In sediment cores spanning ~500 years of history in the Gulf of Trieste, down-core changes in molluscan community structure are characterized by marked shifts in species and functional composition. Between the 16th and 19th century, a strong heavy metal contamination of the sediments, most notably by Hg, together with the effects of natural climatic oscillations (increased sedimentation and org...

Using global fishery outputs from 62 countries during the period 2001–2020, this study applies threshold panel data model of Hansen (2000) to empirically explore nonlinear relations between number fishing vessels, fishers, and production, with distinct overfishing stocks (overfishing) fish caught by trawling or dredging techniques (trawling) as variables. Our findings show that levels could be ...

Studying the impact of bycatch on marine megafauna, including sea turtles, is challenging for a variety technical and biological reasons. The Mediterranean Sea has among highest levels turtle globally, notably loggerhead (Caretta caretta), bottom trawling represents particularly relevant threat. Bottom trawlers from recently discovered neritic foraging area, Gulf Manfredonia, reported 1,152 tur...

Although the breeding ecology of Audouin's gull has been widely studied, its spatial distribution patterns have received little attention. We assessed the foraging movements of 36 GPS-tracked adult Audouin's gulls breeding at the Ebro Delta (NW Mediterranean), coinciding with the incubation period (May 2011). This also coincided with a trawling moratorium northwards from the colony. We modelled...

Cold seep communities with distinctive chemoautotrophic fauna occur where hydrocarbon-rich fluids escape from the seabed. We describe community composition, population densities, spatial extent, and within-region variability of epifaunal communities at methane-rich cold seep sites on the Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand. Using data from towed camera transects, we match observations to information ...

The genus Muricea is considered abundant and widely distributed along the eastern Pacific. Its occurrence in shallow waters has been recognised; however species from deeper than 30 m have been rarely recorded. During the 2005 R/V Urracá expedition along the north and central Pacific coast of Costa Rica several octocoral specimens were collected by bottom trawling from 30 to 150 m yielding new s...

In this study we explore fishers’ perceptions in the Ebro Delta area, Western Mediterranean, throughout structured questionnaires. Specifically, compare coherence of information provided by fishers with those resulting scientific studies terms status demersal marine resources area; describe temporal trends key species area perceptions; and use Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) as an alternative ...

Leiopathes glaberrima is a tall arborescent black coral species structuring important facies of the deep-sea rocky bottoms of the Mediterranean Sea that are severely stifled by fishing activities. At present, however, no morphological in vivo description, ecological characterization, age dating and evaluation of the possible conservation actions have ever been made for any population of this sp...

Pseudopataecus carnatobarbatus, new species, is described from 12 specimens collected on shallow coastal reefs of northern Western Australia, between the Monte Bello Islands and Adele Island. It is distinguished from its sole congener, P. taenianotus Johnson 2004, by branched (versus simple) tips to most fin rays, last soft dorsal-fin ray joined by membrane more fully to upper caudal-fin ray, s...

Broadband simulated dolphin echolocation signals were used to measure the ex situ backscatter properties of mesopelagic boundary community (MBC) in order to gain a better understanding of the echolocation process of spinner dolphins foraging on the MBC. Subjects were captured by trawling with a 2-m-opening Isaacs-Kidd Midwater Trawl. Backscatter measurements were conducted on the ship in a 2000...