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The black coral Leiopathes glaberrima is an important habitat forming species that supports benthic biodiversity. Due to its high sensitivity to fishing activities, it has been classified as indicator of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). However, the information on its habitat selection and large-scale spatial distribution in the Mediterranean Sea is poor. In this study a thorough literature review on the occurrence of L. glaberrima across the Mediterranean Sea was undertaken. Predictive modelling was carried out to produce the first continuous map of L. glaberrima suitable habitat in the central sector of the Mediterranean Sea. MaxEnt modeling was used to predict L. glaberrima probability of presence as a function of seven environmental predictors (bathymetry, slope, aspect North–South and East–West, kinetic energy due to currents at the seabed, seabed habitat types and sea bottom temperature). Our results show that bathymetry, slope and aspect are the most important factors driving L. glaberrima spatial distribution, while in less extent the other environmental variables. This study adds relevant information on the spatial distribution of vulnerable deep water corals in relation to the environmental factors in the Mediterranean Sea. It provides an important background for marine spatial planning especially for prioritizing areas for the conservation of VMEs.

The Mediterranean International Trawl Survey (MEDITS) programme provides spatially referenced ecological data. We adopted a hierarchical Bayesian model to analyse Parapenaeus longirostris biomass data. The model comprises three parts, each of which identifies: the variability due to the explanatory variables, the variability due to the spatial domain (seen as a Gaussian Process) and the irregular component modelled as white noise. The estimated parameters show that some seabed characteristics affect biomass quantity and that the estimated behaviour of the Gaussian Process changes over different groups of years.

Global warming, through increasing temperatures, may facilitate the spread and proliferation of outbreak-forming species which may find favourable substrate conditions on artificial aquaculture structures. The presence of stinging organisms (cnidarian hydroids) in the facilities fouling community are a source of pollution that can cause critical problems when in-situ underwater cleaning processes are performed. Multiple stressor experiments were carried out to investigate the cumulative effect on farmed mussels' functional traits when exposed to realistic stressful conditions, including presence of harmful cnidarian cells and environmental conditions of increasing temperature and short-term hypoxia. Exposure to combined stressors significantly altered mussels' performance, causing metabolic depression and low filtering activity, potentially delaying, or inhibiting their recovery ability and ultimately jeopardizing organisms' fitness. Further research on the stressors properties and occurrence is needed to obtain more realistic responses from organisms to minimize climate change impacts and increase ecosystem and marine economic activities resilience to multiple stressors.

13 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables.-- This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License, The rapid, global spread of COVID-19, and the measures intended to limit or slow its propagation, are having major impacts on diverse sectors of society. Notably, these impacts are occurring in the context of other anthropogenic-driven threats including global climate change. Both anthropogenic stressors and the COVID-19 pandemic represent significant economic challenges to aquaculture systems across the globe, threatening the supply chain of one of the most important sources of animal protein, with potential disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities. A web survey was conducted in 47 countries in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to assess how aquaculture activities have been affected by the pandemic, and to explore how these impacts compare to those from climate change. A positive correlation between the effects of the two categories of drivers was detected, but analysis suggests that the pandemic and the anthropogenic stressors affect different parts of the supply chain. The immediate measurable reported losses varied with aquaculture typology (land vs. marine, and intensive vs. extensive). A comparably lower impact on farmers reporting the use of integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA) methods suggests that IMTA might enhance resilience to multiple stressors by providing different market options under the COVID-19 pandemic. Results emphasize the importance of assessing detrimental effects of COVID-19 under a multiple stressor lens, focusing on areas that have already locally experienced economic loss due to anthropogenic stressors in the last decade. Holistic policies that simultaneously address other ongoing anthropogenic stressors, rather than focusing solely on the acute impacts of COVID-19, are needed to maximize the long-term resilience of the aquaculture sector., The Open Access publication of the MS was funded by M. Cristina Mangano FOE N. 418 at Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (personal OA publication fund). People at Laboratory of Ecology have been found by the PRIN-MAHRES project (Ministry of Italian Research; MUR) 2017MHHWBN_003 Linea C and by the HARMONY Project Italy-Malta 2016 (grant C1-3.1-31) funded by the Sicilian Region and Maltese Government. A. Nogueira thanks FCT/MCTES for the financial support to CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020+UIDB/50017/2020), through national funds. J.M.F. Babarro thanks project PID2019-106008RB-C21 for support through Spanish Government funds

