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The diversity of benthic communities on continental shelves is tightly linked to the diversity of habitats. Therefore, considering seascape habitat composition can help to gain insights into the spatial variability of benthic communities and move away from single-habitats approaches. This perspective needs different analytical methods, such as network analysis that enable the study of complex ecological interactions. This work explores the relationships between habitat and benthic species diversity in the Menorca Channel (the Balearic Islands, western Mediterranean). The seascape in the study area is a mosaic of alternating biogenic and sandy habitats that increases the total benthic species richness. Of the 442 benthic species included in the analyses, 286 species are shared by the six habitats identified, contributing to ecological connectivity across the seascape; 73 generalist species inhabit all six habitats simultaneously, however, 156 species are specialists and are linked to a single habitat, particularly to biogenic habitats, which increases specialization and the vulnerability of the species to habitat fragmentation. The network approach shows a tight link between epibenthic species diversity and the distribution of habitats over the continental shelf, providing essential information for optimal conservation strategies that move from a focus on protecting the most sensitive habitats to marine conservation schemes that encompass a diversity of habitats. Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This work was funded by EU H2020 MaCoBioS (Grant Number 869710) and the original data was produced under LIFE + INDEMARES project: ‘‘Inventario y designación de la Red Natura 2000 en área marinas del Estado español’’. SdJ is supported by a Ramon y Cajal postdoctoral grant funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (Plan Estatal I + D + I, 2017- 2020; grant no. RyC2020-029062-I). AO was funded by the General Directorate for University Policy and Research of the Government of the Balearic Islands with a “Vicenç Mut” award Grant PD/002/2020. JM was the INDEMARES project coordinator in the Menorca Channel for the period 2009–2014.

The unlimited economic growth that fuels capitalism's metabolism has profoundly transformed a large portion of Earth. The resulting environmental destruction has led to an unprecedented rate of biodiversity loss. Following large-scale losses of habitats and species, it was recognized that biodiversity is crucial to maintaining functional ecosystems. We sought to continue the debate on the contradictions between economic growth and biodiversity in the conservation science literature and thus invite scholars to engage in reversing the biodiversity crisis through acknowledging the impacts of economic growth. In the 1970s, a global agenda was set to develop different milestones related to sustainable development, including green-blue economic growth, which despite not specifically addressing biodiversity reinforced the idea that economic development based on profit is compatible with the planet's ecology. Only after biodiversity loss captured the attention of environmental sciences researchers in the early 2000s was a global biodiversity agenda implemented. The agenda highlights biodiversity conservation as a major international challenge and recognizes that the main drivers of biodiversity loss derive from economic activities. The post-2000 biodiversity agendas, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the post-2020 Convention on Biological Diversity Global Strategy Framework, do not consider the negative impacts of growth-oriented strategies on biodiversity. As a result, global biodiversity conservation priorities are governed by the economic value of biodiversity and its assumed contribution to people's welfare. A large body of empirical evidence shows that unlimited economic growth is the main driver of biodiversity loss in the Anthropocene; thus, we strongly argue for sustainable degrowth and a fundamental shift in societal values. An equitable downscaling of the physical economy can improve ecological conditions, thus reducing biodiversity loss and consequently enhancing human well-being., I.M. carried out the research under the framework of the RTI2018-094844-B-C31 research project.

Trabajo presentado al 9th International Symposium Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas: "Problems and Measurement Techniques", celebrado en Livorno (Italia) entre el 14 y el 16 de junio de 2022., Temperate coastal ecosystems dominated by macrophytes are diverse, ranging from macroalgal forests to seagrass meadows. They provide numerous ecosystem services and are highly valuable as nursery areas for fish. However, these habitats are under increasing pressure due to anthropogenic actions. In the last decades, the use of Diver Operated Stereo-Video (stereo-DOV) systems has become popular for making accurate, precise, and repeatable measurements of fish lengths. The objective of our study is to develop an efficient video-based methodology for studying the patterns of recruitment of temperate littoral fishes at various temporal and spatial scales. We aim to evaluate our methodology compared to other non-invasive techniques used for the study of juvenile fish assemblages. In this paper, we propose a combination of habitat mapping and stereo-DOV transect methodologies and test them in two case studies to investigate the link between juvenile fish and macrophytes, considering various scales of heterogeneity of littoral habitats. Data on species composition, abundance, and mean total length of the juvenile assemblages and canopy height from each habitat can be obtained and geo-referenced in the sampling sites, mapping their distribution in space and time to understand recruitment patterns. Some benefits of using stereo-DOV transects and habitat mapping for monitoring fish assemblages in comparison with traditional non-invasive methods used for fish counts, are a) videos are permanent, they can be reanalyzed; b) divers do not have to be experts in fish and macrophyte identification; c) inter-observer variability can be controlled through quality checks; d) high accuracy and precision in fish count and length measurements; and e) image data can be used for developments of artificial intelligence (AI). However, there are also some disadvantages: a) cameras have a limited field of view; b) video processing is time-consuming; and c) experts are needed for fish identification during image processing. In conclusion, the combination of stereo-DOV and habitat mapping is an effective methodology for monitoring fish recruitment patterns and habitats at different scales. It can be also advantageous for evaluating temporal changes in the habitat structure, and therefore, in the ecosystem functions provided for the fish community.

