Scientific watch

Potential for, and limits to, adaptation to environmental changes are critical for resilience and risk mitigation. The Mediterranean basin is a mosaic of biodiversity-rich ecosystems long affected by human influence, whose resilience is now questioned by climate change.  This study

Angel sharks are among the most threatened species of sharks globally. Twenty-two species have been identified globally so far, with three species being present in the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean populations of all three species have been assessed as Critically

A mass mortality event (MME) affecting the fan mussel Pinna nobilis was first detected in Spain in autumn 2016 and spread north- and eastward through the Mediterranean Sea. Various pathogens have been blamed for contributing to the MME, with an

Major invasions of Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) are underway in the Western Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. While the establishment of lionfish in the Western Atlantic is perhaps the most well-studied marine fish invasion to date,

Marine protected areas are widely used tools to conserve marine ecosystems and their services. They are complex socio-ecological systems where human activities and nature interact. Croatia has 409 protected areas, of which 19 are coastal-marine.  This study analysed the management

Savalia savaglia is an ecosystem engineer listed as Near-Threatened by the IUCN, even though effective management and proper monitoring efforts to assess its distribution are still lacking. The record of large, long-established colonies can indicate the occurrence of areas with

Marine ecosystems are subject to global and local impacts, both contributing to dramatic changes in coastal communities. Assessing such changes requires time series or the revisitation of sites first surveyed in the past. In both cases, data are not necessarily

Marine plastics in Mediterranean islands: evaluating the distribution and composition of plastic pollution in the surface waters along four islands of the Western Sea Basin Plastic debris is currently recognized as one of the major threats to marine organisms and

The genus Pinna includes two species in the Mediterranean Sea: Pinna nobilis and Pinna rudis. Both these species are under threat from multiple stressors. Pinna nobilis, in particular, has been exhibiting mass mortality events since 2016. This study explored for

Local and tourist perceptions of coastal marine habitats in Cap de Creus (NE Spain) Direct human pressure on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) adds to climate change impacts on marine habitats, especially in coastal biodiversity hot spots. Understanding MPA user perception