Increasing frequency of native jellyfish proliferations and massive appearance of non-indigenous jellyfish species recently concur to impact Mediterranean coastal ecosystems and human activities at sea. Nonetheless, jellyfish biomass may represent an exploitable novel resource to coastal communities, with reference to its potential use in the pharmaceutical, nutritional, and nutraceutical Blue Growth sectors. The zooxanthellate jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda, Forsskål, 1775 (Cnidaria, Rhizostomeae) entered the Levant Sea through the Suez Canal and spread towards the Western Mediterranean to reach Malta, Tunisia, and recently also the Italian coasts. Here we report on the biochemical characterization and antioxidant activity of C. andromeda specimens with a discussion on their relative biological activities. The biochemical characterization of the aqueous (PBS) and hydroalcoholic (80% ethanol) soluble components of C. andromeda were performed for whole jellyfish, as well as separately for umbrella and oral arms. The insoluble components were hydrolyzed by sequential enzymatic digestion with pepsin and collagenase. The composition and antioxidant activity of the insoluble and enzymatically digestible fractions were not affected by the pre-extraction types, resulting into collagen- and non-collagen-derived peptides with antioxidant activity. Both soluble compounds and hydrolyzed fractions were characterized for the content of proteins, phenolic compounds, and lipids. The presence of compounds coming from the endosymbiont zooxanthellae was also detected. The notable yield and the considerable antioxidant activity detected make this species worthy of further study for its potential biotechnological sustainable exploitation.

Mediterranean trawl fisheries are characterized by a critical combination of high fishing effort and low size at first capture for most commercial species. In this study we tested the use of sorting grids installed on bottom trawl nets to minimize the catch of undersized deep-water rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris, DPS) and European hake (Merluccius merluccius, HKE). The catch of a traditional trawl net was compared with that obtained with the same net equipped with ad hoc designed juveniles and trash excluder devices (JTEDs) during an experimental survey. Three different JTEDs were tested: the first (G1-SM40) was built with a net of 40-mm square mesh; the second (G2-ST20) and third (G3-ST25) with vertical steel bars spaced 20 and 25 mm, respectively. The probability of retaining DPS and HKE by length class in trawl nets with and without JTED was analysed using generalized additive mixed models. With G1-SM40, the reduction of undersized individuals in the cod-end was about 60% and 44% for DPS and HKE, respectively. With G2-ST20, a 34% catch decrease of HKE individuals smaller than 20 cm total length was observed. A loss of marketable fractions of DPS was recorded with G1-SM40 (–25%) and G2-ST20 (30%). Finally, JTD G3-ST25 was efficient at reducing the catch of undersized specimens of DPS and HKE, but showed a higher loss of marketable fractions than the other JTEDs. Although further fishing trials would be required to maximize the sorting efficiency of the grids, the results obtained clearly indicated that grids can substantially reduce unwanted catches of undersized DPS and HKE in Mediterranean bottom trawl fisheries., Las pesquerías de arrastre mediterráneas se caracterizan por una combinación crítica de un alto esfuerzo de pesca y un tamaño de captura por debajo de la talla legal para la mayoría de las especies comerciales. En este estudio, probamos el uso de rejillas separadoras instaladas en redes de arrastre de fondo para minimizar la captura de la gamba rosada (Parapenaeus longirostris; DPS) y la merluza (Merluccius merluccius; HKE). La captura obtenida con una red de arrastre tradicional se comparó con la obtenida con la misma red equipada con “Juveniles Trash Excluder Devices” (JTED) diseñados específicamente para cada caso durante un estudio experimental. Tres JTEDs diferentes se probaron: el primero (G1-SM40) se construyó con una res de 40 mm de malla cuadrada; el segundo (G2-ST20) y el tercero (G3-ST25) se fabricaron con barras verticales de acero separadas 20 y 25 mm, respectivamente. La probabilidad de retener DPS y HKE según clase de talla en redes de arrastre con y sin JTED se analizó utilizando Modelos Mixtos Aditivos Generalizados (GAMM). Usando G1-SM40, se consiguió una reducción de individuos de talla por debajo de la talla legal en el copo, de 60% y 40% para DPS y HKE respectivamente. Con respecto a HKE, utilizando G2-ST20 se observó una disminución en la captura del 34% de individuos de menos de 20 cm TL. Sin embargo, se registró una pérdida de fraccion comercializable de DPS usando G1-SM40 del –25% y usando G2-ST20 del 30%. Finalmente, el JTED G3-ST25 resultó eficaz para reducir la captura de especímenes de DPS y HKE de talla ilegal, pero se observó una mayor pérdida de fraccion comercializable que con los otros JTEDs. Aunque se necesitarían más ensayos de pesca para maximizar la eficiencia de las rejillas separadoras, los resultados obtenidos indicaron claramente que las rejillas pueden contribuir a reducir sustancialmente las capturas no deseadas de DPS y HKE de talla ilegal en las pesquerías de arrastre de fondo del Mediterráneo.

