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"The Environmental Rule of Law for Oceans: Designing Legal Solutions" is a book edited by Froukje Maria Platjouw and Alla Pozdnakova that explores the potential role of the environmental rule of law in the context of the ocean. The book takes a forward-looking approach and includes contributions from a diverse group of authors, including senior researchers, professors, and PhD candidates. It covers various topics such as the management of marine resources, regional cooperation, and the legal status of icebergs. The book emphasizes the need for meaningful engagement, scientific knowledge, and social values in ocean governance. [Extracted from the article]

The Indian Ocean (IO) continental shelf characterized by unique oceanographic and meteorological features and extreme habitat is a biodiversity hotspot region. Marine biodiversity provides valuable resources and services, in terms of economy, cultural, science, and education. Unsustainable exploitation and habitat degradation represent the greatest threat to biodiversity. Understanding how these services will change in the future requires knowledge of marine biodiversity. Although macrofaunal biodiversity is critical for the functioning of shelf systems, it has received much less attention, particularly in the IO, mainly due to logistics reasons precluding our ability to predict future changes. Here, we discuss the state of knowledge of macrofaunal ecology, to identify the knowledge gaps, which will allow for setting research priorities. The new framework in research synthesis, research weaving, that combines systematic mapping with bibliometric analysis was applied. The research weaving approach helps illustrate the evolution of research over time and identifies areas of current research interests and the performance of institutions and collaboration patterns. Data retrieved from the Web of Science were analyzed in the R and VOS Viewer software. The results highlight how macrofaunal research in IO is constrained by spatial and temporal scales, with the majority of studies focused on structural patterns. Moreover, most studies were conducted in a few countries (India, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and South Africa) using different sampling techniques hindering comparison within the IO habitats. Future studies investigating the macrofaunal community using a multidisciplinary approach and scientific collaboration (regional and international) can advance our efforts to close the marine biodiversity knowledge gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book "Caring for the Seas to Save Life" by Cristina Romera Castillo addresses the importance of preserving the oceans and proposes solutions to protect them. The author, an oceanographer and researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences of the CSIC, analyzes the oceanic carbon cycle, the impact of microplastics on climate and marine ecosystems, and how bacteria can help in their degradation. Problems such as acidification, warming, plastic pollution, and overfishing are also addressed. The book highlights the need to act to reverse environmental mistakes and turn the ocean into an ally in the fight against climate change. The article emphasizes the importance of giving more visibility to ocean problems, such as increasing water temperature, oxygen reduction, and plastic pollution. It is mentioned that marine protected areas are key to biodiversity conservation and sustainable fishing. Additionally, the need to reduce carbon emissions and restore marine ecosystems is highlighted. It is concluded that at least 30% of the ocean must be protected to ensure long-term preservation. The text talks about the importance of implementing and managing marine protected areas to preserve fish populations and maintain the biodiversity of marine ecosystems. It also mentions other problems facing the ocean, such as chemical pollution, plastics, and noise. The need to protect natural resources and adopt sustainable measures to ensure the well-being of our species is emphasized. Additionally, the importance of taking actions to mitigate climate change and reverse the problems caused by human action in the ocean is mentioned. The importance of environmental awareness and connection with nature to protect the ocean is highlighted. [Extracted from the article]

