Search Results (132)

This study evaluates the potential health risks posed by geogenic arsenic in environments suitable for leisure activities, such as walking, bathing, and playing, for adults and children alike, as well as in neighbouring agricultural areas. The study includes an analysis of environmental characteristics and the main stream originating in the adjacent mining area, with water and sediment samples taken. The study area is representative of other areas in the vicinity of the Mar Menor Lagoon, which is one of the largest and most biodiverse coastal lagoons in the Mediterranean Sea. The general characteristics of the soil and water were determined for this study, as was the concentration of As in the soil and water samples. A granulometric separation was carried out into four different fractions (<2 mm, <250 µm, <100 µm, and <65 µm). The mineralogical composition, total As content, and bioaccessible As content are analysed in each of these fractions. This provides data with which to calculate the danger of arsenic (As) to human health by ingestion and to contribute to As bioaccessibility studies and the role played by the mineralogical composition and particle size of soil ingestion. The conclusions rule out residential use of this environment, although they allow for eventual tourist use and traditional agricultural use of the surrounding soils. Full article

Host genetic variability is relevant to understanding how parasites modulate natural selection in wild fish populations. Coastal lagoons are transitional ecosystems where knowledge lacks on relationships between genotypic diversity with parasitism. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of genetic diversity on host health and parasitological traits in fish inhabiting a Mediterranean lagoon. Black-striped pipefish Syngnathus abaster were collected in August 2023 and 2024 from the Mar Menor (Iberian lagoon, SE Spain). Genetic diversity was measured as Internal Relatedness (IR: a homozygosity index from microsatellite markers). Population frequency was lower for the medium IR level. For this same category, both health indices (external body condition and internal organs) indicated a worse status. Parasite prevalence, abundance and an index of life-cycle complexity (heteroxenous species) were greater for the medium level of genetic diversity. Such results are explained under a scenario of parasite-mediated disruptive selection: a higher disease pressure against the phenotypically intermediate individuals. Two contrasting strategies were detected to better control parasitism at the host genotypic level: (1) high homozygosity, and (2) high heterozygosity, which probably reflects better immuno-competence as a phenotypic trait. From an evolutionary perspective, parasites play a crucial role in shaping genetic diversity within host populations. Full article

This review addresses the critical conservation challenges faced by Pinna nobilis, the noble pen shell, a keystone umbrella species in Mediterranean marine ecosystems. Since 2016, the species has experienced catastrophic population declines due to mass mortality events likely driven by protozoan, bacterial, and viral infections. Despite these severe circumstances, small resilient populations persist in select estuaries and coastal lagoons across the Mediterranean, offering potential for recovery. We provide a comprehensive overview on research dedicated to Pinna nobilis’ biology, genetic variation, disease dynamics, and environmental factors influencing its survival, with a focus on refugia where populations still endure. Remarkably, recent studies have revealed signs of resistance in certain individuals and the potential for hybridisation with Pinna rudis. In this context, the possible impact of the increasing occurrence of hybridisation between Pinna nobilis and Pinna rudis on the conservation of their genetic diversity should be carefully considered. This review highlights the importance of ongoing conservation efforts including habitat restoration, protection of remaining populations, assessment of past and present genetic variability, and the development of captive breeding programmes. We aim to elucidate the need for continued studies on Pinna nobilis’ biodiversity, particularly its evolutionary dynamics, genetic makeup, and the interplay of environmental variables influencing its survival and persistence. Full article

