Seagrasses, a polyphyletic group of about 60 marine angiosperm species, are the foundation of diverse and functionally important marine habitats along sheltered sedimentary coasts. As a novel ecological function with high societal relevance, a role of the seagrass leaf canopy for reducing potentially harmful bacteria has recently been hypothesized in tropical regions, but data for temperate regions

Spatial management for highly migratory species (HMS) is difficult due to many species’ mobile habits and the dynamic nature of oceanic habitats. Current static spatial management areas for fisheries in the United States have been in place for extended periods of time with limited data collection inside the areas, making any analysis of their efficacy challenging. Spatial modeling approaches can be

The oceans are harsh environments where insects are not expected to thrive, yet a few skaters of the genus Halobates Eschscholtz, 1822 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerridae) have completely adapted to life on the open seas. There are five oceanic Halobates species that have well-established and distinct distributions, but little is known about their population dynamics and intraspecific genetic variation

We investigated differences in resource use between two sympatric sea snake species from the west coast of India, Hydrophis curtus and H. schistosus, and described the impacts of fishing on the interactions of these species. We compared habitat use, diet, and isotopic niche width between species to determine resource overlap. We then compared trophic overlap of each species with the fisheries in the

Monitoring seabird diet can provide insights into marine ecosystems that are logistically difficult or costly to observe with traditional fisheries survey methods. Using digital photography, we described the diet of greater crested terns (Thalasseus bergii) breeding on Montague Island (36°15′ S, 150°13′ E), a colony located in an oceanographically dynamic region of southeast Australia. We investigated

Widespread and large populations of the non-native eastern Pacific ophiuroid brittle star Ophiothela mirabilis now occur in southeastern Florida, extending the range of this recently introduced species from southern Brazil northward to the eastern Caribbean Sea and Florida. The Florida brittle stars, representing two lineages, are epibionts on shallow (3–18 m depth), tropical/subtropical plexaurid

Macroalgal-dominated reefs are a prominent component of tropical seascapes providing food and shelter for many species whilst subsidising secondary productivity in coastal ecosystems. Monitoring and managing macroalgae require an understanding of key processes that alter these assemblages, especially at the local scale. Here we consider how sediment depth/cover and abundance of the urchin Tripneustes

In this era of global climate change, understanding fundamental mechanisms of coral community maintenance and persistence in temperate non-reefal areas is a high marine conservation priority. To identify mechanisms of community maintenance and persistence via larval supply, we monitored coral settlement over 12 years and investigated the genetic population structure of two major acroporid species at

Intraspecific variation in external and internal pigmentation is common among fishes and explained by a variety of biological and ecological factors. Blue-colored flesh in fishes is relatively rare but has been documented in some species of the sculpin, greenling, and perch families. Diet, starvation, photoprotection, and camouflage have all been suggested as proximate mechanisms driving blue flesh

The diadematid sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii occurs in Australia and New Zealand and has undergone recent southward range extension in Australia as a result of regional warming. Clarifying the population genetic structure of this species across its New Zealand range would allow a better understanding of recent and future mechanisms driving range changes in the species. Here, we use microsatellite

To study the effects of ocean warming and acidification on the immune response of octopuses, 24 Octopus rubescens were collected from Driftwood Park, Washington (48°09′48.9"N 122°38′14.1"W) April–July 2018. Following 3 weeks in elevated pCO2, elevated temperature, or the combination thereof, immunological parameters were measured including total hemocyte count, phagocytosis activity, superoxide production

Under the ocean acidification (OA) conditions predicted for 2100, the larval stages of temperate sea urchins are smaller, with reduced and abnormal skeleton and changes in metabolic rate. Here, we measure the impact of near-future and long-term predictions of atmospheric pCO2 levels on the early development of the echinometrid sea urchin Evechinus chloroticus using single male:female crosses, effect

Ocean acidification, a reduction in the pH of the oceans caused by increasing CO2, can have negative physiological effects on marine species. In this study, we examined how CO2-driven acidification affected the growth and survival of juvenile golden king crab (Lithodes aequispinus), an important fishery species in Alaska. Juveniles were reared from larvae in surface ambient pH seawater at the Kodiak

Traditional isotope sclerochronology employing isotope ratio mass spectrometry has been used for decades to determine the periodicity of growth increment formation in marine organisms with accretionary growth. Despite its well-demonstrated capabilities, it is not without limitation. The most significant of these being the volume of carbonate powder required for analysis with conventional drill-sampling

