Review
Environmental Sciences
Emma Cebrian, Laura Tamburello, Jana Verdura, Giuseppe Guarnieri, Alba Medrano, Cristina Linares, Bernat Hereu, Joaquim Garrabou, Carlo Cerrano, Cristina Galobart, Simonetta Fraschetti
Summary: Canopy-forming macroalgae are crucial in coastal ecosystems but facing decline in many areas. Active restoration is seen as the most promising strategy, however, it is challenged by human pressures and climate change. Collaborative efforts are being made to research new restoration tools and promote self-sustaining populations.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Laura Tamburello, Antonia Chiarore, Erika Fabbrizzi, Alberto Colletti, Giulio Franzitta, Daniele Grech, Fabio Rindi, Lucia Rizzo, Beatrice Savinelli, Simonetta Fraschetti
Summary: Habitat degradation and loss in macroalgal forests worldwide, particularly along the 8000 km of the coasts of Italy, are severely affecting the populations. Main drivers include coastal engineering and poor water quality from urban, agricultural, or industrial activities. Although protected populations have increased, the lack of management and monitoring plans may hinder conservation efficacy and recovery efforts.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Margalida Monserrat, Steeve Comeau, Jana Verdura, Samir Alliouane, Guillaume Spennato, Fabrice Priouzeau, Gilbers Romero, Luisa Mangialajo
Summary: Marine forests are shrinking due to climate change and other human activities. Forest-forming macroalgae, such as Cystoseiras.l. species, are sensitive to environmental conditions. However, little is known about their response to the interactive effects of ocean warming and acidification. This study demonstrates that the interactive effects of ocean warming and acidification negatively affect the recruitment of Cystoseira s.l. species, highlighting the importance of considering multiple drivers and species interactions for long-term population sustainability.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erika Fabbrizzi, Sylvaine Giakoumi, Francesco De Leo, Laura Tamburello, Antonia Chiarore, Alberto Colletti, Marianna Coppola, Marco Munari, Luigi Musco, Fabio Rindi, Lucia Rizzo, Beatrice Savinelli, Giulio Franzitta, Daniele Grech, Emma Cebrian, Jana Verdura, Silvia Bianchelli, Luisa Mangialajo, Ina Nasto, Denada Sota, Sotiris Orfanidis, Nadia K. Papadopoulou, Roberto Danovaro, Simonetta Fraschetti
Summary: This study assesses the consequences of adopting different restoration targets and criteria on spatial restoration prioritization, highlighting the importance of spatial planning tools in guiding restoration interventions.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Francesco Rendina, Annalisa Falace, Giuseppina Alongi, Maria Cristina Buia, Joao Neiva, Luca Appolloni, Giuliana Marletta, Giovanni Fulvio Russo
Summary: This study reports the discovery of healthy and dense marine forests formed by Fucales in the Santa Maria di Castellabate Marine Protected Area in Cilento, Italy. The presence of 10 Cystoseira taxa and the high ecological value of this area highlight the importance of marine protected area management and regional monitoring programs for the conservation of these valuable yet fragile coastal ecosystems.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Jana Verdura, Lluc Rehues, Luisa Mangialajo, Simonetta Fraschetti, Zahira Belattmania, Silvia Bianchelli, Aurelie Blanfune, Brahim Sabour, Antonia Chiarore, Roberto Danovaro, Erika Fabbrizzi, Sylvaine Giakoumi, Ljiljana Ivesa, Stelios Katsanevakis, Eleni Kytinou, Ina Nasto, Athanasios Nikolaou, Sotiris Orfanidis, Gil Rilov, Fabio Rindi, Marta Sales, Maria Sini, Laura Tamburello, Thierry Thibaut, Konstantinos Tsirintanis, Emma Cebrian
Summary: The worldwide decline of macroalgal forests, including Mediterranean Cystoseira s.l. forests, is a cause for concern due to its potential negative impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functions. This study provides updated information on the distribution and ecological status of these forests, highlighting the need for standardized monitoring and conservation measures. The current knowledge is still insufficient to implement effective strategies, emphasizing the urgency for further research and baseline information.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Veronica Cruz-Alonso, Josep Maria Espelta, Joan Pino
Summary: The expansion of Mediterranean forests in Europe is influenced by forest connectivity and climatic aridity, with different types of woody plant species responding uniquely to these environmental factors.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lauric Reynes, Didier Aurelle, Cristele Chevalier, Christel Pinazo, Myriam Valero, Stephane Mauger, Stephane Sartoretto, Aurelie Blanfune, Sandrine Ruitton, Charles-Francois Boudouresque, Marc Verlaque, Thierry Thibaut