Explaining the mechanisms driving niche partitioning among species is of great importance in ecology. Unlike the fundamental niche, a species' realised niche can only be measured in situ, as a result of biotic and abiotic interactions defining its size. Following current methodology, the realised niche of a species is often influenced by the rare and divergent individuals of the community sampled. In this study, using fish on coral and temperate reefs as an example, behavioural empirical data were collected to estimate realised niche sizes and niche overlaps. Niche measurements were made using the total area of the convex hull (TA), but as an alternative, a metric not as strongly influenced by sample size, standard ellipse area (SEA), was also used. A comprehensive description is given, and contextdependent pros and cons of using both metrics are discussed. Additionally, an alternative sample size correction was presented for both metrics. The analyses re vealed large differences in the sizes of realised niches and their overlaps between species depending on the measurement metric used. Regardless of the species, niche size and overlap were always larger for TA than SEA. Increasing sample size re - duced niche size variability for both TA and SEA, but the variation was always smaller for SEA than TA. We successfully adapted the SEA metric for analysis of behavioural niche components and demonstrated that measuring niche sizes using the 2 metrics, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, can produce contradictory results, the ecological consequences of which are likely to be important.

The gastronomy of the Balearic Islands reflects the tradition of the Mediterranean diet, based on seafood, fruits, and olive oil (Fig. 1). For instance, dishes like the Menorcan caldereta de Langosta (lobster stew) or sepia a la mallorquina (cuttlefish with vegetables) are good examples. However, the most famous of all Mallorcan dishes sobrasada mallorquina, or the typical sweet ensaïmada served during, for example, coffee breaks, together with lots of other traditional dishes incorporate an ingredient that might not seem logical for outsiders: pork. Sobrasada is an excellent example of tasty traditional food that has deep cultural roots. The making of sobrasada is a family (including friends) affair, culminating in a festive rite that denotes the beginning of autumn and is still celebrated widely, a reflection of the long‐standing traditions of the local population. During the ritual slaughter of an autochthonous breed of pig (matança), nothing is wasted, and the pork loin and bacon are mixed with paprika, salt, and black pepper to produce the tasty cured sausage called sobrasada. Sobrasada can be incorporated as an ingredient in other traditional dishes or used as a spread on typical Mallorcan biscuits (e.g., on locally branded Quely biscuits, which date back to the 18th century). These small crackers are a sort of ship biscuit, formerly used as a long‐lasting provision but now mostly popular as kids' snacks and appetizers.

During the past decades, the composition and distribution of marine species have changed due to multiple anthropogenic pressures. Monitoring these changes in a cost-effective manner is of high relevance to assess the environmental status and evaluate the effectiveness of management measures. In particular, recent studies point to a rise of jellyfish populations on a global scale, negatively affecting diverse marine sectors like commercial fishing or the tourism industry. Past monitoring efforts using underwater video observations tended to be time-consuming and costly due to human-based data processing. In this paper, we present Jellytoring, a system to automatically detect and quantify different species of jellyfish based on a deep object detection neural network, allowing us to automatically record jellyfish presence during long periods of time. Jellytoring demonstrates outstanding performance on the jellyfish detection task, reaching an F1 score of 95.2%; and also on the jellyfish quantification task, as it correctly quantifies the number and class of jellyfish on a real-time processed video sequence up to a 93.8% of its duration. The results of this study are encouraging and provide the means towards a efficient way to monitor jellyfish, which can be used for the development of a jellyfish early-warning system, providing highly valuable information for marine biologists and contributing to the reduction of jellyfish impacts on humans., Miguel Martin-Abadal was supported by Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AEI,FEDER,UE), under contract DPI2017-86372-C3-3-R. Ana Ruiz-Frau was supported by a Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (JellyPacts project number 655475). Hilmar Hinz was supported through a Ramón y Cajal Fellowship financed by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España and the Conselleria d’Educació, Cultura i Universitats Comunidad Autónoma de las Islas Baleares (RyC 2013 14729). Yolanda Gonzalez-Cid was supported by Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AEI,FEDER,UE), under contracts TIN2017-85572-P and DPI2017-86372-C3-1-R.

13 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables, supplementary material https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.00044/full#supplementary-material.-- The datasets generated for this study are available on request to the corresponding author, Reducing the impact on vulnerable species through changes in fishing practices, such as the spatial or temporal avoidance of certain areas, is key to increase the ecological sustainability of fisheries. However, it is often hampered by the availability of sufficiently detailed data and robust indicators. Existing trawl surveys are a cost-effective data source to assess the vulnerability of fishing areas based on the quantities of vulnerable species caught. We developed a biological traits-based approach to the vulnerability of demersal assemblages using commercial trawl catch data. An expert-based approach identified a set of biological traits that are expected to condition the species’ response to trawling impact and are combined to produce the vulnerability index ranked into four levels (low, moderate, high, and very high vulnerability). The approach was tested in four southern European fishing grounds showing evidence of over-exploitation, through catches being dominated by species of relatively low vulnerability to fishing impacts. The general distribution of species’ biomass amongst vulnerability groups was highly homogenous across case studies, despite local differences in fishing fleet structure, target species and fishing depths. Within all areas the species with moderate vulnerability dominated and, in most instances, species of “very high” vulnerability were not recorded. Nevertheless, differences emerged when comparing the proportions of highly vulnerable species in the catches. Variability in vulnerability level of the catch was also observed at small spatial scales, which was principally explained by differences in habitat type and depth and, secondarily, by fishing effort. In fine mud in the shallower areas there was a higher presence of low vulnerable fauna. Furthermore, vulnerable organisms decreased in their presence in sandier substrates on the continental shelf. The spatial heterogeneity in assemblage vulnerability composition encourages the potential for adoption of this index in the spatial management of fishing grounds aiming at ensuring a sustainable exploitation by mitigating trawl impacts on the most vulnerable components of the demersal assemblages, This study was developed in the framework of MINOUW Horizon 2020 (Project ID: 634495). SJ was funded by H2020-Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action MSCA-IF-2016 (Project ID: 743545). HH was supported by the Ramón y Cajal Fellowship (grant by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España and the Conselleria d’Educacio, Cultura i Universitats Comunidad Autoñoma de las Islas Baleares). Fishery data used in this paper has been co-funded by the EU through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) within the National Program of collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice regarding the Common Fisheries Policy, With the funding support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), of the Spanish Research Agency (AEI)

