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Marine heat waves (MHWs), extended periods of unusually high ocean temperatures that significantly impact marine ecosystems, are prevalent in the Southern California Bight (SCB), increased thermal stratification has intensified these events over recent decades, affecting California sea lions by disrupting prey availability, leading to malnutrition and higher mortality rates. Rising atmospheric CO2 levels have exacerbated this issue, contributing to the warming of surface waters. Climate models predict that MHWs will continue to increase in frequency, severity, and duration, posing further risks to marine life. Despite the presence of a significant sea lion colony off the coast of San Diego, little research has been conducted on MHWs in the SCB impact on the local sea lion population. This research examines various aspects of MHWs at San Diego, including defining MHWs, historical occurrences, current trends, and their implications for California sea lions, while exploring potential policy and mitigation strategies to protect Southern California's marine ecosystems. Daily sea Surface Temperature (SST) measurements from La Jolla Scripps Pier (1916-2023) are used to quantify local MHWs relative to a shifting baseline (i.e., one that adjusts for the long-term warming trend), and to a fixed baseline (i.e., the warming trend alone increases MHW occurrences). We investigate critical questions about MHW evolution and duration, considering the continuous warming of the oceans. We consider what the two definitions of MHWs imply for upwelling and nutrient supply to the ocean surface, and the implications for California sea lion prey availability. We identify future research priorities, particularly improved measures of sea lion population counts, and the need for better indicators of MHW impacts beyond SST.

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are extreme weather events that have major impacts on the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems worldwide. Due to anthropogenic climate change, the occurrence of MHWs is predicted to increase in future. There is already evidence linking MHWs with reductions in biodiversity and incidence of mass mortality events in coastal ecosystems. However, because MHWs are unpredictable, the quantification of their effects on communities is challenging. Here, we use the Helgoland Roads long‐term time series (German Bight, North Sea), one of the richest marine time series in the world, and implement a modified before‐after control‐impact (BACI) design to evaluate MHW effect on mesozooplankton communities. Mesozooplankton play an essential role in connecting primary producers to higher trophic levels, and any changes in their community structure could have far‐reaching impacts on the entire ecosystem. The responses of mesozooplankton community to MHWs in terms of community structure and densities occurred mainly in spring and autumn. Abundances of seven taxa, including some of the most abundant groups (e.g. copepods), were affected either positively or negatively in response to MHWs. In contrast, we observed no clear evidence of an impact of summer and winter MHWs; instead, the density of the most common taxa remained unchanged. Our results highlight the seasonally dependent impacts of MHWs on mesozooplankton communities and the challenges in evaluating those impacts. Long‐term monitoring is an important contributor to the quantification of effects of MHWs on natural populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) is an important method to ensure marine protection. To protect and conserve global marine biodiversity, with the adoption of the "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework" during the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in December 2022, the establishment of an effectively managed MPA network by 2030 and the protection of 30% of the world's oceans will be common goals for all countries party to the CBD over the next decade. Based on the distribution of over 150 types of marine species, habitats, ecosystems, and abiotic elements, ArcGIS10.5 and Zonation are used in this study to calculate the marine protection priority levels of coastal, nearshore, open ocean, and deep ocean trench areas, and a plan to reach the "30 by 30" targets is proposed. The suggestions for scientifically identifying and managing MPAs are as follows: first, improve MPA planning and establish a well-connected MPA network in national jurisdictions, then conduct scientific marine investigations to obtain background data on MPA establishment and delimitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rising number of diseases and deaths caused by pollution and modern lifestyle habits is a growing societal concern. Marine ecosystems are both victim to this human behaviour as a recipient of human pollution as well as being a source of medicinal chemicals which can cure a variety of diseases. In this paper, we review the chemical basis of water-based treatments and their effects on human health, while focusing on the threats to marine ecosystems and the potential benefits of balneotherapy, thalassotherapy, and bioactive chemical species. We found that seawater has potential benefits for skin health, demonstrating emollient properties, protection against skin barrier disruption, and inhibition of atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions. We present the putative mechanisms by which minerals, salts, and marine organic matter can slow down disease progression, through their numerous activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and wound healing properties. Water-living organisms also have an impact on such mechanisms by producing biologically active compounds with beneficial effects on human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn this study, we examine public perceptions of the importance of addressing marine ecosystem problems by including an item (which we treated as a dependent variable) in the Environment IV module of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) in New Zealand. Overall importance perception was high (mean rating of 4.44 on a 5-point scale). However, our hypotheses that ratings on ISSP items, which implicitly represent marine stressors (e.g., air pollution, nuclear waste), would be consistently associated with high-importance ratings for addressing marine ecosystem problems were not supported. This observation suggests that perceptions of marine issues are not necessarily underpinned by an understanding of multiple marine stressors. Including compulsory marine-related items in the ISSP could provide a clearer understanding of public perceptions of marine ecosystems and assist in informing public education and communication. This inclusion would offer a valuable global perspective, given that the ISSP is implemented in Western and non-Western countries. The ISSP offers questions on multiple environmental domains, including attitudinal, behavioral, and political and unique demographic questions that would enable in-depth country-comparative analyses of marine-related perceptions not possible in existing international environmental perception surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has led to significant fluctuations in marine ecosystems. As a component of the food web, the trophic diversity and spatiotemporal changes of fish communities are crucial for understanding ecosystems. In recent years, stable isotope analysis has been increasingly used as a comprehensive tool for quantitative assessment of trophic diversity to explore spatiotemporal variations in fish community diversity. This study is based on carbon (δ 13C) and nitrogen (δ 15N) stable isotope analysis using different biomass-weighted isotope diversity indices, including isotopic divergence index (IDiv), isotopic dispersion index (IDis), isotopic evenness index (IEve), and isotopic uniqueness index (IUni). The overall results indicate that IDis, IEve, and IUni values of fish communities were relatively low, while IDiv was relatively high in the Haizhou Bay ecosystem. IDiv, IDis, IEve, and IUni were lower in autumn than in spring; IDiv and IDis were relatively higher in offshore waters, while IEve and IUni were relatively higher in inshore waters. The changes in species composition and intensive pelagic–benthic coupling in Haizhou Bay may lead to significant spatiotemporal variations in the trophic diversity of fish communities in the area. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating trophic relationships into ecosystem models, which will help to enhance our understanding of the complexity of the trophic structure of fish communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceuticals are recognized as a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems due to their persistence or pseudo-persistence and their biological activity. Their increased consumption in human and animal medicine has led to a continuous discharge of such biologically active molecules in aquatic environments. Marine ecosystems have been poorly investigated, even though recent studies have confirmed that these emerging contaminants occur widely in these ecosystems. Due to their interaction with specific biochemical and physiological pathways in target organisms, pharmaceuticals can cause alterations in several marine species during their entire life cycle. In particular, marine fishes have shown the ability to bioaccumulate these compounds in their body, and they may be used as potential bioindicators of pharmaceutical contamination in seawater. The objective of this review was to provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the sources and occurrence of pharmaceuticals in marine environments, illustrating the adverse biological effects of important classes of these compounds on marine fishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The oceans are a treasure trove of natural resources and an essential regulator of the global climate. Still, due to economic development and human activities in recent years, these ecosystems have suffered varying degrees of degradation, so the restoration of marine ecosystems is essential. At the same time, states should strengthen the synergy of marine disaster prevention and mitigation efforts and jointly defend against the impact of maritime disasters on human lives, property, and climate change. On June 28–29, 2023, the Forum on Restoration of Marine Ecological Environment Protection, Disaster Prevention, and Mitigation was held in Qingdao’s West Coast New Area. The forum adopted a combination of “online and offline.” Nearly 150 experts and scholars in marine-related environmental protection, disaster prevention, and mitigation from organizations, universities, and research institutes across multiple countries attended the event.

