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Abstract Marine litter represents a transboundary challenge since it originates from manifold sources and travels long distances. Reducing marine litter can involve measures to prevent, mitigate, and remove litter, as well as to change behaviour. So far, the effects of prevention policies have been ineffective, resulting in great amounts of litter at sea and suggesting that removal actions are needed. Between 2014 and 2016, 15 ports in five countries (Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and Greece) in the Adriatic-Ionian macroregion implemented Fishing for Litter (FFL) pilot projects. The FFL scheme is a clean-up activity that aims to remove marine litter from the seafloor: fishing vessels collect marine litter that is caught in their nets during fishing activities and dispose of it on the quayside. This study investigates the barriers to implementing the FFL scheme in the Adriatic-Ionian macroregion. We prioritized the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of the pilot projects in each country and compared the Adriatic-Ionian experience with that of the FFL initiatives in progress in Scotland since 2005 to achieve a comparative description and benefit from the lessons learnt. The lack of a comprehensive, holistic approach to marine litter management and an ambiguous bureaucracy with unclear definitions of the responsibilities are the main factors hampering the implementation of the FFL scheme in the Adriatic-Ionian macroregion. However, the increasing number of directives and strategies to address marine litter and the extensive public interest and media coverage represent opportunities to institutionalize the scheme as an effective clean-up strategy in the region. Highlights • In the Fishing for Litter scheme fishermen land marine litter caught in the nets. • EU directives, international strategies and conventions promote Fishing for Litter. • The fishery sector can have a significant role in removing marine litter. • A specific overarching legislation to address marine litter is needed. • A Fishing for Litter coordinator at the national or regional level should be appointed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Otolith shape analysis is an efficient fish stock identification tool. However, most applications used left and right otoliths or only one of them arbitrarily chosen without testing for biases resulting from potential directional bilateral asymmetry (DA) in otolith shape, i.e. a unimodal population-level deviation form bilateral symmetry between right and left otolith shapes. In this study, 560 bogues (Boops boops) were sampled from 11 geographical locations from the Canary Islands to the Aegean Sea and elliptical Fourier descriptors were used to describe their otoliths' shape. First, a significant otolith DA was observed at the global scale with an average amplitude of 2.77%. However, at the scale of sampling locations, DA was not always significant and varied in amplitude and direction. Second, population structure was investigated using the shape of either right otoliths or left otoliths or both together. Analyses based on right otoliths or both otoliths together, suggested three stock units: a North-Western Mediterranean Sea stock, an Eastern Mediterranean Sea stock, and a Central-Eastern Atlantic Ocean and South-Western Mediterranean Sea stock. In contrast, no coherent geographical pattern was found based on left otoliths. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for potential otolith DA in otolith shape-based stock identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) constitute a substantial component of European fisheries and have a high socioeconomic importance, especially for remote insular areas. Traps produce catches of high quality and value, associated with limited bycatch and low habitat impact. Long-standing trap SSFs in both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic showcase the potential of such SSFs to support remote fishing communities; however, trap SSFs remain relatively understudied. Here, we investigate the spatial and temporal dynamics of a Greek trap SSF targeting Plesionika narval (Fabricius, 1787) in the eastern Mediterranean, by means of Generalized Additive Models fitted on fishers’ logbook data from 2005 to 2014. The dynamics of both catch per unit effort (CPUE) and profits suggest a pronounced seasonality for this fishery, while there are also signs of local overexploitation in the traditional fishing grounds. Additionally, small vessels (< 12 m) report higher CPUEs than larger vessels. Our results point to management measures that could improve the sustainability of this valuable SSF, such as changes in the spatial and temporal allocation of fishing effort, and in fleet composition. The insights gained from this study are relevant to other localized trap SSFs and illustrate the socioeconomic potential of such fisheries for remote fishing communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study provides the first evidence of nylon filament occurrence in the stomach of an economically important target shrimp species in the Mediterranean Sea, Plesionika narval (Fabricius, 1787). Samples were collected monthly from November 2014 to October 2015 from shallow (10–30 m) and deeper waters (150–170 m). The occurrence of plastics in the stomachs of the Narwal shrimp was 5.93% and identified as Nylon by FT-IR analysis. Higher percentages of ingested plastics were found in females from shallower depths and in males from deeper waters. The maximum number of plastics was recorded in January and March, possibly related to the higher feeding intensity of females prior to their reproduction period. A total of 10.3% of females and 4.8% of males with ingested plastics had almost empty stomachs. The presence of plastics in the stomach of P. narval is an evidence of passive ingestion which in this study related to fishing activities. Highlights • First record of plastic ingestion by the Plesionika narval (narwal