10 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, supplementary data https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.107692, The physical impact of bottom towed fishing gears does not only reduce the abundance and biomass of species, but also alter the overall species composition and, through this, the functioning of benthic communities. The vulnerability of a species is determined by its individual combination of morphological, behavioural and life history traits. In turn, ecosystem functions are most affected when those species identified as vulnerable, contribute disproportionately to that function. On the basis of this paradigm, trait-based indices of physical resistance (RI) and recovery potential (RPI) were developed and combined into an overall vulnerability index on a species level, the RRI or Resistance and Recovery Potential Index. The developed indices can be used to explore how resistance and recovery potential of benthic communities change over different levels of trawling. Furthermore, the RRI allows for dividing the benthic community into groups expressing different levels of vulnerability that can be linked to ecosystem functions to explore functional vulnerability to trawling. The RRI index futher opens up the possibility for scenario modelling by simulating the extinction or loss of vulnerable species and its effects on functions. This may be of particular interest in data poor case studies that lack trawling gradient data, or to explore the consequences of potential increases in fishing effort. The validity of the trait-based RRI index was tested by comparing individual species’ RRI scores to empirically observed responses over a trawling gradient. RRI score and observed responses (regression slopes) were significantly correlated providing support for the rationality of the approach. Moreover, further analysis of the data evidenced clear increases of resistance and resilience indices over the trawling gradient, demonstrating that communities lost vulnerable species with increasing trawling. When exploring the effects of trawling on the bioturbation, as a chosen ecosystem function, we found it to be disproportionately affected though the loss of vulnerable species. The proposed indices provide new insights into the link of species vulnerability and function. Such information is of vital interest to environmental managers focused on preserving ecosystem functions and services in the face of anthropogenic global change, AT was supported by the Academy of Finland projects (project number: 311944, 318916) to Åbo Akademi University and the Strategic Research Profiling area The Sea (Finland). HH was funded through a Ramón y Cajal Fellowship (RYC-2013-14729) by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España and the Conselleria d'Educacio Cultura i Universitats Comunidad Autonoma de las Islas Baleares (Spain). SJ was funded by H2020-Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action MSCA-IF-2016 (Project ID: 743545, EU), With funding from the Spanish government through the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S)

Human pressure on coastal areas is affecting essential ecosystems including fish nursery habitats. Among these anthropogenic uses, the seasonal increment in the pressure due to leisure activities such as coastal tourism and yachting is an important environmental stressor in many coastal zones. These pressures may elicit understudied impacts due to, for example, sunscreens or other seasonal pollutants. The island of Majorca, northwest Mediterranean Sea, experiences one of the highest number of tourist visits per capita in the world, thus the surrounding coastal habitat is subject to high anthropogenic seasonal stress. Studies on early stages of fishes have observed responses to coastal chemical cues for the selection or avoidance of habitats. However, the potential interferences of human impacts on these signals are largely unknown. A choice chamber was used to determine water type preference and behaviour in naive settled juvenile gilt-head sea bream (Sparus aurata), a temperate species of commercial interest. Fish were tested individually for behavioural changes with respect to water types from potential beneficial habitats, such as seawater with extract of the endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica, anthropogenically influenced habitats such as water extracted from a commercial and recreational harbour and seawater mixed with sunscreen at concentrations observed in coastal waters. Using a Bayesian approach, we investigated a) water type preference; b) mean speed; and c) variance in the movement (as an indicator of burst swimming activity, or “sprint” behaviour) as behavioural descriptors with respect to water type. Fish spent similar percentage of time in treatment and control water types. However, movement descriptors showed that fish in sunscreen water moved slower (98.43% probability of being slower) and performed fewer sprints (90.1% probability of having less burst in speed) compared to control water. Less evident increases in sprints were observed in harbour water (73.56% more sprints), and seagrass (79.03% more) in comparison to control water. When seagrass water was tested against harbour water, the latter elicited a higher number of sprints (91.66% increase). We show that juvenile gilt-head seabream are able to react to a selection of naturally occurring chemically different odourscapes, including the increasingly important presence of sunscreen products, and provide a plausible interpretation of the observed behavioural patterns.

