Invading the Mediterranean Sea: biodiversity patterns shaped by human activities

Human activities, such as shipping, aquaculture, and the opening of the Suez Canal, have led to the introduction of nearly 1,000 alien species into the Mediterranean Sea. We investigated how human activities, by providing pathways for the introduction of alien species, may shape the biodiversity patterns in the Mediterranean Sea. Richness of Red Sea species introduced through the Suez Canal (Lessepsian species) is very high along the eastern Mediterranean coastline, reaching

Vulnerability of Mediterranean Ecosystems to Long-Term Changes along the Coast of Israel

Although human activity is considered to be a major driving force affecting the distribution and dynamics of Mediterranean ecosystems, the full consequences of projected climate variability and relative sea-level changes on fragile coastal ecosystems for the next century are still unknown. It is unclear how these waterfront ecosystems can be sustained, as well as the services they provide, when relative sea-level rise and global warming are expected to exert

Ecological Shifts in Mediterranean Coralligenous Assemblages Related to Gorgonian Forest Loss

Mediterranean gorgonian forests are threatened by several human activities and are affected by climatic anomalies that have led to mass mortality events in recent decades. The ecological role of these habitats and the possible consequence of their loss are poorly understood. Effects of gorgonians on the recruitment of epibenthic organisms were investigated by manipulating presence of gorgonians on experimental panels at 24 m depth, for Eunicella cavolinii, and at 40 m

Trace element profiles of the sea anemone Anemonia viridis living nearby a natural CO2 vent

Ocean acidification (OA) is not an isolated threat, but acts in concert with other impacts on ecosystems and species. Coastal marine invertebrates will have to face the synergistic interactions of OA with other global and local stressors. One local factor, common in coastal environments, is trace element contamination. CO₂ vent sites are extensively studied in the context of OA and are often considered analogous to the oceans in the next few decades. The CO₂ vent

Effects of different pCO2 concentrations on marine bacterial community structure, Eastern Harbor, Alexandria, Egypt

The direct effect of an elevated CO₂ concentration range (280, 385, 550, 750 and 1050 µatm) on the marine bacterial counts and dominancy of species were examined. Our results demonstrated that the variation in glucose consumption corresponding to the incubation period (h) of bacterial community structure showed that glucose degradation as a carbon source for bacteria is in good consistency with the total bacterial count pattern. Glucose uptake and oxygen

Space-time variability of alkalinity in the Mediterranean Sea

The results indicate that the Mediterranean Sea shows alkalinity values that are much higher than those observed in the Atlantic Ocean on a basin-wide scale. A marked west-to-east surface gradient of alkalinity is reproduced as a response to the terrestrial discharges, the mixing effect with the Atlantic water entering from the Gibraltar Strait and the Black Sea water from Dardanelles, and the surface flux of evaporation minus precipitation. Dense water production in marginal seas (Adriatic and Aegean Seas), where alkaline inputs are relevant, and the Mediterranean thermohaline circulation

Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) expands through the African coasts towards the Western Mediterranean Sea: A call for awareness

The silver-cheeked toadfish Lagocephalus sceleratus is one of the most recent invaders in the Mediterranean Sea and a serious risk for public health. In June 2011, an awareness campaign to disseminate information related with this toxic species was launched by the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture. Whilst providing a step toward the development of an appropriate early warning system, this case highlights a remarkable geographical extension of L. sceleratus along the

Heavy Metals Affect Nematocysts Discharge Response and Biological Activity of Crude Venom in the Jellyfish Pelagia noctiluca (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa)

Pollution of marine ecosystems and, specifically, heavy metals contamination may compromise the physiology of marine animals with events occurring on a cellular and molecular level. The present study focuses on the effect of short-term exposure to heavy metals like Zinc, Cadmium, Cobalt and Lanthanum (2-10 mM) on the homeostasis of Pelagia noctiluca (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa), a jellyfish abundant in the Mediterranean sea. This species possesses stinging

Flux measurements in the surface marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer over the Aegean Sea, Greece

Micro-meteorological measurements within the surface Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer took place at the shoreline of two islands at northern and south-eastern Aegean Sea of Greece. The primary goal of these experimental campaigns was to study the momentum, heat and humidity fluxes over this part of the north-eastern Mediterranean Sea, characterized by limited spatial and temporal scales which could affect these exchanges at the air–sea interface. The

Distribution and biological features of the common pandora, Pagellus erythrinus (Linnaeus, 1758), in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Central Mediterranean)

A synthetic analysis of the distribution, abundance and some biological traits of the common pandora (Pagellus erythrinus) was performed. Data were gathered in 15 experimental bottom trawl surveys carried out off the southern Tyrrhenian Sea from 1994 to 2008. A total of 2,166 P. erythrinuswere found in the investigated area, with a preference for the upper continental shelf (10–100 m). The highest persistence was recorded in the trawl-banned areas. The sex