Pub Date : 2026-01-27DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1757394
Lang Xu, Yejun Liu
Global maritime transport carries nearly four-fifths of world merchandise trade and is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With the GHG reduction strategies from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the EU’s inclusion of shipping in the Emissions Trading System and the introduction of fuel GHG-intensity standards, there is an urgent need for prediction frameworks that are more robust, transparent and adaptable to evolving policy landscapes. Drawing on a structured search of the Web of Science Core Collection for the period 2020–2024, this review synthesises 1,012 peer-reviewed studies on global shipping emissions, decarbonisation measures and AI-enabled modelling. It first compares conventional approaches—fuel-based top-down inventories, AIS-driven bottom-up models and statistical or machine learning techniques—highlighting their respective strengths and limitations in terms of spatial and temporal resolution, data requirements and policy relevance. It then examines the emerging capabilities of large language models (LLMs) in knowledge integration, code generation and tool orchestration, and proposes five LLM-enabled paradigms for shipping emissions prediction, including multi-source information extraction, model orchestration, scenario construction and intelligent compliance auditing. Key technical and governance challenges are discussed, such as data quality and confidentiality, physical consistency, explainability and the environmental footprint of AI. The study argues that coupling LLMs with physics-based and data-driven models can enhance the flexibility and policy relevance of shipping emissions prediction, while a clearly defined research agenda is needed to ensure their responsible and effective use in supporting the decarbonisation of maritime transport.
{"title":"Global shipping emissions prediction in the era of large language models: a review","authors":"Lang Xu, Yejun Liu","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1757394","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1757394","url":null,"abstract":"Global maritime transport carries nearly four-fifths of world merchandise trade and is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With the GHG reduction strategies from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the EU’s inclusion of shipping in the Emissions Trading System and the introduction of fuel GHG-intensity standards, there is an urgent need for prediction frameworks that are more robust, transparent and adaptable to evolving policy landscapes. Drawing on a structured search of the Web of Science Core Collection for the period 2020–2024, this review synthesises 1,012 peer-reviewed studies on global shipping emissions, decarbonisation measures and AI-enabled modelling. It first compares conventional approaches—fuel-based top-down inventories, AIS-driven bottom-up models and statistical or machine learning techniques—highlighting their respective strengths and limitations in terms of spatial and temporal resolution, data requirements and policy relevance. It then examines the emerging capabilities of large language models (LLMs) in knowledge integration, code generation and tool orchestration, and proposes five LLM-enabled paradigms for shipping emissions prediction, including multi-source information extraction, model orchestration, scenario construction and intelligent compliance auditing. Key technical and governance challenges are discussed, such as data quality and confidentiality, physical consistency, explainability and the environmental footprint of AI. The study argues that coupling LLMs with physics-based and data-driven models can enhance the flexibility and policy relevance of shipping emissions prediction, while a clearly defined research agenda is needed to ensure their responsible and effective use in supporting the decarbonisation of maritime transport.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146056331","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}
Studies on Pterois miles growth in the Mediterranean Sea are scant, while otoliths, traditionally used to age Pterois species, present difficulties in sampling, handling and interpretation. In this study a total of 617 P. miles specimens collected from the Cretan and Ionian Seas were aged by reading transverse sections of the third dorsal spine. The monthly evolution of the spine’s edge type (hyaline or opaque) and marginal increment analysis supported the annual formation of annuli. Lionfish age ranged from 0 to 5 years. The length-on-spine radius relationship exhibited a significant change in slope indicating that beyond the estimated inflection point fish growth was slower in relation to spine growth. We applied a multi-stage body proportional back-calculation formula that accounted for this shift in the length-on-spine radius relationship. The comparison of von Bertalanffy growth curves fitted to back-calculated length-at-age data, confirmed the sexually dimorphic growth of Pterois , with males reaching higher mean lengths-at-age. Growth was faster off the island of Crete, which could be attributed to higher temperatures compared to the Ionian Sea. Published growth data from the Pterois invaded areas revealed that the growth performance was significantly lower in the Mediterranean compared to the Atlantic. Finally, an inverse ‘Rosa Lee phenomenon’ was observed, with mean back-calculated length at each annulus formation increasing with age. A hypothesis is formulated asserting that slow growing individuals experience higher mortality (‘faster is better’ hypothesis), which can be attributed to cooler winter temperatures and an associated energetic stress which is inversely related to fish size.