ASLO and the local and scientific committees continue working on the forthcoming aquatic sciences meeting in Palma. Given the uncertainty that the current COVID‐19 pandemic situation poses for traveling and social‐distancing measures, we are currently planning for a hybrid meeting, that is, combining an in‐person meeting with online participation. We are aiming to provide a physical venue for limnologists and oceanographers from around the world to meet, discuss, and share their science; however, this year there will be added online components and possibilities. Rescheduling of the ASLO meeting to early summer offers participants the potential to complement their scientific discussion during the meeting with plenty of social and outdoor activities.

Ecological studies are increasingly using video image data to study the distribution and behaviour of organisms. Particularly in marine sciences cameras are utilised to access underwater environments. Up till now image data has been processed by human observers which is costly and often represents repetitive mundane work. Deep learning techniques that can automatically classify objects can increase the speed and the amounts of data that can be processed. This ultimately will make image processing in ecological studies more cost effective, allowing studies to invest in larger, more robust sampling designs. As such, deep learning will be a game changer for ecological research helping to improve the quality and quantity of the data that can be collected. Within this chapter we introduce two case studies to demonstrate the application of deep learning techniques in marine ecological studies. The first example demonstrates the use of deep learning in the detection and classification of an important underwater ecosystem in the Mediterranean (Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows), the other showcases the automatic identification of several jellyfish species in coastal areas. Both applications showed high levels of accuracy in the detection and identification of the study organisms, which represents encouraging results for the applicability of these methodologies in marine ecological studies. Despite its potential, deep learning has yet not been widely adopted in ecological studies. Information technologists and natural scientists alike need to more actively collaborate to move forward in this field of science. Cost-effective data collection solutions are desperately needed in a time when large amounts of data are required to detect and adapt to global environmental change.

Palma de Mallorca, where the “Med mingles with history” is a jewel in the Mediterranean, has all the ingredients of a beautiful and exciting cosmopolitan city. Located in the south‐west coast of Mallorca on the nostalgic Bay of Palma, the city is bordered to the north and west sides by the Serra de Tramuntana, the island's major mountain range and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Palma dates back to the 13th‐century Christian reconquest of the island, and to the Moors, Romans and Talayotic people before that. It is famous for the immense Cathedral “La Seu” (the geographic and historical heart of the city) built on a previous mosque. The Old city behind the cathedral is a maze of streets hinting at an Arab past. Aside from this historical heritage, the endless beaches, the nearby mountain range and picturesque coastlines (Fig. 1), Palma has vibrant public squares, bohemian neighborhoods, bars, shops, cafes, a variety of restaurants (more than 1000), offering local (Mallorquin and Spanish) and international cuisines, and creations by local and international chefs of prestige.

The nursery function of coastal habitats is one of the most frequently mentioned and recognized ecosystem services in the valuation of coastal ecosystems. Despite its importance our understanding of the precise habitat parameters and mechanisms that make a habitat important as a nursery area is still limited for many species. The study aimed to establish the importance of different algae morphotypes in providing shelter and food for juvenile coastal fish during the main settlement peaks in early spring and late summer in littoral rocky reef systems in the Northwestern Mediterranean. The results of our study showed strong seasonal differences in algae cover, composition and height between the two sampling periods. Overall, during spring the algae were well developed, while in late summer, both density and height, of most algae decreased considerably. Equally, prey biomass, in form of suitable sized invertebrate fauna associated to the algae, decreased. Accordingly, the shelter and food for the fish settling in this habitat during late summer were less abundant, indicating a mismatch between the observed presence of juvenile fish and optimal habitat conditions. Differences in prey densities were detected between algae morphotypes, with structurally more complex algae, such as Cystoseira spp. and Halopteris spp consistently contain more prey independent of season compared to simpler structured morphotypes such as many Dictoytales. The study furthermore related juvenile fish density to habitats dominated by different algae morphotypes. Out of the three-study species (Diplodus vulgaris, Symphodus ocellatus, Coris julis) only S. ocellatus showed a significant association with an algae habitat. S. ocellatus related positively to habitats dominated by Dictoytales which provided the highest cover during late summer but had the lowest prey densities. A strong association of this species with Cystoseira as reported by other studies could not be confirmed. Cystoseira was abundant within the study area but in a state of dieback showing loss and reduced height of foliage, typical for the time of year within the study area. It is therefore likely that algae-fish associations are context dependent and that several algae species may fulfil similar functions. We also discovered that prey biomass did not appear to have an important effect on juvenile abundances. Nevertheless, the availability of prey may influence juvenile fish condition, growth performance and ultimately long-term survival. We therefore suggest that future studies on habitat quality should also include, besides abundance, indicators related to the condition and growth of juveniles.

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The common prawn (Palaemon serratus) supports a small-scale but economically important seasonal static-gear fishery in Cardigan Bay, Wales (UK). Due to a lack of statutory obligation and scientific evidence, the fishery has operated to date without any harvest-control rules that afford protection from overfishing. In response to fluctuations in landings and in pursuit of increased economic returns for their catch, some members of the fishing industry have adopted a size-selective harvesting regime, which we evaluate here using baseline data. Monthly samples were obtained from fishers operating out of five ports between October 2013 and May 2015 (N = 4233). All prawn were sexed, weighed and measured, whilst the fecundity of females was estimated for 273 (44%) individuals. Peak spawning occurred during the spring and females were estimated to undergo a ‘puberty moult’ at a carapace length (CL) of 7.7 mm, whilst functional maturity was estimated at a CL of 9.9 mm. The sampled population exhibited sexual dimorphism, with females attaining a greater size than males. The current harvesting regime results in a sex bias in landings as even large mature males remained under the recruitment size to the fishery, unlike the large mature females. The temporal trend in sex-ratio indicates a continual decrease in the catchability of female prawn through the fishing season; however, whether this is caused by depletion via fishing mortality or migratory behaviour is yet to be resolved. Here, we provide a comprehensive baseline evaluation of population biology and discuss the implications of our findings for fisheries management.

The cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) trammel net fishery is one of the most important small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea. Here we describe the main catch, by-catch and discard patterns found in this fishery on Mallorca Island by onboard surveys of 1005 netting walls from 23 fishing trips. The number of items captured, their size and their subsequent use, i.e. kept for sale or discarded, were recorded. Furthermore, the immediate survival of the unwanted items (i.e. vitality state when the gear came on board) and the medium-term survival of a subsample were assessed. The cuttlefish was the dominant species in the commercial fraction of the catch, particularly during the fishing season peak (March). However, S. officinalis catches quickly decreased further into the season, with other high-value fish, such as Scorpaena scrofa, increasing in the commercial fraction of the catch. As species composition is continuously changing, it is often difficult to determine the main target species of this fishery. This strategy possibly complicates management but maximizes fishing revenue, which was an average of €175 per trip. With respect to discards, up to 104 different species were caught but not commercialized. The most abundant were Holothuria sp. and Torpedo marmorata. Their immediate survival was 100% and 20%, respectively. In both cases, the medium-term survival and the vitality status were high after seven days in monitored captivity. Therefore, in these cases, their immediate release to the sea should be promoted, given that they are exempt from the EU landing obligation. Interviews with fishers revealed that the perceived quantity of discards was lower than the amount recorded by the present study. Currently, just a small percentage (1.5%) of these discards will be affected by the landing obligation enforced by the new European discards ban., This study is a result of the Associated Unit LIMIA-IMEDEA. It received funding from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 634495 for the Science, Technology, and Society Initiative to Minimize Unwanted Catches in European Fisheries (MINOUW). G. Catanese was supported by a postdoctoral research contract from INIA-CCAA. H. Hinz was supported by a Ramón y Cajal Fellowship (grant funded by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España and the Conselleria d’Educació, Cultura i Universitats de la Comunidad Autónoma de las Islas Baleares).

In the Balearic Islands, different trammel net designs have been adopted to promote fisheries sustainability and reduce discards. Here, we compare the catch performance of three trammel net designs targeting the spiny lobster Palinurus elephas in terms of biomass, species composition and revenue from commercial catches and discards. Designs differ in the netting fiber type (standard polyfilament, PMF, or a new polyethylene multi-monofilament, MMF) and the use of a guarding net or greca, a mesh piece intended to reduce discards. Catches were surveyed by an on-board observer from 1,550 netting walls corresponding to 70 nets. The number of marketable species captured indicated that the lobster trammel net fishery has multiple targets, which contribute significantly to the total revenue. The discarded species ranged from habitat-forming species to elasmobranches, but the magnitude of gear-habitat interactions on the long term dynamics of benthos remains unclear. No relevant differences in revenue and weight of discards were detected after Bayesian analyses. However, the species composition of discards was different when using greca. Interestingly, high immediate survival was found for discarded undersized lobsters, while a seven day survival assessment, using captive observation, gave an asymptotic estimate of survival probability as 0.64 (95% CI [0.54–0.76]). Therefore, it is recommended that it would be beneficial for this stock if an exemption from the EU landing obligation regulation was sought for undersized lobsters in the Balearic trammel net fishery., This research received funding from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 634495 for the project Science, Technology, and Society Initiative to minimize Unwanted Catches in European Fisheries (MINOUW). Gaetano Catanese was supported by a research contract from DOC INIA-CCAA program. Hilmar Hinz was supported by the Ramón y Cajal Fellowship (grant by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España and the Conselleria d’Educació, Cultura i Universitats Comunidad Autónoma de las Islas Baleares). Andrea Campos-Candela was supported by a FPU pre-doctoral fellowship (ref. FPU13/01440) from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (MECD).

The next Aquatic Sciences Meeting will be held in Palma, Spain. We anticipate that the topic “Aquatic Sciences for a Sustainable Future: Nurturing Cooperation” and the location of the meeting will incite researchers from all continents working in all aquatic fields to come over, communicate, interact, and share. While attending the meeting for the stimulating science, one has the opportunity to enjoy the astounding beauty of Mallorca, the larger island of the Balearics archipelago, located about 200 km (~125 miles) off the mainland Spain. The archipelago is bathed by the transparent waters of the Mediterranean Sea, harboring some of the best preserved endemic Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows (Fig. 1) including those declared as UNESCO World Heritage between Ibiza and Formentera. The small Cabrera Archipelago, off the coast of Mallorca, was the first declared “Sea and Land National Park” in Spain, and shelters a diversity of sea life, including the last Spanish catalogued specimens of the highly endangered pen shell, Pinna nobilis (Fig. 1).

