Spring phytoplankton blooms in the southern North Sea substantially contribute to annual primary production and largely influence food web dynamics. Studying long-term changes in spring bloom dynamics is therefore crucial for understanding future climate responses and predicting implications on the marine ecosystem. This paper aims to study long term changes in spring bloom dynamics in the Dutch coastal

Beginning in 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Estuary Program (NEP) started a collaboration with partners in seven estuaries along the East Coast (Barnegat Bay; Casco Bay), West Coast (Santa Monica Bay; San Francisco Bay; Tillamook Bay), and the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Coast (Tampa Bay; Mission-Aransas Estuary) of the United States to expand the use of autonomous monitoring

The deep sea is the largest environment on Earth, comprising important resources of commercial interest. It is composed of a wide variety of ecosystems, which is home to often unique organisms that are yet to be described. The deep-sea is one of the least studied environments, where research is strongly linked to technological access and advances. With the recent advances in the next-generation sequencing

Developments of multi-use floating islands are accelerated by an increase in offshore activities and pressing needs to create extra space in coastal regions for the surging population. The Horizon 2020 EU funded research project Space@Sea developed a modular floating island concept for offshore multi-use applications and examined current legal issues and barriers concerning its development. In this

Renewable energy, sustainable seafood, and a healthy marine ecosystem are integral elements of a sustainable blue economy. The rapid global advancement of offshore wind coupled with its potential to affect marine life compels an urgent need for robust methodologies to assess the impacts of this industry on fisheries resource species. Basic Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) and Control-Impact (CI)

Despite the important role of marine mammals in marine ecosystems and the imperative for their conservation, there is still a great lack of information on the diversity, distribution, and density of these animals in the Saudi waters of the Arabian Gulf. To fill this gap, an integrative data-collection approach including fishermen’s questionnaires, opportunistic sighting reports, and directed boat-based

As predators, coastal and oceanic sharks play critical roles in shaping ecosystem structure and function, but most shark species are highly susceptible to population declines. Effective management of vulnerable shark populations requires knowledge of species-specific movement and habitat use patterns. Since sharks are often highly mobile and long-lived, tracking their habitat use patterns over large

Pelagia noctiluca is considered the most important jellyfish in the Mediterranean Sea, due to its abundance and the severity of its stings. Despite its importance in marine ecosystems and the health problems caused by its massive arrival in coastal areas, little is known about its early life stages and its cnidome has never been described. This study of the morphological and anatomical features throughout

Biogenic silica (bSi) standing stocks and carbon (C) biomass of small plankton are rarely studied together in previous analyses, especially in oligotrophic gyres. Within the oligotrophic western tropical North Pacific, based on size-fractionated bSi and biovolume-derived C analyses in three size fractions (i.e., 0.2-2 µm; 2-20 µm; >20 µm), we observed that picophytoplankton (2 μm) to total bSi standing

Coral reefs are a natural habitat for many species, as well as being of high economic and touristic significance. However, they represent an extremely sensitive ecosystem with a narrow ecological limit: prolonged high temperatures can lead to bleaching, in which corals expel their symbiotic algae and eventually corals will degrade and die. This work investigates the potential threat of rising temperatures

Ocean surface waves tend to be attenuated by interaction with sea ice. In this study, six sea ice models in the third-generation wave model WAVEWATCH III (WW3) were used to estimate wave fields over the Sea of Okhotsk (SO). The significant wave height (Hs) and mean wave period (Tm) derived from the models were evaluated with open ocean and ice-covered conditions, using SO coastal area buoy observations

Herbivory has long been considered an important component of biotic resistance against macroalgae invasions in marine habitats. However, most of the studies on herbivory of invasive algae refer only to consumption by strictly herbivorous organisms, whereas consumption by omnivorous species has been largely ignored and rarely quantified. In this study, we assess whether the commonest omnivorous sparid

This study examines the seasonal evolution of Cape Darnley Bottom Water (CDBW), using the results of mooring and hydrographic measurements in the slope region off Cape Darnley in 2008--2009 and 2013--2014. Newly formed CDBW began reaching the western and near shore part of the slope region off Cape Darnley in April, spread to the offshore and eastern part in May, and reached the easternmost part in

The Antarctic toothfish, Dissostichus mawsoni, serves as a valuable fishery resource around the Antarctic Continent since 1997, managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Although delineating genetic or stock structure of populations is crucial for improving fishery management of this species, its number of genetic populations and genetic diversity

Sea-level rise induces a permanent loss of land with widespread ecological and economic impacts, most evident in urban and densely populated areas. Potential coastline retreat combined with waves and storm surges will result in more severe damages for coastal zones, especially over insular systems. In this paper, we quantify the effects of sea-level rise in terms of potential coastal flooding and potential