Salinity drops in estuaries after heavy rains are expected to increase in frequency and intensity over the next decades, with physiological and ecological consequences for the inhabitant organisms. It was investigated whether low salinity stress increases predation risk on three relevant commercial bivalves in Europe. In laboratory, juveniles of Venerupis corrugata, Cerastoderma edule, and the introduced

Individual variability within a population and the eventual repeatability across time and space may provide stability in a population facing environmental changes, by affecting individuals differently. Thus, the variability and repeatability of behaviours, habitats used, niches and migratory pathways could play an important role. Trindade petrels (Pterodroma arminjoniana) are threatened seabirds that

A better understanding of species and population responses to thermal stress is critical to predict changes in their distribution under warming scenarios. Seagrasses are a unique group of marine plants that play fundamental roles in marine environments and provide vital ecosystem services. Nevertheless, previous studies on seagrass thermal tolerance have focused exclusively on a handful of species

This study aimed to clarify the mechanisms contributing to ontogenetic differences in red locomotor muscle metabolic heat production in regionally endothermic tunas. To address this, the scaling of citrate synthase (CS), cytochrome c oxidase (COX) and pyruvate kinase (PK), enzymes involved in cellular respiration, in the red and white locomotor muscle of young (~ 2 to ~ 16 months of age) Pacific bluefin

Selection of a permanent attachment site of coral larvae can be a critical determinant of recruitment success affecting the structure of coral communities and underpins the ability of coral reef ecosystems to recover from disturbance. Settlement specificity of a threatened coral in Sanya reefs, Acropora millepora, was tested by measuring the larval metamorphosis preferences and post-settlement survival

The study of phenotypic variation at the level of populations and species is central to understanding the processes that lead to evolutionary diversification. Triplefin fishes (Tripterygiidae) are a diverse and ecologically important family on New Zealand rocky reefs. This assemblage provides an opportunity to explore phenotype-environment relationships and the mechanisms responsible for the ecological

Clathrina aurea was considered endemic to Brazil before being recorded from the Pacific (Peru) and the Caribbean Sea. We assessed the morphological variability, phylogeographic pattern and population genetic structure of the species across its geographic range to understand how habitat fragmentation/reduction can affect a widely distributed species with supposedly low dispersal capability. Samples

In birds, possible explanations for a bias in brood sex ratio include differential cost of rearing nestlings of different sexes, and different parental fitness returns related to offspring sex. We studied brood sex ratio of Magellanic penguins, Spheniscus magellanicus, in Puerto Deseado for 3 years. Our objectives were to compare the growth curves and energetic costs of rearing nestlings of different

A variety of cetacean species inhabit the productive waters offshore of Washington State, USA. Although the general presence of many of these species has been documented in this region, our understanding of fine-scale habitat use is limited. Here, passive acoustic monitoring was used to investigate the spatial and temporal distributions of ten cetacean species at three locations offshore of Washington

Seabirds often engage in coordinated, cooperative foraging to improve detection and capture of prey. An extreme example of such coordinated behavior is synchronicity, whereby the movements of individuals are aligned temporally and spatially. Synchronous diving among penguins has been reported, but simultaneous observations of predation by synchronously diving individuals have not. We instrumented chinstrap

A predator–prey interaction occurs between the asterinid seastars Meridiastra calcar and Parvulastra exigua, which are sympatric on the shores of southeast Australia. These seastars are important as omnivorous predators/scavengers (M. calcar) and surface grazing herbivores (P. exigua). Meridiastra calcar inhabits the lower shore, whilst P. exigua occupies the mid to high shore and they can co-occur

Ocean acidification (OA) will decrease shellfish growth and survival, with ecological and economic consequences for fisheries and aquaculture. However, the high variability of results among experiments, and the lack of long-term studies, make it difficult to predict the effect that OA will have on bivalve species. We tested the long-term effect of high CO2 on growth, calcification rates, and survival

In the temperate Mediterranean Sea, Cladocora caespitosa is the unique species of zooxanthelate reef-building coral and it threatened by different kinds of human pressure. The present study aims at evaluating the effects of a benthic mucilagenous aggregates bloom on a bed of Cladocora caespitosa. Colony density, cover and necrosis of the bed before and after the benthic mucilagenous aggregates bloom

Sympatric euphausiid species from the eastern tropical North Pacific (ETNP) and the California Current (CC) were tested for stable isotopes, elemental composition, and lipid content to evaluate geographic patterns and species-level trophic niche partitioning. Euphausia diomedeae and Thysanoessa spinifera showed higher δ15N in their respective regions. Trophic Position (TP) was higher in tropical vs

