Surface integrity could limit the potential of concrete as a bio-enhanced material in the marine environment.

Coastal sprawl is among the main drivers of global degradation of shallow marine ecosystems. Among artificial substrates, quarry rock can have faster recruitment of benthic organisms compared to traditional concrete, which is more versatile for construction. However, the factors driving these differences are poorly understood.

Buoys are non-indigenous fouling hotspots in marinas regardless of their environmental status and pressure.

Marinas contribute to the degradation of coastal ecosystems, constitute non-indigenous species (NIS) hotspots and function as steppingstones in invasion processes. These often enclose highly modified water bodies that promote the concentration of pollutants and propagules, favoring NIS abundance. In these habitats, floating structures are often the most invaded by fouling NIS.

Location and building material determine fouling assemblages within marinas: A case study in Madeira Island (NE Atlantic, Portugal).

Marinas are hubs for non-indigenous species (NIS) and constitute the nodes of a network of highly modified water bodies (HMWB) connected by recreational maritime traffic. Floating structures, such as pontoons, are often the surfaces with higher NIS abundance inside marinas and lead the risk for NIS introduction, establishment and spread. However, there is still little information on how the location within the marina and the substratum type can influence the recruitment of fouling assemblages depending on water parameters and substratum chemical composition.

Trace element bioaccumulation in the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa from a polluted coastal lagoon: Biomonitoring implications.

This is the first investigation of the potential for using Cymodocea nodosa to biomonitor trace element (TE) contamination in Marchica lagoon (Morocco), a Mediterranean pollution hotspot. We measured concentrations of seven TEs in seagrass tissues (leaf-rhizome-root) and sediments. Single and multi-element indices confirmed that sediments near illegal discharges were heavily polluted and we predicted risks of frequent adverse biological effects in these areas.

Detect coastal disturbances and climate change effects in coralligenous community through sentinel stations.

This study was implemented to assess the Sessile Bioindicators in Permanent Quadrats (SBPQ) underwater environmental alert method. The SBPQ is a non-invasive and low-cost protocol; it uses sessile target species (indicators) to detect environmental alterations (natural or anthropic) at either the local or global (i.e.

Subcellular evidences of redox imbalance in well-established populations of an endangered limpet. Reasons for alarm?

Intertidal species are more vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances than others inhabiting subtidal and offshore habitats. Coastal development frequently results in trace-metal pollution. For endangered species such as Patella ferruginea it can be a high risk that leads local populations to extinction.

Patterns of spatial genetic structuring in the endangered limpet Patella ferruginea: implications for the conservation of a Mediterranean endemic.

Patella ferruginea Gmelin, 1791 is an endangered marine gastropod endemic to the Western Mediterranean. Its range is restricted to the Sardinian-Corsican region (SCR), North Africa, a few scattered sites in Southern Spain, and Sicily. Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers and three different mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) regions, Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit I, 12S (small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene) and 16S (large-subunit ribosomal RNA gene), were used to investigate the presence of genetic population structuring.