Frontiers in Marine Science最新文献

{"title":"Automated quantification of ecological interactions from video","authors":"Mariana Sadde, Benjamin T. Martin","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1694767","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1694767","url":null,"abstract":"Ecological interactions, such as predation, are fundamental events that underlie the flow and distribution of energy through food webs. Yet, directly measuring interaction rates in nature and how they vary across space and time remains a core challenge in ecology. To address this, we developed a machine learning pipeline that combines object detection, tracking, behavioral classification, and bias correction to quantify feeding rates of the planktivorous reef fish <jats:italic>Chromis multilineata in situ</jats:italic> . We show that the pipeline generates precise, unbiased estimates of planktivory at fine temporal and spatial scales, and use it to reveal how feeding rate changes in response to predator presence and proximity to refuge. While developed and tested in the context of planktivory, we expect this approach can be adapted to quantify a wider array of ecological interactions <jats:italic>in situ</jats:italic> .","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"55 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145986549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wave power extraction performance from Edinburgh Duck WEC integrated with floating breakwater","authors":"R.R. Vidyabhushan, Debabrata Karmakar","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1723929","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1723929","url":null,"abstract":"The performance of the Edinburgh Duck wave energy converter (ED-WEC) shows great potential when integrated with oceanic structures. In the present study, the wave energy extraction performance of an ED-WEC integrated with a box-type floating breakwater (FBW) is investigated based on small-amplitude wave theory, with the aim of harnessing maximum wave energy from the scattered and reflected waves in the presence of offshore structures. The scattered and reflected waves from marine structures approach the WEC, which, in turn, increases the wave power absorption of the WEC. The associated scattered and reflected waves for wave interactions with hybrid structures are studied, and the capture width ratio (CWR), wave power absorption, motion amplitude, and mean interaction factors of the ED–FBW hybrid system are discussed. The hydrodynamic coefficients play an important role in evaluating the CWR, wave power absorption, and mean interaction factor. The numerical results are analyzed for different structural and geometrical parameters, such as the width of the ED, the draft of the ED, the distance between the ED-WEC and the FBW, and the wave incident angle. Further, the numerical results obtained for the box-type FBW are compared with those for trapezoidal-type FBW, &lt;jats:inline-formula&gt; &lt;mml:math xmlns:mml=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" display=\"inline\"&gt; &lt;mml:mrow&gt; &lt;mml:mi&gt;π&lt;/mml:mi&gt; &lt;mml:mtext&gt;-type&lt;/mml:mtext&gt; &lt;/mml:mrow&gt; &lt;/mml:math&gt; &lt;/jats:inline-formula&gt; FBW, parabolic type FBW and semi-circular type FBW. The power absorbed &lt;jats:inline-formula&gt; &lt;mml:math xmlns:mml=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" display=\"inline\"&gt; &lt;mml:mrow&gt; &lt;mml:msub&gt; &lt;mml:mi&gt;P&lt;/mml:mi&gt; &lt;mml:mrow&gt; &lt;mml:mi&gt;a&lt;/mml:mi&gt; &lt;mml:mi&gt;b&lt;/mml:mi&gt; &lt;mml:mi&gt;s&lt;/mml:mi&gt; &lt;/mml:mrow&gt; &lt;/mml:msub&gt; &lt;/mml:mrow&gt; &lt;/mml:math&gt; &lt;/jats:inline-formula&gt; by the integrated ED-WEC is noted to increase in the narrow region of wave period. In addition, the increase in draft of the ED results in increase of submergence volume and variation in the hydrodynamic coefficients. In the case of an isolated system for deep water depth, the variation in CWR in &lt;jats:inline-formula&gt; &lt;mml:math xmlns:mml=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" display=\"inline\"&gt; &lt;mml:mrow&gt; &lt;mml:msub&gt; &lt;mml:mi&gt;ξ&lt;/mml:mi&gt; &lt;mml:mrow&gt; &lt;mml:mn&gt;33&lt;/mml:mn&gt; &lt;/mml:mrow&gt; &lt;/mml:msub&gt; &lt;/mml:mrow&gt; &lt;/mml:math&gt; &lt;/jats:inline-formula&gt; is observed to be within &lt;jats:inline-formula&gt; &lt;mml:math