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We present a basin-wide correlation of the pre-evaporitic succession across the deep Levant basin, based on integrated bio- and cyclostratigraphy. The onset of Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) can be placed in all studied wells where foraminifers suddenly disappear and normal marine calcareous nannofossils are replaced by opportunistic assemblages. These changes mark the base of the Foraminifers Barren Interval (FBI), a 10s-of-m-thick (below seismic resolution), evaporite-free, shale unit that records the entire duration of the first stage. Moving towards the basin margin the FBI is progressively truncated on top by the Messinian erosional surface (MES), a regional-scale discontinuity sealed by a thin clastic evaporite units overlain by thick halite deposits. Our results confirm previous hypothesis suggesting that the crisis started in deep- as well as in shallow-water settings at 5.97 Ma and pointing to a synchronous onset of the MSC but diachronous deposition of evaporites. During stage 1 of the crisis, coeval with gypsum deposition in marginal basins, the salinity in deep basins progressively increased (with possible oxygen reduction) hindering the life of marine organisms. Then, at 5.60 Ma, when salinity in deep basins exceeded halite saturation, massive halite precipitation started, and a nearly 2-km-thick salt sequence accumulated in deep basins within a short period of 60 kyr. At that time (stage 2), sedimentation rate jumped by an order of magnitude reaching a few cm/yr. Similar sedimentation rates are inferred for the Realmonte salt mine (Sicily) and observed in the modern Dead Sea and artificial salinas.

Groupers are important components of coastal ecosystems as well as a valuable resource for fisheries. Their populations are known to be decreasing throughout the world primarily due to over-exploitation. However, even the basic data for an effective management strategy is lacking. Interviews of a representative sample of 113 fishers in Turkey in the northeastern Mediterranean were conducted with specific questions regarding fishing gears, periods and areas as well as best day's catch and the sizes of fishes caught. Fishermen recognized Epinephelus marginatus, E. aeneus, E. costae, Hyporthodus haifensis, Mycteroperca rubra and Polyprion americanus distributed in the area. “Endangered” E. marginatus and “Near Threatened” E. aeneus were the dominant species of the grouper fishery. Based on best days’ catch values and reported lengths of fish caught, the northern coasts of Iskenderun Bay were found to be important for both species. Demersal longliners, spearguns, traps, anglers and demersal trawlers were reported catching groupers in the study area. Artisanal fishermen, especially demersal longliners contributed the most to the grouper fishery. Fishing pressure were subject to seasonal fluctuations, with decreasing reported catches during summer when threatened groupers spawn. Finally, some critical aspects of fishery pressure were related to the removal of juveniles which may lead to reproduction loss. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd Rufford Foundation: 20449-1 This study was performed as a part of the project “Strongholds for Groupers in Iskenderun Bay: Defining Conservation Hotspots for Sustainability” granted by The Rufford Foundation with the grant number 20449-1 . We would like to thank Ayla Yıldırım for English proofreading. Appendix A

International audience; The Levant Basin of the East-Mediterranean region contains a biogenic petroleum system and possibly an underlying thermogenic system. The application of a new map-based uncertainty and sensitivity analysis that integrates a large set of geological parameters demonstrates that a connection between an Upper Cretaceous thermogenic petroleum system and the shallower Oligo-Miocene reservoirs is highly possible in the southern part of the basin (offshore Israel and southern Lebanon) where hydrocarbon fluids are generated from the Campanian source rock and charge the overlying Oligo-Miocene reservoir interval through faults. Estimates of volumes of expelled hydrocarbons combined with regional analysis of the Eocene top seal integrity indicates that the most prospective zones correspond to the southern offshore Lebanon and offshore Israel. In the northern part of the Levant Basin (offshore central and northern Lebanon), petroleum fluids potentially generated by the Campanian source rocks remain trapped under the Eocene seal or they migrate towards the margins of the basin. Our approach is based on applications of machine learning techniques and robust statistical analyses to petroleum systems modeling, focusing on spatial uncertainty analysis. It may be used on similar frontier or emerging hydrocarbon provinces to help de-risking the petroleum systems.