15 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables, supplementary data https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2020.105714, Discards is an important issue in fisheries around the world. The spatial management of discards has attracted interest as a potential tool for minimizing the unwanted catch. The aim of the present work was to identify areas with high quantities of bottom trawl discarded catch regarding species subjected to MCRS, in six areas of southern European waters (southern Portuguese waters, Catalan Sea, Ligurian and northern Tyrrhenian Seas, Strait of Sicily, eastern Ionian Sea, and Aegean Sea). Analyses were based on two types of data: (a) the undersized catch of species subjected to MCRS from bottom trawl surveys and (b) the actual discarded catch (including undersized and non-undersized individuals) of species subjected to MCRS from commercial bottom trawling. Geostatistical analysis techniques were applied to the first type of data and Generalized Additive Models using environmental variables were applied to the second one. Subsequently, areas that persistently presented high quantities of discarded catch (i.e., “iDC grounds”) or undersized catch (i.e., “iUC grounds”) were identified and mapped. The “iDC grounds”/“iUC grounds” were located either over the slope or within the continental shelf and over marine plateaus, largely depending on the main target species of each fishery. Next, the overlap of “iDC grounds”/“iUC grounds” with the existing Fisheries Restricted Areas (FRAs) and the proposed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) was estimated aiming to explore how spatial closures could contribute to the reduction of bottom trawl discarded catch/undersized catch. Certain spatial closures were more effective in the Central Mediterranean and others to the Eastern Mediterranean. The overlapping of existing FRAs with “iDC grounds”/“iUC grounds” did not exceed 24 % in any study area, whereas proposed MPAs, like the CIESM Marine Peace Parks, reached up to 90 % for the same study area, This work was funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under Grant Agreement No. 634495 for the project Science, Technology, and Society Initiative to minimize Unwanted Catches in European Fisheries (MINOUW). We thank people involved in the MEDISEH project (MAREA PROJECT MEDISEH: Mediterranean Sensitive Habitats, Specific Contract No 2, SI2.600741) for data provision regarding FRAs and MPAs, With the funding support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), of the Spanish Research Agency (AEI)

Over the last 50 years, there has been an increased frequency and severity of negative impacts affecting marine fishery and aquaculture sectors, which claimed significant economic losses due to the interference of stinging gelatinous organisms with daily operational activities. Nevertheless, original scientific information on jellyfish-related incidents, their consequences, and potential preventative and mitigation countermeasures is limited and scattered across gray literature, governmental technical reports, and communication media. A literature scan searching for records of any interactions between jellyfish and the marine fishery/aquaculture sectors were carried out. Out of 553 papers, 90 contained original information, referring to more than 130 cases worldwide of negative impacts of jellyfish on marine fishery/aquaculture over the last century. Calling attention on too often neglected socioeconomic and ecological impacts of jellyfish blooms, the purpose of this paper is to review and analyze the most up-to-date research on this subject and to provide a global perspective on the importance of jellyfish impacts and their cascading effects on marine fishery and aquaculture sectors.