xmlns:mml=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" display=\"inline\"&gt; &lt;mml:mrow&gt; &lt;mml:mn&gt;4.16&lt;/mml:mn&gt; &lt;mml:mo&gt;%&lt;/mml:mo&gt; &lt;mml:mo&gt;&lt;&lt;/mml:mo&gt; &lt;mml:mi&gt;C&lt;/mml:mi&gt; &lt;mml:mi&gt;W&lt;/mml:mi&gt; &lt;mml:mi&gt;R&lt;/mml:mi&gt; &lt;mml:mo&gt;&lt;&lt;/mml:mo&gt; &lt;mml:mn&gt;31.25&lt;/mml:mn&gt; &lt;mml:mo&gt;%&lt;/mml:mo&gt; &lt;/mml:mrow&gt; &lt;/mml:math&gt; &lt;/jats:inline-formula&gt; while in &lt;jats:inline-formula&gt; &lt;mml:math xmlns:mml=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" display=\"inline\"&gt; &lt;mml:mrow&gt; &lt;mml:msub&gt; &lt;mml:mi&gt;ξ&lt;/mml:mi&gt; &lt;mml:mrow&gt; &lt;mml:mn&gt;44&lt;/mml:mn&gt; &lt;/mml:mrow&gt; &lt;/mml:msub&gt; &lt;/mml:mrow&gt; &lt;/mml:math&gt; &lt;/jats:inline-formula&gt; , it is &lt;jats:inli","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145986552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antibacterial activity and mechanism of sanguinarine against Vibrio parahaemolyticus","authors":"Lei Huang, Kuan Chu, Aqin Zheng, Xue Cai, Xialian Bu, Xianqi Peng, Jing Chen, Jiayun Yao","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1755289","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1755289","url":null,"abstract":"Sanguinarine (SE), a benzophenanthridine alkaloid derived from <jats:italic>Macleaya cordata</jats:italic> , represents a promising antibiotic alternative in aquaculture. However, its antibacterial mechanism against the economically important pathogen <jats:italic>Vibrio parahaemolyticus</jats:italic> remains poorly understood. This study investigated the antibacterial activity and mechanism of SE against <jats:italic>V. parahaemolyticus</jats:italic> through integrated phenotypic and transcriptomic approaches. <jats:italic>In vitro</jats:italic> assays showed that SE exhibited notable antibacterial activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 62.5 μg/mL. Phenotypic analyses revealed that SE disrupted cell membrane integrity of <jats:italic>V. parahaemolyticus</jats:italic> , as evidenced by ultrastructural damage and increased membrane permeability, and significantly inhibited biofilm formation and bacterial motility (swimming and swarming) at sub-inhibitory concentrations. In an <jats:italic>in vivo</jats:italic> challenge trial in <jats:italic>Macrobrachium rosenbergii</jats:italic> , dietary supplementation with SE (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg feed) significantly reduced bacterial load in the hepatopancreas and increased survival rates, while also mitigating hepatopancreas histopathological damage. Transcriptome analysis identified 1,657 differentially expressed genes, with significant downregulation of the two-component system and key metabolic pathways such as the citrate cycle (TCA), oxidative phosphorylation, and fatty acid degradation. These findings demonstrate that SE exerts antibacterial effects through multi-target mechanisms involving membrane disruption, virulence attenuation, and energy metabolism interference, highlighting its potential as a sustainable agent for controlling <jats:italic>V. parahaemolyticus</jats:italic> infections in aquaculture.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145986548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"They can’t stand the heat: marine heatwaves and bleaching impair stress responses and reproduction of a photosynthetic symbiont-bearing sea slug","authors":"Ruben X. G. Silva, Diana Madeira, Paulo Cartaxana, Ricardo Calado","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1719569","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1719569","url":null,"abstract":"Marine heatwaves (MHW) are intensifying, causing mass bleaching events in coral reefs. While their ecological and socioeconomic impacts are well documented, their cascading effects on specialized organisms remain understudied. Here, we investigate the impact that MHW and feeding on bleached prey have on a stenophagous tropical nudibranch, <jats:italic>Berghia stephanieae</jats:italic> , by analyzing its survival, reproduction, cellular stress response (CSR) and the photosynthetic activity of its endosymbionts. Thermal stress significantly reduced the number of eggs laid by <jats:italic>B. stephanieae</jats:italic> , while parental investment <jats:italic>per</jats:italic> egg was maintained. Moreover, exposure to a combination of MHW and bleached prey, impaired this nudibranch’s CSR and reduced survival, indicating a performance breakdown. These findings highlight the vulnerability of such specialized predators to MHW and the need to integrate them in marine conservation strategies. With extreme climate events becoming more frequent and prolonged, species featuring specialized diets can be amongst those paying the highest toll.