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Global change is striking harder and faster in the Mediterranean Sea than elsewhere, where high levels of human pressure and proneness to climate change interact in modifying the structure and disrupting regulative mechanisms of marine ecosystems. Rocky reefs are particularly exposed to such environmental changes with ongoing trends of degradation being impressive. Due to the variety of habitat types and associated marine biodiversity, rocky reefs are critical for the functioning of marine ecosystems, and their decline could profoundly affect the provision of essential goods and services which human populations in coastal areas rely upon. Here, we provide an up-to-date overview of the status of rocky reefs, trends in human-driven changes undermining their integrity, and current and upcoming management and conservation strategies, attempting a projection on what could be the future of this essential component of Mediterranean marine ecosystems.

Resumen: Este artículo estudia la repercusión de la doctrina de Eduardo Rodríguez Larreta en la política interna uruguaya. A fines de noviembre de 1945, el canciller oriental envió a las cancillerías americanas un documento que proponía considerar y discutir la posibilidad de una “acción colectiva multilateral” ante regímenes de fuerza que violaran los derechos del hombre y del ciudadano, por más que no fueran todavía una amenaza para la paz. La tesis ponía en discusión el consagrado principio de la no intervención. La nota uruguaya fue rechazada por la mayoría de los países del continente y combatida por varios medios políticos locales.A principios de 1946, la administración de Juan José de Amézaga modificó elpunto central de la discordia: la “intervención multilateral”. No obstante, los contemporáneos opositores a la propuesta la leyeron pensada en clave argentina, o sea contra la dictadura de EdelmiroFarrell-Juan Domingo Perón. Al final, rompiendo los pronósticos Perón, continuador de aquella dictadura, resultó electo presidente en febrero de 1946 y las consecuencias de la victoria se sintieron en Uruguay. Abstract: This article studies the repercussion of the doctrine of Eduardo Rodriguez Larreta in Uruguayan internal politics. At the end of November 1945, the Uruguayan chancellor sent a document to the Americas’ Foreign Ministries proposing to consider and discuss the possibility of a “multilateral collective action” before regimes of force that violated the rights of man and of the citizen, even though they were not necessarily still a threat to peace. The thesis put into discussion the consecrated principle of non-intervention. The Uruguayan note was rejected by most of the countries of the continent and fought by several local political media. At the beginning of 1946, the administration of Juan José de Amézaga modified the central point of the discord: the “multilateral intervention”. However, contemporaries opposed to the proposal read it thought in Argentine key, that is to say against the dictatorship of Edelmiro Farrell-Juan Domingo Perón. Finally, breaking the forecasts Peron, continuator of that dictatorship, was elected president in February 1946 and the consequences of the victory were felt in Uruguay. Resumo: Esse artigo estuda a repercussão da doutrina de Eduardo Rodríguez Larreta na política interna uruguaia. A finais de novembro de 1945, o chanceler oriental enviou as chancelarias americanas um documento que propor considerar e discutir a possibilidade de uma “ação coletiva multilateral” ante regímenes de forca que violentaram os direitos do homem e do cidadão, embora foram ainda uma ameaça para a paz. A tese coloca em discussão o consagrado princípio da não intervenção. A solicitude uruguaia foi rejeitada pela maioria dos países do continente e combatida por vários médios políticos locais. A princípios de 1946, a administração de Juan José deAmézagamodificou o ponto central da discórdia: a “intervenção multilateral”. Embora, os contemporâneos opositores leram a proposta pensada em chave argentina, ―contra a ditadura de Edelmiro Farrell-Juan Domingo Perón. Finalmente, rompendo os prognósticos Perón, continuador de aquela ditadura, resultou eleito presidente em fevereiro de 1946 e as conseqüências da vitória se sentiram em Uruguai.

In the Mediterranean biogenic habitat built by coralline algae (orders Corallinales, Hapalidiales and Sporolithales) show a great diversity and a large bathymetric extent. The genus Lithophyllum is the most species-diverse coralline genus. and plays a key role in the formation of extensive bioconstructions, as the coralligenous concretions in the circalittoral and the “trottoirs” in the mid littoral. As part of a large-scale investigation of the marine bioconstructions of the Italian shores, we account here some results on the distribution, diversity and ecology for L. byssoides, L. cabiochae and L. stictaeforme.

Coralligenous assemblages are hard bottoms of biogenic origin that are mainly produced by the accumulation of calcareous encrusting algae growing at low irradiance levels. Coralligenous harbour approximately 10% of marine Mediterranean species, most of them are long-lived algae and sessile invertebrates, which exhibit low dynamics and belong to various taxonomic groups such as sponges, corals, bryozoans and tunicates. This habitat is extended around all the Mediterranean coasts with a bathymetrical distribution ranging from 20 to 120 m depth depending on the local environmental variables, mainly light conditions. Coralligenous is affected by several pressures such as nutrient enrichment, invasive species, increase of sedimentation, mechanical impacts, mainly from fishing activities, as well as climate change. In WP3 restoration actions on coralligenous are focused on different habitat forming species including three main taxonomic groups Cnidaria/Anthozoa (Paramuricea clavata, Corallium rubrum and Eunicella spp.), Porifera/Demospongiae (Aplysina spp., Spongia spp., Petrosia ficiformis) and Bryozoa (Pentapora fascialis ; Myriapora truncata). We conducted a literature review to summarize the information available for the selected species focusing on six main topics relevant for restoration activities: i) Reproduction – Recruitment - Population dynamics, ii) Impacts and Mortality, iii) Functional role - Biodiversity, iv) Trophic interactions, v) Population genetics and vi ) Previous restoration activities. The compiled information provided key reference data to design restoration settings and to define robust indicators to monitor restoration actions as well as to evaluate expected timescales to fulfill the restoration of the habitat. Considering the life-history traits, population dynamics and genetics of the selected species the implementation of restoration action should be mainly based on transplants of small medium individuals collected from donor specimens. The spatial arrangements of transplants may include relatively small patches (0.2-1 m in diameter) separated by distances similar to the sizes of the transplant patches. The density within the transplant patches may be moderate-high in order to fit natural densities while enhancing the reproductive success and recruitment rates. Finally, bearing in mind the tradeoff between initial transplantation efforts and the speed of recovery. Transplantation efforts will require lower initial effort due to higher survival after transplanting, but the period required to fully recover habitat complexity will tend to be far longer, i.e. decades. Survival and growth of transplants and recruitment would be the most suitable indicators of the success of the restoration actions.

Review report about the ecology and identification of the areas that may deserve to be protected in the Adriatic Sea. The document has been prepared in the framework of the project MedOpenSeas for supporting the establishment of MPAs in open seas, including deep seas ; with financial support of the European Commission.