{"title":"Using dorsal fin spine sections to investigate the age and growth of devil firefish Pterois miles in the eastern Mediterranean (Cretan and Ionian Seas)","authors":"Georgios Christidis, Panagiota Peristeraki, Evangelos Tzanatos, George Tserpes, Amalia Giannakaki, Manolis Metaxakis, Aris Tsiroglou, Stylianos Somarakis","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2026.1699123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2026.1699123","url":null,"abstract":"Studies on <jats:italic>Pterois miles</jats:italic> growth in the Mediterranean Sea are scant, while otoliths, traditionally used to age <jats:italic>Pterois</jats:italic> species, present difficulties in sampling, handling and interpretation. In this study a total of 617 <jats:italic>P. miles</jats:italic> specimens collected from the Cretan and Ionian Seas were aged by reading transverse sections of the third dorsal spine. The monthly evolution of the spine’s edge type (hyaline or opaque) and marginal increment analysis supported the annual formation of annuli. Lionfish age ranged from 0 to 5 years. The length-on-spine radius relationship exhibited a significant change in slope indicating that beyond the estimated inflection point fish growth was slower in relation to spine growth. We applied a multi-stage body proportional back-calculation formula that accounted for this shift in the length-on-spine radius relationship. The comparison of von Bertalanffy growth curves fitted to back-calculated length-at-age data, confirmed the sexually dimorphic growth of <jats:italic>Pterois</jats:italic> , with males reaching higher mean lengths-at-age. Growth was faster off the island of Crete, which could be attributed to higher temperatures compared to the Ionian Sea. Published growth data from the <jats:italic>Pterois</jats:italic> invaded areas revealed that the growth performance was significantly lower in the Mediterranean compared to the Atlantic. Finally, an inverse ‘Rosa Lee phenomenon’ was observed, with mean back-calculated length at each annulus formation increasing with age. A hypothesis is formulated asserting that slow growing individuals experience higher mortality (‘faster is better’ hypothesis), which can be attributed to cooler winter temperatures and an associated energetic stress which is inversely related to fish size.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146056332","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}
Pub Date : 2026-01-27DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1668895
Jose A. Moscoso, Robert W. Thacker
Introduction Coral reefs are essential ecosystems facing severe global decline due to various environmental stressors. Understanding coral resilience and adaptability is critical for their conservation. Methods We examined the microbial communities associated with the scleractinian coral Favia fragum in both mangrove and adjacent reef habitats in the Panamanian Caribbean. Results Our results reveal that F. fragum colonies in mangrove habitats at different sites share similar microbial communities, distinct from those in adjacent reef habitats. Notably, certain bacterial lineages, including Cyanobacteria and Hyphomicrobiales, are enriched in mangrove-associated corals, suggesting potential roles in carbon and nitrogen cycling. Conversely, the family Vibrionaceae, which includes known coral pathogens, is more abundant in reef habitats. Discussion These findings emphasize the significance of microbial communities in coral resilience and highlight the complex interplay between corals and microbial symbionts across different habitats. Protecting mangroves, which serve as nurseries for coral biodiversity, is crucial for overall reef health in the face of global coral decline.
