The growing intensity of anthropogenic activities has led to an increase in the number of studies assessing the effects of stressors on marine ecosystems. Yet, the cumulative effects of multiple stressors are rarely studied although they seldom operate in isolation of each other. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of multiple stressors on fish assemblages in a series of semi-enclosed bays.

Diet selection by a species is determined by comparing the consumption (i.e., use) and abundance (i.e., availability) of prey within their area of occupancy. Because individuals commonly use only a portion of habitat available to them (e.g., a 10-ha home range within a 1000-ha foraging habitat), it is important to quantify forage availability within individuals’ home ranges and core areas, and include

Cardiac morphology and mass have been associated with activity levels for bony fishes and elasmobranchs; however, there is little information on cardiac morphology of deep-sea sharks (living primarily below 200 m) and how that morphology compares to cardiac morphology of shallow coastal species. We examined relative heart mass and relative ventricle dry mass in 10 species of sharks from coastal to

Leptocephali are the unique larvae of eels and their relatives of the teleost superorder Elopomorpha that have remained poorly understood despite their ubiquitous presence at tropical to temperate latitudes. This review examines recent advancements in understanding the behavioral ecology and distribution of leptocephali. Their regional distributions and abundance are determined by when and where the

Habitat area and fragmentation are recognised as important factors that influence population size, community structure and extinction risk. Abundance and species richness universally increase with habitat area. However, the effects of different aspects of habitat fragmentation, including variation in patch size, number and isolation are often not distinguished from each other or the overall effects

This study analysed the anthropogenic microparticles in the stomach content of the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean). The results showed that 30–40% of the anchovies had ingested anthropogenic microparticles (on average, 0.34 ± 0.29 fibres ind−1 and 0.12 ± 0.12 fragments ind−1). The fibres were probably ingested via filtration, and were significantly correlated

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) occupy an array of marine habitats throughout their lives and understanding how this threatened species utilizes these habitats can help guide conservation efforts. This study used a combination of isotopic analysis (δ13C; δ15N) of turtle epidermis and epibiotic community composition to examine habitat-use patterns of nesting loggerheads from the South West

Most of the reef-building Acropora corals around Okinawa Island spawn in May and/or June. We found that two morphotypes of Acropora divaricata spawned in August and/or September. The “robust” and “slender” morphotypes differed in branch width and in the diameter of axial corallites. Histological analyses showed that the onset of gamete production/maturation occurred from June onwards. Most of the other

Pocillopora acuta, formerly synonymized with P. damicornis, is an ecologically important reef-building coral that exhibits mixed reproductive modes, geographic variation in clonality, and conflicting reports of population genetic structure. Using 16 polymorphic microsatellite loci, this study examined clonality, genetic differentiation, and connectivity of genetically identified P. acuta (n = 428)

Ocean acidification is a consequence of chemical changes driven mainly by a continuous uptake of carbon dioxide, resulting in pH decrease. This phenomenon represents an additional threat to marine life, with expected effects ranging from changes in behavioral responses and calcification rates to the potential promotion of oxidative stress. To unravel the impacts of ocean acidification on the antioxidant

The giant squid, Architeuthis dux, has been reported for centuries, but its distribution and ecology have remained famously mysterious. We investigated the A. dux distribution in the Sea of Japan using the environmental DNA (eDNA) method, which has recently been considered as a useful technique for evaluating the distributions of rare species. To develop the eDNA method to detect A. dux, we first created

Habitat availability underpins the diversity and distribution of benthic marine communities. Sponges are significant structural components of seabeds; therefore, understanding sponge-community associations are important for the effective management of marine biodiversity. Invertebrate communities were quantified from 11 sponge species having distinct morphologies from Ningaloo Reef (tropical) and Rottnest

Given the recent trend towards establishing very large marine protected areas (MPAs) and the high potential of these to contribute to global conservation targets, we review outcomes of the last decade of marine conservation research in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), one of the largest MPAs in the world. The BIOT MPA consists of the atolls of the Chagos Archipelago, interspersed with and

Resting cysts represent the dormant life stage produced by sexual reproduction of dinoflagellates; it generally maintain a limited level of metabolic activities. In the present study, changes in the photosynthetic apparatus of Akashiwo sanguinea during the encystment process in different nitrogen (N) conditions were characterized, and the transcriptional responses of nine photosynthesis genes were

For species that do not provide parental care after birth, excess maternal provisioning during development, beyond what is required for embryogenesis, provides offspring with resources to increase their chances of survival. Maternally derived resources are expected to be important for buffering offspring against limited food resources at birth or time needed to learn how to properly feed. Young-of-the-year

Heterotrophic dinoflagellates are major grazers of microalgae in marine food webs. The feeding of the newly described heterotrophic dinoflagellate Gyrodinium jinhaense was explored by providing 19 common microalgal prey species and the ciliate Mesodinium rubrum as prey. Furthermore, the specific growth and ingestion rates of G. jinhaense feeding on the chlorophyte Dunaliella salina were determined

In the original article, the light cycle was indicated as 12:12 h light:dark.