Climate change is threatening marine ecosystems on a global scale but particularly so in the Arctic. As a result of warming, species are shifting their distributions, altering marine communities and predator-prey interactions. This is known as the Atlantification of the Arctic. Warming may favor short-lived, opportunistic species such as cephalopods, marine mollusks that previously have been hypothesized to be winners in an ocean of change. To detect temporal regional trends in biodiversity, long-term annual surveys in hotspots of climate change are an unparalleled source of data. Here, we use 18 years of annual bottom trawl data (2005-2022) to analyse cephalopods in the western Barents Sea. More specifically, our research goals are to assess temporal trends in cephalopod fauna composition, abundance and biomass, and to relate these trends to climate change in the western Barents Sea. Main changes in cephalopod diversity and distribution occurred in mid-2000s and early 2010s, which corresponds with a period of warming in the Arctic since the late 1990s/early 2000s. Repeated increased occurrence of the boreal-subtropical cephalopods was recorded from 2005-2013 to 2014-2022. Moreover, the abundance of cephalopods in the area (in general and for most taxa) increased from 2005-2013 to 2014-2022. These observations suggest that the cephalopod community of the Barents Sea is subjected to Atlantification since the 2005-2013 period. This corresponds with previously reported evidence of the Atlantification in fishes and benthic invertebrates in the Barents Sea and benthic invertebrates. 'Typical' Arctic cephalopod species such as Bathypolypus spp., Gonatus fabricii and Rossia spp., however, are still much more abundant in the western Barents Sea compared to the deep-sea and the boreal-subtropical species. We also found indirect indications for body-size reduction in Bathypolypus spp. from 2005-2013 to 2014-2022. Overall, the temporal trends in the Barents Sea cephalopod fauna provide evidence for changing marine communities in the Arctic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine protected areas (MPAs) can protect and restore marine biodiversity and fisheries, but there are concerns that they may also benefit invasive species. The spatial and temporal colonization of invasive lionfish (Pterois miles) in the eastern Mediterranean was compared across zones with varying fishing restrictions (no fishing, recreational and commercial fishing, and commercial fishing only), and stations where targeted removal events were conducted by volunteer SCUBA divers. Lionfish density in no fishing areas was nearly double that of areas with commercial fishing only, and over four times greater than in areas where both commercial and recreational fishing were allowed. Lionfish density increased with depth, possibly due to easier human exploitation in shallow waters (0–10 m) that are accessible to recreational spearfishers. Targeted removals by volunteer divers decreased lionfish densities by over 60%, while areas without removals had a 200%–400% increase. Along with management actions, natural and ecological processes might drive lionfish densities within MPAs, and the speed with which lionfish colonized fishery‐restricted zones, emphasized the need for a more sophisticated MPA management strategy that considers invasive species impacts and dynamics in an ecosystem‐based approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the ubiquity of micro and nanoplastics (MNPs) pollution has emerged as a global concern due to its potential risks to both ecological and human health. The detrimental effects of MNPs have resulted in significant changes in the physicochemical and biological properties of terrestrial soil and benthic sediment. These alterations have led to a disrupted nutrient cycle, potential future climate hazards, and further impacts on ecosystem services. This review aims to discuss the possible origins, composition, abundance, life cycle, and transport processes of MNPs in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. It seeks to understand the potential ecological and human health risks associated with MNPs pollution and explores their implications for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services. Moreover, this review highlights the advanced analytical techniques used to detect and quantify MNPs. It further suggests policy frameworks to combat this pollution in natural environments. The findings of this review are intended to assist environmentalists, microbiologists, hydrologists, and policymakers in identifying scientific gaps and pragmatic solutions to reduce MNPs pollution. Future research should investigate the intake mechanism and impact of MNPs on plants in different ecosystems, as well as their effects on food chains and human health. This will ensure that the ecological and human health risks associated with MNPs pollution can be timely mitigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve sustainable shark fisheries, it is key to understand not only the biological drivers and environmental consequences of overfishing, but also the social and economic drivers of fisher behavior. The extinction risk of sharks is highest in coastal tropical waters, where small‐scale fisheries are most prevalent. Small‐scale fisheries provide a critical source of economic and nutritional security to coastal communities, and these fishers are among the most vulnerable social and economic groups. We used Kenya's and Zanzibar's small‐scale shark fisheries, which are illustrative of the many data‐poor, small‐scale shark fisheries worldwide, as case studies to explore the relationship between extinction risk and the economic and nutritional value of sharks. To achieve this, we combined existing data on shark landings, extinction risk, and nutritional value with sales data at 16 key landing sites and information from interviews with 476 fishers. Shark fisheries were an important source of economic and nutritional security, valued at >US$4 million annually and providing enough nutrition for tens of thousands of people. Economically and nutritionally, catches were dominated by threatened species (72.7% and 64.6–89.7%, respectively). The most economically valuable species were large and slow to reproduce (e.g. mobulid rays, wedgefish, and bull, silky, and