Eighty surveys of ten Scottish beaches recorded litter sizes and weights. A simple model of fragmentation explains the distribution of plastic beach litter weights, producing a logarithmic cascade in weight-frequencies having a power law exponent of 1.6. Implications of fragmentation are numerous. Heavy litter is rare, light fragments are common. Monitoring by number is sensitive to minimum observable

The navigability potential of the Northeast Passage has gradually emerged with the melting of Arctic sea ice. For the purpose of navigation safety in the Arctic area, a reliable daily sea ice concentration (SIC) prediction result is required. As the mature application of deep learning technique in short-term prediction of other fields (atmosphere, ocean, and hurricane, etc.), a new model was proposed

Observer-based counts and photo-identification are two well-established methods with an extensive use in cetacean studies. Using these two methods, group size has been widely reported, especially for small dolphins. Both methods may come with potential errors in estimating the group size, yet there is still a lack of comparison between both methods over a broad range of group size. Particularly, biogeographical

Although methane is a widely studied greenhouse gas, uncertainties remain with respect to the factors controlling its distribution and diffusive flux into the atmosphere, especially in highly dynamic coastal waters. In the southern North Sea, the Elbe and Weser rivers are two major tributaries contributing to the overall methane budget of the southern German Bight. In June 2019, we continuously measured

Global warming has intensified the rise in sea levels and has caused severe ecological disasters in shallow coastal waters such as the Northeastern China's Bohai Sea. The prediction of the sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) has great significance in the context of monitoring changes in sea levels. However, the non-linearity of SSHA due to the occurrence of dynamic physical phenomena poses a challenge

Underwater depth prediction plays an important role in underwater vision research. Because of the complex underwater environment, it is extremely difficult and expensive to obtain underwater datasets with reliable depth annotation. Thus, underwater depth map estimation with a data-driven manner is still a challenging task. To tackle this problem, we propose an end-to-end system including two different

In vertebrates, melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxy-tryptamine, MEL) is synthesized from L-tryptophan (L-Trp), primarily in the pineal gland and additionally in several non-pineal tissues, including enterochromaffin cells of the gastrointestinal tract. The biosynthesis of MEL in the pinealocytes exhibits a daily rhythm with a nocturnal peak in synchronization with the dark phase of an environment. However

The Barents Sea (BS) is a high-latitude shelf ecosystem with important fisheries, high and historically variable harvesting pressure, and ongoing high variability in climatic conditions. To quantify carbon flow pathways and assess if changes in harvesting intensity and climate variability have affected the BS ecosystem, we modeled the ecosystem for the period 1950–2013 using a highly trophically resolved

Actions addressing youths and marine science for “ambassadorship” are increasingly implemented via dedicated programs at the European and global level within the relevant policy frameworks, as a way for fostering the exchange of knowledge and cross-fertilizing practices among the Countries and basins. These programs are conceived to address the future generations of scientists, entrepreneurs, policymakers

The subarctic Pacific is one of the major high-nitrate, low-chlorophyll (HNLC) regions where marine productivity is greatly limited by the supply of iron (Fe) in the region. There is a distinct seasonal difference in the chlorophyll concentrations of the east and west sides of the subarctic Pacific because of the differences in their driving mechanisms. In the western subarctic Pacific, two chlorophyll

Establishing the foundations for a sustainable use of deep-sea resources relies on increasing knowledge on this inaccessible ecosystem, which is challenging with traditional methods. The analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) emerges as an alternative, but it has been scarcely applied to deep-sea fish. Here, we have analyzed the fish eDNA contained in oceanic vertical profile samples (up to 2000 m depth)

Body size is a fundamental trait in ecology, and body size reduction with increasing temperature has been termed the third universal response to climate warming. Although effects of temperature and food on phenotypic plasticity of zooplankton adult body size have been investigated, density-dependent effects have been neglected. We measured seasonal changes in the prosome length of 7098 adult females