The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) is frequently described as the most dramatic biodiversity pattern on Earth, yet ecologists and biogeographers have failed to reach consensus on its primary cause. A key problem in explaining the LDG involves collinearity between multiple factors that are predicted to affect species richness in the same direction. In terrestrial systems, energy input, geographic area, and evolutionary time for species accumulation tend to covary positively with species richness at the largest spatial scales, such that their individual contributions to the LDG are confounded in global analyses. I review three diversity patterns from marine and freshwater systems that break this collinearity and which may thus provide stronger tests of the influence of time on global richness gradients. Specifically, I contrast biodiversity patterns along oceanic depth gradients, in geologically young versus ancient lakes, and in the north versus south polar marine biomes. I focus primarily on fishes due to greater data availability but synthesize patterns for invertebrates where possible. I find that regional‐to‐global species richness generally declines with depth in the oceans, despite the great age and stability of the deep‐sea biome. Geologically ancient lakes generally do not contain more species than young lakes, and the Antarctic marine biome is not appreciably more species rich than the much younger Arctic marine biome. However, endemism is consistently higher in older systems. Patterns for invertebrate groups are less clear than for fishes and reflect a critical need for primary biodiversity data. In summary, the available data suggest that species richness is either decoupled from or only weakly related to the amount of time for diversification. These results suggest that energy, productivity, or geographic area are the primary drivers of large‐scale diversity gradients. To the extent that marine and terrestrial diversity gradients result from similar processes, these examples provide evidence against a primary role for evolutionary time as the cause of the LDG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine environments accommodating diverse assortments of life constitute a great pool of differentiated natural resources. The cumulative need to remedy unpropitious effects of anthropogenic activities on estuaries and coastal marine ecosystems has propelled the development of effective bioremediation strategies. Marine bacteria producing biosurfactants are promising agents for bio‐remediating oil pollution in marine environments, making them prospective candidates for enhancing oil recovery. Molecular omics technologies are considered an emerging field of research in ecological and diversity assessment owing to their utility in environmental surveillance and bioremediation of polluted sites. A thorough literature review was undertaken to understand the applicability of different omic techniques used for bioremediation assessment using marine bacteria. This review further establishes that for bioremediation of environmental pollutants (i.e. heavy metals, hydrocarbons, xenobiotic and numerous recalcitrant compounds), organisms isolated from marine environments can be better used for their removal. The literature survey shows that omics approaches can provide exemplary knowledge about microbial communities and their role in the bioremediation of environmental pollutants. This review centres on applications of marine bacteria in enhanced bioremediation, using the omics approaches that can be a vital biological contrivance in environmental monitoring to tackle environmental degradation. The paper aims to identify the gaps in investigations involving marine bacteria to help researchers, ecologists and decision‐makers to develop a holistic understanding regarding their utility in bioremediation assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential adverse effects of UV-filter pollution in marine environments have been the focus of research in recent years. This systematic review aims to determine the extent of this emerging problem, both quantitatively and qualitatively, combining temporal and science mapping analyses to explore the development of the field of UV-filters in the marine environment (from 1990 to 2021), and to outline new research frontiers. The temporal trend analysis revealed an exponential growth of published studies over the last decade (70% since 2016), confirming the emerging role of this topic in environmental science. The meta-analysis determined that 4-methylbenzylidene-camphor (4-MBC) and benzophenone-3 (BP-3) are top-priority environmental pollutants due to their increasing usage and, in turn, a frequent occurrence in marine ecosystems. This meta-analysis determined the focus on these two contaminants for this review. A critical discussion of the applications, regulatory aspects, and environmental occurrences of these selected compounds was provided. The present study also focused on the most recent (2015–2021) field and laboratory studies investigating the ecotoxicological impacts of 4-MBC and BP-3 on marine invertebrates. This review highlights the need for more research efforts to fill the knowledge gaps on the realistic effects these compounds may have when considered individually, in combination, or as subsequent exposures. Overall, this review aims to establish guidelines for further studies to understand the effect of UV-filters on marine ecosystems and marine invertebrate communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine biodiversity provides a range of diverse biological resources, including seafoods that are rich in protein and a well-balanced amino acid composition. Previous studies have shown that peptides can improve bone formation and/or inhibit bone resorption, suggesting the potential for seafood bioactive peptides (SBPs) in development of food and pharmaceuticals for management of osteoporosis. In this review, we provided an up-to-date overview of the anti-osteoporosis activity of SBPs and describe their underlying molecular mechanisms. We focus on SBPs' development, broadening the scope and depth of research, as well as strengthening in vivo and clinical research. In vitro cell cultures and in vivo animal osteoporosis models have demonstrated the potential for seafood-derived SBPs, including fish, mollusks, crustaceans, seaweed and microalgae, in preventing osteoporosis. These peptides may act by activating the signaling pathways, such as BMP/Smads, MAPK, OPG/RANKL/RANK, and NF-κB, which are associated with modulation bone health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reviewed 140 papers to assess the ecological effectiveness of South Africa's marine protected areas (MPAs). Evidence was assessed for coverage and representivity, protection of important biodiversity areas, other recognised elements of effectiveness, connectivity, and ecological effects—from the scale of individual MPAs to the MPA network scale. We conducted complementary novel analyses to supplement the review and to objectively determine where and how the MPA network can be improved. Evidence shows that South Africa's MPAs now provide some protection to all ecoregions and 87% of ecosystem types but to less than 50% of assessed species groups. MPAs are generally well-sited, but gaps were revealed on the west coast and in estuaries, the deep sea, and two ecologically and biologically significant areas. Enforcement emerged as a key concern, and many MPAs could be improved through expansion or by increasing no-take areas. The majority of relevant papers recorded beneficial ecological effects, detectable as increases in parameters such as the abundance, biomass, sizes or reproductive output of species. Few papers examined whether ecological benefits translate into adjacent fisheries benefits, but all those that did recorded positive effects. Full protection was more effective than partial protection, with effectiveness most clearly demonstrated for vulnerable target taxa. Further research and monitoring to achieve evaluations of effectiveness are recommended, with greater focus on neglected MPAs and species. Understanding the ecological connectivity between MPAs, an important dimension for climate-change adaptation and hence for the persistence and resilience of South Africa's marine biodiversity, is identified as a key area for future research and inclusion in MPA planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic pollution is the biggest threat to marine ecosystem owing to its high rates of disposal and low recovery from the environment. Due to inefficiency in degradation, most of plastic is fragmented into microplastics that are reported as ubiquitous toxicants in marine environment. The abundance of toxic microplastics in marine ecosystem causes adverse impacts on aquatic flora and fauna including oceans, lakes, rivers, coastal areas, and seas. This aggravates its toxicity and induces genomic instability, oxidative stress and disruption of marine organisms. Hence, it is necessary to understand the potential sources, types and behaviour of microplastic in marine environment. In this review, considering the pollution of aquatic ecosystem, major contributors of microplastics in marine environment along with their classification are brought out. Also, behaviour mechanisms of microplastics including physical, chemical and biological behaviours together with their ecological and toxicological impacts on marine ecosystem are illustrated. Finally, the remediation measures to combat against toxic microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystem are highlighted to bring out an instant remedy for the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Important findings from the second decade of the 21st century on the impact of environmental change on biological processes in the Antarctic were synthesised by 26 international experts. Ten key messages emerged that have stakeholder‐relevance and/or a high impact for the scientific community. They address (i) altered biogeochemical cycles, (ii) ocean acidification, (iii) climate change hotspots, (iv) unexpected dynamism in seabed‐dwelling populations, (v) spatial range shifts, (vi) adaptation and thermal resilience, (vii) sea ice related biological fluctuations, (viii) pollution, (ix) endangered terrestrial endemism and (x) the discovery of unknown habitats. Most Antarctic biotas are exposed to multiple stresses and considered vulnerable to environmental change due to narrow tolerance ranges, rapid change, projected circumpolar impacts, low potential for timely genetic adaptation, and migration barriers. Important ecosystem functions, such as primary production and energy transfer between trophic levels, have already changed, and biodiversity patterns have shifted. A confidence assessment of the degree of 'scientific understanding' revealed an intermediate level for most of the more detailed sub‐messages, indicating that process‐oriented research has been successful in the past decade. Additional efforts are necessary, however, to achieve the level of robustness in scientific knowledge that is required to inform protection measures of the unique Antarctic terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and their contributions to global biodiversity and ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian Ocean-rim hosts many of the underdeveloped and emerging economies that depend on the ocean resources for livelihood of the populations of millions residing. Operational ocean information services cater to the requirements of managers and end-users to efficiently harness those resources, and to ensure safety. However, fishery information isn't the only operational services that will be needed empower such communities in the coming decades. Coral bleaching alerts, SCUBA-assist advisories, conservation or ecotourism assist services (e.g. Turtle-watch/Whale-watch), poaching/bycatch reduction support, jellyfish/microplastic/oil-spill watch are to name a few, but not an exhaustive list. This paper reviews existing tools, and explores the ongoing research that has potential to convert the findings into operational services in near-to-mid term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated progress towards animal biodiversity research in Georgia, a key area in the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot. By reviewing recently (1990–2018) published articles in all areas of animal diversity research, we unmasked the trends in biodiversity inventory, ecological and biogeographical studies, and conservation issues in Georgia. We concluded that species inventory and biodiversity research in Georgia has significantly increased during the last ten years, however the rate and extent of investigation is far from satisfactory. Major gaps remain in all branches of animal diversity research in Georgia, and consequently existing knowledge is inadequate to address modern challenges related to species and ecosystem conservation. We urge local governmental authorities and international scientific societies to support development of stronger research facilities and cultivate interest in biodiversity inventory and research in Georgia as an important step towards maintaining globally important biodiversity in the Caucasus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reviews the book `The Living Ocean: Understanding and Protecting Marine Biodiversity,' by Boyce Thorne-Miller.