Summary: Oceanic connectivity was found to be the primary predictor of genetic structure, while genetic differentiation in selective gene markers was linked to population depth, as indicated by minimum seawater temperature. Further research is needed to fully understand the role of depth in driving adaptive genetic differentiation in E. zosteroides.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
F. P. Mancuso, M. Milazzo, R. Chemello
Summary: The reduction in patch-size of Cystoseira forests impacts the structure and composition of associated molluscan communities, with abundance, species richness, and diversity decreasing as the size of algal patches decreases.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
C. P. Coelho, I. P. Sousa, G. E. Silva, D. I. Rocha, M. O. Azevedo, F. A. G. Guilherme
Summary: Species of Thismia Griff. are mycoheterotrophic plants with complex floral structures but little information on reproductive strategies. This study evaluated the seed dispersal of Thismia panamensis, finding that they are dispersed by water droplets. The data suggest potential seed dispersal by ombrohydrochory, leading to clumped distribution in the study area.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Laura Cannarozzi, Stanislao Bevilacqua, Monia Renzi, Serena Anselmi, Giuseppina Alongi, Valentina Asnaghi, Mariachiara Chiantore, Annachiara Pagnotta, Chiara Paoli, Ilaria Rigo, Annalisa Falace
Summary: This study analyzed the intraspecific spatial variation of key functional traits in Ericaria amentacea, a type of fucoid algae found in the Mediterranean Sea, and explored potential interspecific variation by comparing it with Cystoseira compressa. The results showed spatial homogeneity of key traits at a large scale but significant variability at a small scale in E. amentacea. Caution is suggested when generalizing the functional performances of Cystoseira s.l. forests over large areas using small and local-scale trait values.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Diego K. Kersting, Luisa Mangialajo, Enric Ballesteros
Summary: The research revealed the importance of the margin of Mediterranean coralligenous outcrops for epibenthic fish assemblages, which was found to be more significant than the coralligenous itself and the adjacent detritic bottoms, hosting a characteristic epibenthic fish community.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Francesco Enrichetti, Elisa Baldrighi, Giorgio Bavestrello, Federico Betti, Simonepietro Canese, Andrea Costa, Michela del Pasque, Adriana Giangrande, Joachim Langeneck, Cristina Misic, Matteo Putignano, Margherita Toma, Marzia Bo
Summary: The new species Bispira riccardi sp. nov. inhabits the mesophotic NW Mediterranean Sea, showing sensitivity to temperature and currents, high density, and significant impact on meiofaunal abundance and diversity, highlighting the potential research value of deep Mediterranean Sea for sabellid diversity.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Joshua C. Fowler, Marion L. Donald, Judith L. Bronstein, Tom E. X. Miller
Summary: Understanding the mechanisms that determine species' range limits and the role of biotic interactions, particularly mutualism, is important in predicting species response to environmental change. This study examines the effect of mutualism on range limits and identifies two processes that contribute to the geographic footprint of mutualism: modification of niche and dispersal opportunities. The literature review reveals that mutualism extends species' ranges by providing fitness benefits and dispersal opportunities, while the absence of mutualism restricts species from suitable regions. Future research should focus on the role of mutualism in range shifts under global change.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ana Paula A. Assis, Mauro Galetti, Kate P. Maia, Paulo R. Guimaraes
Summary: Morphological attributes play a crucial role in determining the success of ecological interactions and can exhibit high levels of intraspecific variation within and among populations. Different populations show slight differences in mean morphological attributes, with populations in stress areas demonstrating lower evolvability in response to selection pressure and environmental changes.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marco Signaroli, Arancha Lana, Martina Martorell-Barcelo, Javier Sanllehi, Margarida Barcelo-Serra, Eneko Aspillaga, Julia Mulet, Josep Alos
