. Due to substantial variability present in data rela...

The energetic basis of population growth in animal kingdom

Ecological Modelling

Quantifying impacts of plastic debris on marine wildlife identifies ecological breakpoints

Ecology Letters