Starting with the Remane diagram, various conceptual models have been proposed to show how species richness varies along a salinity gradient. However, as relatively few estuaries experience extreme hypersalinity, quantitative data are lacking to evaluate the model. We used data for 1891 samples of benthic macroinvertebrates from 12 estuaries in southwestern Australia (salinity 0–122 ppt) to determine the salinities in which 257 taxa were recorded. The pattern of richness differed from the conceptual models, with relatively few species (≤20%) recorded in freshwater and oligohaline salinities. Richness peaked at 35 ppt (seawater, 44%) before declining precipitously, with 21% and 10% of taxa recorded in hyperhaline salinities of 40 and 48 ppt, respectively. Taxa were recorded across the full salinity range, and several holohaline annelids, crustaceans, and insects were identified. Descriptive statistics and the frequency distribution of each taxon along the salinity gradient are provided. These identify stenohaline taxa and those with different extents of euryhalinity and how the occurrence of these taxa changes with salinity. The results help predict how benthic macroinvertebrate species and assemblages in estuaries in southwestern Australia and other Mediterranean climatic regions may shift due to climate change, particularly increased incidences and magnitude of hypersalinity. Full article

The blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 is native to the western coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Although its arrival to the Mediterranean was probably due to ballast water, this species has several characteristics that have enabled it to successfully invade countless localities in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Little is known about its feeding habits and ecosystem impacts in the Mediterranean basin. This study aimed to provide information on the natural diet of C. sapidus by comparing the stomach contents of specimens caught in different seasons and habitats of the SE Iberian Peninsula (hypersaline waters in Mar Menor Lagoon and brackish waters in Guardamar Bay). This study also tested whether gender influences prey selection and if ovigerous females exhibit limited feeding activity. Regarding the frequency of occurrence, the results indicated that in Mar Menor Lagoon the most frequently consumed prey were Crustacea (60%), followed by fish (57%) and Mollusca (29%), whilst in Guardamar Bay, Mollusca (40%), sediment (32%), algae (24%) and Crustacea (24%) were dominant. It has been determined that this species predates heavily on Mediterranean shrimp Penaeus kerathurus, an economically important shrimp species in the lagoon area. Analysis using a generalised linear model indicated that sex, season and size class were factors that significantly influenced the stomach content weight. Furthermore, non-ovigerous females had significantly fuller stomachs than ovigerous individuals. Since the population of Callinectes sapidus tends to increase in the Mediterranean basin, monitoring of its feeding ecology is recommended to determine its impact on the ecosystem. Full article

This study analyzes 1980–2020 landings data from three Mediterranean coastal lagoons—the Logarou and Rodia-Tsoukalio Lagoons (NW Greece) and the Mar Menor Lagoon (SE Spain)—to assess ecosystem changes and fishing pressure dynamics. The findings classify these systems as low-yielding, with productivity ranked as follows: Yield Logarou > Yield Rodia-Tsoukalio = Yield Mar Menor. Mean trophic level analysis (mTrL) revealed significant differences driven by the contribution of detritivorous and mid-level carnivorous species (TrL Mar Menor > TrL Rodia-Tsoukalio > TrL Logarou). The fishing pressure indices suggest reduced fishing intensity in the Greek lagoons, while in Mar Menor, a stable Fisheries in Balance (FiB) trend corresponded with stable yields despite eutrophication. Cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) linked ecosystem differences to sediment characteristics and changes in habitat structure. These results underscore a transition of Mediterranean coastal lagoons toward new ecological states, highlighting the urgent need for habitat conservation and adaptive management strategies to ensure sustainable fisheries under increasing environmental pressures. These findings may be extrapolated to similar transitional coastal ecosystems facing comparable anthropogenic stressors worldwide, providing a broader framework for understanding and managing lagoon systems under changing environmental conditions. Full article

This paper focuses on the challenges for the co-implementation of two European Union Directives, i.e., the Habitats Directive and the Water Framework Directive, for the management of Mediterranean coastal lagoons as protected areas. Many of these ecosystems are included in the Natura 2000 network, the largest network of protected areas in the world. Based on semi-structured interviews with 45 stakeholders from 41 institutions, the study identified five main types of perceived barriers: economic, political and socio-cultural, historical, administrative, and ecological. The study confirmed that the co-implementation of the Habitats Directive (HD) and the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Mediterranean coastal lagoons generated multiple and interrelated barriers. Beyond their regulatory complexity, these EU directives confronted managers with deep operational challenges. First, mismatches between administrative and ecological boundaries weakened their ability to control key ecological processes such as nutrient flows. Second, the proliferation of indicators, often perceived as disconnected from local realities, reinforced the critique of a management by numbers approach. Finally, the widespread use of regulatory exemptions, while intended to adapt EU rules to local contexts, frequently fueled persistent mistrust among stakeholders, especially in historically degraded environments. These challenges were further exacerbated by a siloed organization of administrations, limiting coordination and adaptive management. Overall, these findings call for more integrated governance frameworks, a more critical and context-sensitive use of indicators, and greater transparency in derogation procedures. Full article

The noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) is a key bivalve species found in the Mediterranean that has suffered dramatic declines due to mass mortality events (MMEs) caused by pathogens like Haplosporidium pinnae. This study looks at the historical population structure of P. nobilis in Malo jezero, a coastal lagoon in Mljet National Park, Croatia, using data collected before the MME. During a field survey in 2018, data on the population density, size, and age of 3800 individuals, using a grid-based transect method, were collected. The population density ranged from 7.50 to 55.83 individuals per 100 m², with an average of 25.42 individuals per 100 m², over 11 520 m², reflecting a high abundance compared to other populations. All individuals were mature, with no juveniles or signs of recent recruitment. The estimated ages ranged from 8.00 to 44.34 years, with 20 individuals exceeding the expected maximum size. The population was comprised of older individuals, making it vulnerable to sudden events, due to a lack of younger individuals. The isolation of Malo jezero may limit larval exchange with other populations, contributing to recruitment challenges. This study provides important information for understanding P. nobilis populations and supports the potential of Malo jezero for future conservation and reintroduction efforts. Full article

Coastal lagoons are dynamic and highly productive systems that offer a remarkable number of ecological services and benefits for humans. However, our understanding of them is still far from adequate. The Mar Menor lagoon is an ecosystem subject to anthropogenic pressures that have worsened in recent years. These pressures include coastal works, such as dredging and sand dumping, as well as changes in agricultural regimes that have induced a process of eutrophication that set off alarms after the eutrophic crisis that occurred in 2016. Benthic organisms, and in particular mollusks, are very sensitive to environmental variations, often serving as indicators of these changes. This work analyzes the malacofauna of the Mar Menor from 1981 to 2019 in the context of the environmental changes that have occurred in it during these years. Eighty-six species have been recorded throughout our study period, and species richness, abundances, local assemblage structures, along with changes in the main environmental parameters of the water column (salinity, temperature, and chlorophyll a concentration) have been used to explain the composition of the communities of the main lagoon habitats and to detect their spatial and temporal variations. With the information provided, the complete inventory of mollusks reported in the lagoon has been updated to 126 species. The results indicate that, during these almost 40 years, the total number of species has remained relatively constant, but with a high percentage of occasional and very rare species, along with a high rate of change from one species to another over time, accompanied by variations in the abundance and dominance of some species compared to others depending on the environmental conditions and pressures that the lagoon has undergone. The high spatial and temporal heterogeneity detected is determined by the restricted connectivity with the open sea, the diversity of environments and habitats, and the changes in environmental conditions due to human actions. Full article

Agia Bay is located on the southeastern coast of Lemnos Island. The coastal area today is characterized by aeolian sandy deposits (dunes). The systematic investigation of a 15.5-m long sediment core from the coastal plain of Agia Bay aimed to shed light to the paleoenvironmental evolution of the area that prehistoric groups occupied. The exhaustive study of the faunal and floral remains of the deposits including benthic foraminifera, ostracods, mollusks, pollen, and dinoflagellate cysts as well as plant remains was further supported by sedimentological, micromorphological, and elemental analyses, magnetic susceptibility measurements, ERT, and absolute dating. Four main evolutionary stages have been identified since the Late Glacial. At the base of the sequence, the fluvial activity dominated the sedimentation in the area forming a small shallow wetland, while after 12,500 cal BP, a marine signal was observed at the wetland. At 7500 cal BP, the wetland increased in size and depth, whereas at 6000 up to 4000 cal BP, a connection of the wetland to the sea was established, and an inner lagoon formed. After 4000 cal BP, a nearshore environment developed due to the sea-level rise. Pollen assemblages record the occurrence of a mixed deciduous oak forest in the island interior around 6000 cal BP, while after 5000 cal BP, an expansion of Mediterranean vegetation, shaped by human activity, is inferred. Full article