Summary: In this study, a deep learning algorithm called Faster R-CNN was used to automatically detect and track the gilthead seabream. The researchers collected videos using a Raspberry Pi recording system and trained the neural network with data augmentation techniques. The final network achieved an accuracy of 92.79% and a fish positioning error of 10.25 pixels, providing a valuable tool for studying fish behavior.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joaquim Garrabou, Daniel Gomez-Gras, Alba Medrano, Carlo Cerrano, Massimo Ponti, Robert Schlegel, Nathaniel Bensoussan, Eva Turicchia, Maria Sini, Vasilis Gerovasileiou, Nuria Teixido, Alice Mirasole, Laura Tamburello, Emma Cebrian, Gil Rilov, Jean-Baptiste Ledoux, Jamila Ben Souissi, Faten Khamassi, Raouia Ghanem, Mouloud Benabdi, Samir Grimes, Oscar Ocana, Hocein Bazairi, Bernat Hereu, Cristina Linares, Diego Kurt Kersting, Graciel la Rovira, Julia Ortega, David Casals, Marta Pages-Escola, Nuria Margarit, Pol Capdevila, Jana Verdura, Alfonso Ramos, Andres Izquierdo, Carmen Barbera, Esther Rubio-Portillo, Irene Anton, Paula Lopez-Sendino, David Diaz, Maite Vazquez-Luis, Carlos Duarte, Nuria Marba, Eneko Aspillaga, Free Espinosa, Daniele Grech, Ivan Guala, Ernesto Azzurro, Simone Farina, Maria Cristina Gambi, Giovanni Chimienti, Monica Montefalcone, Annalisa Azzola, Torcuato Pulido Mantas, Simonetta Fraschetti, Giulia Ceccherelli, Silvija Kipson, Tatjana Bakran-Petricioli, Donat Petricioli, Carlos Jimenez, Stelios Katsanevakis, Inci Tuney Kizilkaya, Zafer Kizilkaya, Stephane Sartoretto, Rouanet Elodie, Sandrine Ruitton, Steeve Comeau, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Jean-Georges Harmelin
Summary: This study reveals that the Mediterranean Sea has experienced exceptional thermal conditions, leading to five consecutive years of mass mortality events of marine organisms. The occurrence of these events is significantly related to the heat exposure from marine heatwaves observed at the surface and depths. The Mediterranean Sea is facing an unprecedented threat to its ecosystem's health and functioning due to the accelerated ecological impacts of marine heatwaves.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Joao Neiva, Ricardo Bermejo, Alba Medrano, Pol Capdevila, David Milla-Figueras, Pedro Afonso, Enric Ballesteros, Brahim Sabour, Donatella Serio, Eduardo Nobrega, Joao Soares, Jose Valdazo, Fernando Tuya, Martina Mulas, Alvaro Israel, Sofia S. Sadogurska, Michael D. Guiry, Gareth A. Pearson, Ester A. Serrao
Summary: This study provides new insights into the systematics, species delimitation, and biogeography of Cystoseira s.l. in the North-east Atlantic. By using molecular markers, the researchers identified 27 molecular operational taxonomic units, including previously unknown cryptic diversity, and proposed redefinitions, reinstatements, and recognitions of certain taxa.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Marcio A. G. Coelho, Gareth A. Pearson, Joana R. H. Boavida, Diogo Paulo, Didier Aurelle, Sophie Arnaud-Haond, Daniel Gomez-Gras, Nathaniel Bensoussan, Paula Lopez-Sendino, Carlo Cerrano, Silvija Kipson, Tatjana Bakran-Petricioli, Eliana Ferretti, Cristina Linares, Joaquim Garrabou, Ester A. Serrao, Jean-Baptiste Ledoux
Summary: This study found clear differentiation between Atlantic and Mediterranean lineages of the octocoral genus Paramuricea previously identified as P. clavata. Additionally, it identified a potential speciation event within the Atlantic population of P. cf. grayi involving two color morphotypes. These findings have important implications for conservation planning and validate the usefulness of phylotranscriptomics in resolving evolutionary relationships in octocorals.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yanis Zentner, Graciella Rovira, Nuria Margarit, Julia Ortega, David Casals, Alba Medrano, Marta Pages-Escola, Eneko Aspillaga, Pol Capdevila, Laura Figuerola-Ferrando, Joan Lluis Riera, Bernat Hereu, Joaquim Garrabou, Cristina Linares
Summary: During the past two decades, Marine Heatwaves have caused significant damage to coralligenous assemblages in the Mediterranean Sea, resulting in mass mortalities of key habitat-forming species. Despite the presence of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for conservation, the impacts of climate events within these areas pose a threat to their effectiveness. This study assesses the potential of regulating diving activities to enhance climate change protection in the Medes Islands MPA.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
James Cant, Pol Capdevila, Maria Beger, Roberto Salguero-Gomez
Summary: We tested 2242 populations of 369 animal and plant species and found that recent environmental stochasticity does not predict the resistance and recovery potential of natural populations. Instead, phylogenetic relatedness and developmental investments are strong predictors of demographic resilience.