Nontrophic interactions can contribute to negative and positive feedbacks within a community, thus affecting likelihood of regime shifts; however, assessing the nature and importance of these effects in a network remains challenging, especially for pelagic ecosystems. Here, we present a qualitative modeling approach for assessing the importance of different effects and resultant feedbacks for community

Characterising ocean temperature variability and extremes is fundamental for understanding the thermal bounds in which marine ecosystems have adapted. While there is growing evidence of how marine heatwaves threaten marine ecosystems, prolonged periods of extremely cold ocean temperatures, marine cold-spells, have received less global attention. We synthesize the literature on cold ocean temperature

Cigarette filters are made of non-biodegradable plastic and are one of the top littered items worldwide. Here, we determine if policy implementation is an effective strategy for reducing cigarette filter litter on beaches in Maui, Hawai'i by comparing cigarette filter counts before and after a policy banning tobacco use was implemented. We use a before–after control–impact (BACI) design to investigate

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is affecting corals across the Western Atlantic and displays species-specific and regional differences in prevalence, incidence, degree of mortality, and lesion morphology. We examined two Florida sites with different temporal histories of disease emergence; Fort Lauderdale where SCTLD is endemic and the Lower Florida Keys where SCTLD has recently emerged. Our

Global warming is influencing the life history traits of fishes globally. However, the impacts of elevated temperature on fish reproduction are diverse in different regions. Previous studies have revealed that the spawning timing of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) in the Pearl River, in China, has changed over the past decade. However, few studies have explored the potential reasons, which

Periwinkles (Littorinidae: genus Littoraria) are one of the very few molluscan clades showing an adaptive radiation closely associated to the mangrove habitat. However, pervasive land use changes associated to urbanization is prompting mangrove loss or degradation, with unknown consequences for mangrove-associated fauna. In the southern Colombian Caribbean, mangrove ecosystems have been encroached

Nutrient enrichment and its quantitative cause-effect chains of the biogeochemical processes have scarcely been documented in the Pearl River Estuary (South China). Field investigations of nutrient samples taken between 1996 and 2018 showed significant differences in nitrogen and phosphorus with times and sites. The concentrations of DIN and DIP gradually increased over the past two decades, with good

There are multiple blue whale acoustic populations found across the Southern Hemisphere. The different subspecies of blue whales feed in separate areas, but during their migration to lower-latitude breeding areas each year, Antarctic blue whales become sympatric with pygmy and Chilean blue whales. Few studies have compared the degree of this overlap of the Southern Hemisphere blue whale subspecies

C-type allatostatins (C-type ASTs) are a family of structurally related neuropeptides found in a wide range of insects and crustaceans. To date, the C-type allatostatin receptor in crustaceans has not been deorphaned, and little is known about its physiological functions. In this study, we aimed to functionally define a C-type ASTs receptor in the mud crab, Scylla paramamosian. We showed that C-type

The relationship between carotenoid and shellfish shell color has gained increasing attention. β, β-carotene-9′,10′-oxygenase 2 (BCDO2) is a key enzyme in animal carotenoid metabolism, and its accumulation affects the change in body color, as demonstrated in mammals, birds, and fish. However, it is unclear whether BCDO2 is involved in the formation of the red shell color of clam. To explore the molecular

Marine hypoxia caused by nutrient enrichment in coastal waters has become a global problem for decades, especially diel-cycling hypoxia that occurs frequently in the summer season. On the contrary, sudden rainstorms, and freshwater discharge make salinity in estuarine and coastal ecosystems variable, which often occurs with hypoxia. We found mass mortality of the Hong Kong oyster Crassostrea hongkongensis

A freshwater-induced barrier layer (BL) is a common physical phenomenon both in coastal waters and the open ocean. To examine the effects of BL on the biological production and the associated carbon export, a physical-biogeochemical survey was conducted in the Bay of Bengal. Severe depletions of surface phosphorus and the deepening of the nutricline were observed at the BL-affected stations due to

