Marine turtles as bio-indicators of plastic pollution in the eastern Mediterranean.

The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) has been suggested as a bio-indicator species for plastic pollution. However, detailed investigations in the eastern Mediterranean are limited. Here, we present data from loggerhead turtles (2012-2022; n = 131) of which 42.

Metal accumulation in juvenile and sub-adult loggerhead and green turtles in northern Cyprus.

Sea turtles are considered pollution bioindicators due to their tendency to accumulate high metal levels in their tissues during their long lifespans. In this context, we aimed to analyse the concentrations of 12 elements in liver, kidney, heart and muscle samples from green turtles (Chelonia mydas; n = 41) and loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta; n = 14) found stranded in Northern Cyprus. The samples were collected between 2019 and 2021, stored in sterile Eppendorf tubes at -20 °C until metal analysis, and analysed with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer.

DNA Taxonomy Confirms the Identity of the Widely-Disjunct Mediterranean and Atlantic Populations of the Tufted Ghost Crab (Crustacea: Decapoda: Ocypodidae).

The distribution area of the tufted ghost crab includes two widely separate sub-areas, i.e. the tropical and subtropical Atlantic coasts of Africa and Macaronesia, and the central-eastern Mediterranean basin.

Conflict between Dolphins and a Data-Scarce Fishery of the European Union.

Fisheries depredation by marine mammals is an economic concern worldwide. We combined questionnaires, acoustic monitoring, and participatory experiments to investigate the occurrence of bottlenose dolphins in the fisheries of Northern Cyprus, and the extent of their conflict with set-nets, an economically important metier of Mediterranean fisheries. Dolphins were present in fishing grounds throughout the year and were detected at 28% of sets.

Correction: A massive update of non-indigenous species records in Mediterranean marinas.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3954.

A massive update of non-indigenous species records in Mediterranean marinas.

The Mediterranean Sea is home to over 2/3 of the world's charter boat traffic and hosts an estimated 1.5 million recreational boats. Studies elsewhere have demonstrated marinas as important hubs for the stepping-stone transfer of non-indigenous species (NIS), but these unique anthropogenic, and typically artificial habitats have largely gone overlooked in the Mediterranean as sources of NIS hot-spots.