Article
Fisheries
F. Dhellemmes, E. Aspillaga, T. Rittweg, J. Alos, P. Moeller, R. Arlinghaus
Summary: The spatial behavior of coastal pike living in brackish lagoons is not well-known. This study analyzed two years of acoustic telemetry data to investigate the relationship between spatial behavior, body size, sex, season, and vulnerability to fishing in a sample of coastal pike from the Baltic Sea. The results showed that body size and other factors influenced the space use patterns of pike, with larger fish using more space and differences in behavior between sexes and seasons.
FISHERIES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Laura Figuerola-Ferrando, Aldo Barreiro, Ignasi Montero-Serra, Marta Pages-Escola, Joaquim Garrabou, Cristina Linares, Jean-Baptiste Ledoux
Summary: This study analyzes the patterns and drivers of genetic diversity in marine habitat-forming species and provides a macrogenetic baseline. The results reveal a complex biogeographic pattern influenced by taxonomy and highlight the need to consider genetic diversity in biodiversity assessments and management.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Connor Bernard, Gabriel Silva Santos, Jacques A. Deere, Roberto Rodriguez-Caro, Pol Capdevila, Erik Kusch, Samuel J. L. Gascoigne, John Jackson, Roberto Salguero-Gomez
Summary: MOSAIC is an open-access trait database that integrates 14 trait fields and species-level phylogenies from existing databases. It provides rich species data to improve our understanding of species traits and demographics.
Article
Biology
Mourad Akaarir, Jose Manuel Pujol, Margalida Suau, Ruben V. Rial, Maria Cristina Nicolau, Antoni Gamundi, Martina Martorell-Barcelo, Margarida Barcelo-Serra, Eneko Aspillaga, Josep Alos
Summary: Understanding the circadian rhythm of activity-rest in marine fish is crucial for their ecological and evolutionary adaptations. A new tracking method has allowed researchers to study the behavior and ecology of marine animals in their natural conditions and identify the effects of environmental factors on their activity-rest rhythm. This information can be used to predict the response of marine animals to environmental changes and guide conservation efforts.
Article
Environmental Sciences
J. M. Pereniguez, J. Alos, E. Aspillaga, I. Rojo, A. Calo, C. Hackradt, R. Hernandez-Andreu, B. Mourre, J. A. Garcia-Charton
Summary: The rise of nature-based tourism has created concerns about its impact on animal behavior, particularly in protected areas. This study used biotelemetry techniques to investigate the effect of scuba diving on the activity patterns of the dusky grouper, a marine predatory fish. The results showed that environmental factors had a more significant influence on the grouper's activity patterns than the presence of scuba divers.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tomeu Viver, Alberto Ruiz, Edgar Bertomeu, Martina Martorell-Barcelo, Mercedes Urdiain, Amalia Grau, Marco Signaroli, Margarida Barcelo-Serra, Eneko Aspillaga, Aina Pons, Chris Rodgers, Enric Gisbert, Dolors Furones, Josep Alos, Ignacio A. Catalan, Ramon Rossello-Mora
Summary: By comparing the gut microbiomes of wild and farmed fish, novel insights were gained due to differing environmental conditions. The gut microbiomes of wild Sparus aurata and Xyrichtys novacula showed diverse microbial community structures dominated by Proteobacteria, whereas farmed S. aurata individuals reflected the microbial composition of their feed source, with a dominance of Lactobacillus. Fasting resulted in a loss of the gut microbiome in farmed gilthead seabream, highlighting the transient nature of gut microbes and their dependence on feed source.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Javier Sanllehi, Marco Signaroli, Aina Pons, Martina Martorell-Barcelo, Julia Mulet, Arancha Lana, Margarida Barcelo-Serra, Eneko Aspillaga, Amalia Grau, Ignacio A. Catalan, Tomeu Viver, Josep Alos
Summary: Fish behavior can vary consistently within a species and population, showing distinct behavioral types. Comparing the behavior of wild and reared fish provides insights into the ecological and evolutionary consequences of these behavioral types. In this study, we examined the behavioral variation of wild and reared gilthead seabreams, a commercially important species. Our results demonstrate significant repeatability in five major behavior traits and show that reared fish display higher aggression, sociability, and activity levels compared to wild conspecifics. Furthermore, two different behavioral syndromes were identified. This research provides valuable information on the behavior of gilthead seabreams and its implications for fisheries and aquaculture.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Felicie Dhellemmes, Eneko Aspillaga, Christopher T. Monk
Summary: Acoustic telemetry is an effective and cost-efficient method for tracking aquatic animal movements. However, the data collected often contains spurious detections, which need to be identified and excluded. ATfiltR is an open-source package that helps researchers integrate, attribute and filter the telemetry data, enhancing the reproducibility of results for new researchers.