The article reviews the book "Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: Frameworks, Methodologies and Integration" edited by Martin Solan, Rebecca J. Aspden, and David Paterson.

The article reviews the book "Life in the World's Oceans: Diversity, Distribution and Abundance," by A. D. McIntyre .

Reviews the book "The Empty Ocean: Plundering the World's Marine Life," by Richard Ellis.

Reviews the book "The Living Ocean: Understanding and Protecting Marine Biodiversity," by Boyce Thorne-Miller and John Catena.

The article reviews the book "World Ocean Census: A Global Survey of Marine Life," by Darlene Trew Crist, Gail Scowcroft, and James M. Harding Jr.

This article reviews the DVD collection "Dive Into Your Imagination," with underwater photographer Annie Crawley.

Reviews the book "Hierarchical Perspectives on Marine Complexities: Searching for Systems in the Gulf of Maine," by Spencer Apollonio.

The article reviews the book "Deep-Sea Biodiversity: Pattern and Scale," by Michael A. Rex and Ron J. Etter.

The article reviews the book "Marine Biodiversity of Costa Rica, Central America," edited by Ingo S. Wehrtmann and Jorge Cortés.

The article reviews the book "Oceans in Peril: Protecting Marine Biodiversity," by Michelle Allsopp et al.

Reviews the book 'Global Marine Biological Diversity: A Strategy for Building Conservation to Decision Making,' edited by Elliott A. Norse.

Reviews the book "The Living Ocean: Understanding and Protecting Marine Biodiversity," by Boyce Thorne Miller and John Catena.

The article reviews the book "Sea Creatures," by Ilsien Nathalie Gaylord.