The high variability of trammel fisheries, due to a marked seasonality in target species and fishing activities needs to be investigated with high spatial and temporal resolution. The present study focuses on trammel net fishery in southwestern Sicily (central Mediterranean Sea) identifying and characterizing the main metiers in relation to some key aspects of the fishery such as the target species, composition of landings, main fishing grounds and time of the year. For this purpose, a multivariate statistical approach based on landings and effort data of the Mazara del Vallo southwestern Sicily, Italy) trammel fleet in the period 2009–2013 was applied. A total of 153 different landed species and four different trammel net metiers were identified. These metiers showed differences in target species (i.e. Sepia officinalis, Palinurus elephas, Mullus surmuletus and a mix of species), fishing season, fishing grounds and dimension of fishing vessels. The metiers identified were significantly different in terms of total average landing per unit of effort (LPUE) with metier 1 targeting M. surmuletus, showing the highest average LPUE (2047 (192 s.e.) g*(h)−1*103 m net) and metier 2 targeting S. officinalis, exhibiting the lowest value (1175 (119 s.e.) g*(h)−1*103 m net). The study provides new knowledge on the dynamics of trammel fisheries in southwestern Sicily also showing that the complex nature of this peculiar fishery should be taken into account in any future sampling program aimed at the monitoring and management of artisanal fisheries in this area and more in general in the Mediterranean Sea.

13 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, supplementary information https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30474-x, Jellyfish populations apparently have increased in some places around the world and human problems with them also have increased. However, effects of jellyfish outbreaks in the ecosystems remain poorly understood and little or no information is available on their dietary preferences - in relation to the seasonal shifts of prey abundance - and on the potential variability of their impact on marine food webs. The mauve stinger Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775) is by far the most common outbreak-forming scyphozoan jellyfish in the Western Mediterranean. By use of a combination of stomach contents, stable isotope (SI) and fatty acid (FA) analyses, we tested the hypothesis that changes in the seasonal dietary sources of P. noctiluca parallel changes in the FA and SI composition. Stomach content and biomarker analyses suggested that P. noctiluca is not a selective predator, cyclically shifting between carnivory and omnivory depending on the seasonality of accessible prey. The combination of SI and FA analyses highlighted the importance of microzooplankton as prey. Specific FA biomarkers showed that the diet of P. noctiluca changed seasonally depending on the availability of living plankton or suspended detritus. This study also revealed significant biochemical differences between jellyfish somatic and gonadal tissues, with total fatty acid concentration in the gonads up to ten times higher than in the somatic tissues, This work has received funding from the European Union’s projects MED-JELLYRISK (grant n. I-A/1.3/098 - ENPI CBCMED programme), VECTORS (Vectors of Change in Oceans and Seas Marine Life, Impact on Economic Sectors, grant n. 266445, FP7th programme) and CERES (Climate Change and European Aquatic Resources, grant n. 678193, Horizon 2020 programme)

Deep-sea coral assemblages are key components of marine ecosystems that generate habitats for fish and invertebrate communities and act as marine biodiversity hot spots. Because of their life history traits, deep-sea corals are highly vulnerable to human impacts such as fishing. They are an indicator of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs), therefore their conservation is essential to preserve marine biodiversity. In the Mediterranean Sea deep-sea coral habitats are associated with commercially important crustaceans, consequently their abundance has dramatically declined due to the effects of trawling. Marine spatial planning is required to ensure that the conservation of these habitats is achieved. Species distribution models were used to investigate the distribution of two critically endangered octocorals (Funiculina quadrangularis and Isidella elongata) in the central Mediterranean as a function of environmental and fisheries variables. Results show that both species exhibit species-specific habitat preferences and spatial patterns in response to environmental variables, but the impact of trawling on their distribution differed. In particular F. quadrangularis can overlap with fishing activities, whereas I. elongata occurs exclusively where fishing is low or absent. This study represents the first attempt to identify key areas for the protection of soft and compact mud VMEs in the central Mediterranean Sea.

Fishery, market and consumption of edible jellyfish are currently limited in western countries by the lack of market demand for jellyfish products and the absence of processing technologies adequate to the western market safety standards. The development of technology-driven processing protocols may be key to comply with rigorous food safety rules, overcome the lack of tradition and revert the neophobic perception of jellyfish as food. We show thermal treatment (100 °C, 10 min) can be used as a first stabilization step on three common Mediterranean jellyfish, the scyphomedusae Aurelia coerulea, Cotylorhiza tuberculata, Rhizostoma pulmo, differently affecting protein and phenolic contents of their main body parts. The antioxidant activity was assessed in thermally treated and untreated samples, as related to the functional and health value of the food. Heat treatment had mild effect on protein and phenolic contents and on antioxidant activity. The jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo, showed the better performance after thermal treatment.