Ichthyoplankton assemblages and their relationship with environmental variables are investigated in waters off the Pearl River Estuary in spring and autumn of 2019. Of 80 ichthyoplankton taxa identified using DNA barcode and morphological methods, 61 are identified to species. The most abundance families (Carangidae, Trichiuridae, Mullidae, and Scombridae) account for 61.34% of the horizontal total

Marine plastic pollution is projected to increase globally in the next few decades. This holds true for South America where the number of species that interacts with plastics is increasing. In this study, we explore for the first time the potential of certain charismatic species of marine turtles, mammals and seabirds as indicators of plastic pollution in the Río de la Plata (RdP), one of the largest

The partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in the sea and the air-sea CO2 flux in plume waters are subject to interactions among biological production, horizontal advection, and upwelling under wind events. In this study, time series of pCO2 and other biogeochemical parameters in the dynamic Changjiang plume were presented to illuminate the controlling factors of pCO2 and the air-sea CO2 flux after a strong

Marine debris, particularly plastic debris is a ubiquitous global pervasive problem. The international community recognizes that a reduction in plastic debris density is central to sustainable ocean use based on reduction performance metrics. Although many national databases already exist or are being developed, an internationally accepted index of plastic debris density does not currently exist. Standardized

The Galapagos Islands are one of the best-preserved archipelagos in the world. We sampled individuals of six demersal and three pelagic species. The metal concentration of liver and gonad tissues were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Spectrometry. Findings suggest none of the pelagic species showed metallic concentrations that could pose a risk to their health or reproductive capacity

Most tropical reef corals live at temperatures near 27°C and pH values near 8. Conditions outside of these can stress corals and lead to bleaching, disease, and death. However, some corals can survive in marginal or extreme habitats outside of these ranges. To date there is a paucity of knowledge about the role that associated microbes may play in the acclimation of corals to such extreme habitats

This review presents the spatio-temporal distribution of petroleum hydrocarbons including total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), total organic carbon (TOC), total aliphatics, unresolved complex mixture (UCM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and total aromatic hydrocarbons in marine sediments of the Gulf (Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman). The TPH

Many coastal and marine ecosystems around the world are under increasing threat from a range of anthropogenic influences. The management of these threats continues to present ongoing challenges, with many ecosystems increasingly requiring active restoration to support or re-establish the ecosystem's biological, cultural, social and economic values. The current condition of Australia's Great Barrier

Marine litter on Spanish beaches is assessed through two monitoring programmes: the Official Monitoring Programme of Marine Litter on Beaches (BM-1) developed by the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge and the Citizen Science Monitoring Programme (BM-7) that provides beach litter data from voluntary clean-up initiatives. So far, the data provided by both programmes

In Small Island Developing States (SIDS), water pollution is not monitored or assessed frequently enough to fully understand the processes, impacts of water quality issues and what solutions are available This study investigated flushing time in Erakor lagoon and Port Vila Bay, Vanuatu using a numerical model developed in Delft3D. Microbial contamination by Escherichia coli was detected in multiple

As sites of floating marine material deposition, sandy beaches accumulate marine litter. While research and assessment on beach litter is increasing and involves various actors (scientists, society and NGOs), there is the need to assess current and future dominant trends, directions and priorities in that research. As such, a textural co-occurrence analysis was applied to published scientific literature

A large-scale oil spill has reached over 3000 km of the NE Brazilian coast since August 2019. The cause and origin of this spill remain mysterious, and the impacts on coastal ecosystems have not been clearly understood so far. Despite the efforts to remove the oil (mainly from local communities), oil stains are still present in beaches, mangroves, and beachrocks. In this short report, we describe the

