Marine caves are considered biodiversity hotspots and serve as refuge habitats for both endemic and non-endemic species. Due to their low resilience, this habitat is considered vulnerable and is included as a key habitat in the European Union’s (EU) Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). Recreational diving has been identified as a significant threat to this habitat, causing sediment resuspension, destruction of epibenthic organisms...

The invasive brown alga Rugulopteryx okamurae (Ochrophyta) has undergone a rapid expansion in the Strait of Gibraltar sinceits introduction in 2015, significantly altering coastal habitats. This study focused on analyzing the composition and structure of epifaunal bryozoan assemblages associated with R. okamurae populations on infralittoral rocky bottoms in the Strait of Gibraltar and adjacent areas (southern Spain). Seven sam...

The bearded fireworm Hermodice carunculata is a thermophilic polychaeta typically inhabiting the warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the southern Mediterranean Sea. Over the past few years, sightings of this species have become more frequent at higher latitudes along the western Mediterranean (WM) basin, raising concerns about the potential expansion of its distribution range. Here, we present new records of H. carunculata...

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are globally important environmental management tools that provide protection from the effects of human exploitation and activities, supporting the conservation of marine biological diversity, habitats, ecosystems and the processes they host, as well as resources in a broad sense. Consequently, they are also expected to manage and enhance marine ecosystem services and material, non-material, consu...

Determining the drivers of key ecological processes of commercial marine species is important to acquire basic and essential knowledge for fisheries management and conservation. Here we report on a long‐term monitoring of the settlement of the European spiny lobster, Palinurus elephas , the most commercially important spiny lobster species in the Mediterranean and north‐eastern Atlantic. Densities of recently settled individua...