Loggerhead turtles that nest in the Mediterranean sea are geographically and genetically distinct from the North Atlantic (NA) other populations of loggerhead turtles. The individuals belonging to the Mediterranean population, even though belonging to the same species, are consistently (at birth, puberty, and ultimate size) smaller than their conspecifics of the North Atlantic population. Becau...

The traditional Mediterranean diet refers to a dietary pattern found in olive growing areas of the Mediterranean region. It’s essential characteristic is the consumption of virgin olive oil, vegetables, fresh fruits, grains, pasta, bread, olives, pulses, nuts and seeds. Moderate amounts of fish, poultry, dairy products and eggs are consumed with small amounts of red meat and wine. Over the past...

The functional adjustments of winter-deciduous perennials to Mediterranean conditions have received little attention. The objectives of this study were: (i) to determine whether Amelanchier ovalis, a winter-deciduous shrub of Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean regions, has nutritional and phenological traits in common with temperate zone deciduous trees and shrubs and (ii) to determine the con...

In the face of global overfishing of wild-caught seafood, ocean fish farming has augmented the supply of fresh fish to western markets and become one of the fastest growing global industries. Accurate reporting of quantities of wild-caught fish has been problematic and we questioned whether similar discrepancies in data exist in statistics for farmed fish production. In the Mediterranean Sea, o...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The genus Centaurea has traditionally been considered to be a complicated taxon. No attempt at phylogenetic reconstruction has been made since recent revisions in circumscription, and previous reconstructions did not include a good representation of species. A new molecular survey is thus needed. METHODS Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using sequences of the internal ...

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease and vascular risk factors increase rates of cognitive impairment, but very little is known regarding prevention in this high-risk group. The heart-healthy Mediterranean-type dietary pattern may beneficially influence both vascular and cognitive outcomes. OBJECTIVES We examined the association between Mediterranean-style diet and cognitive decline in women wit...

Biodiversity is the diversity of life at all scales, from genes to ecosystems. Predicting its patterns of variation across the globe is a fundamental issue in ecology and evolution. Diversity within species, that is, genetic diversity, is of prime importance for understanding past and present evolutionary patterns, and highlighting areas where conservation might be a priority. Using published d...

Archival bottom-mounted audio recorders were deployed in nine different areas of the western Mediterranean Sea, Strait of Gibraltar, and adjacent North Atlantic waters during 2006–2009 to study fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) seasonal presence and population structure. Analysis of 29,822 recording hours revealed typical long, patterned sequences of 20 Hz notes (here called “song”), back-beats...

Water cycle components over the Mediterranean for both a current run (1979-2007) and a future run (2075-2099) are studied with the Japan Meteorological Agency's 20 km grid global climate model. Results are compared with another study using the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 3 ensemble model (hereafter, the Mariotti model). Our results are surprisingly close to Mariotti's. The proje...