12 pages, 3 figures, Climate change is already transforming the seascapes of our oceans by changing the energy availability and the metabolic rates of the organisms. Among the ecosystem-engineering species that structure the seascape, marine animal forests (MAFs) are the most widespread. These habitats, mainly composed of suspension feeding organisms, provide structural complexity to the sea floor, analogous to terrestrial forests. Because primary and secondary productivity is responding to different impacts, in particular to the rapid ongoing environmental changes driven by climate change, this paper presents some directions about what could happen to different MAFs depending on these fast changes. Climate change could modify the resistance or resilience of MAFs, potentially making them more sensitive to impacts from anthropic activities (i.e. fisheries and coastal management), and vice versa, direct impacts may amplify climate change constraints in MAFs. Such changes will have knock-on effects on the energy budgets of active and passive suspension feeding organisms, as well as on their phenology, larval nutritional condition, and population viability. How the future seascape will be shaped by the new energy fluxes is a crucial question that has to be urgently addressed to mitigate and adapt to the diverse impacts on natural system, We also thank the Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship project ANIMAL FOREST HEALTH (Grant Agreement Number 327845). This work contributes to the ICTA “Unit of Excellence” (MinECo, MDM2015-0552). We are also grateful with the CALMED project (CTM2016-79547-R) and the AGAUR Generalitat de Catalunya (MERS, 2017 SGR 1588). SR and MS thanks the CAPES-Print Programme and CNPq Research Productivity Fellowship (Brazil)

Aliphatic hydrocarbon levels were determined by the GC/MS technique in fish livers of Engraulis encrasicolus (Ee) and Trachurus trachurus (Tt), collected from a particular area of the Mediterranean Sea, called GSA 10, which is located exactly in Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania coast and North Sicily coast. The aim was to evaluate their potential use as specific bioindicators towards this class of contaminants. Both Tt and Ee are considered to be pollution monitoring bioindicators, due to their dominance in marine communities and economic fishing interest. Ee showed a higher tendency to bioaccumulate TAHs, due to the lower quantity of fatty acids in liver tissues with respect to Tt. The area under study has been characterised a) chemically with the acquisition of temperature, oxygen and salinity profiles along the water column, and b) ecologically with the determination of amino acid contents in fish eyes, in order to gain information on the adaptation to environmental changes. Moreover, specific activities of two hydrolytic enzymes, such as alkaline phosphatase and peroxidase in fish epidermal mucus, together with lactate in blood plasma and cortisol levels, have been investigated for the first time, in order to obtain insights into the effects of hydrocarbons on animal welfare. A multiple co-inertia analysis was also applied to chemical and environmental parameters, in order to explore any possible correlation between different variables. The multivariate approach showed a clear spatial distribution between environmental and chemical variables in Ee, whilst there was an absence of a spatial trend in Tt. Moreover, the chemometric analysis showed a very high correlation between amino acid profiles and environmental variables for both species, confirming the possibility of being used as ecological welfare indices for short-term environmental variations.