Understanding how aquatic animals select and partition resources provides relevant information about community dynamics that can be used to help manage conservation efforts. The critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) spends an extended part of its juvenile development in coastal waters. A strong proclivity to remain resident in small areas, often in high density, raises

Responses of marine populations to climate conditions reflect the integration of a suite of complex and interrelated physiological and behavioral responses at the individual level. Many of these responses are not immediately reflected in changes to survival, but may impact growth or survival at later life stages. Understanding the broad range of impacts of rising CO2 concentrations on marine fishes

Recognition that ocean acidification (OA) alters calcification rates in many tropical corals and photosynthetic processes in some has motivated research into coral’s carbon processing systems. Here, a multi-compartment coral model is used to assess inorganic carbon fluxes, accounting for carbon uptake, photosynthesis, transport across and between coral tissue and calcification. The increased complexity

Pelagic Sargassum macroalgal rafts in the North Atlantic support sessile and motile epifauna that attract ecologically and economically important migratory organisms. Three prevalent pelagic Sargassum morphotypes vary in their degree of branching and foliation, and thus have different structural complexities that can influence their respective value as motile epifauna habitat. Sargassum fluitans III

Phylogeography provides insights into how historical and contemporary processes influence the genetic structure and gene flow in marine organisms around the globe. In benthic marine invertebrates, a species’ reproductive strategy can strongly impact phylogeographic patterns and distribution, with some direct-developing (non-planktonic) dispersers demonstrating strong genetic structure but also broad

Considerable progress in our understanding of long-distance migration has been achieved thanks to the use of small geolocator devices (GLS). The tracking of resident or short-distance migrant animals remains however challenging because geolocation errors are substantial and difficult to estimate. This study aims to examine the sex-specific marine space uses of a resident tropical seabird, the masked

Climate change is transforming coral reef structures, with important yet largely unknown consequences for reef food webs. Crustaceans, molluscs, polychaetes, and other small motile invertebrates living as epifauna on coral habitats represent an essential trophic link between primary producers and a diverse and abundant invertivorous fish fauna. Here, we investigate variation in assemblages of motile

Underwater visual surveys represent an essential component of coastal marine research and play a crucial role in supporting the management of marine systems. However, logistical and financial considerations can limit the availability of survey data in some systems. While biologging camera tag devices are being attached to an increasing diversity of marine animals to collect behavioral information about

Environmental controls on the biogeographic distribution of species are becoming increasingly relevant under the present climate change conditions. The reproductive cycle of the acorn barnacle Semibalanus balanoides at its southernmost European distribution limit in Galicia (Northwest Iberian Peninsula) was studied in two locations (42.57°N 8.96°W, 42.61°N 8.89°W) with different temperatures during

For intertidal marine species, salinity and temperature are important environmental factors with conditions ranging from oceanic salinity and temperature at high tide to almost freshwater conditions due to rain accompanied by aerial temperature exposure at low tide. The interactive effects of these stressors across development to the juvenile is not known. We investigated the impacts of salinity (29–41 ppt)

In recent decades, an increase in the abundance and frequency of bloom events has been reported for the scyphozoan Rhizostoma pulmo in the Mediterranean Sea. Understanding such events requires a thorough assessment of the species’ population dynamics through environmental windows allowing species development. The semi-enclosed coastal lagoon of Bages Sigean, France (43°05′12.72″N; 3°00′35.3″E) offers

The mechanisms driving the ecology and biodiversity of seamount communities are still unclear. Here we analyzed the distribution and species traits of reef fish species recorded over seamounts, oceanic islands, and the continental shelf of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean to understand the influence of mechanisms of dispersal and establishment in these ecosystems. Species richness did not decrease with

Knowledge of the habitat use of wildlife in highly impacted areas is essential to identify areas of biological importance and to implement appropriate conservation measures. The Arabian Gulf represents one of the most extreme marine environments and is considered one of the regions in the world with the greatest anthropogenic impact. Information on the habitat use and abundance of marine top predator

This study examines phenotypically plastic responses in Pocillopora acuta collected from a highly urbanized reef environment to extreme low-light conditions. While among-species differences in how corals cope with low light are well documented, much less is known about within-species responses. It also remains unclear how extreme low light and provision of food may interact and influence coral physiology

Two unresolved questions in marine population connectivity are: (1) the relative importance of contemporary and historical factors (e.g., ongoing gene flow versus past demographic events), and (2) to what extent species subject to the same evolutionary forces exhibit similar phylogeographic patterns. Here, we address these questions using two species from New Zealand’s rocky shore that have very similar

