Scientific information on the biodiversity of marine caves in the eastern Mediterranean is limited, especially when considering the extensively studied caves of the north-western and central Mediterranean. Aiming to enhance current knowledge regarding cave communities, this study represents a first assessment of the marine cave biota of the eastern Mediterranean, as this has been defined by the European Union’s Marine Strategy...

According to reports, the following 16 species have extended their distribution to other Mediterranean areas or have made a new appearance in other regions. The first category includes the following organisms: The rare and common Indo-Pacific seaweed Codium arabicum (Lebanese coasts), the acari Thalassarachna affinis (Marmara Sea), and the non-indigenous nudibranch Flabellina rubrolineata, which has also been found in many oth...

Recognising the need for data gathering at taxon level besides the taxa of commercial interest and those listed as endangered in the Protocol of the Barcelona Convention, but still exploited by Man, the present study attempts to gather and review the available scientific information on molluscs of minor commercial importance in order to assist in the adequate management and protection of their populations. Forty one species (1...

The paper summarises the available information on the main biological components – phytoplankton, zooplankton, phytobenthos, zoobenthos and fish – of Greek lagoonal ecosystems. Meiobenthos was also studied in one of the lagoons. All components show great variability both in space and time, which is attributed to the variability of environmental conditions. The most important variable influencing species distribution and divers...

This review attempts to estimate the biodiversity of the macrobenthic communities that develop on hard bottoms in the Aegean Sea. Literature analysis revealed that 1,171 species inhabit the hard substrate communities, constituting 20.9% of the total Mediterranean species. The hierarchical cluster analysis of the available data identified five major types: (1) the supralittoral communities, (2) the midlittoral communities, (3)...