Evidence of oxidative stress in the soft coral Pinnigorgia flava (Nutting, 1910) exposed to secondary plastic nanofibers and related leachates.

Awareness of plastic pollution in marine habitats, such as coral reefs, has grown in recent years. Several studies have shown that tiny particles resulting from plastic breakdown, especially microplastics, can potentially harm corals. However, to date, there is very little evidence regarding the impact that nanoplastics (<1 μm) can have on the physiology and health of corals, particularly soft corals.

Pathology of tissue loss in three key gorgonian species in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Mediterranean is known for its marine biodiversity, especially gorgonian forests. Unfortunately, these are experiencing rapid declines due to climate change, manifested by repeated marine heat waves resulting in mass mortality events since the early 1990 s. To better understand why gorgonians are declining, more systematic approaches to investigate the exact causes are needed, and pathology may aid in this goal.

Haloarchaea as Promising Chassis to Green Chemistry.

Climate change and the scarcity of primary resources are driving the development of new, more renewable and environmentally friendly industrial processes. As part of this green chemistry approach, extremozymes (extreme microbial enzymes) can be used to replace all or part of the chemical synthesis stages of traditional industrial processes. At present, the production of these enzymes is limited by the cellular chassis available.