Effects of biodegradable microplastics on the crustacean isopod Idotea balthica basteri Audouin, 1826.

Plastic pollution is a notable environmental issue, being plastic widespread and characterized by long lifetime. Serious environmental problems are caused by the improper management of plastic end-of-life. In fact, plastic litter is currently detected in any environment.

Long-term response of Dictyota dichotoma var. intricata (C. Agardh) Greville (Phaeophyceae) to ocean acidification: Insights from high pCO vents.

The ocean acidification may severely affect macroalgal communities of the shallowest coastal habitats where they play relevant structural and functional roles. In this paper were investigated the physiological traits of two populations of Dictyota dichotoma var. intricata, living at two different pH for several generations to assess the reasons of the algae reduced abundance at current (8.

Photosynthesis and mineralogy of Jania rubens at low pH/high pCO: A future perspective.

Corallinales (Rhodophyta) are high Mg-calcite macroalgae and are considered among the most vulnerable organisms to ocean acidification (OA). These sensitive species play fundamental roles in coastal systems as food source and settlement promoters as well as being involved in reef stabilization, and water carbonate balance. At present only a few studies are focused on erect calcifying macroalgae under low pH/high pCO and the contrasting results make difficult to predict the ecological consequences of the OA on the coralline algae.

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.

Carbon and nitrogen allocation strategy in Posidonia oceanica is altered by seawater acidification.

Rising atmospheric CO causes ocean acidification that represents one of the major ecological threats for marine biota. We tested the hypothesis that long-term exposure to increased CO level and acidification in a natural CO vent system alters carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) metabolism in Posidonia oceanica L. (Delile), affecting its resilience, or capability to restore the physiological homeostasis, and the nutritional quality of organic matter available for grazers.

Physiological and Biochemical Analyses Shed Light on the Response of to Ocean Acidification at Different Time Scales.

Studies regarding macroalgal responses to ocean acidification (OA) are mostly limited to short-term experiments in controlled conditions, which hamper the possibility to scale up the observations to long-term effects in the natural environment. To gain a broader perspective, we utilized volcanic CO vents as a "natural laboratory" to study OA effects on at different time scales. We measured photosynthetic rates, oxidative stress levels, antioxidant contents, antioxidant enzyme activities, and activities of oxidative metabolic enzymes in growing at a natural acidified site (pH 6.

Physiological responses of a population of Sargassum vulgare (Phaeophyceae) to high pCO/low pH: implications for its long-term distribution.

Ocean Acidification (OA) is likely to affect macroalgal diversity in the future with species-specific responses shaping macroalgal communities. In this framework, it is important to focus research on the photosynthetic response of habitat-forming species which have an important structural and functional role in coastal ecosystems. Most of the studies on the impacts of OA involve short-term laboratory or micro/mesocosm experiments.

Metabolic responses to high CO conditions at a CO vent site in juveniles of a marine isopod species assemblage.

We are starting to understand the relationship between metabolic rate responses and species' ability to respond to exposure to high CO. However, most of our knowledge has come from investigations of single species. The examination of metabolic responses of closely related species with differing distributions around natural elevated CO areas may be useful to inform our understanding of their adaptive significance.

Chemoreception of the Seagrass Posidonia Oceanica by Benthic Invertebrates is Altered by Seawater Acidification.

Several plants and invertebrates interact and communicate by means of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds may play the role of infochemicals, being able to carry complex information to selected species, thus mediating inter- or intra-specific communications. Volatile organic compounds derived from the wounding of marine diatoms, for example, carry information for several benthic and planktonic invertebrates.

The non-indigenous Paranthura japonica Richardson, 1909 (Isopoda: Anthuroidea: Paranthuridae) from the Mar Piccolo lagoon, Taranto (Italy, Mediterranean Sea).

Several individuals of Paranthura japonica, a non-indigenous isopod species, recently recorded on Italian coasts, have been collected from the Mar Piccolo basin, Taranto (Italy). This finding extends the distributional range of the species southwards in the Mediterranean, including a semi-enclosed coastal basin, which is considered the second Italian hotspot for the introduction of alien species. The characteristics of the place reinforce the hypothesis that its introduction is linked to shellfish trade and farming.

Occurrence of mucous aggregates and their impact on Posidonia oceanica beds.

Mucous macro-aggregates of both pelagic and benthic origin are recurrently observed in the meadows formed by the seagrass Posidonia oceanica around the island of Ischia (Gulf of Naples, Italy). In the past two decades, major events occurred in 1991, 1993 and 2000, when a thick layer of mucilage covered vast areas of the meadows. To investigate the environmental triggers for mucilage formation and the effects of macro-aggregates on the functional and structural status of P.