mako sharks) and therefore more likely to be threatened with extinction. Given the financial incentive and intensive fishing pressure, small‐scale fisheries are undoubtedly major contributors to the decline of threatened coastal shark species. In the absence of effective fisheries management and enforcement, we argue that within small‐scale fisheries the conditions exist for an economically incentivized feedback loop in which vulnerable fishers are driven to persistently overfish vulnerable and declining shark species. To protect these species from extinction, this feedback loop must be broken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oceans are a treasure trove of natural resources and an essential regulator of the global climate. Still, due to economic development and human activities in recent years, these ecosystems have suffered varying degrees of degradation, so the restoration of marine ecosystems is essential. At the same time, states should strengthen the synergy of marine disaster prevention and mitigation efforts and jointly defend against the impact of maritime disasters on human lives, property, and climate change. On June 28–29, 2023, the Forum on Restoration of Marine Ecological Environment Protection, Disaster Prevention, and Mitigation was held in Qingdao's West Coast New Area. The forum adopted a combination of "online and offline." Nearly 150 experts and scholars in marine-related environmental protection, disaster prevention, and mitigation from organizations, universities, and research institutes across multiple countries attended the event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Symposium on Decadal Variability of the North Atlantic and its Marine Ecosystems: 2010–2019" took place in Bergen, Norway, from 20 to 22 May 2022. This event, hosted by the Institute of Marine Research, was jointly sponsored by ICES and NAFO and constitutes the fourth in a series of these symposia that started in 1991. The first symposium's aim was to review the hydrobiological variability in the decade of the 1980s, addressing the physical environment, plankton, invertebrates, and fish. Subsequent symposia maintained the classical structure, whilst a new theme session covering social sciences was added to the programme in the 2022 edition. Studies of climate impacts on marine ecosystems and living marine resources, including trends and regime shifts, emerged from increasingly longer ecosystem time series across the North Atlantic and subarctic regions. This symposium collection presents key findings discussed during the symposium. Whilst some progress has been made in advancing our ability to understand new trends and patterns of climate change and variability across physical, plankton, and fish communities, more work is needed to integrate these physical-ecological processes and scales with social science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copepods form the bulk of secondary production in marine ecosystems and are a major resource for higher trophic levels. Copepods are highly sensitive to environmental changes as they are ectotherms with a short life span whose metabolism and development depend on abiotic conditions. In turn, changes in their functional structure (i.e. functional trait composition) can have impacts on ecosystems. We examined changes in the copepod functional community in the North Sea over the past five decades, using a trait-based approach. We observed a shift around 1986–1988: the copepod community was initially dominated by larger herbivores, with a long development time, diapause ability, and highest abundances in summer. This community changed abruptly after 1986–1988, to a dominance of smaller carnivore taxa, with shorter development times, less ability to enter diapause, and that display higher abundances in autumn. This rapid reorganization could be driven by higher water temperatures, lower dinoflagellate abundances, and lower nutrient concentrations. These changes could impact adjacent trophic levels, such as phytoplankton on which several species graze or fish larvae, leading to a mismatch situation with consequences for fish recruitment. Our results emphasize the impact that global and regional changes could have on coastal ecosystems through the role played by copepods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral reefs provide a multitude of ecosystem functions owing to the high levels of biodiversity they host. Coral species, as the foundation of shallow-water reefs, differ in their contributions toward the functioning of the ecosystem due in part to the disparate phylogenetic histories of scleractinian lineages. Understanding the spatial patterns and temporal trajectories of these biodiversity facets, as well as their interrelationships, is critical for more targeted conservation strategies in the face of widespread habitat degradation and climate change. Here, we analyse long-term benthic data spanning 1986 through 2020 on coral reefs in Singapore, which have been impacted by decades of urbanisation-related and thermal stressors, to test for differences between coral biodiversity facets—specifically, taxonomic, phylogenetic (evolutionary relatedness between species), and functional (occupancy of functional trait space) richness and diversity. Analyses show that taxonomic and phylogenetic richness and diversity measures increased over the 35-year period despite declines during major bleaching events. Yet, while taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity increased, functional richness and diversity declined over the same period. Community-weighted trait measures indicate a shift towards dominance of more stress-tolerant traits such as slower growth rates, smaller corallite sizes, and massive colony forms. Together, these trends highlight the effects of chronic urban stressors alongside major bleaching events impacting reef assemblages. Critically, such assemblage shifts and functional diversity declines were masked by increasing taxonomic diversity, which is most commonly assessed, and could erode ecosystem resilience. The temporal decoupling of the biodiversity facets examined here underscore the need for more comprehensive monitoring of reefs through a combination of trait-based approaches alongside traditional field surveys at finer taxonomic resolution.