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145986550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seasonal and interannual variability of the barrier layer in the Bay of Bengal: characteristics and mechanisms","authors":"Tongtong Liu, Xutao Ni, Yun Qiu","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1721476","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1721476","url":null,"abstract":"The Bay of Bengal (BoB) exhibits significant seasonal and interannual variability in barrier layer thickness (BLT). While previous studies have mainly provided qualitative insights into the dynamical mechanisms controlling the variabilities of BLT, quantitative assessments of the relative contributions of temperature and salinity remain unknown. To address this gap, this study employs a quantitative separation method​ to distinguish the roles of thermal and saline processes in regulating BLT in BoB, and combined with regression analyses of surface forcing fields to diagnose the dominant driving processes. Seasonally, thermal processes dominate BLT variability in most region and seasons via monsoon-driven ocean circulation and Ekman pumping that affects the isothermal layer depth, while saline processes only dominate the BLT thinning in the central BoB and western equatorial region during summer, mainly through the intrusion of high-salinity waters. Interannually, BLT variability is primarily controlled by thermal processes associated with Indian Ocean Dipole and El Niño-Southern Oscillation events, including remote Kelvin and Rossby wave propagation and local Ekman pumping that alter the ILD, while salinity advection modulates regional differences, particularly in the western BoB. The application of this quantitative framework clarifies previously ambiguous mechanisms, and supports the improvement of BLT simulation in ocean models.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145986551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-marker eDNA metabarcoding reveals significant eukaryotic biodiversity gaps in the Gulf of Gdańsk, Southeastern Baltic Sea","authors":"Ngoc-Loi Nguyen, Dhanushka Devendra, Natalia Szymańska, Justyna Falkowska, Mathis Noël Bernard, Marek Zajączkowski, Jan Pawłowski, Joanna Pawłowska","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1695900","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1695900","url":null,"abstract":"As climate change and human pressures intensify, advancing our understanding of biodiversity and ecological shifts in vulnerable regions, such as the Baltic Sea, is becoming increasingly important. In this study, we analyzed the diversity of microeukaryotes in the Gulf of Gdańsk, the southern Baltic Sea, using environmental DNA ( <jats:italic>e</jats:italic> DNA) collected from the water column and surface sediment samples. Three primer sets were used, including two targeting universal eukaryotic regions (V4 and V9) and one specific to foraminifera (37F) of the 18S rDNA. The results showed that eukaryotic community composition varied depending on the type of samples and the time of sampling. We observed an increase in alpha diversity from the surface to the sediments, along with dynamic patterns in eukaryotic comunities in water samples. Numerous amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) could not be classified in any eukaryotic group at 90% similarity. Moreover, a significant proportion of ASVs could not be assigned to the genus or species level within the groups such as Cercozoa, parasitic Perkinsea, nematodes, fungi, and benthic foraminifera. Our study highlights the importance of this cryptic diversity and demonstrates the usefulness of metabarcoding as a tool for expanding our understanding of eukaryotic communities in this brackish environment.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145986203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Community and functional shifts in sediment microbiomes driven by coral-algal proximity in the Northern Red Sea","authors":"Amenah S. Alotiabi, Ulfat Jan, Y.M. Mahrous, Hanna Ghabban, Basmah M. Alharbi, Dikhnah Alshehri, Doha A. Albalawi, Abeer M. Alkhaibari, Abdulrahman Alasmari, Asma M. Alenzi, Fares Alromithy, Marfat Alatawy, Madeha O. I. Ghobashy, Rashid Mir","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1725238","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1725238","url":null,"abstract":"Coral–algy -55al interfaces are hotspots of biogeochemical activity, yet the structure and functional roles of sediment microbiomes associated with these habitats remain poorly resolved, particularly in the environmentally extreme northern Red Sea. This study characterizes how microbial community composition and functional potential vary with coral–algal proximity across three coastal sites (Alshreah, Saweehal, Marwan Cave). Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was performed on 18 sediment samples collected from two contrasting habitats at each site: (i) far-from-algae zones (≥500 m) and (ii) close-to-algae zones (≤10 m). Across all locations, eight dominant bacterial species structured the sediment microbiome, including <jats:italic>Shewanella algae, Arenibacter algicola, Vibrio algicola, Zobellia alginiliquefaciens</jats:italic> , and <jats:italic>Prochlorococcus marinus</jats:italic> . Species-level patterns showed strong spatial heterogeneity, with Marwan Cave consistently dominated by <jats:italic>S. algae</jats:italic> , while other sites exhibited clear habitat-dependent shifts. <jats:italic>A. algicola</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>S. algae</jats:italic> were more abundant near coral–algal habitats, whereas <jats:italic>V. algicola</jats:italic> was more prevalent in distant sediments. Further analysis indicated that both geographic location and algal proximity contributed to community structuring, with proximity effects most apparent at Alshreah and Saweehal. Functional profiles revealed clear habitat partitioning. Close-to-algae sediments were enriched in genes for chemotaxis, glycerol transport, and anaerobic metabolism, indicative of bacterial exploitation of algal exudates and low-oxygen microzones, while far-from-algae sediments showed higher representation of ABC transport systems, amino-acid metabolism, and stress-response pathways, reflecting nutrient-limited and more environmentally variable conditions. Overall, proximity to coral–algal assemblages emerged as a major ecological gradient shaping both the taxonomic and functional attributes of Red Sea sediment microbiomes, operating alongside strong site-level environmental differences. These findings highlight the biogeochemical influence of benthic algae and provide baseline insights into microbial processes that may reinforce coral–algal regime shifts in warming reef systems.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145972146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Machine learning approaches to estimate Zostera marina carbon stocks across northern temperate oceans","authors":"Nicola M. Wilson, Rudy Arthur, Emma Sullivan, Robert J. W. Brewin, Regan Early, Chris Laing","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1714518","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1714518","url":null,"abstract":"Restoring and conserving seagrass ecosystems are considered a climate solution due to their exceptional ability to store carbon in their sediments. However, restoration and financing efforts are held back by the inherent challenges of quantifying and monitoring carbon storage in sediments and the highly variable nature of seagrass carbon stocks globally. This research explores the application of machine learning (ML) models, using Earth Observation (EO) derived datasets, to estimate carbon stocks in the seagrass species <jats:italic>Zostera marina</jats:italic> , across its northern temperate range. A dataset of 176 <jats:italic>Z. marina</jats:italic> seagrass carbon stocks from 18 eco-regions was collated along with open-source data on 21 associated environmental variables, with the aim of developing a framework for estimating sediment carbon stocks and better understanding the variables that contribute to variability in storage. Ensemble decision trees were the best performing model able to predict nearly 40% of the variability in carbon stocks within a seagrass bed with human modification (e.g. population density and infrastructure), exposure, tidal range and wave height contributing most. Whilst the model performance reflects the complexity and uncertainty inherent in ecological systems, this research demonstrates the potential of ML approaches to estimate seagrass carbon stocks at a multi-regional scale and highlights key areas for future improvement.