Marine Functional Diversity: From Ecological Roles to Biotechnological Applications

A Special Issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818) belonging to the section "Marine Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 1936

Editor


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Guest Editor
Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Beutenbergstraße 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
Interests: diversity; marine microorganisms; bacteria; symbiosis; metagenomics; dna barcoding; chemical ecology; phylogenetic analysis; secondary metabolites; taxonomy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The ocean’s immense species diversity has fueled a remarkable array of evolutionary adaptations for survival. In fiercely competitive marine ecosystems, organisms from microbial communities to complex invertebrates have developed sophisticated biological strategies to thrive. These strategies are often expressed through unique compounds that mediate critical ecological interactions, serving as potent defenses against predators, inhibitors of spatial competitors, and facilitators of symbiotic partnerships. The intense selective pressures of the marine realm have thus produced a living library of molecules, each refined by nature for a specific ecological application and potent biological effect.

This Special Issue of Diversity seeks to bridge fundamental ecology with applied science, exploring the compelling link between marine biodiversity and its functional applications. We will focus on how the immense diversity of species gives rise to novel survival strategies that hold tangible benefits for society.

We invite contributions that investigate the functional roles of adaptive strategies—including naturally produced compounds, peptides, and enzymes—that have evolved under specific ecological pressures. We are particularly interested in studies that connect the ecological purpose of these adaptations to the discovery of novel solutions in fields such as medicine, agriculture, the cosmetics and personal care industry, and industrial biotechnology.

By emphasizing the ecological context as the foundation for innovation, this issue will highlight how the study and conservation of marine biodiversity are crucial for sustainable discovery.

Dr. Jamshid Amiri Moghaddam
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • marine
  • functional diversity
  • ecological roles
  • applied science

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 6598 KB  
Article
Habitat-Driven Variation in Sexual Dimorphism of Amphipods
by Amey Danole, Fernando Tuya, Francisco Otero-Ferrer, Sonia Díaz-Vergara and Sandra Navarro-Mayoral
Diversity 2026, 18(4), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/d18040237 - 20 Apr 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1495
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism in morphological traits is widespread across animals and can result from differing life-history strategies, sex-specific competition, and ecological interactions influenced by habitat structure. For epifaunal organisms such as amphipods, habitat complexity mediates access to food, mate encounters, and refuge. This study [...] Read more.
Sexual dimorphism in morphological traits is widespread across animals and can result from differing life-history strategies, sex-specific competition, and ecological interactions influenced by habitat structure. For epifaunal organisms such as amphipods, habitat complexity mediates access to food, mate encounters, and refuge. This study investigates sex-related variation in body size and gnathopod 2 ratio (gnathopod 2 length/body length) in two amphipod species, Ampithoe ramondi and Caprella acanthifera, across four benthic habitats: rhodolith beds, macroalgae-dominated reefs, seagrass meadows, and black coral forests. A. ramondi occurred in all habitats except black coral forests, with males larger than females only in macroalgae-dominated reefs and exhibiting higher gnathopod ratios, increasing across macroalgae-dominated reefs, seagrass meadows and rhodolith beds. C. acanthifera was found in macroalgae-dominated reefs and black coral forests, with males larger on average but no significant habitat-related variation in dimorphism. These results indicate that sexual dimorphism patterns are species-specific, shaped by habitat-specific ecological pressures and life-history strategies. Expanding such analyses to more taxa and with balanced sampling across habitats and environmental gradients will offer deeper insight into how natural and sexual selection interact and inform how these dynamics may shift under changing climate regimes. Full article
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