The present study evaluated the occurrence of 24 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments and shellfish (Anomalocardia flexuosa, Crassostrea rhizophorae, and Mytella guyanensis) of Todos os Santos bay (BTS, Brazil). Total PAHs levels ranged from 89 to 921 ng g-1 dry weight (d.w.) in sediments, and from 66 to 505 ng g-1 d.w. in shellfish, signalizing that BTS was moderately contaminated

Data on marine litter is crucial to guide waste management but is scarce in third-world countries such as South Africa. We established the first baseline measurement of litter accumulation on two beaches differing in public access in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, the poorest province in South Africa. Four 10-day surveys were conducted on each beach between June 2019 and June 2020. Results revealed

Analyses were carried out to determine the main sand size parameters (median grain size D50 and sorting σ) for beach nourishment purposes using the sieving method aboard a dredger. Due to a lack of space and the need to carry and use the material with ease, the sieves are commonly small (10 cm diameter), and the shaking procedure is usually performed by hand. However, the influence of shaking, either

Accurate identification of individual ages within wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) is critical for determining population health and the development of population management strategies. As such, we analyzed DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns by applying a custom methylation array (HorvathMammalMethyl40) to both blood (n = 140) and skin samples (n = 87) from known age or approximate age (0–57

Coastal hydro-morphodynamics present significant uncertainties, one order of magnitude larger for sediment transport than for the driving hydrodynamics. Met-ocean factors (waves, currents, and levels essentially) are normally selected from a probability distribution, where only the central trend is considered, and then the analysis of hydro-morphodynamic processes is carried out within a deterministic

The Philippines, as a tropical archipelagic country, is particularly vulnerable to environmental changes affecting coastal and marine settings. However, there are limited studies investigating how these changes are perceived by the local populations who depend directly on the marine environment for their livelihoods, health, and well-being, and who are the most vulnerable to such changes. To explore

Many terrestrial and aquatic taxa are known to form periodic aggregations, whether across life history or solely during specific life stages, that are generally governed by the availability and distribution of resources. Associations between individuals during such aggregation events are considered random and not driven by social attraction or underlying community structure. White sharks (Carcharodon

In the article by Dugenne et. al [1], the author would like to correct the funding award listed in the Acknowledgements to #329108 (instead of #329104).

Microalgae produce copious amounts of structurally diverse polysaccharides, some are bound within cells and cell walls, while others are secreted into the surrounding seawater. A fraction of the secreted polysaccharides assembles into particles promoting aggregation and in turn formation of aggregates increases the export of carbon into the deep ocean via sinking. However, specific polysaccharides

Copepods are important secondary producers that support higher trophic levels in aquatic food webs. Large-scale climate events such as climate oscillations and global warming force on physical and chemical conditions in aquatic ecosystems might regulate copepod production through physiological and biochemical processes. We evaluated how large climatic and anthropogenic events impacted secondary production

When coral and macroalgae are alternative attractors, the trajectory of the benthic community following a major disturbance is shaped in part by whether herbivores keep macroalgae suppressed, leaving reef surfaces in a state suitable for coral colonization. Because macroalgae tend to colonize much faster than coral, an important issue is how close ambient herbivory is to the level where control of

The present study has examined the long-term variability of water mass properties and its relation to sea ice production (SIP) in the northwestern Bering Sea shelf using hydrographic and satellite data, and output from atmospheric reanalysis. As per our analysis of hydrographic data in the summer seasons, significant variability in bottom water temperature and salinity was noted. The temperature in

Human-mediated salinity increases are occurring in freshwaters globally, with consequent negative effects on freshwater biodiversity. Salinity comprises multiple anions and cations. While total concentrations are typically used to infer effects, individual ion concentrations and ion ratios are critical in determining effects. Moreover, estimates of toxicity from single-species laboratory tests, may

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) have occurred with increasing duration, frequency and intensity in the past decade in the South China Sea, posing serious threats to marine ecosystems and fisheries. However, the impact of MHWs on marine bivalves – one of the most ecologically and economically important fauna in coastal ecosystems – remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated physiological responses of the