{"title":"Distinct microbiomes of the scleractinian coral Favia fragum in mangrove and adjacent reef habitats in the Panamanian Caribbean","authors":"Jose A. Moscoso, Robert W. Thacker","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1668895","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1668895","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction Coral reefs are essential ecosystems facing severe global decline due to various environmental stressors. Understanding coral resilience and adaptability is critical for their conservation. Methods We examined the microbial communities associated with the scleractinian coral <jats:italic>Favia fragum</jats:italic> in both mangrove and adjacent reef habitats in the Panamanian Caribbean. Results Our results reveal that <jats:italic>F. fragum</jats:italic> colonies in mangrove habitats at different sites share similar microbial communities, distinct from those in adjacent reef habitats. Notably, certain bacterial lineages, including Cyanobacteria and Hyphomicrobiales, are enriched in mangrove-associated corals, suggesting potential roles in carbon and nitrogen cycling. Conversely, the family Vibrionaceae, which includes known coral pathogens, is more abundant in reef habitats. Discussion These findings emphasize the significance of microbial communities in coral resilience and highlight the complex interplay between corals and microbial symbionts across different habitats. Protecting mangroves, which serve as nurseries for coral biodiversity, is crucial for overall reef health in the face of global coral decline.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146056333","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}
Pub Date : 2026-01-27DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1732471
Nikolai Yu. Neretin, Aleksandra V. Bezmenova, Margarita A. Ezhova, Glafira D. Kolbasova, Taisia I. Petrushkova, Alexander B. Tzetlin, Dmitry A. Knorre, Tatiana V. Neretina
Offspring and kin care are common in nature, while non-kin societies are unusual due to their susceptibility to cheaters. Here, we investigated the kinship of mast-building amphipods, Dyopedos bispinis (Gurjanova, 1930). Our goal was to determine if all mast inhabitants are descendants of a single founder female or if they represent a more complex social structure. We sequenced and assembled the complete mitochondrial genome of D. bispinis along with 58 partial genomes from four masts. One of the studied masts contained several adult females with embryos, all of which had identical partial mitochondrial genome sequences. This shows that masts can be inhabited by individuals from different generations. Mitochondrial genome sequences of ten mother-embryo pairs confirm maternal mtDNA inheritance in D. bispinis . However, another mast contained several groups of female individuals exhibiting pronounced (~0.7 substitutions per 1000 b.p.) distance between the groups. The genetic distance between groups from the same mast was not less than the genetic distance from specimens of other masts. This suggests collective usage of the mast by non-related families. If it is true that several female D. bispinis individuals invest resources into maintaining one mast, this case may suggest non-kin cooperation among amphipods. Overall, our study provides an insight into the family structures of mast-inhabiting amphipods and presents a new model for studying shared construction exploitation by distantly related individuals.
{"title":"Family estates or dormitories: analyzing the kinship of Dyopedos bispinis “collective” mast populations (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Dulichiidae)","authors":"Nikolai Yu. Neretin, Aleksandra V. Bezmenova, Margarita A. Ezhova, Glafira D. Kolbasova, Taisia I. Petrushkova, Alexander B. Tzetlin, Dmitry A. Knorre, Tatiana V. Neretina","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1732471","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1732471","url":null,"abstract":"Offspring and kin care are common in nature, while non-kin societies are unusual due to their susceptibility to cheaters. Here, we investigated the kinship of mast-building amphipods, <jats:italic>Dyopedos bispinis</jats:italic> (Gurjanova, 1930). Our goal was to determine if all mast inhabitants are descendants of a single founder female or if they represent a more complex social structure. We sequenced and assembled the complete mitochondrial genome of <jats:italic>D. bispinis</jats:italic> along with 58 partial genomes from four masts. One of the studied masts contained several adult females with embryos, all of which had identical partial mitochondrial genome sequences. This shows that masts can be inhabited by individuals from different generations. Mitochondrial genome sequences of ten mother-embryo pairs confirm maternal mtDNA inheritance in <jats:italic>D. bispinis</jats:italic> . However, another mast contained several groups of female individuals exhibiting pronounced (~0.7 substitutions per 1000 b.p.) distance between the groups. The genetic distance between groups from the same mast was not less than the genetic distance from specimens of other masts. This suggests collective usage of the mast by non-related families. If it is true that several female <jats:italic>D. bispinis</jats:italic> individuals invest resources into maintaining one mast, this case may suggest non-kin cooperation among amphipods. Overall, our study provides an insight into the family structures of mast-inhabiting amphipods and presents a new model for studying shared construction exploitation by distantly related individuals.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"274 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146056330","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}
Pub Date : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1714887
Rui Xue, ShuaiChuang Wang, Jia Wang
Introduction The 5th generation (5G) mobile communication and Beidou navigation system (BDS) antennas of offshore small maritime unmanned vehicles (SMUV) are shaken by waves and winds in harsh sea conditions, resulting in poor stability in positioning trajectory tracking and varying degrees of impulse noise in pseudo-range measurements. Methods Therefore, A Kalman filter algorithm combining approximate message passing (AMP) and variational Bayesian (VB) is proposed under a fusion positioning model of 5G and BDS with a high update rate. The AMP algorithm can predict the instantaneous position movement caused by waves, and the VB algorithm smooths the pulse error of trajectory tracking caused by intermittent shielding. Results Experimental results demonstrate that, in 100 positioning epochs, when the impact of waves on SMUV is 20 times, 30 times and 40 times, the root mean square error of the proposed algorithm is 1.19 meter (m), 1.26 m and 1.27 m respectively. Compared with the adaptive variational Bayesian algorithm, the positioning accuracy is improved by 7.75%, 16.4% and 24.4%, which obviously enhances the stability of positioning. Discussion The proposed algorithm can achieve high-precision positioning and tracking, and the performance of the algorithm is better than that of the comparison scheme when the amplitude and frequency of the waves are greater.