The large-scale distribution pattern of megafauna communities along the Mediterranean middle slope was explored. The study was conducted between 500 and 800 m depth where deep-water fishery occurs. Although community studies carried out deeper than 500 m are partly available for some geographic areas, few large-scale comparative studies have been carried out. Within the framework of the MEDITS survey programme, we compared the megafauna community structure in ten geographical sub-areas (GSAs) along the Mediterranean coasts. Additionally, the spatial distribution of fishing was analysed using vessel monitoring by satellite information. Overall, the community showed a significant difference between sub-areas, with a decreasing eastward pattern in abundance and biomass. Longitude was the main factor explaining variation among sub-areas (by generalized additive models). However, we found a region which did not follow the general pattern. GSA 6 (northern Spain) showed significantly lower abundance and a different composition structure to the adjacent areas. The decrease in community descriptors (i.e. abundance and biomass) in this area is probably a symptom of population changes induced by intense fishery exploitation. Overall, a combination of environmental variables and human-induced impacts appears to influence the bentho-pelagic communities along the slope areas of the Mediterranean., En este estudio se describe la estructura y patrones de distribución de la comunidad de megafauna que habita en el margen continental medio a lo largo del Mediterráneo. El estudio se realizó entre los 500 y 800 m, coincidiendo espacialmente con las pesquerías de profundidad. A pesar de que se conoce parcialmente la estructura de las comunidades que habitan por debajo de 500 m, existe la necesidad de estudiar estas comunidades a una escala espacial más amplia. Dentro del marco del proyecto internacional MEDITS, se comparó la estructura de las comunidades en diez sub-áreas geográficas (GSAs) a lo largo de las costas mediterráneas. Además se analizó la distribución espacial del esfuerzo pesquero utilizando la información de los datos de seguimiento de buques. En general los resultados mostraron diferencias significativas entre subáreas mostrando un patrón decreciente en los valores de biomasa hacia el este, siendo la longitud el principal factor explicativo del modelo de distribución (GAMs). Sin embargo, encontramos una subárea que no seguía el patrón general, la GSA6 (norte de España). La GSA6 mostró una biomasa y estructura de la comunidad diferente a las áreas adyacentes. La disminución de la biomasa en esta área parece ser un síntoma de los cambios poblaciones causados por la elevada intensidad de pesca en la zona. Los resultados sugieren que la distribución y estructura de las comunidades bento-pelágicas parecen estar moduladas por la combinación de las variables ambientales y los impactos producidos por la actividad humana.

Fishes have evolved various reproductive strategies including mechanisms that involve parental care and demersal eggs laid into nests. Symphodus ocellatus has a seasonal reproduction period during which large, dominant males become territorial and build nests with fragments of algae, where they attract females to spawn and provide care to the developing eggs. Based on the hypothesis that the S. ocellatus males choose the reproductive habitat based on some characteristics of the substrate, here we assessed whether, on a coastal area scale, the distribution of this species changes during the reproductive period because of the selection of some suitable sites or substrates, and whether the nesting microhabitat used by this species responding to certain requirements in relation to different characteristics. From April to September 2010, at four locations and on three substrate types, the fish were counted in three periods related to different stages of reproduction. Furthermore, several physical and biological variables have been recorded around numerous nests to select those with more recurrence. We found that S. ocellatus prefers to live on rocky substrates populated by photophilic algae, regardless of the phases of the reproductive cycle. We identified depth (1.7–3.2 m), the presence of a hole, a 10–20 cm algal canopy, and high algal coverage of Dyctiotales as nest requirements. S. ocellatus is mostly distributed in coastal sites sheltered from the action of waves. This allows the construction and maintenance of nests and the possibility to remain in a water temperature range similar to the reproductive physiological constraints.

16 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, correction https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v591/c_p101-116/, Jellyfish have the potential to dominate the pelagic biomass of marine ecosystems, thereby negatively affecting pelagic fish. We investigated the trophic interactions of Pelagia noctiluca (medusae and ephyrae), one of the most abundant and conspicuous jellyfish on the Catalan coast in the NW Mediterranean. A combination of stable isotope and fatty acid analyses was used to obtain a broad picture of the feeding habits of this jellyfish in order to understand its potential interactions with the most abundant fish species (larvae and adults) during the summer in the area. The results suggested that in addition to predation on fish larvae by P. noctiluca, this jellyfish had similar feeding requirements to those of most fish larvae, suggesting potential competition. The trophic niche of medusae and ephyrae overlapped highly with that of larval Engraulis encrasicolus, Trachurus mediterraneus and Sardinella aurita and to a lesser extent with that of Serranus hepatus, Sparus pagrus and Mullus barbatus. No overlap was observed with Arnoglossus sp. larvae and adult E. encrasicolus, Sardina pilchardus, T. mediterraneus and S. aurita. Our findings demonstrated that P. noctiluca could be an important predator and competitor for fish larvae, but not for adult fish. Moreover, salps were found to be a significant food source for P. noctiluca. This study provides information that should be considered in near-future ecosystem-based fishery management in regions where P. noctiluca thrives, This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (FISHJELLY project: CTM2010-18874), and U.T. was supported by a predoctoral fellowship of the FPI program (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness)