To distinguish between the distribution and activity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in the Pearl River estuary (PRE), we investigated the DNA- and cDNA-based -amoA and arch-amoA genes on three size-fractionated particles of >3.0 μm, 0.45‒3.0 μm, and 0.22‒0.45 μm. Results showed that AOB were more abundant in the freshwater with high concentrations of ammonium

Research funders can play an important role in supporting the integration of marine science into policy and practice to enable evidence-informed decision-making. However, to date, there is a paucity of guidance available to help research funders understand the specific actions they can take to support knowledge exchange among the researchers that they fund and relevant stakeholders, particularly within

Phyto- and zooplankton in Arctic and sub-Arctic seas show very strong seasonal changes in diversity and biomass. Here we document the seasonal variability in the mesozooplankton community structure in a sub-Arctic fjord in Northern Norway based on monthly sampling between November 2018 and February 2020. We combined traditional morphological zooplankton identification with DNA metabarcoding of a 313

The Mozambique Channel region in East Africa has diverse marine ecosystems and serves as a migratory corridor for economically important species. Local and foreign industrial fisheries operate in the Mozambique Channel, but local small-scale fisheries are the crucially important fisheries that provide food-security, livelihoods and economic opportunities for rural coastal communities. This study reconstructed

Coral recruitment represents a key element for coral reef persistence and resilience in the face of environmental disturbances. Studying coral recruitment patterns is fundamental for assessing reef health and implementing appropriate management strategies in an era of climate change. The FluorIS system has been developed to acquire high resolution, wide field-of-view (FOV) in situ images of coral recruits

Coastal regions are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) given their importance for human habitation, resource provisioning, employment, and cultural practice. They are also regions where different ecological, disciplinary, and jurisdictional boundaries both overlap and are obscured. We thus propose the land-sea interface as areas where governance systems are most in need

There is an increasing interest in developing innovative coatings and testing natural products with anti-fouling activity to substitute current highly toxic biocides that have a harmful impact on marine organisms. Bacillus licheniformis species have shown different anti-biofilm and anti-fouling activities in vitro, but so far, its efficacy in field trials has not been tested. For this purpose, the

Microplastics are ubiquitous contaminants in marine ecosystems worldwide, threatening fisheries production, food safety, and human health. Ingestion of microplastics by fish and large zooplankton has been documented, but there are few studies focusing on single-celled marine predators, including heterotrophic dinoflagellates. In laboratory experiments, the heterotrophic dinoflagellate species Oxyrrhis

The Beibu Gulf is one of the most important fishing grounds in the South China Sea (SCS), and the fisheries resources in this area are exploited by both China and Vietnam. In recent decades, some indications of overfishing have appeared, including declining catch rates, frequently changing catch composition, and shrinking body sizes in main commercial fish species. Due to limited data availability

The concepts of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and the Blue Economy are two prominent sustainability frameworks at the forefront of policy dialogues. However, investment within the BE has been slowed by the lack of a sufficiently robust operational definition. This lack of definition reduces investor confidence and impacts adoption by policy makers and practitioners. By considering the overlap between

The distribution and vertical fluxes of particulate organic carbon and other key elements in the Arctic Ocean are primarily governed by the spatial and seasonal changes in primary productivity, areal extent of ice cover, and lateral exchange between the shelves and interior basins. The Arctic Ocean has undergone rapid increase in primary productivity and drastic decrease in the areal extent of seasonal

The extraction of minerals from the seabed of the deep oceans is of increasing interest to investors, mining companies and some coastal states. To date, no commercial-scale deep seabed mining has taken place but there is considerable pressure for minerals mining to become an economic reality, including to supply the projected demand for metals to support a global transition to renewable energy. At

This study compares salinity tolerance between red and black shell Pinctada fucata salinity stress of 20 and 50‰, while 35‰ was used as a control. The hemolymph osmotic pressure, inorganic ion concentration, the activities of Na+-K+ -ATPase, respiratory metabolism related enzymes and liver tissue antioxidant related enzymes were measured at 12 h and 24 h after salinity stress. The osmotic pressure

Coastal ocean observing and modelling systems (coastal observatories), connected with regional and global ocean systems, improve the quality of information and forecasts for effective management of safe and sustainable maritime activities. The public availability of systematic and long-term information of the ocean is an engine for the Blue Economy, boosting economic growth, employment, and innovation

This study explored the effects of interactions between waves and current on storm surge in the Pearl River Estuary using a fully coupled wave-current model. The model was validated based on in-situ observations during the traverse of super typhoon Mangkhut. The results indicated that the model could reproduce the storm surge and wave setup processes. Numerical experiments showed that simulations of