Seawater desalination has become an accessible option for augmenting freshwater supplies worldwide. In the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), it has been practiced for decades as the main source for domestic water use. Sustainable desalination requires addressing environmental impacts including damage to ecosystems from the high volumes of brine in the Gulf. This paper examines challenges related to environmental regulation of brine management in the Arab Gulf countries using the example of Qatar. It analyzes the brine challenge through infrastructure planning policies and stakeholders’ perceptions. The brine issue has been identified as a major environmental concern that requires action through discharge infrastructure, brine management technologies, and regulatory approaches based on quality thresholds and monitoring systems. Although there is a high level of agreement on the solvability of the brine issue, there are limitations with regard to the high reliance on desalination rendered through large-scale infrastructure. These limitations necessitate complementary water supply infrastructure for storage or the development of other sources through water reuse and storage. While water security considerations require prioritization of protection and supply continuity through desalination, incremental change through a stepwise dual approach of brine management and regulation is still possible.

This article provides an interdisciplinary analysis of the World Trade Organization (hereinafter “WTO”) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (hereinafter “AFS”), framing it as a pivotal yet complex advance in global efforts to address overfishing. It integrates insights from international economics and international trade law to examine the agreement’s key provisions. These include the prohibition of subsidies that promote Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing, the targeting of overfished stocks, and the regulation of high seas fishing activities. The analysis further explores AFS’s commitment to transparency and accountability, underscored by the implementation of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism and the inclusion of specific provisions for developing countries. Moreover, the article assesses the agreement’s potential to catalyze fisheries reform, its congruence with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the essential role of continued cross-sector collaboration in safeguarding marine ecosystems and curtailing overfishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine spatial planning (MSP) was developed as a process for managing the marine environment under the scenario of increased demand for space with different uses and economic activities. In the last decades, the research interest in MSP has been reflected by the growing number of published scientific articles on this subject. Nonetheless, a systematic scientific literature review on MSP is still lacking. In this context, the present study is aimed at performing a global review highlighting the main trends and patterns of scientific article contents focusing on the concepts, approaches, and tools that have been used to inform and shape MSP. After text screening and application of the eligibility criteria, a total of 476 articles published between 2004 and 2020 were included in the analysis. The results showed that most studies published so far (74%) focused on conceptual aspects of governance issues (n = 98), investigated the role of economic activities in MSP (n = 98), evidenced the solutions that have been adopted to implement national plans (n = 71), or explored the strategies used to involve stakeholders in MSP (n = 83). A trend towards MSP applicability was expressed by the increasing number of studies related to stakeholders’ engagement methodologies, together with the development of decision support tools for MSP implementation in recent years. Overall, including progressive methodologies in the evaluation and assessment of all stages of MSP are needed to foster its applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, yet they are at risk in high-latitude regions due to climate-driven effects on the connected terrestrial and marine realms. Northern Hemisphere warming exceeds the global average and accelerates the melting of glaciers. As a result, the magnitude of freshwater discharge into estuaries may increase during the peak in glacial meltwater, ultimately affecting the riverine flux of organic matter (OM) from the land to coastal environments and food webs within. We investigated the extent to which terrestrial OM subsidizes nearshore food webs in northern Gulf of Alaska watersheds and if differences in the relative proportion of terrestrial versus marine OM supporting these food webs are explained by watershed glacial cover and/or by seasonal glacial discharge regimes. A stable isotope mixing model was employed to determine the contribution of marine (phytoplankton, macroalgae) and terrestrial (vascular plant) sources to the diets of grazing/detritivore and filter/suspension-feeding coastal invertebrates at the outflows of watersheds of varying glacial influence and across three distinct discharge periods. Additionally, a distance-based redundancy analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of watershed-characteristic (e.g., slope, vegetation cover) sourcing and transport of terrestrial OM on consumer diets. The diets of both feeding groups were predominantly marine (> 90%) and varied little among estuarine study sites at watersheds of different glacial cover or glacial discharge periods. Our findings suggest that terrestrial OM is not readily used by nearshore food webs in this productive study system, presumably due to the high quantity and quality of available marine OM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antarctic ice core records suggest that atmospheric CO2 increased by 15–20 ppm during Heinrich stadials (HS). These periods of abrupt CO2 increase are associated with a significant weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), and a warming at high southern latitudes. As such, modeling studies have explored the link between changes in AMOC, high southern latitude climate and atmospheric CO2. While proxy records suggest that the aeolian iron input to the Southern Ocean decreased significantly during HS, the potential impact on CO2 of reduced iron input combined with oceanic circulation changes has not been studied in detail. Here, we quantify the respective and combined impacts of reduced iron fertilization and AMOC weakening on CO2 by performing numerical experiments with an Earth system model under boundary conditions representing 40,000 years before present (ka). Our study indicates that reduced iron input can contribute up to 6 ppm increase in CO2 during an idealized Heinrich stadial. This is caused by a 5% reduction in nutrient utilization in the Southern Ocean, leading to reduced export production and increased carbon outgassing from the Southern Ocean. An AMOC weakening under 40ka conditions and without changes in surface winds leads to a ∼0.5 ppm CO2 increase. The combined impact of AMOC shutdown and weakened iron fertilization is almost linear, leading to a total CO2 increase of 7 ppm. Therefore, this study highlights the need of including changes in aeolian iron input when studying the processes leading to changes in atmospheric CO2 concentration during HS. Key Points: Simulated marine ecosystems and CO2 respond linearly to the combined impact of freshwater addition and reduced iron flux into the oceanA maximum of 7 ppm increase in CO2 is simulated due to the AMOC shutdown and weakened iron fertilization under MIS 3 boundary conditionsReduced aeolian iron flux in the Southern Ocean during