The effective management and conservation of fishery resources requires knowledge of their spatial distribution and notably of their critical life history stages. Predictive modelling of the European hake (Merluccius merluccius L., 1758) distribution was developed in the south-central Mediterranean Sea by means of historical fisheries-independent databases available in the region. The study area included the international waters of the south-central Mediterranean Sea and the territorial waters of Italy, Malta, Tunisia and Libya. Distribution maps of predicted population abundance index, and probabilistic occurrence of recruits and large adults were obtained by means of generalized additive models using depth and seafloor characteristics as predictors. Presence/absence data of the two life stages was obtained using threshold values applied to the mean weight of the survey catches. Modelling results largely matched previously reported knowledge on habitat preference of the species and its critical life phases. Hake recruits showed an occurrence peak at 200 m depth with preference for soft bottoms. Large adults preferred deeper and harder bottom substrates. Prediction maps allowed to improve our knowledge on the distributional patterns of one of the most important shared stocks in the south-central Mediterranean. This knowledge is essential for an appropriate development of regional-spatial-based management plans.

7 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, supplemental material https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2016.11.005, In recent years, negative impacts of jellyfish blooms (JB) on marine human activities have been increasingly reported. Aquaculture has been affected by jellyfish outbreaks, mostly documented through repeated episodes of farmed salmon mortalities in Northern Europe; however, the valuation of JB consequences on the aquaculture sector still remains poorly quantified. This study aims to provide the first quantitative evaluation effects of JB on finfish aquaculture in the Mediterranean Sea and to investigate the general awareness of JB impacts among Mediterranean aquaculture professional workers. The aquaculture workers' perception about JB was assessed through a structured interview-based survey administered across 21 aquaculture facilities in central and western Mediterranean. The workers' awareness about JB impacts on aquaculture differed among countries. Italian and Spanish fish farmers were better informed about jellyfish proliferations and, together with Tunisian farmers, they all recognized the wide potential consequences of JB on sea bream and sea bass aquaculture. On the contrary, the majority of Maltese respondents considered JB as a non-significant threat to their activity, mostly based on off-shore tuna farming. This study for the first time shows that JB may negatively affect different Mediterranean aquaculture facilities from Tunisia (Sicily Channel) and Spain (Alboran Sea), by increasing farmed fish gill disorders and mortality, clogging net cages, or inflicting painful stings to field operators, with severe economic consequences. Available knowledge calls for the development of coordinated preventive plans, adaptation policies, and mitigation countermeasures across European countries in order to address the JB phenomenon and its impacts on coastal water activities, This work has received funding from the European Union's projects MED-JELLYRISK (grant n. I-A/1.3/098 - ENPI CBCMED programme), VECTORS (Vectors of Change in Oceans and Seas Marine Life, Impact on Economic Sectors, grant n. 266445, FP7th programme), and CERES (Climate Change and European Aquatic Resources, grant n. 678193, Horizon 2020 programme)

Submarine caves are environments of great ecological interest because of the occurrence of peculiar conditions, such as the attenuation of light and reduced water turnover, which can determine oligotrophic conditions from the entrance to the interior part of the cave. These environmental gradients may influence the distribution of the communities inhabiting submarine caves. In this study we investigated the meiofaunal community and nematode assemblages from the sediments inside and outside two submarine caves in Ustica Island Marine Protected Area (southwest Italy): Grotta Falconiera and Grotta dei Gamberi. Consistently with a general pattern of distribution reported by several studies on benthic organisms, our results showed a decrease in the abundance and changes in the taxa composition of the meiofaunal community along the exterior-interior axis of the caves, also highlighting the dissimilarity between the dark and semi-dark communities. We found a significant influence of the availability of organic matter (i.e. phytopigment concentrations) on the distribution and composition of both the meiofauna and the nematode community inside the caves. Different nematode assemblages characterized the inside and the outside of the two caves, with species occurring exclusively in the sediment of both caves, particularly in the dark portions, and completely absent in the external sediments. Environmental features of submarine caves may affect food resources inside the caves and consequently trophic nematode assemblages. Our results showed a difference in feeding strategies between nematodes inhabiting the caves and those living outside, suggesting that in the two caves investigated, bacteria might represent the most important food source for nematodes.

