Marine Resources Dynamics Under Global Change

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 1184

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Interests: coastal fisheries and climate changes; fisheries ecology; marine biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Interests: marine ecology; food webs; climate warming
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine ecosystems provide humanity with an array of invaluable goods and services. Foreseeing how these environments, alongside climate shifts, influence marine systems stands as a paramount scientific challenge in the forthcoming decades. Across millions of years, species have honed their resilience to environmental fluctuations, exhibiting an innate capacity to adapt to the ever-shifting natural conditions. While global projections offer insights into various facets of climate change within marine realms—such as sea surface temperature (SST) and pH levels—understanding their localized impacts remains elusive due to the nuanced nature of these processes, which vary across regions and societies.

Undoubtedly, evidence indicates that climate change can exert long-term, extensive effects on marine systems, yet it would be erroneous to downplay the critical impacts of fishing for instance. A comprehensive understanding of how marine communities, alongside the abiotic environment, evolve and the subsequent vulnerability they face demands the amalgamation of natural and socio-economic scientific inquiry.

Potential research avenues include investigations into the influence of climate change on the distribution and productivity of marine species, the susceptibility of marine habitats, experimental works, and the formulation of management strategies for exploited marine communities amidst changing climatic conditions. Moreover, we encourage submissions addressing multifaceted issues concerning food security, income sustainability, and the ecologically sound development of the fisheries sector. Topics spanning the impact of climate change on socioeconomic systems are also within the scope of our interests.

We invite submissions encompassing reviews, syntheses, viewpoints, meta-analyses, and original research pertinent to environmental studies, ecology, biology, fisheries science, policy analysis, human development, and economic studies, irrespective of geographical boundaries.

Dr. Francisco Leitão
Dr. Catarina Vinagre
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • climate change
  • environmental variability
  • marine coastal systems
  • marine communities
  • fishery resources
  • species resilience
  • impact of extreme climatic events

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 637 KiB  
Article
Blackfordia virginica in Non-Native Distribution Range: A Potential Food Source for Humans?
by Mariana Cruz, Ester Dias, Luísa Custódio, João Encarnação, Joana Cruz, Vânia Baptista and Maria Alexandra Teodósio
Diversity 2024, 16(12), 729; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16120729 - 28 Nov 2024
Viewed by 568
Abstract
The seasonal occurrence of the Black Sea jellyfish Blackfordia virginica Mayer, 1910 blooms is a reason of concern in the Guadiana estuary in the South of Portugal (South-West Europe), causing considerable economic and ecological impacts to fisheries. Due to jellyfish biochemical properties, they [...] Read more.
The seasonal occurrence of the Black Sea jellyfish Blackfordia virginica Mayer, 1910 blooms is a reason of concern in the Guadiana estuary in the South of Portugal (South-West Europe), causing considerable economic and ecological impacts to fisheries. Due to jellyfish biochemical properties, they may represent an opportunity as an alternative food source for humans. In this context, this work evaluated the nutritional profile of B. virginica (proximate composition, amino acids, minerals, and fatty acids methyl ester content). Blackfordia virginica biomass may be adequate for human consumption, as it has nutritional properties resembling other edible jellyfish species, with relevant levels of minerals, moderate content in crude protein, low-fat content, and a low energetic value. The high Cd levels in the biomass of B. virginica from the Guadiana Estuary may compromise its safety as a food source. Moreover, if these jellyfishes are proven as an edible invasive species, their management through fisheries should evaluate the cost effectiveness of investments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Resources Dynamics Under Global Change)
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14 pages, 1052 KiB  
Article
Temperature Effects on Growth Performance, Fecundity and Survival of Hippocampus guttulatus
by Jorge Palma, Miguel Correia, Francisco Leitão and José Pedro Andrade
Diversity 2024, 16(12), 719; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16120719 - 25 Nov 2024
Viewed by 390
Abstract
This experiment aimed to determine the temperature limits beyond which seahorse growth and reproduction become suboptimal due to climate change. Four temperatures (16, 20, 24, and 28 °C) were tested to evaluate their effect on juvenile (1–56 days post-parturition (DPP)) and adult (one [...] Read more.
This experiment aimed to determine the temperature limits beyond which seahorse growth and reproduction become suboptimal due to climate change. Four temperatures (16, 20, 24, and 28 °C) were tested to evaluate their effect on juvenile (1–56 days post-parturition (DPP)) and adult (one year old) long-snout seahorses, Hippocampus guttulatus. Additionally, the reproductive performance of adults was observed. Another experiment measured oxygen consumption (MO2) in the same age groups and temperatures. Adults showed significantly higher growth rates at 20 and 24 °C compared to 16 and 28 °C. Adult mortality rates were 0%, 0%, 6.2%, and 62.5% at the respective temperatures. Juvenile growth performance was higher at 20 °C and 24 °C but significantly lower at 16 °C and null at 28 °C, with survival rates of 8%, 62%, 10%, and 0%, respectively. Oxygen consumption increased with temperature, ranging from 106.3 ± 3.1 to 203.3 ± 3.1 μmol O2/g BW/h at 16 °C, and from 127.6 ± 3.5 to 273.3 ± 3.1 μmol O2/g BW/h at 28 °C for adults and 1 DPP juveniles, respectively. The study highlights that juvenile and adult H. guttulatus have narrow thermal boundaries, beyond which reproduction, growth, and survival are seriously affected. Under climate change, the species appears unable to cope, potentially leading to their rapid disappearance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Resources Dynamics Under Global Change)
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