shrimp) • Ingested plastics were related to fishing activities. • Nylon filament was the only polymer detected in the stomachs of the examined narwal shrimp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents data on the marine litter occurrence in the stomachs of fish species living in different marine habitats for the Adriatic and NE Ionian Sea macro-region. “Macro-litter” was examined in 614 specimens belonging to 11 species, while micro-litter in 230 specimens belonging to 7 species. The study highlights for the first time the presence of litter in the stomachs of the fish species Citharus linguatula . The occurrence of “macro-litter” in the guts of fish was <3% in both the NE Ionian and N Adriatic but reached 26% in the S Adriatic Sea. Micro-litter occurrence was 40 for the NE Ionian and increased to 87% in the N Adriatic (Slovenian Sea). The ingested “macro” and micro-litter differed among the areas. The marine habitat was found to affect the “macro”-litter ingestion but not the micro-litter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report new species records and information related to meristic, morphometric, bathymetric and biological characteristics that increase our knowledge of the deep ichthyofauna of the Ionian Sea (E. Mediterranean). The material was collected with long lines from 300 to 800 m deep in the Eastern Ionian Sea in June and October 2010. The fish speciesSchedophilus ovalis(Cuvier, 1833) (Osteichthyes: Centrolophidae),Sudis hyalinaRafinesque, 1810 (Osteicthyes: Paralepididae),Brama brama(Bonnaterre, 1788) (Osteichthyes: Bramidae) andTrachipterus trachypterus(Gmelin, 1789) (Osteichthyes: Trachipteridae) were recorded for the first time in the Eastern Ionian Sea. The absence of these new or rare species from the ichthyofauna of the study area to date is probably related to the absence of adequate sampling and catching techniques, although environmental factors could also be involved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The feeding ecology of Chlorophthalmus agassizi from the North Ionian Sea was examined in specimens caught during daylight hours on a seasonal basis from December 1996 to November 1997, at depths between 250 and 800 m (92 stations, total). Chlorophthalmus agassizi showed a mixed feeding strategy, exploiting a wide range of prey including mesopelagic, benthic and endobenthic organisms. Crustaceans and fishes were dominant food items in the diet year round. Diet composition showed slight seasonal fluctuations; these variations were correlated with food availability and reproductive activity. However, ontogenetic changes in the diet were relatively clear, despite the high overlap observed between small, medium and large individuals. Larger individuals are more efficient hunters that exhibit selection of prey with good swimming capabilities; smaller individuals consume prey with low mobility. Chlorophthalmus agassizi seem to be adapted to a food-scarce environment, as typified in the deep-water habitats of the Ionian Sea, and exploit all available niches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic litter, including microplastics, is an ever-growing threat adversely affecting a variety of marine organisms; however, their known effects on marine organisms are still lacking. Aristaeomorpha foliacea is a valuable commercial deep-sea species in the Mediterranean Sea. Hence, due to its importance to human consumption, the investigation of plastic impact on these animals is vitally necessary. In this study the occurrence of ingested plastics has been studied in the giant red shrimp for the first time in the eastern Ionian Sea, as well as any possible differences regarding the plastic ingestion per sex, size, year and its relation to shrimp's health condition. A total of 621 individuals were collected from the Essential Habitat of this species in the eastern Ionian Sea. Plastics were contained in the stomachs of 14.65 % of the examined individuals, with an average of 2.97 ± 0.3 items per stomach. The occurrence of plastics was higher in males than in females. The ingested plastics detected were exclusively fibers of different sizes, colors, and shapes (single form or tangled balls). Plastic items size ranged from 0.75 to 110.59 mm. Significant differences in the occurrence of plastic in the stomachs of A. foliacea were found among years, stations and sex, whereas no considerable effect on shrimp's health condition factors was found. The chemical analysis of plastics showed that 83.82 % of fibers were polyester (PET). Among the shrimps with ingested plastics, the immature individuals were predominant (85.18 %). The results of this study aspire to increase the knowledge on plastics ingestion in the Mediterranean, and highlight the various factors that may be involved in this process. This study demonstrates the obvious threats of plastics in commonly edible shrimps and emphasizes the role of this decapod at the trophic chain by transferring plastics to humans., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A Lagrangian particle tracking model coupled to a circulation was used to explore the transport, residence time and connectivity of floating litter that originated from the Εastern Ionian Sea during 2011-2014. At the end of simulations, on average 26% of litter was retained within the coastal waters of the Eastern Ionian Sea, whereas 58% was washed into offshore waters without formulating permanent accumulation areas, as the basin-wide surface circulation was characterized by considerable interannual variability. The inflow of litter into the Adriatic and Eastern Mediterranean Seas was moderate, ranging between 9% and 20%, and the beached litter was on average 9.2%, mostly located in the northern subregions. The average residence time of litter particles ranged between 20 and 80 days, implying their temporary retention before drifting offshore. Connectivity patterns depicted an exchange of litter mainly between adjacent subareas and with a northward direction., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)