Heinrich Stadials can lead up to 6 ppm rise in CO2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elasmobranch population declines due to human impacts have been documented at a global scale, having impacts on the functioning and structure of marine ecosystems. This situation leads to an international focus on the conservation of their populations and a key step in the management and conservation of elasmobranch populations is to understand their trophic ecology. Here, by using stable isotopes analysis, we investigated the trophic relationships, trophic niche breadth, and trophic redundancy among 21 batoids and 12 sharks inhabiting the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, two productive areas of the Arabian Sea considered global elasmobranch hotspots. Isotopic results revealed differences in the trophic niche and trophic position among the elasmobranch sampled at species and at family level. For example, the batoids of the family Torpedinidae and the sharks of the family Triakidae occupied higher trophic positions and the family Glaucostegidae showed a lower trophic niche width, whereas the batoids of the family Myliobatidae or Gymnuridae, in overall, showed lower higher trophic niche width, reflecting the trophic habits described for most of the sampled species. We also provided some insights into the ecology of poorly known species, especially relevant for those that are endangered at a global or regional scale. In conclusion, we provide new information about the trophic ecology among batoids and sharks inhabiting the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. This information is highly useful to study the consequences of future changes on their feeding preferences due to natural or human-related factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unraveling the spatial distribution and the factors that modulate biodiversity can help us better understand community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. Here, we tested the hypothesis that taxonomic diversity (TD), functional diversity (FD), and phylogenetic diversity (PD) follow a latitudinal trend driven by environmental factors, and investigated the associations among these metrics in mangrove crabs (11 species in the Ocypodidae family) of the Southwestern Atlantic (7,000 km along the Brazilian coast). Based on occurrence data, species traits, and phylogenetic information, we calculated diversity indices (TD, FD and PD) for 3° grid cells (latitude/longitude, approx. 333 km edge length) along the coast of Brazil. We built models to investigate whether latitude and nine environmental factors influence taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic indices of mangrove crabs in the Southwestern Atlantic. We also investigated the correlation among diversity indices TD × FD × PD. We observed a congruence in the latitudinal patterns of TD, FD, and PD of mangrove crabs along the Southwestern Atlantic. Specifically, we observed that all indices have higher values at intermediate latitudes, which are congruent to habitat transition zones along the Southwestern Atlantic coast. Our results also showed that air temperature, chlorophyll, and nitrate concentration are the main environmental factors that influence taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of mangrove crabs in this region. When analyzing the correlation between indices, our results suggest that targeting conservation efforts towards one specific diversity component can lead to preserving other types of diversity, at least considering our system and the set of species analyzed. This study highlights the usage of multiple metrics to unveil large-scale biodiversity patterns in one of the most abundant groups in mangrove forests, the crabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the increasing trend of biodiversity decline globally and its consequences for the planet as a whole, the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) in December 2022. The Framework sets conservation, sustainability and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources and MEAns of implementation goals to be achieved by 2050, and actionable targets to be achieved by 2030 to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. During the negotiations and even after the adoption of the GBF, much debate has surrounded how the ocean has been represented in the Framework. By addressing the scope of the GBF vis-à-vis the Convention, quantifying and comparing the use of marine-related terms in the GBF and in the previous biodiversity framework, and aligning relevant COP decisions and objectives and activities of the CBD Programme of Work on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity with the GBF targets, we conclude that the GBF does not fail to address marine and coastal biodiversity and all targets are applicable to this ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides with evidence of the presence of sea surface microplastics in a UNESCO marine biosphere reserve: the island of Menorca in the north-western Mediterranean Sea. From a total of 90 samples, in 100% of the samples, microplastics were observed with a mean value of 0.18 ± 0.01 items/m2. According to data, no significant differences were observed for sampling period with very similar values between 2021 (0.17 ± 0.02 items/m2) and 2022 (0.18 ± 0.02 items/m2). However, significant differences were observed regarding sampling area (both site and locality) suggesting that sea surface plastics in the study area might be more dependent of the spatial scale rather than on the temporal scale. Fibre type microplastics predominated over fragments, films, pellets, and foams, but in the commercial Port de Maó, almost 50% of the identified items were foams which could be related to the transportation of packed goods to this port. Results from the model applied to study the relation between waste management indicators and microplastic abundance indicate that when considering all marine litter categories, the explanatory variables are plastic waste generated by residents population (tonnes/year/km2) and waste collection rate (%), whereas if only plastics are considered, the indicator regarding waste per capita (kg/hab/year) is also included. Data in this study is obtained through a harmonized protocol which can be used to define baseline and threshold values to evaluate good environmental status regarding descriptor 10 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Marine protected areas (MPAs) can protect and restore marine biodiversity and fisheries, but there are concerns that they may also benefit invasive species. The spatial and temporal colonization of invasive lionfish (Pterois miles) in the eastern Mediterranean was compared across zones with varying fishing restrictions (no fishing, recreational and commercial fishing, and commercial fishing only), and stations where targeted removal events were conducted by volunteer SCUBA divers. Lionfish density in no fishing areas was nearly double that of areas with commercial fishing only, and over four times greater than in areas where both commercial and recreational fishing were allowed. Lionfish density increased with depth, possibly due to easier human exploitation in shallow waters (0–10 m) that are accessible to recreational spearfishers. Targeted removals by volunteer divers decreased lionfish densities by over 60%, while areas without removals had a 200%–400% increase. Along with management actions, natural and ecological processes might drive lionfish densities within MPAs, and the speed with which lionfish colonized fishery‐restricted zones, emphasized the need for a more sophisticated MPA management strategy that considers invasive species impacts and dynamics in an ecosystem‐based approach.