The Mediterranean region is experiencing severe droughts and unprecedented high temperatures. In terms of salinity, about 18 million ha of land, or 25% of the total irrigated area in the Mediterranean, is salt affected. The use of halophytes as intercropping species to mitigate the effects of salt stress is attractive. Halophytes have a great capacity to maintain their productivity in this extreme environment, thus supporting climate-appropriate agriculture. The aim of this study was to evaluate the productivity of Salicornia europaea L. subsp. ramosissima (glasswort) under field conditions and high soil salinity, grown as a sole crop (monocropping) and as a companion crop (intercropping) with Beta vulgaris L. subsp. cicla (Swiss chard) in a 1:1 cropping pattern. The field trials were conducted in the coastal wetland “King’s Lagoon”, a private nature reserve in the Apulia/Puglia region (southern Italy), during two consecutive spring–summer seasons in 2023 and 2024 and under different management conditions of irrigation and fertilization. These were performed to test for possible interaction effects. The results showed that both glasswort and chard can be grown sustainably under slightly saline conditions (ECe range 4–8 dS m⁻¹). In contrast, strongly saline conditions (ECe > 16 dS m⁻¹) were prohibitive for chard, both as a sole crop and as an intercrop, but were largely beneficial for glasswort. Swiss chard can benefit from intercropping with glasswort when soil salinity is still tolerable (6.9 dS m⁻¹), showing an LER (Land Equivalent Ratio) ≥ 1.19. Meanwhile, glasswort did not significantly improve the growth of the companion crop (Swiss chard) when the soil was considerably saline (16.6 dS m⁻¹). Higher LER values were observed when the contribution of chard to the intercrop performance was significantly greater than that of glasswort, i.e., under slightly saline conditions. This means that glasswort can have a significant positive effect on chard growth and productivity as long as soil is still moderately saline. Glasswort can therefore be considered a valuable model crop in extreme environments. The integration of glasswort (possibly together with other local halophytes) into diversified cropping systems on saline marginal soils is a promising sustainable agricultural practice in environmentally fragile areas such as wetlands, swamps, brackish areas, and marshes. Full article

In the Mediterranean, urban and agricultural development has led to the degradation of coastal habitats and a decline in wetland biodiversity. L’Albufera de Valencia is a paradigmatic case-study, with intensive rice fields, scarcity of natural aquatic habitats, and an unfavorable conservation status. Since the 1990s, restoration efforts have been made in freshwater and brackish environments. In this study, long-, medium-, and short-term dynamics and ecological and functional traits were analyzed for waterbird communities. We found that restoration of these areas had facilitated the establishment of resilient communities with higher specialization and diversity than the rest of the protected area, including threatened species. Overall, restoration has improved population dynamics and ecological traits in L’Albufera compared to the surrounding hyper-eutrophic lagoon and rice fields. The findings reveal two complementary conservation paradoxes linked to ecological succession. Initial dynamics affected small, pioneer species of high conservation value, while larger species of conservation concern displaced them over time. Dynamics were influenced by body mass, with less competition in freshwater species. Notably, large waders and vegetation gleaners nesting in restored freshwater wetlands exhibited greater sensitivity to ecological succession, reversing regional declines. These paradoxes highlight the importance of increasing restoration efforts in various stages of succession to meet the ecological needs of threatened species. Full article