{"title":"A fusing positioning algorithm for small maritime unmanned vehicle","authors":"Rui Xue, ShuaiChuang Wang, Jia Wang","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1714887","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1714887","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction The 5th generation (5G) mobile communication and Beidou navigation system (BDS) antennas of offshore small maritime unmanned vehicles (SMUV) are shaken by waves and winds in harsh sea conditions, resulting in poor stability in positioning trajectory tracking and varying degrees of impulse noise in pseudo-range measurements. Methods Therefore, A Kalman filter algorithm combining approximate message passing (AMP) and variational Bayesian (VB) is proposed under a fusion positioning model of 5G and BDS with a high update rate. The AMP algorithm can predict the instantaneous position movement caused by waves, and the VB algorithm smooths the pulse error of trajectory tracking caused by intermittent shielding. Results Experimental results demonstrate that, in 100 positioning epochs, when the impact of waves on SMUV is 20 times, 30 times and 40 times, the root mean square error of the proposed algorithm is 1.19 meter (m), 1.26 m and 1.27 m respectively. Compared with the adaptive variational Bayesian algorithm, the positioning accuracy is improved by 7.75%, 16.4% and 24.4%, which obviously enhances the stability of positioning. Discussion The proposed algorithm can achieve high-precision positioning and tracking, and the performance of the algorithm is better than that of the comparison scheme when the amplitude and frequency of the waves are greater.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"78 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146056367","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}
Pub Date : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1720360
Avery Coble, Sonora Meiling, Tyler B. Smith, Marilyn Brandt
For many decades, white band disease (WB) and white pox disease (WPX) have been severely impacting populations of the reef building corals Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis throughout the Caribbean region. Even after the major outbreaks in the 1990s and early 2000s, these diseases still occur annually in certain regions of the Caribbean, including in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). Given the high virulence and infection rates of WB and WPX, mitigation treatments should be explored. It is highly suspected both diseases have bacterial pathogens, even though Henle-Koch’s postulates have not been fulfilled to determine the causative agent for WB nor WPX observed in the USVI. A specialized antibiotic paste utilizing amoxicillin trihydrate has successfully been used in situ to mitigate another disease impacting stony corals, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD). Considering the past success of this topical paste, this study aimed to determine if this treatment could be used on A. palmata and A. cervicornis to treat WPX and WB, respectively. The topical antibiotic paste did not significantly halt disease lesion expansion, nor stop new lesions from forming. Therefore, other mitigation treatments for WB and WPX should be considered.
{"title":"Ineffectiveness of topical antibiotics in treating Acropora spp. affected by white diseases","authors":"Avery Coble, Sonora Meiling, Tyler B. Smith, Marilyn Brandt","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1720360","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1720360","url":null,"abstract":"For many decades, white band disease (WB) and white pox disease (WPX) have been severely impacting populations of the reef building corals <jats:italic>Acropora palmata</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>A. cervicornis</jats:italic> throughout the Caribbean region. Even after the major outbreaks in the 1990s and early 2000s, these diseases still occur annually in certain regions of the Caribbean, including in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). Given the high virulence and infection rates of WB and WPX, mitigation treatments should be explored. It is highly suspected both diseases have bacterial pathogens, even though Henle-Koch’s postulates have not been fulfilled to determine the causative agent for WB nor WPX observed in the USVI. A specialized antibiotic paste utilizing amoxicillin trihydrate has successfully been used <jats:italic>in situ</jats:italic> to mitigate another disease impacting stony corals, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD). Considering the past success of this topical paste, this study aimed to determine if this treatment could be used on <jats:italic>A. palmata</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>A. cervicornis</jats:italic> to treat WPX and WB, respectively. The topical antibiotic paste did not significantly halt disease lesion expansion, nor stop new lesions from forming. Therefore, other mitigation treatments for WB and WPX should be considered.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146044896","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}
Pub Date : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1685988
Peter Meylan, F. Alberto Abreu-Grobois, Anne Meylan, Beth Brost, Whitney Bullock, Genaro Castillo, Liza J. Conrad, Denise Flaherty, Arcelio Gonzalez Hooker, Jennifer Gray, Cristina Ordoñez, Sue Schaf, Kaj Schut, Ximena Velez-Zuazo
