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Mortality resulting from interactions with fishing gears represent an important threat to sensitive species globally. In this study, we address this issue by defining five species groups of marine megafauna (marine mammals, seabirds, demersal and pelagic elasmobranchs, and sea turtles), and conducting a productivity-susceptibility analysis (PSA) within the context of data-limited fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Although there are significant differences among species within each group, this approach has been considered much more direct and functional for management purposes. The productivity (P) of each species group was determined by evaluating a set of attributes averaged across representative species within each group. Species groups’ susceptibility (S) to bycatch was assessed through a comprehensive review of existing literature and expert judgment, considering a series of semi-quantitative attributes. Our analysis identified areas and fishing gears posing potential risks to the species groups assessed, highlighting that sea turtles and elasmobranchs face the potential risk of incidental captures from various fishing gears operating in both neritic (bottom trawls, set nets and bottom longlines) and pelagic (drifting longlines) environments. Marine mammals exhibit moderate risk across most fishing gears, with particular concern for the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena relicta in the Black Sea, primarily due to the interaction with set nets, which can severely impact entire population even capturing few specimens due the species low productivity. Seabirds face reduced impact with fishing activities, irrespective of the type of gear examined or the specific area under investigation. Overall, our study highlights the specific basins and fishing gears requiring focused management measures, mitigation strategies, and enhanced monitoring activities to mitigate the impacts of bycatch on vulnerable marine megafauna.

This study addresses the information gaps by a descriptive analysis of bycatch of vulnerable species (i.e. seabirds, sea turtles, seals, marine mammals, sharks and rays’ species) in in Moroccan Mediterranean area. The present study is one of the first researches to provide an evaluation of the bycatch of different threatened species in relation with fishing activities. The bycatch monitoring was conducted on board commercial fishing vessels operating in the Mediterranean coast of Morocco from March 2019 to Jun 2022. A total of 2203 days at sea observations, a total of 5792 questionnaires were performed to collect information on the interactions between these groups of vulnerable species and the three main vessels groups operating in the country (i.e. trawlers, long liners and purse-seiners). Considering all threatened taxa of monitored vulnerable species, sharks and rays had the highest percentage with 93% of the total bycatch in number. They are the most threatened by fishing among the megafaunas. The bycatch rate of common dolphins made up more than 0.03%. For sea turtles and sea birds it’s less than 0.02 %. Those estimates rates could underestimate the real rates in comparison to the quantities caught by the target species. Despite the incidental captures of those species were very low, there is an urgent need for their conservation given their crucial role in the ecosystems. Finally, some mitigations trials were proposed and additional research will be implemented to improve knowledge on bycatch estimates, fully understanding fisheries practices and achieves the goal of bycatch-reduction in these fisheries

Plastic pollution is both a societal and environmental problem and citizen science has shown to be a useful tool to engage both the public and professionals in addressing it. However, knowledge on the educational and behavioral impacts of citizen science projects focusing on marine litter remains limited. Our preregistered study investigates the impact of the citizen science project Citizen Observation of Local Litter in coastal ECosysTems (COLLECT) on the participants’ ocean literacy, pro-environmental intentions and attitudes, well-being, and nature connectedness, using a pretest-posttest design. A total of 410 secondary school students from seven countries, in Africa (Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria) and Asia (Malaysia) were trained to sample plastics on sandy beaches and to analyze their collection in the classroom. Non-parametric statistical tests (n = 239 matched participants) demonstrate that the COLLECT project positively impacted ocean literacy (i.e., awareness and knowledge of marine litter, self-reported litter-reducing behaviors, attitudes towards beach litter removal). The COLLECT project also led to higher pro-environmental behavioral intentions for students in Benin and Ghana (implying a positive spillover effect) and higher well-being and nature connectedness for students in Benin. Results are interpreted in consideration of a high baseline in awareness and attitudes towards marine litter, a low internal consistency of pro-environmental attitudes, the cultural context of the participating countries, and the unique settings of the project’s implementation. Our study highlights the benefits and challenges of understanding how citizen science impacts the perceptions and behaviors towards marine litter in youth from the respective regions.