The fishery biology of the invasive Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus in the Mediterranean Sea outside the eastern sectors of the basin has been only recently investigated. Here we studied the population of C. sapidus in the Lesina Lagoon (Adriatic Sea, SE Italy). In total, 838 crabs were captured monthly between February 2021 and January 2022 using fyke nets. Abundances varied seasonally with catches per unit effort ranging between 0 and 1.76 crabs fyke nets⁻¹ d⁻¹ in winter and summer. Spatial abundances estimated in summer by a Carle–Strub procedure ranged between 0.06 and 0.64 crabs m⁻². The sex ratio (♂/♀) was close to 1:1; males prevailed only in August and September; ovigerous females occurred from April to August. The males’ size at morphological maturity was smaller than females (110.6–112.3 mm vs. 122.1–123.1 mm). Seasonal von Bertalanffy growth parameters indicated that, compared with males, females showed a shorter maximum lifespan (5 vs. 8 years), a higher growth coefficient K (0.6 vs. 0.4 y⁻¹) and growth performance index Ф’ (4.6 vs. 4.3), while maximum sizes CW∞ (237.8 vs. 232.6 mm) and seasonality indices C (0.62 vs. 0.57) were similar. Furthermore, females showed higher natural and fishing mortalities and exploitation rate. We discussed the results of the present study in the context of the available literature to provide a valuable basis for the implementation of standardized Mediterranean-scale management plans, matching exploitation of C. sapidus with sustainable conservation of coastal ecosystems. Full article

Background/Objectives: Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), extensively studied in terrestrial plants with global emissions around 1 PgC yr⁻¹, are also produced by marine organisms. However, benthic species, especially seagrasses, are understudied despite their global distribution (177,000–600,000 km²). This study aims to examine BVOC emissions from key Mediterranean seagrass species (Cymodocea nodosa, Posidonia oceanica, Zostera noltei, and Zostera marina) in marine and coastal lagoon environments. Methods: BVOCs were collected using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) using divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/CAR/PDMS) fibers and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: An important chemical diversity was found with a total of 92 volatile compounds (61 for Z. noltei, 59 for C. nodosa, 55 for P. oceanica, and 51 for Z. marina), from different biosynthetic pathways (e.g., terpenoids, benzenoids, and fatty acid derivatives) and with several types of chemical functions (e.g., alkanes, esters, aldehydes, and ketones) or heteroatoms (e.g., sulfur). No differences in chemical richness or diversity of compounds were observed between species. The four species shared 29 compounds enabling us to establish a specific chemical footprint for Mediterranean marine plants, including compounds like benzaldehyde, benzeneacetaldehyde, 8-heptadecene, heneicosane, heptadecane, nonadecane, octadecane, pentadecane, tetradecane, and tridecanal. PLS-DA and Heatmap show that the four species presented significantly different chemical profiles. The major compounds per species in relative abundance were isopropyl myristate for C. nodosa (25.6%), DMS for P. oceanica (39.3%), pentadecane for Z. marina (42.9%), and heptadecane for Z. noltei (46%). Conclusions: These results highlight the potential of BVOCs’ emission from seagrass ecosystems and reveal species-specific chemical markers. Full article

Social-Ecological Systems (SESs) are systems with close linkage between nature and societies. Coastal lagoons are SESs crucial for the ecosystem services (ESs) provided, especially in the Mediterranean Basin, facing threats from anthropogenic activities and climate change. Management strategies focusing solely on ecological elements’ improvement have not yielded the desired outcomes, as they often neglect the needs and perspectives of stakeholders. Participatory approaches promote engagement and awareness to develop sustainable and effective management strategies. Aiming to contribute to the preservation and sustainable management of the Nestos Delta coastal lagoons, a Natura 2000 site in Greece, this study explores the application of intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFS) to capture the inherent uncertainty in stakeholder opinions against complex environmental challenges. Through this participatory approach, stakeholder perspectives were assessed and quantified to rank management alternatives. Ecological health and economic values were prioritized, endorsing the adoption of natural and soft interventions; conflicts and a knowledge gap regarding non-provisioning ESs were revealed, highlighting the necessity of inclusive consultation processes. This approach offers the potential to facilitate consensus-building and enhance the legitimacy of coastal lagoon management decisions. Full article