Understanding the geographic distribution of genetic diversity of imperiled species across all life history stages, and identifying the factors that shape those distributions, are key to maintaining long-term genetic diversity and the health of populations. This knowledge is particularly important for highly mobile marine organisms, whose extensive movements can obscure patterns of population structure. We substantially expand the genetic dataset for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata , in the West Atlantic, focusing on the southwest Caribbean. Our dataset comprises nearly 3,000 mtDNA control region sequences (740 bp) assigned to 60 haplotypes: 41 found in rookeries and 47 in foraging grounds, including 17 orphan haplotypes. The Panama metapopulation represents a major center of genetic diversity for hawksbills, with one of the highest recorded diversity values for the species ( h = 0.749, π = 0.00782), nine endemic haplotypes, and four additional haplotypes that are endemic to the Southwest Caribbean. Rarefaction analyses indicate that a sample size of at least 100 is necessary to reveal true haplotype richness at most rookeries. Many-to-many mixed stock analyses, which incorporated rookery size and distance priors for 19 rookeries and 15 developmental foraging grounds, suggest that hatchlings from rookeries in the southwest Caribbean are distributed among multiple, widely-spaced foraging grounds across the West Atlantic. These results support a groups-to-soups analogy, in which genetic variability across foraging grounds represents a continuum of genetic diversity that can best be explained by a “current conveyor” model. The dataset shows that philopatry in hawksbills is not absolute, resulting in true biological dispersal and geneflow on local, regional, and ocean-basin scales, likely facilitated by dispersion during the epipelagic stage. The important contribution of oceanographic features to genetic variation at rookeries and foraging grounds is corroborated, as is the concept of oceanographic “dispersal shadows” that limit geneflow between rookeries. This study reinforces the assertion that all range states share responsibility for the recovery of the hawksbill, because foraging grounds, that are often at distant locations, are the source of future generations of reproductive adults. We also document significant movement by hawksbills between regional management units (RMUs) 29 and 30 in the West Atlantic. The Spanish version of the Abstract is available in Supplementary File 1 .
{"title":"Ecological geography of the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the West Atlantic","authors":"Peter Meylan, F. Alberto Abreu-Grobois, Anne Meylan, Beth Brost, Whitney Bullock, Genaro Castillo, Liza J. Conrad, Denise Flaherty, Arcelio Gonzalez Hooker, Jennifer Gray, Cristina Ordoñez, Sue Schaf, Kaj Schut, Ximena Velez-Zuazo","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1685988","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1685988","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding the geographic distribution of genetic diversity of imperiled species across all life history stages, and identifying the factors that shape those distributions, are key to maintaining long-term genetic diversity and the health of populations. This knowledge is particularly important for highly mobile marine organisms, whose extensive movements can obscure patterns of population structure. We substantially expand the genetic dataset for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle, <jats:italic>Eretmochelys imbricata</jats:italic> , in the West Atlantic, focusing on the southwest Caribbean. Our dataset comprises nearly 3,000 mtDNA control region sequences (740 bp) assigned to 60 haplotypes: 41 found in rookeries and 47 in foraging grounds, including 17 orphan haplotypes. The Panama metapopulation represents a major center of genetic diversity for hawksbills, with one of the highest recorded diversity values for the species ( <jats:italic>h</jats:italic> = 0.749, π = 0.00782), nine endemic haplotypes, and four additional haplotypes that are endemic to the Southwest Caribbean. Rarefaction analyses indicate that a sample size of at least 100 is necessary to reveal true haplotype richness at most rookeries. Many-to-many mixed stock analyses, which incorporated rookery size and distance priors for 19 rookeries and 15 developmental foraging grounds, suggest that hatchlings from rookeries in the southwest Caribbean are distributed among multiple, widely-spaced foraging grounds across the West Atlantic. These results support a groups-to-soups analogy, in which genetic variability across foraging grounds represents a continuum of genetic diversity that can best be explained by a “current conveyor” model. The dataset shows that philopatry in hawksbills is not absolute, resulting in true biological dispersal and geneflow on local, regional, and ocean-basin scales, likely facilitated by dispersion during the epipelagic stage. The important contribution of oceanographic features to genetic variation at rookeries and foraging grounds is corroborated, as is the concept of oceanographic “dispersal shadows” that limit geneflow between rookeries. This study reinforces the assertion that all range states share responsibility for the recovery of the hawksbill, because foraging grounds, that are often at distant locations, are the source of future generations of reproductive adults. We also document significant movement by hawksbills between regional management units (RMUs) 29 and 30 in the West Atlantic. The Spanish version of the Abstract is available in <jats:xref> Supplementary File 1 </jats:xref> .","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146056368","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}
Pub Date : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1734688
Jian He, Min Cao