For EU member states to meet the requirements of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the reformed Common Fisheries Policy, it will be necessary to improve data collection related to many fisheries that are at present subject to relatively little monitoring or scientific research. This study evaluated the use of on-board camera systems to collect data from Cancer pagurus and Homarus gammarus fisheries. We evaluated the reliability of the hardware and its ability to collect images of sufficient accuracy and precision compared with using on-board observers. Fishers and on-board observers passed animals removed from traps across a defined area. The relationship between the in situ and predicted measurements of carapace length of lobsters or carapace width (CW) of crabs was investigated. The mean difference between the predicted and real crab measurements was −0.853 mm with a standard error of 0.378 mm. Suggesting that the model tends to underestimate the real CW slightly. The mean difference between predicted and real data for lobsters was 0.085 mm with a standard error of 0.208 mm. Sex allocation for crabs based on video images was 100% accurate. All male lobsters were correctly assigned. For lobsters >86 mm in length, the correct female sex allocation was 100% accurate. For smaller lobsters, the accuracy of sex allocation decreased to a low of 51% in lobsters

Bottom trawling can change food availability for benthivorous demersal species by (i) changing benthic prey composition through physical seabed impacts and (ii) by removing overall benthic consumer biomass increasing the net availability of benthic prey for remaining individuals. Thus trawling may both negatively and positively influence the quantity and quality of food available. Using δ13C and δ15N we investigated potential diet changes of three commercially exploited species across trawling gradients in the Kattegat (plaice, dab and Norway lobster (Nephrops)) and the Irish Sea (Nephrops). In the Kattegat, trawling affected primarily the biomass of benthic consumers, lowering competition. Nephrops showed significant positive relationships for δ13C and a domed relationship for δ15N with trawling. In the Irish Sea, intense trawling had a negative effect on benthic prey. δ13C and δ15N thus showed the inverse relationships to those observed in the Kattegat. Plaice from the Kattegat, showed a significant relationship with trawling intensity for δ13C, but not for δ15N. No relationship was found for dab. Changes of δ13C and δ15N correlated with changes in condition of species. The results show that the removal of demersal competitors and benthos by trawling can change the diets of commercial species, ultimately affecting their body condition, SI

While the direct physical impact on seabed biota is well understood, no studies have defined thresholds to inform an ecosystem-based approach to managing fishing impacts. We addressed this knowledge gap using a large-scale experiment that created a controlled gradient of fishing intensity and assessed the immediate impacts and short-term recovery. We observed a mosaic of taxon-specific responses at various thresholds. The lowest threshold of significant lasting impact occurred between 1 and 3 times fished and elicited a decrease in abundance of 39 to 70% for some sessile epifaunal organisms (cnidarians, bryozoans). This contrasted with significant increases in abundance and/or biomass of scavenging species (epifaunal echinoderms, infaunal crustaceans) by two to four-fold in areas fished twice and more. In spite of these significant specific responses, the benthic community structure, biomass and abundance at the population level appeared resilient to fishing. Overall, natural temporal variation in community metrics exceeded the effects of fishing in this highly dynamic study site, suggesting that an acute level of disturbance (fished over six times) would match the level of natural variation. We discuss the implications of our findings for natural resources management with respect to context-specific human disturbance and provide guidance for best fishing practices.

Seagrasses provide an important ecological value as nursery habitats, hosting higher juvenile densities than their surrounding less-structured habitats by offering shelter and food to early stages of fish. However, the quantitative evaluations of this nursery function remain elusive. Surveys assessing abundances of juvenile fish over seagrass meadows have been largely conducted by diving visual censuses, where typically only a shallow depth range is adequately covered. Within this study, we developed a low-cost stereo-baited video camera (SBRUV) with high precision and accuracy able to deliver length frequency distributions, including the smallest juvenile fraction. The capacity of the SBRUV system increased the synopticity with respect to typical surveys. We tested the system over seagrass meadows of Posidonia oceanica in a Mediterranean bay, investigating the relationship of juvenile abundance and size of the sparid Diplodus annularis with depth, time of day and protection status (i.e. inside and outside of a Marine Protected Area, MPA). We found significant effects of the depth on the length of the older size classes fraction (larger sizes at deeper stations) and an effect of time of the day on the abundance (less abundant during the evenings), and an opposite pattern was observed for early juvenile’s abundances. The MPA protection had no effect in D. annularis population structure. Interestingly, the relative abundance of D. annularis early juveniles was comparable at all depths, from 2 to 20 m, which suggests a potentially higher nursery value of P. oceanica meadows than earlier thought.

In order to recruit into adult populations juvenile fish must be able to find food, successfully compete with other organisms and avoid predation within a habitat, in other words they must be able to locate favourable and avoid detrimental conditions. Bio-chemical research into fish detection and discrimination between chemical cues is extensive, however whether olfactory mechanisms are critical in habitat selection and avoidance of detrimental conditions within the marine environment remains under-researched. Despite being one of the scientifically most explored seas, studies on the use of olfactory system in the selection of water masses of the Mediterranean fish species are absent. Using a chemical choice flume, the chemically mediated behaviour choices to distinct chemical cues (algae, seagrass, predator and conspecifics) of Symphodus ocellatus, a common Mediterranean fish, were investigated. In addition to the conventional analysis, which relies on the amount of the time spent in the specific water mass as the main indicator of preference, the behavioural response triggered by the detection of a particular cue was also examined, by analysing the mean and variance of speed of the individual fish movements, a complimentary approach previously not considered in the flume experiments. Bayesian statistical method was used to calculate both, proportion of time spent in the specific water mass, as well as to analyse the behavioural response of each individual within the specific water mass. In terms of the time spent, the flume trials conducted resulted in no significant fish selection preference or avoidance for any of the water masses tested, however varied speeds and number of burst speed movements were observed in a number of trials. When no olfactory stimulus was present, no change in behaviour was triggered. Thus, juvenile S. ocellatus undoubtedly has a capacity of change in behaviour to a complex array of olfactory stimuli, nevertheless the response in the flume experiment was more complex than just the differences in time of the occupancy between the water masses. As a result, the analyses of speed could in future prove to be an important complementary tool for studying behavioural responses of fish using this methodology. The findings are coupled with the development of the rigorous novel protocol for behavioural analyses using exclusively publicly available apparatus and software, all described within the manuscript, SI

