Assessment of Human Health Impacts from Invasive Pufferfish (Attacks, Poisonings and Fatalities) across the Eastern Mediterranean.

The silver-cheeked toadfish (Gmelin 1789), and to a lesser degree the orange spotted toadfish (Bleeker, 1852), pose threats to human health from physical attacks and poisonings in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. This study reviewed human health-related impacts resulting from these pufferfish, compiling and assessing records from online sources, the peer-reviewed literature, medical records, personal interviews, and observations across the Eastern Mediterranean in the years 2004 to 2023. A total of 198 events impacting human health were documented: 28 records of physical attacks, at least 144 non-lethal poisoning episodes, and 27 human fatalities resulting from consumption.

Decoding the spread of non-indigenous fishes in the Mediterranean Sea.

The ocean is dynamically changing due to the influence of climate processes and human activities. The construction of the Suez Canal in the late nineteenth century opened the Pandora's box by facilitating the dispersal of Red Sea species in the Mediterranean Sea. In this study, we developed an open-source spatio-temporal numerical analysis framework to decodify the complex spread of Mediterranean non-indigenous fish species (NIS) that entered through the Suez Canal.

Can Biological Traits Serve as Predictors for Fishes' Introductions, Establishment, and Interactions? The Mediterranean Sea as a Case Study.

The Mediterranean Sea (MED) is prone to species' introductions, induced by human activities and/or climate change. Recent studies focus on the biological traits that result in such introductions, yet on a single-area-type approach. Here, we used, analyzed, and compared biological traits derived from FishBase for MED, non-indigenous (NIS) and neonative (NEO) in the Mediterranean, and adjacent Atlantic (ATL) and Red Sea (RS) species.

The response of meiobenthinc sediment-dwelling nematodes to pyrene: Results from open microcosms, toxicokinetics and in silico molecular interactions.

An experiment conducted with 'open microcosm' made by connected sedimentary compartments with different qualities was for 30 days to evaluate the migratory behaviour of nematodes as induced by exposure to pyrene. The nematofauna was collected along with sediment from a reference site in Bizerte lagoon. Following one week acclimatization period, the populated sediments were topped with azoic sediments, with a pyrene concentration of 150 μg kg.

Molecular interactions of polyvinyl chloride microplastics and beta-blockers (Diltiazem and Bisoprolol) and their effects on marine meiofauna: Combined in vivo and modeling study.

The ecotoxicological effects of beta-blockers (i.e. Diltiazem and Bisoprolol) and their interactions with the microplastic polyvinyl chloride on marine meiofauna were tested in laboratory microcosms.

Multi-biomarker approach in Mytilus galloprovincialis and Ruditapes decussatus as a predictor of pelago-benthic responses after exposure to Benzo[a]Pyrene.

This study evaluated the biomarker responses indicative of exposure to Benzo[a] Pyrene (B[a]P) in Mytilus galloprovincialis and Ruditapes decussatus. A significant increase of the total oxyradical scavenging capacity (TOSC) was observed after seven days of exposure to two concentrations of B[a]P (100 and 300 μg.L), in the digestive gland with the lowest concentration tested.

Toxicity of hydroxychloroquine, a potential treatment for COVID-19, on free-living marine nematodes.

On March 2020, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was recommended as a treatment for COVID-19 high risk patients. Following the massive and widespread use of HCQ worldwide, a discernible high quantity is anticipated to end-up through the sewage systems in marine coastal areas. A closed microcosm study was undertaken herein for 30 days where meiobenthic nematodes were exposed to a range of HCQ concentrations (3.

Nematode traits after separate and simultaneous exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (anthracene, pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene) in closed and open microcosms.

The majority of experimental studies carried out to date, regarding the effects of pollutants on meiofauna have been conducted by means of closed systems, and rarely using open ones. The current work explored the impact of three Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), anthracene, pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene, applied alone or combined, on meiobenthic nematodes using both systems. The results revealed that single PAHs impacted the nematofauna similarly in closed or open systems with a higher toxicity observed for benzo[a]pyrene.

Spatial fishing restrictions benefit demersal stocks in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea.

The multi-level benefits that marine organisms gain when protected from fishing are well acknowledged. Here, we investigated the effects of a 40-year trawling ban on the status of targeted and non-targeted marine species within a major fishing ground in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea (Thermaikos Gulf, Aegean Sea). Biomass and somatic length of fish and invertebrates (six commercial and three non-commercial demersal species) were measured in three areas of varying fishing pressure, depending on the temporal and spatial operational regimes of fishing vessels.