The Arabian Gulf ranks among the world’s most arid and warm regions; the land has high salinity levels with many Sabkhas and receives little precipitation. This region holds about one-third of the world’s oil supply. Qatar is the leading gas producer worldwide, which raises many concerns about the pollution of the sea, groundwater, and soil. Thus, the Arabian Gulf area has paid particular attention

In the past 20 years, a new concept has slowly emerged and expanded to various domains of marine biology research: the holobiont. A holobiont describes the consortium formed by a eukaryotic host and its associated microorganisms including bacteria, archaea, protists, microalgae, fungi and viruses. From coral reefs to the deep-sea, symbiotic relationships and host-microbiome interactions are omnipresent

The inland waters around southern Vancouver Island and northern Washington State, known as the Salish Sea, host critical habitat for endangered southern resident killer whales (SRKW). This is, however, a highly traversed area, with approaches to industrial ports and coastal cities, international shipping lanes, ferry routes, and considerable recreational vessel traffic. Vessel noise is a key threat

The supply of nutrients for agricultural production faces enormous challenges as food security and sustainability goals have to be ensured. Processing of marine biomass has high potential to provide nutrients for agricultural purposes in coastal areas. One underexplored resource is jellyfish, which occur as blooms and by-catch of the fishing industry. In this context, a pot experiment investigated

Since 2014, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has led to large-scale mortality of over 20 coral species throughout the Florida Reef Tract. In 2019, in-water disease intervention strategies were implemented to treat affected corals. Two treatment strategies were employed: 1) topical application of an amoxicillin paste directly to disease margins, and 2) application of a chlorinated epoxy to disease

Effects of feeding dietary defatted black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal (HI) on intestine microbiota, and on histomorphology, oxidative enzyme activities in liver and intestine of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) were investigated. Four isoproteic (45% crude protein) and isolipidic (18% ether extract) diets were formulated to include 0% (CO), 9% (HI9), 18% (HI18) and 36% (HI36) of HI as

Coral research is being ushered into the genomic era. To fully capitalize on the potential discoveries from this genomic revolution, the rapidly increasing number of high-quality genomes requires effective pairing with rigorous taxonomic characterizations of specimens and the contextualization of their ecological relevance. However, to date there is no formal framework that genomicists, taxonomists

Recently, there has been a resurgent interest in the exploration of deep-sea mineral deposits, particularly polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), central Pacific. Accurate environmental impact assessment is critical to the effective management of a new industry and depends on a sound understanding of species taxonomy, biogeography, and connectivity across a range of scales. Connectivity

Since the appearance of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) on reefs off Miami in 2014, this unprecedented outbreak has spread across the entirety of Florida’s coral reef tract, as well as to many territories throughout the Caribbean. The endemic zone reached the upper Florida Keys by 2016, resulting in partial or complete mortality of coral colonies across numerous species. Disease was first observed

Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) is a commercially important high valued molluscan species. Its wild population has decreased in recent years. It is widely cultured in Korea. Traditional breeding programs have been implemented for hatchery production of abalone seeds. To obtain more genetic information for its molecular breeding program, a high-density linkage map and quantitative trait locus

The shortfin mako is one of the most important shark species caught in Atlantic Ocean pelagic fisheries. Given increasing concerns for the stock status of the species, the present study was designed to fill gaps in the knowledge of habitat use and movement patterns of shortfin mako in the Atlantic Ocean. From 2015 to 2019, 53 shortfin makos were tagged with Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags within the

The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) has been reported to prefer estuary habitats. This study explored the environmental factors affecting a critically endangered population off the coast at Yunlin, Taiwan. We measured dolphin sighting rates and estuary characteristics affected by the watershed, including seven physical factors (watershed rainfall, watershed runoff, estuarine turbidity

Abyssal microbes drive biogeochemical cycles, regulate fluxes of energy and contribute to organic carbon production and remineralization. Therefore, characterising the spatial variability of benthic microbes is important for understanding their roles in benthic environments and for conducting baseline assessments of areas of the seabed that might be targeted by commercial mining activities. Yet, detailed

Over the past decade, coral restoration efforts have increased as reefs continue to decline at unprecedented rates. Identifying suitable coral outplanting locations to maximize coral survival continues to be one of the biggest challenges for restoration practitioners. Here, we demonstrate methods of using derivatives from airborne imaging spectroscopy to identify suitable coral outplant sites and report

The Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum, Adam & Reeve 1850) is a non-indigenous species that was illegally introduced in Europe (France) in the 1970s for commercial purposes, and reached Portugal in the 1980s. Currently, it occurs in several European coastal systems, from the Bay of Biscay to the north Mediterranean. In Portugal, it is present in estuarine systems and coastal lagoons from the north

