Scientific watch

The need for international cooperation in marine resource management and conservation has been reflected in the increasing number of agreements aiming for effective and well-connected networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). However, the extent to which individual MPAs are connected

Invertebrate health in marine protected areas (MPAs) The reported effects of MPAs are overwhelmingly positive, with numerous reports of fish size (biomass), abundance (recovery) and diversity increases, however, literature is lacking on the role of MPAs on parasite and disease

Global warming causes the poleward shift of the trailing edges of marine ectotherm species distributions. In the semi-enclosed Mediterranean Sea, continental masses and oceanographic barriers do not allow natural connectivity with thermophilic species pools: as trailing edges retreat, a net

There is a global call to increase the coverage of marine protected areas (MPAs) from 10% to at least 30% by 2030. France, a major actor for marine conservation with the second largest exclusive economic zone in the world, with

The high seas lie beyond national jurisdiction, and species there are caught by industrial fleets and destined mainly for high-end markets. Assessments of high seas fish populations, subject to piecemeal management, indicate that fishing has led to extraordinary declines in

There is strong evidence that the seafloor constitutes a final sink for plastics from land sources. There is also evidence that part of the plastics lying on the shallow seafloor are washed up back to the shoreline. However, little is

Recently, Pinna nobilis pen shells population in Mediterranean Sea has plummeted due to a Mass Mortality Event caused by an haplosporidian parasite. In consequence, this bivalve species has been included in the IUCN Red List as “Critically Endangered”. On the

The global decline of brown algal forests along rocky coasts is causing an exceptional biodiversity loss. Regardless of conservation efforts, different techniques have been developed for large-scale restoration strategies in the Mediterranean Sea. This study tested ex situ pilot restoration

The Northern Adriatic Sea (NAS) is one of the most overexploited marine ecosystems in Europe. It presents the lowest probability of being sustainable fished and more than 90% of its marine resources are depleted. Given the gaps in scientific knowledge

2020 is a key year for the EU in terms of meeting conservation objectives under the 2011 biodiversity strategy, the CFP (Common Fisheries Policy) and the MSFD (Marine Strategy Framework Directive). 2021 should see the Conference of the Parties to