In this study, we investigated the composition of the gill tissue relative to the reproductive status of the lucinid clam Loripes orbiculatus (sensus Poli, 1791) according to seasonal as well as biological parameters to provide insights into the physiological variability of this symbiotic bivalve. Temporal variation in population density was also studied. The species was investigated in Zostera noltii

Gastropods from the family Eulimidae are known as parasites of all living classes of echinoderms. Here we determine the trophic relationships between ectoparasitic eulimids Echineulima mittrei and their hosts, sea urchins Diadema setosum in Vietnam. Stable isotope analysis showed the differences in δ13C and δ15N saturation in echinoderms tissues. The eulimids’ muscle and gonad tissues have the same

Natural selection should favour strategies that maximise reproductive success. Females may use different resources during progressive stages of reproduction according to energetic demands, behavioural constraints and prey availability. We used South American fur seal, Arctocephalus australis australis, pup whisker isotope values as proxies for maternal diet and habitat use to determine how resource

Elasmobranch fishes (sharks, skates, and rays) are hypothesized to use environmental cues, such as the geomagnetic field (GMF), to navigate across the ocean. However, testing the sensory and navigation abilities of large highly migratory fishes in the field is challenging. This laboratory study tested whether the yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis, could detect and distinguish between the GMF cues

Methane enrichments are frequently observed in the oxic upper water column of the central Baltic Sea during summer months. However, methane sources as well as the fate of methane produced in surface near waters still remain unclear. In the present study, we conducted ship-based grazing experiments to examine the presence of methanogenic archaea in copepod faecal pellets. We quantified bacterial and

Indoles, including 5-methoxy-2-methyl-indole (5MeO2MeIn), are a potent trigger of strobilation in jellyfish polyps. Indoles may be an alternative method to cooling to induce strobilation, but the ephyrae produced should have similar or better rates of survival, deformities, growth, and behaviour to those produced by cooling, and polyps should remain viable after strobilating. We used two experiments

Compound specific nitrogen isotope analysis of amino acids (AA CSIA) has been used to study the trophic ecology of many marine organisms because of its ability to characterize the δ15N value at the base of a food web while simultaneously providing trophic position information from a single tissue sample of a consumer. Although application of this method is becoming more widely used in trophic studies

Fitness is a product of survival and fecundity, which arise from a host of individual traits that vary among individuals. Estimating fitness is central to many research programs in ecology and evolution. Yet, because researchers are rarely able to track individuals through a complete lifetime, they typically rely on proxies of reproductive success. Because it can be readily measured, the number of

Many environmental processes influence animal somatic growth rates. However, elucidating specific drivers of somatic growth variation has been challenging for marine megafauna. Using a 20+ year dataset of somatic growth generated through skeletochronology, we evaluated the relationship between multiple region-wide environmental factors—the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, increasing population density

Anthropogenic activities have accelerated the movement of non-indigenous species throughout the world. One approach to predict the spread of non-indigenous species is to employ bioclimatic envelope models which often assume niche conservation among sympatric, closely related species. Here, we test this assumption by comparing early developmental progress of two non-indigenous calcareous biofouling

Over the past decades, several studies have revealed that the traditional view of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) as an agent for species dispersal in the Southern Ocean is not applicable to all taxa. Some species are actually circum-Antarctically or circum-sub-Antarctically distributed, but some other species actually comprise species’ complexes, with cryptic taxa occurring at different areas

Coastal nursery areas are subjected to a wide range of natural and anthropogenic stressors, including global warming, which indirectly influence trophic food webs. A global rarefaction of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in trophic networks is in progress. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a reduction in the dietary availability of n-3 PUFA on some molecular and biochemical parameters

Studying population genetic connectivity (i.e., identifying gene flow among populations and understanding their impacts on the genetic structure and diversity of populations) is first a matter of knowing what we work on, that is, accurately delimiting evolutionary units. Here, we focused on Pocillopora damicornis sensu stricto (or Pocillopora PSH04 sensu Gélin et al. in Mol Phylogenet Evol 109:430–446

