Small-scale fisheries are vital to coastal communities, providing food security, economic livelihoods, and cultural continuity, yet operational inefficiencies often result in elevated bycatch with negative consequences for marine biodiversity. Addressing this challenge requires understanding the conditions under which target catches are maximized while explicitly considering the trade-offs for non-target species. Here, we used...

Artificial reefs are widely deployed to mitigate natural reef degradation, yet their capacity to replicate the functional structure of natural reefs remains poorly understood. Using long-term underwater visual census data (2016–2024) from Madeira and Porto Santo Islands (NE Atlantic), we compared reef fish assemblages on shipwreck artificial reefs and natural rocky reefs through a functional trait–based framework. We quantifie...

Tide pools are dynamic intertidal habitats that have attracted sustained scientific attention due to their ecological complexity and accessibility as natural study systems. This study provides a quantitative bibliometric analysis of tide pool research conducted between 1934 and 2023. We compiled a global database of 249 publications to examine temporal trends, thematic focus, geographic distribution, and research structure wit...

Limpet harvesting is a size‐selective activity that primarily removes the largest individuals, leading to reduced reproductive output. This study investigates the fecundity strategies of two limpet species, Patella aspera and Patella crenata , inhabiting the rocky shores of Gran Canaria. Between September 2023 and April 2024, a total of 288 P. aspera and 364 P. crenata specimens were sampled from four coastal settlements. Both...

Introduction Artificial substrates are increasingly employed in marine ecosystems to support benthic communities by providing habitat and enhancing biodiversity, particularly in areas where natural substrates are limited. Understanding the ecological role of these structures is essential for conservation and management, especially in regions undergoing industrial development, such as offshore oil and gas areas. Materials and m...

Global change has profound effects on marine species, communities, and ecosystems. Among these impacts, small pelagics have emerged as valuable indicators for detecting regime shifts in fish stocks. They exhibit swift responses to changes in ocean variables, including decreased abundances, accelerated juvenile growth rates, early maturation, and reduced adult sizes in warm waters. However, each pelagic species occupies a uniqu...

Free‐living marine nematodes play crucial roles in the benthic ecosystem and serve as valuable bioindicators for monitoring environmental stress. We explore the community structure of free‐living marine nematodes in the beach ecosystem near Bandar Abbas port city of Iran. The research focused on assessing the impact of domestic and industrial influences during winter and summer seasons in 2018 and 2019. Three coastal locations...

There is an apparent contradiction between the sedentary lifestyle and direct development of meiofaunal organisms and their widely observed distribution. This study is situated within the theoretical framework of ecological connectivity, metacommunities, and the impact of substrate type, particularly in the unique context of oceanic islands, offering a crucial perspective to unravel the complexities of meiofaunal dispersal and...

Ocean sprawl has become increasingly prevalent in marine environments. Artificial substrates, notably floating structures like buoys, have gained significant attention in recent years. They serve as valuable models for future studies aimed at understanding and mitigating the impacts of anthropogenic activities on marine ecosystems. We studied the epifauna from buoys at six different locations on the northern and southern coast...

Gonadal development in limpets is well-known. However, the integration of fecundity data on coastal management actions remains overlooked. Here, we use fecundity of two exploited limpets ( Patella ordinaria and P. aspera ) to demonstrate its potential as a conservation tool to preserve the harvested populations of both species. From October 2021 to June 2022, 158 females of P. ordinaria and 70 of P. aspera were collected from...

Most of the marine bivalve production comes from aquaculture and only 11% comes from the wild fishery. For example, mussel aquaculture still strongly relies on spat - the recently settled juveniles. Gaps of information on the recruitment and settlement of spat are important drawbacks for the development of mussel aquaculture in several geographic regions. We here study these processes using three collectors (Anchovy mesh, Rope...