Approximately 30% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere has been absorbed by the world’s oceans. As CO2 emissions increase due to human activities so does the amount of CO2 absorbed by the oceans. Carbon dioxide lowers the pH of the ocean system, causing ocean acidification (OA). The effects of OA on economically and ecologically important aquatic species is a subject of interest. Sponges are important reef-associated species that provide shelter for fish and crustaceans in reef habitats and can also structure ecosystems through bioerosion, water filtration, and colonization of coral reef areas. This publication considers the effects of OA on marine sponges, with a focus on Florida’s coral reef.

Abstract Fish aquaculture potentially affects the local ecosystem through feed (leftovers) and feces. However, evaluation of its impacts on biodiversity, especially those of mobile organisms such as fish, is not straightforward. Here, we report a case study in which environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding with MiFish universal primers for the 12S rRNA region of fish is used to detect and assess the impact of aquaculture on local fish communities. In Shizugawa Bay, Minamisanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, Oncorhynchus kisutch (coho salmon) is aquacultured in sea cages from November to July, but is absent from August to October. We conducted eDNA surveys in June, August, October, and December 2021 of water at depths of 5 m and 1 m above the bottom obtained from two sites, one approximately 100 m and the other approximately 2500 m from the nearest aquaculture site. The total number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) detected was 122, with a maximum of 50 and a minimum of 10. With distance‐based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) and PERMANOVA applied to the eDNA‐based community compositional data, we detected a significant effect of the presence of O. kisutch aquaculture on fish biodiversity. The generalized linear model (GLM) applied to each detected OTUs indicated that the aquaculture was associated positively with Leucopsarion petersii (ice goby), and Oncorhynchus spp. and negatively with Chaenogobius annularis (forktongue goby). Environmental DNA metabarcoding surveys, combined with multivariate statics, are a promising tool to identify the dimension of biodiversity that human activity affects and would serve as a basic survey for sustainable use of the sea.

Climate change is threatening marine ecosystems on a global scale but particularly so in the Arctic. As a result of warming, species are shifting their distributions, altering marine communities and predator-prey interactions. This is known as the Atlantification of the Arctic. Warming may favor short-lived, opportunistic species such as cephalopods, marine mollusks that previously have been hypothesized to be winners in an ocean of change. To detect temporal regional trends in biodiversity, long-term annual surveys in hotspots of climate change are an unparalleled source of data. Here, we use 18 years of annual bottom trawl data (2005–2022) to analyse cephalopods in the western Barents Sea. More specifically, our research goals are to assess temporal trends in cephalopod fauna composition, abundance and biomass, and to relate these trends to climate change in the western Barents Sea. Main changes in cephalopod diversity and distribution occurred in mid-2000s and early 2010s, which corresponds with a period of warming in the Arctic since the late 1990s/early 2000s. Repeated increased occurrence of the boreal-subtropical cephalopods was recorded from 2005–2013 to 2014–2022. Moreover, the abundance of cephalopods in the area (in general and for most taxa) increased from 2005–2013 to 2014–2022. These observations suggest that the cephalopod community of the Barents Sea is subjected to Atlantification since the 2005–2013 period. This corresponds with previously reported evidence of the Atlantification in fishes and benthic invertebrates in the Barents Sea and benthic invertebrates. ‘Typical’ Arctic cephalopod species such as Bathypolypus spp., Gonatus fabricii and Rossia spp., however, are still much more abundant in the western Barents Sea compared to the deep-sea and the boreal-subtropical species. We also found indirect indications for body-size reduction in Bathypolypus spp. from 2005–2013 to 2014–2022. Overall, the temporal trends in the Barents Sea cephalopod fauna provide evidence for changing marine communities in the Arctic.

Plastic pollution ranks among the most severe environmental disasters caused by humans, generating millions of tonnes of waste annually. The extensive and unregulated use of plastics has led to ecotoxicity and environmental imbalance. Microplastics (MPs) are prevalent in aquatic environments, and these MPs further degrade into even smaller particles known as nano-plastics (NPs). Both MPs and NPs impact the environment by readily absorbing organic pollutants and pathogens from their surroundings, owing to their bigger surface area to volume ratio. This review focuses on the source of origin, bioaccumulation, and potential impact of MPs and NPs on aquatic organisms and human health. Additionally, the review explores various methods employed for identification and quantification of these particles in aquatic ecosystems. Sufficient information is available on their characteristics, distributions, and effects on marine ecosystems compared with freshwater ecosystems. For plastic particles

This document is an editorial published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology. It discusses the importance of microbial communities in carbon and nitrogen cycling in estuarine, coastal, and nearshore areas. The editorial highlights the need for further exploration of the coupling mechanism and ecological effects of microorganisms in these environments. The document also mentions several studies included in the research topic, which cover various microbial-driven processes and provide insights into microbial ecology and biogeochemical cycles in these areas. The editorial emphasizes the significance of these findings for understanding and managing estuarine, coastal, and nearshore ecosystems in the face of environmental changes. Additionally, another article in Frontiers in Microbiology titled "Technol. 57, 15014– 15025" discusses the impact of technology on microbial communities. The study explores how different technological advancements, such as the use of antibiotics and wastewater treatment plants, can affect the composition and function of microbial communities. The authors highlight the importance of understanding these effects in order to develop sustainable and effective strategies for managing microbial communities in various environments. The article provides valuable insights for researchers and policymakers interested in the intersection of technology and microbiology. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract Background As a part of the decontamination process after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident of 2011, 1.32 million tonnes of tritium-containing water will be discharged from the power plant into the Pacific Ocean. Although radiobiological impacts of the treated water discharge on the public and the environment were reported to be minimal, Tomioka and Okuma locals expressed unease regarding the long-term recovery of their towns, which are economically dependent on the agricultural, fishery, and tourism sectors. This study presents thoughts, perceptions and concerns of Tomioka and Okuma locals regarding the discharge of FDNPP-treated water containing tritium into the Pacific Ocean to facilitate a more inclusive decision-making process that respects local stakeholder interests. Methods Conducted from November to December 2022, surveys were mailed to current residents and evacuees aged 20 years or older registered with the town councils. Results Out of 1268 included responses, 71.5% were from those > 65 years. 65.6% were unemployed, 76.2% routinely visited hospitals, and 85.5% did not live with children. 61% did not want to return to Okuma/Tomioka. Anxiety about radiation-related health effects (38.7%), consuming food produced in Okuma/Tomioka (48.0%) and genetic effects (45.3%) were low. >50% reported poor physical and mental health. 40% were acceptive, 31.4% were unsure, and 29.7% objected to the discharge plans. Multinomial regression analysis revealed that, compared to acceptive responders, those who objected were more likely to be female, unemployed, and have anxiety about radiation-related genetic effects and poor mental health. Unsure responders were similarly more likely to be female, anxious about radiation-related genetic effects and have poor mental health. Conclusion The poor mental health of the locals, connected to high levels of risk perception and anxiety about the loss of economic opportunities related to the discharge plans, must be addressed. The 30-year discharge process could handicap local industries and hamper post-disaster socioeconomic recovery due to the circulation of false rumours among consumers. These results highlight the need to actively involve residents in the towns’ recovery process to address local concerns. The focus should be on the judicious combination of transparent science with the human aspect of recovery and narratives highlighting dialogues between local stakeholders and experts to enable the locals and the general public to make informed decisions about their protection and future.