The Longqi vent field, situated on the Southwest Indian Ridge, is ecologically distinct among known hydrothermal vents fields. It hosts a combination of previously unknown species and those shared at species or genus level with other hydrothermal vents on the Central Indian Ridge (CIR) and East Scotia Ridge (ESR). We investigate the size-based and trophodynamics of consumers at Longqi vent field and

Coastal kelp forest ecosystems create dynamic and productive habitats, supporting a wide range of epiphytic flora, invertebrates, fish and seabirds. Worldwide, kelp is harvested commercially, affecting kelp-associated animal communities. There is, however, limited knowledge of how fish and seabird respond to kelp harvest, highlighting the need to evaluate the ecological impact of harvest on all ecosystem

Hypoxia is a widespread and increasing phenomenon in marine environments, including coral reefs. The bearded fireworm (Hermodice carunculata) is a large corallivorous amphinomid polychaete, with a high tolerance of environmental stress, including temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen (DO). Currently, little is known about the response of H. carunculata to chronic (≥ 18 h) hypoxia, although this

The Southern Lanternshark, Etmopterus granulosus, is a deep-sea shark commonly found throughout the oceans of the southern hemisphere and frequently caught as bycatch in deep-sea fisheries. Despite its common occurrence, little is known about this species’ life history and reproductive biology. Here, we develop species-specific microsatellite markers to better understand the mating system of E. granulosus

Optimal foraging theory predicts that diving predators should maximise their energy intake while minimizing the costs of their foraging activities at depth. This hypothesis was tested in two breath-hold divers that foraged in the pelagic waters off Kerguelen Island, southern Indian Ocean. Macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) feed predominately on crustaceans at moderate depths (ca. 50 m), while

This study tested the hypothesis that sponge assemblages on the reefs of St. John, US Virgin Islands (18.315°N, 64.716°W), changed from 1992 to 2017. Sponges were identified to species or genus in photoquadrats and were quantified at 2–3 y intervals by density, with linear dimensions used to estimate volume as a proxy for biomass. From 1992 to July 2017, overall sponge density (pooled among taxa) increased

Kelp forests are extensive, widely distributed and highly productive. However, despite their importance, reliable estimates of net primary productivity (NPP) are currently unknown for most species and regions. In particular, how performance and subsequent NPP change throughout a species range is lacking. Here, we attempted to resolve this by examining growth and performance of the boreal kelp, Laminaria

The intertidal mussel Mytilus californianus is subjected to thermal and oxygen cycles due to fluctuations of the tidal cycle. Mussels that reside in high-shore microenvironments experience extended periods of aerial-exposure and greater thermal challenges than low-shore populations. In this study, we investigated the combined effect of daily extended periods of aerial-exposure and midday thermal events

Tunas can elevate their red (slow-twitch, oxidative) skeletal muscle, visceral and cranial temperatures significantly above the ambient water temperature (Ta) with the aid of specialized blood vessels (retia mirabilia) that conserve metabolic heat. The ontogeny of this phenomenon, known as regional endothermy, was studied in young [18.5–62.5 cm fork length (FL), 71–5350 g body mass, 2–16 months of

In recent years, the utility of lipidomics has been recognized in environmental toxicology and biomonitoring efforts due to the ubiquitous nature and importance of lipids in many cellular processes including signal transduction, energy storage, and cellular compartmentalization. Additionally, technological advances in high-resolution mass spectrometry have enabled the rapid expansion of the field,

Movements undertaken by marine organisms occur for varying reasons and knowledge surrounding them is critically important for understanding population structures, ecology and for effective management and conservation of species. The objective of this study was to test a hypothesis that the cubozoan jellyfish Alatina alata spends a large part of its life at great depths by utilising the recently validated

The author would like to correct the Fig. 4 of the published article.

The author would like to correct the formula in the publication of the original article.

Diatom cells utilize a variety of metabolic pathways to cope with internal energy imbalances caused by stressful environmental conditions. In this study, the model diatom species, Thalassiosira pseudonana, was grown in nutrient replete and nitrate (NO3−)- and dissolved silicate (Si)-depleted media at three growth temperatures (4, 17, 28 °C) to determine how nutrient enrichment and temperature affects

Dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) is one of the most abundant and widespread organic sulfur molecules in the marine environment and has substantial physiological and ecological importance, from subcellular to global scales. Despite its diverse range of implications in the environment, little understanding of the physiological role of DMSP in the cell exists. Here, we report the physiological response