Our understanding of the small-scale processes that drive global biogeochemical cycles and the Earth’s climate is dependent on accurate estimations of interfacial diffusive fluxes to and from biologically-active substrates in aquatic environments. In this study, we present a novel model approach for accurate calculations of diffusive fluxes of dissolved gases, nutrients, and solutes from concentration

Baltic blue mussels can colonise and dominate habitats with far lower salinity (< 10 psu) than other Mytilus congeners. Pervasive gene flow was observed between Western Baltic Mytilus edulis living at high salinity conditions and Eastern Baltic M. trossulus living at lower salinites, with highest admixture proportions within a genetic transition zone located at intermediate salinities (Darss Sill area)

Reef-building corals generally thrive in nutrient-poor tropical waters, where among other elements, nitrogen (N) availability often limits primary productivity. In addition to their close association with endosymbiotic dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae, enabling an effective use and retention of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), scleractinian corals have developed strategies to acquire

Resting cysts of planktonic dinoflagellates, once produced, sink to the seabed where they can remain viable for a long time. These cysts have important ecological roles, such as acting as the inoculum for the development of planktonic populations. Moreover, dinoflagellate cyst records from depth sediment cores are broadly used as a proxy to infer past environmental conditions. In this study, the main

This study evaluated growth, body composition, antioxidant capacity, innate immunity and ammonia excretion of European grayling (Thymallus thymallus) fed diets containing different protein and lipid contents. Six diets were produced to contain 30, 40 or 50% protein and 10 or 20% lipid. Juvenile fish averaging 25.2 ± 0.28 g were stocked into eighteen 450-L circular tanks in a recirculating aquaculture

The global COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has forced small island states to make rapid changes to the way they manage their marine estates following changes in global shipping practices and access which are essential for the supply of food items and island’s infrastructure. Following the closure of the border of neighbouring French Polynesia, changes had to be made to the Pitcairn Islands’ sole supply vessel

Winter distributions of dissolved cadmium (dCd) and particulate cadmium (pCd) were measured for the first time in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean thereby contributing a unique spatial and seasonal dataset. Seven depth profiles, between 41°S and 58°S, were collected along the 30°E longitude during the 2017 austral winter to investigate the biogeochemical cycling of cadmium during a period characterised

The internal variability of the Mediterranean Sea’s thermohaline circulation is examined under contrasting extreme thermal and mass atmospheric forcing conditions. Three millennium-long numerical simulation experiments were performed: (a) under current climatology, (b) a strong buoyancy forcing scenario, under cold and dry conditions resembling the Younger Dryas event and (c) a weak buoyancy forcing

The environmental oxygen concentration is a crucial factor affecting cell proliferation. Owing to the reversible binding property of hemoglobin to oxygen, it can be utilized to regulate the oxygen concentration in vitro and its ability to reduce apoptosis can be evaluated. In this study, a process comprising isolation, purification, and extraction was used to obtain hemoglobin from Perinereis aibuhitensis

This article presents a case study of a fishery in the port-town community of Ende, Flores, a former littoral hub located at the periphery of major commercial systems in the Indo-Pacific region. The article argues that more attention be paid to the role of transregional maritime networks, nautical conventions, and navigational practices embedded within local tenure systems to understand the apparent

The Kuroshio Large Meander (LM) is known to be highly aperiodic and can last from 1 to 10 years. Since a stationary cold core formed between the Kuroshio and the southern coast of Japan off Enshu-Nada and approaching warm saltier water on the eastern side of the LM changes the local environment drastically, many commercially valuable fish species distribute differently from the non-LM period, impacting

Phytoplankton blooms can cause imbalances in marine ecosystems leading to great economic losses in diverse industries. Better understanding and prediction of blooms one week in advance would help to prevent massive losses, especially in areas where aquaculture cages are concentrated. This study has aimed to develop a method to predict the magnitude and timing of phytoplankton blooms using nutrient

Predators must consume enough prey to support costly events, such as reproduction. Meeting high energetic requirements is particularly challenging for migrating baleen whales as their feeding seasons are typically restricted to a limited temporal window and marine prey are notoriously patchy. We assessed the energetic value of the six most common nearshore zooplankton species collected within the Oregon

When offshore oil and gas infrastructure is no longer needed, it is either removed, partially removed, left in place, or left in place but repurposed. These processes are collectively referred to as decommissioning. Australian legislation requires oil and gas companies to develop acceptable plans for the safe removal of all offshore infrastructure at the end of a project’s life. Over the next 50 years

The Galician small-scale fisheries sector has been experiencing important changes. The presence of a wide range of ecological, economic, social and institutional drivers have forced the statu quo towards new transitions with the potential to generate desirable transformative changes. Sustainability transformations mean that changes fundamentally alter the entire system’s ecological and/or social properties