Oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) is altering the seawater chemistry of the world’s oceans with consequences for marine biota. Elevated partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) is causing the calcium carbonate saturation horizon to shoal in many regions, particularly in high latitudes and regions that intersect with pronounced hypoxic zones. The ability of marine animals, most importan...

Heavy metal concentrations in Antarctic surface seawaters and some marine organisms were determined, and their distributions and bioaccumulations were discussed in comparison with other marine ecosystems. Locational difference of the heavy metal concentrations in Antarctic seawater was negligible, and their concentrations were in the order of Zn Fe> Mn> Cu>Pb Ni> Cd> Hg. When compared to the we...

Background: Picoeukaryotes are protists ≤ 3 μm composed of a wide diversity of taxonomic groups. They are an important constituent of the ocean’s microbiota and perform essential ecological roles in marine nutrient and carbon cycles. Despite their importance, the true extent of their diversity has only recently been uncovered by molecular surveys that resulted in the discovery of a substantial ...

Ecosystems are dynamic systems and the study of their functioning and evolution requires the development of dynamic biogeochemical models. A wide application and a pronounced development of this type of model has taken place during the last two decades due essentially, to the development of computer technology, which has permitted the handling of very complex mathematical systems, and also to t...

There are more than one million microbial cells in every drop of seawater, and their collective metabolisms not only recycle nutrients that can then be used by larger organisms but also catalyze key chemical transformations that maintain Earth's habitability. Understanding how these microbes interact with each other and with multicellular hosts is critical to reliably quantify any functional as...

Genomics-enabled applications are becoming increasingly common in conjunction with research in marine ecology. In this Theme Section, we review the success of cases where techniques used to profile gene expression have been used to gain new insight into 3 areas of research: symbioses in marine invertebrates, physiological responses to environmental conditions, and examining the determinants of ...

Mass mortality events are ephemeral phenomena in marine ecosystems resulting from anthropogenically enhanced and natural processes. A fish kill in King Harbor, Redondo Beach, California, USA, in March 2011 killed ~1.54 × 105 kg of fish and garnered international attention as a marine system out of balance. Here, we present data collected prior to, during, and following the event that describe t...

This contribution briefly recalls the declining status of global fisheries and marine ecosystems, with emphasis on the Central West Atlantic and the Caribbean. It then present a methodology for studying the potential effect of global warming on marine biodiversity and fisheries, whose results lead to the conclusion that fisheries catch potentials will shift toward higher latitudes, and lead to ...

Two main problems can be identified in fisheries currently: overfishing and negative effects on ecosystems (including bycatch). Both result in a reduction in natural capital. In recent years a concept for a theory of sustainability was developed at our institute. Part of the work has been to develop a strategy in fisheries for creating sustainable use systems, which can be considered as "invest...

Sediments have long been recognised as a source of contaminants in marine environments and, as a result, interim sediment quality guidelines were included in the ANZECC/ARMCANZ (2000) water quality guidelines. While toxicity tests with benthic temperate species have been developed and incorporated into marine sediment toxicity assessments over the past 10 years, there has been limited test deve...