As a potentially important component of natural climate solutions, blue carbon is increasingly bridging climate change mitigation and adaptation with biodiversity conservation. This Policy and Practice Review provides comprehensive coverage and a balanced overview of the global blue carbon governance landscape, focusing on the United Nations system. The analysis systematically examines the policy interfaces and coupling mechanisms between blue carbon governance and five key international instruments: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs), and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Based on this assessment, this review identifies four structural bottlenecks hindering effective UN-led governance: (1) conceptual and accounting discrepancies between “coastal blue carbon” and emerging “broad-sense blue carbon” definitions; (2) insufficient cross-convention synergy, leading to fragmented regulations and high transaction costs; (3) inadequate implementation of the Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) principle, particularly for coastal developing countries and small island nations; and (4) persistent funding and capacity gaps throughout the entire lifecycle of blue carbon projects. In response, this review proposes three actionable recommendations for institutional reform: (1) establishing a “minimum consistency standards package” with cross-institution mutual recognition within the UN system; (2) developing “nationally integrated blue carbon policy packages” aligned with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), Ramsar designations, and national disaster reduction strategies; and (3) implementing the CBDR principle through concrete pathways for mandatory funding and technology transfer
{"title":"The United Nations and global blue carbon governance: a policy and practice review of frameworks, challenges, and possible pathways","authors":"Jian He, Min Cao","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1734688","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1734688","url":null,"abstract":"As a potentially important component of natural climate solutions, blue carbon is increasingly bridging climate change mitigation and adaptation with biodiversity conservation. This Policy and Practice Review provides comprehensive coverage and a balanced overview of the global blue carbon governance landscape, focusing on the United Nations system. The analysis systematically examines the policy interfaces and coupling mechanisms between blue carbon governance and five key international instruments: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs), and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Based on this assessment, this review identifies four structural bottlenecks hindering effective UN-led governance: (1) conceptual and accounting discrepancies between “coastal blue carbon” and emerging “broad-sense blue carbon” definitions; (2) insufficient cross-convention synergy, leading to fragmented regulations and high transaction costs; (3) inadequate implementation of the Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) principle, particularly for coastal developing countries and small island nations; and (4) persistent funding and capacity gaps throughout the entire lifecycle of blue carbon projects. In response, this review proposes three actionable recommendations for institutional reform: (1) establishing a “minimum consistency standards package” with cross-institution mutual recognition within the UN system; (2) developing “nationally integrated blue carbon policy packages” aligned with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), Ramsar designations, and national disaster reduction strategies; and (3) implementing the CBDR principle through concrete pathways for mandatory funding and technology transfer","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"87 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146056369","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}
Pub Date : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1687609
Junyao Gu, Kay Foley, Laura Huber, Dana E. Hunt, Zackary I. Johnson
Due to their importance in global ocean ecology and biogeochemistry, much is known about the abundance and diversity of marine microbes and this data informs our studies of microbial genetic variability and niche partitioning. However, much less is known about marine microbes’ vital rates, including phylogenetically-resolved intrinsic growth and mortality. Here, we use cyanobacteria to validate a recently-developed, sequence-based modification of the Landry-Hassett Dilution (LHD) technique, which simultaneously assesses the growth and grazer-induced mortality of microbial subpopulations. Using laboratory cultures, we show that most approaches for quantifying cyanobacterial intrinsic growth yield similar results, providing a foundation for methods comparisons in complex communities. We then leverage these findings to validate the modified LHD approach by sampling from a highly-dynamic, coastal marine ecosystem. We find that the LHD 16S rRNA gene-based method returns the same intrinsic growth as other biomass estimates. Further, field sampling yields distinct intrinsic growth among closely-related lineages of both cyano- and heterotrophic bacteria. While grazer-mediated mortality was less variable, we did observe distinct mortality rates within the broader microbiome, supporting the importance of examining vital rates in subpopulations. This validated methodology (and initial field findings) opens the door to answer fundamental ecological and biogeochemical questions about the microbial oceanography of spatially and temporally-variable coastal and open ocean ecosystems.
