Urban soil pollution with Potentially Toxic Elements is a serious problem around the world. In this context, three urban settlements and the area around an industrial site in Central Greece were examined for soil enrichment with the PTEs As, Cr, Co, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn. The risk to humans was also quantified. Furthermore, possible correlations between PTEs presence were sought. Evaluation of PTE pollution was calcula...

The Atlantic pearl oyster, Pinctada radiata (Leach, 1814), is an Indo-Pacific bivalve of the subtidal zone that has colonized habitats all over the Mediterranean. There is a lack of detailed information on the reproductive activity of P. radiata in Hellenic waters, especially following the recent amendment of national legislation aiming to regulate the fishery and prevent illegal fishing and trafficking as a substitute for ind...

A fishery-independent survey with a commercial bottom otter trawl was conducted in the Pagasitikos Gulf, a semi-enclosed, trawl-restricted gulf in Greece. The study aimed to ecologically assess the fishery communities that are experiencing a decline in fishery landings. Twelve hauls of 30 min duration each were conducted in the eastern, western, and central parts of the gulf at depths between 62 and 97 m. In total, 57 species...

The black sea urchin (Arbacia lixula, Linnaeus, 1758) is a non-edible marine echinoderm of high ecological importance with the potential to affect marine ecological communities. A. lixula were sampled monthly for one year from the supralittoral fringe at two locations in the Pagasitikos Gulf, in the north-western Aegean Sea. Morphometric characteristics exhibited significant spatiotemporal variation. The population in closer p...

Caprella scaura is an invasive amphipod, native to the Indian Ocean, which has already spread to several regions of the world, including the Mediterranean Sea. The present study reports the first occurrence of the species on fish farms cages in Greece, in the Pagasitikos Gulf. Specimens were collected from colonies of the bryozoan Bugula neritina. Basic aspects of the population dynamics of the species, such as the population...