In species presenting long intervals between reproductive seasons, atmospheric-oceanic phenomena can affect the yearly number of individuals that become reproductively active. Sea turtles take multiyear intervals between reproductive seasons, which are influenced by environmental processes affecting their nutrition. Atmospheric-oceanic phenomena affect the reproductive output of different sea turtle

The sea surface microlayer (SML) is the boundary layer between the ocean and the atmosphere and plays a unique role in marine biogeochemistry. Phytoplankton communities in this uppermost surface layer are exposed to extreme ultraviolet (UV) radiation and potentially high nutrient supplies. In order to understand the response of SML communities to such contrasting conditions, we conducted experiments

Sea urchins have hundreds of specialized adhesive organs, the tube feet, which play a key role in locomotion, substrate attachment and food capture. Tube feet are composed by two functional units: a proximal cylindrical stem that is mobile and flexible, attached to a distal flattened disc that produces adhesive secretions. Oral tube feet discs possess a specialized duo-glandular epidermis that produces

Since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, a plethora of Red Sea fishes have entered the Mediterranean Sea (Lessepsian migration). The Comber Serranus cabrilla is considered to have moved in the opposite direction as anti-Lessepsian migrant and has an established population in the northern Red Sea. Mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear DNA from 49 individuals from Red Sea (Gulf of Suez) and Mediterranean

Unfortunately, the author name in the article title is incorrectly published in the original online published article.

The availability of suitable prey during the early life of fish may determine recruitment to the adult population. Since larval and juvenile feeding can be highly selective, their preferences for certain prey species and sizes should be considered when estimating the availability of prey. In this study, diet composition (and prey preferences) of 4984 (1366) Faroe Plateau cod (Gadus morhua) larvae and

Marinas create physical and biotic conditions distinct from those in natural habitats which can facilitate the establishment of non-indigenous species (NIS) in coastal ecosystems. Using a series of images spanning nine years, we detected the introduction and followed the expansion of the NIS Tubastraea coccinea and T. tagusensis populations at a recreational marina in a region of Southeastern Brazil

The interaction of reef-building coral and symbiotic dinoflagellates (family: Symbiodiniaceae) is of critical importance to organismal performance and ecosystem functioning. A standard biometric commonly used to evaluate coral physiology and health status, is coral biomass. Within-colony Symbiodiniaceae assemblages typically range from 1 to 6 million cells cm−2; however, no direct measurements have

Most activities of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) occur during under-ice dives that extend hundreds to thousands of meters and require the seals to hold their breath for 15 min or more. In the fast-ice environment of Antarctica, holes in the ice where seals can surface to breathe are scarce. Consequently, seals must return to a previous breathing hole or locate a new one to avoid drowning;

Seabirds have increasingly encountered offshore wind farms (OWFs) in European waters in the past 10 years, resulting in potential conflicts with offshore foraging areas. During the breeding season, seabirds are restricted in their choice of foraging habitat and are under increased pressure to find enough prey to raise their offspring. However, information on the individual reactions of seabirds towards

Coral loss is a major element of global ecological change in the oceans that may shape the behavior of keystone species such as habitat-attached animals. Farming damselfishes cultivate and aggressively protect algal garden within their territory, thereby shaping local fish assemblages and macro-algae diversity. Following the widespread loss of live branching coral throughout Florida and the Caribbean

The global catch of longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol) has almost tripled over the past two decades, with recent stock assessments suggesting overexploited stocks. Nine longtail tuna were tracked for 2–115 days with pop-up satellite archival tags off eastern Australia (27.5°S 153.4°E to 27.5°S 153.4°E) to better understand their movements, habitat specificity, and post-capture mortality. Fish primarily

Bioluminescence, light produced by living organisms, is a common trait in the ocean. In benthic ecosystems in the deep-sea, octocorals are some of the most abundant luminous animals. Among luminous sessile organisms, the shallow-water sea pansy Renilla has been well studied for its chemistry and molecular biology. Aside from Renilla, however, little is known about the bioluminescent mechanisms of other

Marine top predators living in sympatry tend to use their environment differentially, thereby reducing niche overlap. Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) and gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) coexist at Martillo Is., Argentina. During the 2014, 2015 and 2017 breeding seasons a total of thirty-one Magellanic and eleven gentoo penguins were equipped with GPS-TDR loggers to record foraging

Understanding “why species are where they are” at different scales is one of the main focuses of ecological and biogeographical studies. Although ecological features, such as trophic group and species abundance, are thought to be more important for driving co-occurrence patterns at the habitat scale, it is not yet known if phylogenetic constraints can also exert some influence. Here, we studied global