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Introduction Copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) have been increasingly released into marine environments due to their extensive applications, posing potential risks to marine organisms and human health. Although Cu-NPs of different particle sizes exhibit distinct toxicities—largely attributed to variations in specific surface area and Cu 2+ dissolution rates—current physicochemical parameters still fail to fully explain these toxic effects, and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Methods This study aimed to investigate the toxic effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of Cu-NPs of different nominal primary diameters (10 nm, 50 nm, and 100 nm) on the marine medaka ( Oryzias melastigma ). Results LC 50 point estimates suggested slightly higher toxicity for smaller Cu-NPs. Integrated miRNAomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that Cu-NPs-10 exposure markedly activated multiple metabolic pathways, including drug metabolism–cytochrome P450, retinol metabolism, and ascorbate and aldarate metabolism. Cu-NPs-50 exposure primarily affected neurodevelopment and synaptic signaling, with predicted miRNA–mRNA associations including miR-202 with mprip-like and miR-2187 with adgrg2-like . In contrast, Cu-NPs-100 exposure activated inflammation- and barrier repair-related networks, with potential miRNA–mRNA relationships involving miR-202 with tm4sf5 , miR-106a, miR-132c, miR-200b, and miR-202 with znfx1 , as well as miR-2187 and miR-202 with rhbdl2 . Discussion Collectively, the integrated miRNA–mRNA analysis suggests that smaller Cu-NPs show a correlation with more intense molecular stress responses than larger particles under seawater transformations (e.g., aggregation/dissolution), and provides insights into the key regulatory networks potentially underlying these size-associated responses.
{"title":"Particle size–dependent molecular perturbations induced by copper nanoparticles in marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma): an integrated miRNA–mRNA analysis","authors":"Pengrui Ren, Peipei Zhang, Jingyuan Shi, Hongbo Li, Ruofei Jin, Hongjun Li","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2026.1758043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2026.1758043","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction Copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) have been increasingly released into marine environments due to their extensive applications, posing potential risks to marine organisms and human health. Although Cu-NPs of different particle sizes exhibit distinct toxicities—largely attributed to variations in specific surface area and Cu <jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> dissolution rates—current physicochemical parameters still fail to fully explain these toxic effects, and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Methods This study aimed to investigate the toxic effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of Cu-NPs of different nominal primary diameters (10 nm, 50 nm, and 100 nm) on the marine medaka ( <jats:italic>Oryzias melastigma</jats:italic> ). Results LC <jats:sub>50</jats:sub> point estimates suggested slightly higher toxicity for smaller Cu-NPs. Integrated miRNAomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that Cu-NPs-10 exposure markedly activated multiple metabolic pathways, including drug metabolism–cytochrome P450, retinol metabolism, and ascorbate and aldarate metabolism. Cu-NPs-50 exposure primarily affected neurodevelopment and synaptic signaling, with predicted miRNA–mRNA associations including miR-202 with <jats:italic>mprip-like</jats:italic> and miR-2187 with <jats:italic>adgrg2-like</jats:italic> . In contrast, Cu-NPs-100 exposure activated inflammation- and barrier repair-related networks, with potential miRNA–mRNA relationships involving miR-202 with <jats:italic>tm4sf5</jats:italic> , miR-106a, miR-132c, miR-200b, and miR-202 with <jats:italic>znfx1</jats:italic> , as well as miR-2187 and miR-202 with <jats:italic>rhbdl2</jats:italic> . Discussion Collectively, the integrated miRNA–mRNA analysis suggests that smaller Cu-NPs show a correlation with more intense molecular stress responses than larger particles under seawater transformations (e.g., aggregation/dissolution), and provides insights into the key regulatory networks potentially underlying these size-associated responses.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146056371","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}
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