Genetic drift and non-random mating seldom influence species with large breeding populations and high dispersal potential, characterized by unstructured gene pool and panmixia at a scale lower than the minimum dispersal range of individuals. In the present study, a set of nine microsatellite markers was developed and used to investigate the spatio-temporal genetic patterns of the holoplanktonic jellyfish Pelagia noctiluca (Scyphozoa) in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea. Homozygote excess was detected at eight loci, and individuals exhibited intra-population relatedness higher than expected by chance in at least three samples. This result was supported by the presence of siblings in at least 5 out 8 samples, 4 of which contained full-sib in addition to half-sib dyads. Having tested and ruled out alternative explanations as null alleles, our results suggest the influence of reproductive and behavioural features in shaping the genetic structure of P. noctiluca, as outcomes of population genetics analyses pointed out. Indeed, the genetic differentiation among populations was globally small but highlighted: a) a spatial genetic patchiness uncorrelated with distance between sampling locations, and b) a significant genetic heterogeneity between samples collected in the same locations in different years. Therefore, despite its extreme dispersal potential, P. noctiluca does not maintain a single homogenous population, but rather these jellyfish appear to have intra-bloom localized recruitment and/or individual cohesiveness, whereby siblings more likely swarm together as a single group and remain close after spawning events. These findings provide the first evidence of family structures and consequent genetic patchiness in a species with highly dispersive potential throughout its whole life cycle, contributing to understanding the patterns of dispersal and connectivity in marine environments.

10 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables, supporting information https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0094600, In recent years, jellyfish blooms have attracted considerable scientific interest for their potential impacts on human activities and ecosystem functioning, with much attention paid to jellyfish as predators and to gelatinous biomass as a carbon sink. Other than qualitative data and observations, few studies have quantified direct predation of fish on jellyfish to clarify whether they may represent a seasonally abundant food source. Here we estimate predation frequency by the commercially valuable Mediterranean bogue, Boops boops on the mauve stinger jellyfish, Pelagia noctiluca, in the Strait of Messina (NE Sicily). A total of 1054 jellyfish were sampled throughout one year to quantify predation by B. boops from bite marks on partially eaten jellyfish and energy density of the jellyfish. Predation by B. boops in summer was almost twice that in winter, and they selectively fed according to medusa gender and body part. Calorimetric analysis and biochemical composition showed that female jellyfish gonads had significantly higher energy content than male gonads due to more lipids and that gonads had six-fold higher energy content than the somatic tissues due to higher lipid and protein concentrations. Energetically, jellyfish gonads represent a highly rewarding food source, largely available to B. boops throughout spring and summer. During the remainder of the year, when gonads were not very evident, fish predation switched towards lessselective foraging on the somatic gelatinous biomass. P. noctiluca, the most abundant jellyfish species in the Mediterranean Sea and a key planktonic predator, may represent not only a nuisance for human leisure activities and a source of mortality for fish eggs and larvae, but also an important resource for fish species of commercial value, such as B. boops. © 2014 Milisenda et al., The research leading to these results received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under Grant Agreement No. 266445 for the project Vectors of Change in Oceans and Seas Marine Life, Impact on Economic Sectors (VECTORS, http://www.marine-vectors.eu). Logistic/technical support was also provided by the FP7 EU projects COCONET, PERSEUS, the ENPI CBCMED programme MED-JELLYRISK, and by the Italian Flagship project RITMARE

A bloom of an unknown semaestome jellyfish species was recorded in the North Adriatic Sea from September 2013 to early 2014. Morphological analysis of several specimens showed distinct differences from other known semaestome species in the Mediterranean Sea and unquestionably identified them as belonging to a new pelagiid species within genus Pelagia. The new species is morphologically distinct from P. noctiluca, currently the only recognized valid species in the genus, and from other doubtful Pelagia species recorded from other areas of the world. Molecular analyses of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and nuclear 28S ribosomal DNA genes corroborate its specific distinction from P. noctiluca and other pelagiid taxa, supporting the monophyly of Pelagiidae. Thus, we describe Pelagia benovici sp. nov. Piraino, Aglieri, Scorrano & Boero.