Abstract Scientific research over the past decade has demonstrated that plastic in our oceans has detrimental consequences for marine life at all trophic levels. As countries negotiate an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, the focus is on eliminating plastic emissions to the environment. Here, we argue that, while this endeavour is urgently needed to limit the negative impacts of plastic on ocean ecosystems, the reduction of the plastic flow to the environment should not be the sole purpose of the negotiations. Legacy oceanic plastic pollution is also a major concern that needs to be addressed in the coming Treaty. Plastic is ubiquitous and persistent in the environment, and its slow degradation produces uncountable amounts of potentially even more impactful micro- and nanoparticles. Thus, plastic that is already present in the oceans may continue to affect ecosystems for centuries. Recent global assessments reveal that microplastics could have a significant impact on biogeochemical cycles and microbial food chains within ocean ecosystems that may be equivalent to those of climate change. Therefore, we argue that cleanup initiatives are essential to avoid further longterm impacts of legacy oceanic pollution. The upcoming international negotiations to develop a new Global Plastics Treaty should aim at urgently reducing the flow of plastic to the marine environment while supporting innovative solutions towards efficient monitoring and cleanup of the legacy oceanic plastic pollution.

The establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) is an important method to ensure marine protection. To protect and conserve global marine biodiversity, with the adoption of the “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” during the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in December 2022, the establishment of an effectively managed MPA network by 2030 and the protection of 30% of the world’s oceans will be common goals for all countries party to the CBD over the next decade. Based on the distribution of over 150 types of marine species, habitats, ecosystems, and abiotic elements, ArcGIS10.5 and Zonation are used in this study to calculate the marine protection priority levels of coastal, nearshore, open ocean, and deep ocean trench areas, and a plan to reach the “30 by 30” targets is proposed. The suggestions for scientifically identifying and managing MPAs are as follows: first, improve MPA planning and establish a well-connected MPA network in national jurisdictions, then conduct scientific marine investigations to obtain background data on MPA establishment and delimitation.

Climate change has led to significant fluctuations in marine ecosystems. As a component of the food web, the trophic diversity and spatiotemporal changes of fish communities are crucial for understanding ecosystems. In recent years, stable isotope analysis has been increasingly used as a comprehensive tool for quantitative assessment of trophic diversity to explore spatiotemporal variations in fish community diversity. This study is based on carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope analysis using different biomass-weighted isotope diversity indices, including isotopic divergence index (IDiv), isotopic dispersion index (IDis), isotopic evenness index (IEve), and isotopic uniqueness index (IUni). The overall results indicate that IDis, IEve, and IUni values of fish communities were relatively low, while IDiv was relatively high in the Haizhou Bay ecosystem. IDiv, IDis, IEve, and IUni were lower in autumn than in spring; IDiv and IDis were relatively higher in offshore waters, while IEve and IUni were relatively higher in inshore waters. The changes in species composition and intensive pelagic–benthic coupling in Haizhou Bay may lead to significant spatiotemporal variations in the trophic diversity of fish communities in the area. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating trophic relationships into ecosystem models, which will help to enhance our understanding of the complexity of the trophic structure of fish communities.

Pharmaceuticals are recognized as a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems due to their persistence or pseudo-persistence and their biological activity. Their increased consumption in human and animal medicine has led to a continuous discharge of such biologically active molecules in aquatic environments. Marine ecosystems have been poorly investigated, even though recent studies have confirmed that these emerging contaminants occur widely in these ecosystems. Due to their interaction with specific biochemical and physiological pathways in target organisms, pharmaceuticals can cause alterations in several marine species during their entire life cycle. In particular, marine fishes have shown the ability to bioaccumulate these compounds in their body, and they may be used as potential bioindicators of pharmaceutical contamination in seawater. The objective of this review was to provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the sources and occurrence of pharmaceuticals in marine environments, illustrating the adverse biological effects of important classes of these compounds on marine fishes.