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are increasingly being used as conservation tools in the marine environment. Success of MPAs depends upon sound scientific design and societal support. Studies that have assessed societal preferences for temperate MPAs have generally done it without considering the existence of discrete groups of opinion within society and have largely considered offshore and deep-sea areas. This study quantifies societal preferences and economic support for coastal MPAs in Wales (UK) and assesses the presence of distinct groups of preference for MPA management, through a latent class choice experiment approach. Results show a general support for the protection of the marine environment in the form of MPAs and that society is willing to bear the costs derived from conservation. Despite a general opposition toward MPAs where human activities are completely excluded, there is some indication that three classes of preferences within society can be established regarding the management of potentially sea-floor damaging activities. This type of approach allows for the distinction between those respondents with positive preferences for particular types of management from those who experience disutility. We conclude that insights from these types of analyses can be used by policy-makers to identify those MPA designs and management combinations most likely to be supported by particular sectors of society.

Coral reefs are threatened by numerous global and local stressors. In the face of predicted large-scale coral degradation over the coming decades, the importance of long-term monitoring of stress-induced ecosystem changes has been widely recognised. In areas where sustained funding is unavailable, citizen science monitoring has the potential to be a powerful alternative to conventional monitoring programmes. In this study we used data collected by volunteers in Southeast Sulawesi (Indonesia), to demonstrate the potential of marine citizen science programmes to provide scientifically sound information necessary for detecting ecosystem changes in areas where no alternative data are available. Data were collected annually between 2002 and 2012 and consisted of percent benthic biotic and abiotic cover and fish counts. Analyses revealed long-term coral reef ecosystem change. We observed a continuous decline of hard coral, which in turn had a significant effect on the associated fishes, at community, family and species levels. We provide evidence of the importance of marine citizen science programmes in detecting long-term ecosystem change as an effective way of delivering conservation data to local government and national agencies. This is particularly true for areas where funding for monitoring is unavailable, resulting in an absence of ecological data. For citizen science data to contribute to ecological monitoring and local decision-making, the data collection protocols need to adhere to sound scientific standards, and protocols for data evaluation need to be available to local stakeholders. Here, we describe the monitoring design, data treatment and statistical analyses to be used as potential guidelines in future marine citizen science projects.

Murray, L. G., Hinz, H., Hold, N., and Kaiser, M. J. 2013. The effectiveness of using CPUE data derived from Vessel Monitoring Systems and fisheries logbooks to estimate scallop biomass. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: . Obtaining accurate data on abundance is vital to undertaking viable stock assessments of commercially exploited species. Satellite Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMSs) combined with fisheries logbooks have the potential to provide an abundant source of data with greater spatial and temporal coverage than research surveys. However, to date it has not been demonstrated how well VMS-derived abundance or biomass indices reflect research survey results. In this study we compared biomass indices of scallops derived from (i) fishing vessel surveys, (ii) research vessel surveys, and (iii) fishery-dependent data using VMSs and logbooks. In most cases there were strong relationships between biomass indices of Pecten maximus from fishing vessels and the research vessel. There were stronger relationships between P. maximus biomass indices from fishery-dependent VMS and logbook data and research vessel data at the beginning of the fishing season, when abundance was higher, but weaker relationships at the end of the fishing season. The time and location of sampling affected biomass estimates over short periods, and without standardizing to location and vessel, biomass depletion was masked. Fishery-dependent data provides a valid means of assessing relative scallop abundance and may prove equally viable in other fisheries with appropriate standardization of Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) data, making real-time management of fisheries increasingly feasible.

The adoption of comprehensive marine spatial plans (MSP) requires that all aspects of value associated with marine biodiversity are considered in their development. Therefore, a holistic approach to MSP needs to include the ecological, social and economic aspects related to the range of goods and services provided by marine biodiversity. In temperate coastal areas however, extractive uses of marine biodiversity (i.e., fisheries) tend to receive more consideration than other non-extractive uses such as certain forms of recreation. This is primarily due to its economic and social importance and a lack of information on non-extractive uses of marine biodiversity. This study presents an assessment of the economic importance and spatial distribution of non-extractive uses of marine biodiversity (diving, kayaking, wildlife watching from boats and seabird watching) in the coastal temperate area of Wales and its application to MSP. The assessment of the economic importance and spatial distribution of these uses was ascertained through questionnaires with relevant users. Results indicated that the economic importance of non-extractive recreational uses of marine biodiversity in Wales is comparable to that of commercial fisheries for the same region. Spatially there was a significant degree of overlap among areas used by the different recreational groups studied here and the distribution of uses could be linked to different aspects of marine biodiversity, such as the presence of particular habitats in the case of divers. The integration of spatially explicit socioeconomic data for a range of different uses of marine biodiversity enables policy makers to gain useful insight into the potential consequences of implementing a spatial management regime, as certain uses can be sometimes overlooked but are still essential if we are to consider the impact of spatial planning on all economically relevant activities. Such data provide a balanced overview of the value of marine biodiversity to different sectors of society and contributes to the process of developing comprehensive marine spatial plans.