Ecosystem models provide a better understanding of fish populations and their environmental impacts. In this research, data from the Moroccan main ports landing logbook, along with two climate scenarios (RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5), were used. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were applied to analyze the relationships between landing per unit effort (LPUE), fishing effort, and environmental factors for both species. The study investigated the influence of climate scenarios on LPUE and fishing effort to project future potential landings for both species. In addition, it compared the proportional changes between 2022 and 2100, relative to the 2010-2022 average in the southern Alboran Sea. Phytoplankton was identified as the main driver of sardine LPUE, while sea level anomaly influenced Horse Mackerel LPUE. By the end of the 21st century, Sardine potential landings are projected to increase by +15% under RCP 8.5 and +80% under RCP 2.6 compared to the 2010-2022 average. In contrast, the Atlantic horse mackerel potential landings are expected to increase by +200% under RCP 2.6, while decreasing by -100% under RCP 8.5 by the end of the century. This research underscores the importance of considering environmental factors in managing small pelagic fisheries to ensure their sustainability in a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mortality resulting from interactions with fishing gears represent an important threat to sensitive species globally. In this study, we address this issue by defining five species groups of marine megafauna (marine mammals, seabirds, demersal and pelagic elasmobranchs, and sea turtles), and conducting a productivitysusceptibility analysis (PSA) within the context of data-limited fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Although there are significant differences among species within each group, this approach has been considered much more direct and functional for management purposes. The productivity (P) of each species group was determined by evaluating a set of attributes averaged across representative species within each group. Species groups' susceptibility (S) to bycatch was assessed through a comprehensive review of existing literature and expert judgment, considering a series of semi-quantitative attributes. Our analysis identified areas and fishing gears posing potential risks to the species groups assessed, highlighting that sea turtles and elasmobranchs face the potential risk of incidental captures from various fishing gears operating in both neritic (bottom trawls, set nets and bottomlonglines) and pelagic (drifting longlines) environments. Marine mammals exhibit moderate risk across most fishing gears, with particular concern for the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena relicta in the Black Sea, primarily due to the interaction with set nets, which can severely impact entire population even capturing few specimens due the species low productivity. Seabirds face reduced impact with fishing activities, irrespective of the type of gear examined or the specific area under investigation. Overall, our study highlights the specific basins and fishing gears requiring focused management measures, mitigation strategies, and enhanced monitoring activities to mitigate the impacts of bycatch on vulnerable marine megafauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mortality resulting from interactions with fishing gears represent an important threat to sensitive species globally. In this study, we address this issue by defining five species groups of marine megafauna (marine mammals, seabirds, demersal and pelagic elasmobranchs, and sea turtles), and conducting a productivity-susceptibility analysis (PSA) within the context of data-limited fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Although there are significant differences among species within each group, this approach has been considered much more direct and functional for management purposes. The productivity (P) of each species group was determined by evaluating a set of attributes averaged across representative species within each group. Species groups' susceptibility (S) to bycatch was assessed through a comprehensive review of existing literature and expert judgment, considering a series of semi-quantitative attributes. Our analysis identified areas and fishing gears posing potential risks to the species groups assessed, highlighting that sea turtles and elasmobranchs face the potential risk of incidental captures from various fishing gears operating in both neritic (bottom trawls, set nets and bottom longlines) and pelagic (drifting longlines) environments. Marine mammals exhibit moderate risk across most fishing gears, with particular concern for the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena relicta in the Black Sea, primarily due to the interaction with set nets, which can severely impact entire population even capturing few specimens due the species low productivity. Seabirds face reduced impact with fishing activities, irrespective of the type of gear examined or the specific area under investigation. Overall, our study highlights the specific basins and fishing gears requiring focused management measures, mitigation strategies, and enhanced monitoring activities to mitigate the impacts of bycatch on vulnerable marine megafauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Citizen Observation of Local Litter in coastal ECosysTems (COLLECT) project (2021-2022) is a citizen science initiative, supported by the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO), which aimed to acquire distribution and abundance data of coastal plastic litter in seven countries: in Africa (Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria) and Asia (Malaysia). In this paper, we describe the workflow used to establish and run this project, as well as the methodologies to acquire data. The COLLECT project consisted of training local students (15 - 18 years old) from ten second cycle institutions (“high schools”) on sampling and analyzing macro-, meso- and microplastics in beach sediments, using a quantitative assessment protocol. We further describe in detail the methodologies applied in assessing the impact of participating in the activities from a social sciences perspective. All documents and materials resulting from this project will be open access and available according to the FAIR Principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). The results and outcomes from COLLECT will contribute to expanding knowledge and establishing baseline information on coastal plastic pollution, with citizen science being an enabler of open science, allowing data to be freely available to the public, academics and policymakers. Expected results from the use of the COLLECT protocol globally will further contribute to the identification of hotspots of coastal plastic litter, and bring awareness to local communities on the potential consequences of plastic pollution. The COLLECT project actively contributes with data suitable to survey plastic litter to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), in particular to SDG 14, on the sustainable use of the ocean.

Fisheries discards in the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea present a significant challenge at the intersection of marine resource management and societal concerns. Bottom trawl fisheries, which involve dragging nets along the seabed, capture a wide array of marine species, many of which are subsequently discarded. This study offers the first comprehensive analysis of discard composition from Moroccan trawl fleets, drawing on data collected from 2019 to 2022 through an onboard sampling program. Among the 103 species from 59 families discarded, 16 were elasmobranchs and 88 were bony fishes. Discarded biomass showed significant variation based on season, fishing areas, and their interaction, with discard ratios ranging from 1.06% to 43.7%. Teleostei made up the predominant fraction of discarded biomass, followed by Elasmobranchii, Thaliacea, and Holocephali. The study found significant variations in mean biomass values across different ports and seasons, highlighting dynamic patterns in biomass distribution among marine classes. However, the number of species recorded in discards remained stable across ports and seasons, indicating consistent environmental conditions. The findings underscore the need for targeted fishery management measures to minimize the ecological impacts of discards, tailored to specific times and locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]