Background: As a part of the decontamination process after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident of 2011, 1.32 million tonnes of tritium-containing water will be discharged from the power plant into the Pacific Ocean. Although radiobiological impacts of the treated water discharge on the public and the environment were reported to be minimal, Tomioka and Okuma locals expressed unease regarding the long-term recovery of their towns, which are economically dependent on the agricultural, fishery, and tourism sectors. This study presents thoughts, perceptions and concerns of Tomioka and Okuma locals regarding the discharge of FDNPP-treated water containing tritium into the Pacific Ocean to facilitate a more inclusive decision-making process that respects local stakeholder interests. Methods: Conducted from November to December 2022, surveys were mailed to current residents and evacuees aged 20 years or older registered with the town councils. Results: Out of 1268 included responses, 71.5% were from those > 65 years. 65.6% were unemployed, 76.2% routinely visited hospitals, and 85.5% did not live with children. 61% did not want to return to Okuma/Tomioka. Anxiety about radiation-related health effects (38.7%), consuming food produced in Okuma/Tomioka (48.0%) and genetic effects (45.3%) were low. >50% reported poor physical and mental health. 40% were acceptive, 31.4% were unsure, and 29.7% objected to the discharge plans. Multinomial regression analysis revealed that, compared to acceptive responders, those who objected were more likely to be female, unemployed, and have anxiety about radiation-related genetic effects and poor mental health. Unsure responders were similarly more likely to be female, anxious about radiation-related genetic effects and have poor mental health. Conclusion: The poor mental health of the locals, connected to high levels of risk perception and anxiety about the loss of economic opportunities related to the discharge plans, must be addressed. The 30-year discharge process could handicap local industries and hamper post-disaster socioeconomic recovery due to the circulation of false rumours among consumers. These results highlight the need to actively involve residents in the towns' recovery process to address local concerns. The focus should be on the judicious combination of transparent science with the human aspect of recovery and narratives highlighting dialogues between local stakeholders and experts to enable the locals and the general public to make informed decisions about their protection and future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific research over the past decade has demonstrated that plastic in our oceans has detrimental consequences for marine life at all trophic levels. As countries negotiate an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, the focus is on eliminating plastic emissions to the environment. Here, we argue that, while this endeavour is urgently needed to limit the negative impacts of plastic on ocean ecosystems, the reduction of the plastic flow to the environment should not be the sole purpose of the negotiations. Legacy oceanic plastic pollution is also a major concern that needs to be addressed in the coming Treaty. Plastic is ubiquitous and persistent in the environment, and its slow degradation produces uncountable amounts of potentially even more impactful micro- and nanoparticles. Thus, plastic that is already present in the oceans may continue to affect ecosystems for centuries. Recent global assessments reveal that microplastics could have a significant impact on biogeochemical cycles and microbial food chains within ocean ecosystems that may be equivalent to those of climate change. Therefore, we argue that cleanup initiatives are essential to avoid further longterm impacts of legacy oceanic pollution. The upcoming international negotiations to develop a new Global Plastics Treaty should aim at urgently reducing the flow of plastic to the marine environment while supporting innovative solutions towards efficient monitoring and cleanup of the legacy oceanic plastic pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the scope and scale of the loss of biodiversity, tools are required that can be applied in a standardized manner to all species globally, spanning realms from land to the open ocean. We used data from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List to provide a synthesis of the conservation status and extinction risk of cetaceans. One in 4 cetacean species (26% of 92 species) was threatened with extinction (i.e., critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable) and 11% were near threatened. Ten percent of cetacean species were data deficient, and we predicted that 2–3 of these species may also be threatened. The proportion of threatened cetaceans has increased: 15% in 1991, 19% in 2008, and 26% in 2021. The assessed conservation status of 20% of species has worsened from 2008 to 2021, and only 3 moved into categories of lesser threat. Cetacean species with small geographic ranges were more likely to be listed as threatened than those with large ranges, and those that occur in freshwater (100% of species) and coastal (60% of species) habitats were under the greatest threat. Analysis of odontocete species distributions revealed a global hotspot of threatened small cetaceans in Southeast Asia, in an area encompassing the Coral Triangle and extending through nearshore waters of the Bay of Bengal, northern Australia, and Papua New Guinea and into the coastal waters of China. Improved management of fisheries to limit overfishing and reduce bycatch is urgently needed to avoid extinctions or further declines, especially in coastal areas of Asia, Africa, and South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal marine monitoring is a specialized field of research requiring the acquisition of long-term datasets regarding the main physico-chemical and biological variables that characterize the aquatic environments as a key strategy to depict the environmental status and its possible changes due to natural or anthropogenic stressors. During the last few decades, the devices used in this research field underwenta great evolution. This progress has been made possible by the advancement of the technologies and data processing that have resulted in the availability of new systems for autonomous monitoring. This paper reviews the state of the art of coastal marine monitoring systems developed since 1988 at the Istituto Sperimentale Talassografico—Experimental Thalassographic Institute of Messina (CNR IST), a part of the Italian National Research Council, and continued when the Institute was incorporated into the Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero—Institute for Marine Coastal Environment (IAMC). The research activity focused on coastal marine monitoring starting at the end of 1988 and lasting for about 30 years, up to the re-organization of the CNR Institutes. This event led to the redistribution of former marine research centers into new Institutes, with missions different to those characterizing the previous structures. Monitoring experiments were performed, and new automatic devices were developed and tested. Some of these systems, including water samplers and integrated data acquisition and transmission systems, are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kelps (Phaeophyceae, Laminariales) are ecosystem engineers along Arctic rocky shores. With ongoing climate change, the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves are increasing. Further, extensive meltwater plumes darken Arctic fjords. Assessing the effect of a sudden temperature increase at the cold-distribution limit of cold-temperate kelp species, we compared the responses of two kelp species (Agarum clathratum, Saccharina latissima) to realistic Arctic summer heatwave scenarios (4–10°C) under low- and high-light conditions (3; 120 μmol photons m−2 s−1) for 12 days. We found high-light causing physiological stress in both species (e.g., lower photosynthetic efficiency of photosystem II), which was enhanced by cold and mitigated by warm temperatures. Under low-light conditions, we found no temperature response, probably due to light limitation. Both species acclimated to light variations by adjusting their chlorophyll a concentration, meeting cellular energy requirements. A. clathratum had ~150% higher phlorotannin concentrations than S. latissima, possibly acting as herbivore-deterrent. Our findings suggest competitive advantages of kelps on different Arctic coasts with ongoing warming: A. clathratum has advantages in future areas, with low-light intensities, and possibly high grazing pressure and S. latissima in areas with high-light intensities and low grazing pressure. Species composition changes might have cascading consequences on ecosystem functioning.

Abstract Biotic interactions such as predation are difficult ecological processes to quantify in the wild. This is especially the case in the marine environment due to logistical difficulties in capturing animal behaviour. Common approaches use aquarium‐based experiments, live‐tethering, or assays with bait as proxies for quantifying predation pressure. However, these methods often fail to account for natural interactions between species in the wild and may raise ethical and animal welfare concerns. We designed a novel field‐based method to quantify predator–prey interactions for marine fishes. The “predation dome” is a clear acrylic aquarium that contains a live fish. The dome is filmed and, in contrast to other methods, it allows for natural olfactory and visual cues, and the prey fish is returned to the wild after the assay. Here, we provide a step‐by‐step guide on building and deploying the predation dome in the wild. To demonstrate its use, we quantified predation pressure using the domes in two tropical and two temperate locations. Piscivores were attracted to the domes and displayed predatory behaviours such as circling or striking. Although the overall number of predatory attacks did not differ among locations, predation domes revealed higher predation pressure by piscivores at the tropical locations in comparison to temperate reefs. Our results show that predation domes represent an ethical and complementary approach to measure predation that may better represent piscivory as compared to other behaviours. Predation domes can be also used to measure other biotic interactions such as territorial defence or courtship.