The present study investigated the genetic efficiency of enhancing populations of wild scallops using hatchery-produced seed scallops. Scallops from the Isle of Man (IOM), Irish Sea, and from a scallop hatchery were genotyped using 15 microsatellite markers. Hatchery scallops had equivalent heterozygosity to wild scallops, but rare alleles were likely to be lost in hatchery scallops as represented by lower allelic richness. The effective number of breeders (Nb) of the hatchery scallops was estimated at 32.4 (95% CI: 24.4–44.9). The confidence intervals for the estimates of Nbfor the IOM included infinity. When Nbbecomes large the genetic signal is weak compared with the sampling noise; therefore, while we can be confident that the Nbof IOM scallops is larger than that of the hatchery, the precise difference is uncertain. Simulations showed it is possible, in some scenarios, that stock enhancement with hatchery seed can lead to an increase in the wild population's effective size; however, in the majority of scenarios a decrease in the effective size of the wild population is more likely. A precautionary approach to stock enhancement with hatchery seed is advised.

The effects of exposure to elevated levels of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and burial on juvenile king scallops Pecten maximus L. were assessed in 2 separate experiments. Shell gape activity was monitored during exposure to no SPM and 'low' (50 to 100 mg l �1 ) and 'high' (200 to 700 mg l �1 ) levels of SPM for 18 d. The frequency of shell 'claps' (a complete shell closure) and shell movements (of ≥10°) differed significantly among treatments. Shell 'claps' and move- ments were significantly greater under high SPM than under low or control conditions. Scallops under low and high levels of SPM showed significantly lower growth rates compared to scallops under control conditions. The response to burial was assessed under varying burial duration (1 to 8 d), depth (0 to 5 cm) and size-fraction of sediment (fine: 0.1 to 0.3 mm, medium fine: 0.4 to 0.8 mm and coarse: 1.2 to 2.0 mm diameter). All 3 conditions had a significant influence on the ability of scallops to emerge from burial, as well as on mortality while buried. Emergence was higher at shallower depths and in coarse to medium grain sizes. Mortality rates while buried under coarse and medium grain sizes were low and appeared unrelated to depth, while within fine sediment, mortality increased with depth of burial. Survival decreased across all 3 sediment types with increasing burial duration. Comparison with earlier studies indicates that P. maximus appears more tolerant of burial and elevated levels of SPM than the queen scallop Aequipecten opercu- laris. Elevated SPM did not have any short-term effects on survival; however, the reduction in growth rate observed has implications for the management of scallop fishing grounds.

Monitoring and assessment of the status and distribution of marine seabed habitats is needed to support existing and emerging environmental policy commitments. Traditional monitoring of habitats and associated species using grabs and trawls is costly and labour intensive and might usefully be complemented by cheaper and more readily automated methods that can be used at higher frequencies and/or on larger spatial scales. We develop and apply two methods to measure seabed habitat complexity and demonstrate how they can be used to describe impacts (e.g. fishing gear impacts) and monitor recovery. The first method relies on the analysis of deviations in a laser line projected on the seabed. The second method is based on the pixel value distribution in seabed photographs. We use both methods to quantify the complexity created by different substrates and habitat-forming species and to establish links between habitat complexity and faunal diversity (richness) and abundance. The habitat complexity index calculated with the laser line method provided a reliable index of complexity across a range of habitat types, showing a monotonic increase with coarseness of the substratum and the abundance of sessile epifauna. Pixel value distributions in the photographs did not reflect the increase in complexity due to sessile epifauna but only reflected substratum differences. Results suggested that the laser line method would be suitable for monitoring the effect of disturbance on habitats ranging from gravelly sands to rock, and their subsequent recovery. The photographic method would be better suited to assessing complexity and heterogeneity of the substratum. Both methods complement conventional biological sampling and can be used at higher frequencies and/or on larger spatial scales per unit cost. The laser line method has considerable potential to support demands for frequent monitoring of seabed habitats and human impacts at a range of spatial scales. It is less costly and labour intensive than existing approaches and can be deployed from vessels of many sizes.

Understanding the effects of fishing fleets on both target and non-target species and managing these effects are essential to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) for marine ecosystems. The use of high resolution fishing effort data in environmental studies has allowed significant scientific progress with respect to the environmental impacts of real fishing fleets and provided a more realistic perspective on the wider ecological consequences of fishing disturbance. A new EU council regulation and its interpretation, aimed at protecting the confidentiality rights of individual fishers, are currently hampering scientific access to this high-resolution effort data and thus are endangering the provision of management advice based on best available knowledge. This study argues that the withholding of this information will seriously undermine the quality and accuracy of scientific output and ultimately damage fishers' livelihoods through poorly advised management. Furthermore, the council regulation runs contrary to the EU's initiative for greater transparency and its commitment to implement an ecosystem approach to fisheries management and the preservation of ecosystem services. The interpretation of the new EU council regulation by local administrations can thus only be viewed as a significant step back from these aims. Ultimately, while trying to protect fishers' rights it may work to their disadvantage and that of society.