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"58 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145972148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trophic niche characterization of zooplankton and planktivorous fish: a comparative approach using stable isotopes in bulk and amino acid samples","authors":"Nuria Mondéjar, Inés G. Viana, Rita García-Seoane, Jaime Otero, Antonio Bode","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1718402","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1718402","url":null,"abstract":"Quantification of the size and overlap of trophic niches of species with similar diets is crucial to understand food web dynamics. However, there are difficulties in determining all food resources used by each species over time and resolving competition suggested by niche overlap. In this study, we compare niche estimations in zooplankton and four species of planktivorous fish using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes analyzed in bulk tissue samples with those using stable nitrogen isotopes in amino acids. Samples were collected in spring 2021 and 2022 in two areas of the northwestern Iberian shelf (Galicia) and southern Bay of Biscay (mar Cantábrico) with different influence of the seasonal upwelling. Estimations of trophic niches using both methods were complementary, revealing interspecific differences among fish species in the exploitation of food web resources. For instance, marked differences in the sources of carbon and nitrogen and low niche overlap indicated local feeding for zooplankton and some fish species (sardine and chub mackerel), while other species showed large variability in sources and niche overlap across zones (anchovy and mackerel). The apparent competition of fish species for resources suggested by these results can be explained by differences in their mobility, particularly in mackerel and anchovy, when the isotopic signal is not equilibrated with the new diet.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145972030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of an enhanced deep forest model driven by meteorological dates in water quality prediction: a case study of the Minjiang River Estuary, Southeastern China","authors":"Feng Cai, Yifan Liu, Sheng Lin, Weiliang Liao, Beihan Jiang","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1730509","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1730509","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction Estuaries are dynamic hydrodynamic–biogeochemical interfaces where riverine and marine processes converge, and their water quality is highly sensitive to meteorological variability and human disturbances modulated by tidal dynamics. Accurate prediction of water quality in estuarine environments is essential for maintaining ecosystem stability and reducing ecological risks. However, existing prediction approaches are often limited by incomplete monitoring data and insufficient capability for multi-indicator modeling, which constrains their accuracy and timeliness. Methods This study proposes an enhanced Deep Forest–XGBoost framework (EDF-XGB) driven by high-resolution meteorological inputs for multi-indicator water quality prediction. A global search whale optimization algorithm (GS-WOA) was integrated for adaptive parameter tuning, together with a hierarchical feature selection strategy based on feature importance and a dynamic weighting mechanism to account for sample difficulty. The proposed model was evaluated through a case study in the Min River Estuary. Results The results demonstrate that the EDF-XGB model achieves high predictive accuracy for relatively stable water quality indicators, including pH, total nitrogen (TN), and dissolved oxygen (DO), with R² values exceeding 0.90. For more variable indicators, such as ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) and the permanganate index (CODMn), the proposed model shows clear performance advantages over conventional approaches. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis reveals that water temperature (WT), surface temperature (ST), and relative humidity (RH) are the dominant drivers of water quality variability. Discussion Regional generalization experiments indicate strong predictive performance in upstream non-tidal sections, whereas prediction accuracy decreases in downstream tidal reaches affected by complex hydrodynamic conditions and anthropogenic activities. This suggests that incorporating hydrodynamic descriptors and human activity indicators could further improve model performance. Overall, the proposed interpretable, data-driven, multi-indicator framework provides a scientific basis for real-time water quality prediction and ecological risk early warning in estuarine systems, supporting improved meteorological resilience and sustainable management of vulnerable coastal environments.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145972147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}