In cold water coastal regions, the marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella (Group I) is associated with paralytic shellfish poisoning. Here, we characterized the transcriptome of A. catenella isolated from Korean coastal waters during spring. RNA sequencing generated 15.5 Gb nucleotides that were assembled into 103,362 unique transcripts (unigenes). Upon comparison with known proteins, 53,547 (51

Assessing individuals’ abundance, residency (presence at a site within a certain period) and site fidelity (tendency to return to the same site in subsequent seasons or years) is crucial for evaluating and improving the effectiveness of spatial conservation/management measures regarding ecologically and socio-economically valuable species. Using underwater visual census (UVC) and photo-identification

Although benthic foraminifera are an important component of meiofauna and contribute to carbonate production and carbon/nitrogen cycles, their role in bioturbation processes remains poorly known. Five dominant intertidal benthic foraminiferal species were recently classified into functional bioturbator groups according to their sediment reworking mode and intensity. Our study aimed at identifying potential

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are projected to increase in intensity and frequency over the coming decades, and it is imperative to assess the adaptive capacity of marine organisms to these extreme temperature events. Given the nature of MHWs to last days to weeks in a region, these events may have overarching impacts on phenological events like reproduction and development. Here, the role of adult thermal

Ocean warming is affecting marine ectothermic herbivores as well as the macroalgal species they consume and this has the potential to alter their trophic interaction. However, it is currently still unknown how these two important components of benthic food webs will react to a warming environment. Consumption rates of grazers change with increasing temperatures, but it is unclear whether this is also

Under predicted future ocean conditions, reefs exposed to elevated nutrients will simultaneously experience ocean acidification and elevated temperature. We evaluated if moderate nutrients mitigate, minimize, or exacerbate negative effects of predicted future ocean conditions on coral physiology. For 30 days, Acropora millepora and Turbinaria reniformis were exposed to a fully factorial experiment

Seabird foraging activities are constrained by the heterogeneous distribution of prey, intra-specific competition, and the varying energy requirements throughout their life history. Investigations of intra-seasonal variation in foraging habitat will, therefore, provide clues to understand how predators respond to changes in the marine environment. As an abundant, central-place foraging mesopredator

Nitrogen stable isotopes (δ15N) are typically used to estimate trophic position, providing insight into ecological roles and broader food web structure. Ecological inferences drawn from these estimates rely on quantification of isotopic baselines, i.e., low trophic level organisms reflecting the predominant nitrogen sources that support food web biomass. When baselines vary due to environmental (e

Stable isotopes are widely used in ecosystem studies to decipher trophic relationships between species. Using stable isotopes as trophic markers requires knowledge of the stable isotope ratios of consumer and putative prey, and of trophic discrimination factors (TDFs), the difference between the stable isotope ratios of predator and prey. TDFs differ among species, tissue sampled and the consumer’s

Dietary studies provide key insights into threats and changes within ecosystems and subsequent impacts on focal species. Diet is particularly challenging to study within marine environments and therefore is often poorly understood. Here, we examined the diet of stranded and bycaught loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in North Cyprus (35.33° N, 33.47° E) between 2011 and

Cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and microsatellite markers were used to evaluate the genetic structure, connectivity, and evolutionary history of white mullet (Mugil curema), along locations in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico (GoM), and Pacific coasts. DNA sequences of 125 COI were obtained and identified as Mugil curema with 100% identification and coverage. COI sequences resulted in the formation of two

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-021-03889-w

There is increasing empirical evidence of the shifting range distributions of tropical reef fishes as a response to persistent climatic warming. However, the link between the observed disparity of closely related species’ occurrence in temperate waters and their trait-based responses to winter thermal conditions is unclear. This study focuses on congeneric tropical reef fishes with similar dispersal

Coral reefs globally are increasingly impacted by climate change. High temperature and pCO2 levels disrupt multiple physiological and biochemical pathways in marine organisms, often leading to disease and mortality in sensitive reef species. Host-associated microbes contribute critical functions that underpin host health, and environmentally induced changes in microbial communities represent a potential

Relying on a purely taxonomic view of diversity may ignore the fact that ecological communities can be constituted of species having both distinct evolutionary histories and functional characteristics. Thus, considering how the multiple facets of diversity vary along environmental and geographic gradients may provide insights into the role of historic processes and current environmental conditions

Seabirds are a highly threatened group, yet the foraging ecology of several species remains poorly understood. Brown boobies breed in all oceans in the tropical region and are common across their range. In Tinhosa Grande (São Tomé and Príncipe), this species breeds in one of the largest colonies of seabirds in the east tropical Atlantic. We studied the foraging ecology of Brown boobies from this colony