The increasing commercial value of holothurians has triggered considerable scientific interest. The aim of the study was to investigate Holothuria (Roweothuria) poli populations and sediment characteristics in two contrasting coastal areas in the same geographic region. The first (S1) consists of an exposed sandy, low organic material and well-oxygenated seabed. The other (S2) is sheltered, with a silty sediment, high labile o...

Low dissolved oxygen (LO) conditions represent a major environmental challenge to marine life, especially benthic animals. For these organisms, drastic declines in oxygen availability (hypoxic events) can trigger mass mortality events and thus, act as agents of selection influencing the evolution of adaptations. In sea cucumbers, one of the most successful groups of benthic invertebrates, the exposure to hypoxic conditions tri...