Pub Date : 2026-02-04DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2026.1732248
Woo-Hee Cho, Chang K. Seung, Ji-Hoon Choi, Do-Hoon Kim
Seafood industries of Busan in South Korea have currently suffered a notable decline in both regional output and value-added unlike the production growth in the past. In this situation, this study tries to evaluate the economic contribution of Busan’s seafood industries using the hypothetical extraction method (HEM), a well-established technique that has rarely been applied in fisheries contexts. Also, this study is a rare attempt to utilize the theoretically rigorous HEM to quantify the economic contribution of seafood industries within the SAM framework, addressing the limitation of IO models that do not consider distributional effects. The results showed, among others, that Wholesale Trade and Transportation Services are key industries for fishery managers and policymakers to recognize, as the economic contribution of the seafood industries to these sectors account for a large share of the regional economy due to their strong direct and total linkages. Interestingly, this study also discovered that the seafood industries make substantial contributions to several unexpected industries compared to their direct contributions, such as Real Estate & Leasing and Health & Social Services, due to accounting for the distributional effects captured in the SAM model.
{"title":"Evaluating economic contribution of seafood industries in Busan using hypothetical extraction method","authors":"Woo-Hee Cho, Chang K. Seung, Ji-Hoon Choi, Do-Hoon Kim","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2026.1732248","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2026.1732248","url":null,"abstract":"Seafood industries of Busan in South Korea have currently suffered a notable decline in both regional output and value-added unlike the production growth in the past. In this situation, this study tries to evaluate the economic contribution of Busan’s seafood industries using the hypothetical extraction method (HEM), a well-established technique that has rarely been applied in fisheries contexts. Also, this study is a rare attempt to utilize the theoretically rigorous HEM to quantify the economic contribution of seafood industries within the SAM framework, addressing the limitation of IO models that do not consider distributional effects. The results showed, among others, that Wholesale Trade and Transportation Services are key industries for fishery managers and policymakers to recognize, as the economic contribution of the seafood industries to these sectors account for a large share of the regional economy due to their strong direct and total linkages. Interestingly, this study also discovered that the seafood industries make substantial contributions to several unexpected industries compared to their direct contributions, such as Real Estate & Leasing and Health & Social Services, due to accounting for the distributional effects captured in the SAM model.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"280 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146115944","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 : 2026-02-03DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2026.1703896
Paul G. Thomson, Charitha B. Pattiaratchi, Christine E. Hanson
Over 16 years, Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) Ocean Glider program has collected high-resolution optical sensor data (scatter, chlorophyll- a (Chl)) and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) fluorescence) across 400+ missions. While these data are consistent within a mission, end users require assurance of dataset comparability over numerous missions and years. To understand sensor data stability, we compared ECOPuck scale factors (SFs) following calibrations and between instruments of the same model. We also examined variability in the fluorescent response of different phytoplankton species and the effect on Chl estimates. Finally, we compared matchups between ECOPuck fluorescence and Chl bottle samples. We found that SFs for Chl were stable and highly comparable over different missions and sensors, changing < 9% following calibration and <15% between instruments of the same model. SFs for scatter and CDOM following calibration for most sensors were also stable (changing <8%) but showed variability between sensors of the same model (generally <18%, but reaching 35%). We found large variations in the fluorescent response of different phytoplankton species compared to the factory-provided Chl SF (from a centric diatom species), indicating that in situ phytoplankton community composition may affect Chl estimates from fluorescence. Finally, we found that ECOPuck data overestimates in situ Chl by 1.1–2.9 times. Overall, our results indicate that Chl estimates between instruments of the same model are comparable. This significant finding provides researchers with confidence to unlock the treasure trove of IMOS glider data via ‘big data’ analyses and build vital regional oceanographic climatologies.
16年来，澳大利亚综合海洋观测系统（IMOS）海洋滑翔机项目在400多个任务中收集了高分辨率光学传感器数据（散射、叶绿素- a （Chl)）和彩色溶解有机物（CDOM）荧光）。虽然这些数据在一个任务中是一致的，但最终用户需要确保数据集在多个任务和年份之间的可比性。为了了解传感器数据的稳定性，我们比较了校准后和同一型号仪器之间的ECOPuck尺度因子（sf）。我们还研究了不同种类浮游植物的荧光响应变异性及其对Chl估计的影响。最后，我们比较了ECOPuck荧光和Chl瓶样品的匹配关系。我们发现，在不同的任务和传感器中，Chl的SFs是稳定的，具有高度可比性。9%的校准和&；lt；同一型号仪器之间相差15%。大多数传感器校准后的散射和CDOM的SFs也很稳定（变化&；lt;8%），但在同一模型的传感器之间存在差异（一般为&；lt;18%，但可达35%）。我们发现，与工厂提供的Chl SF（来自中心硅藻种）相比，不同浮游植物物种的荧光响应存在很大差异，这表明原位浮游植物群落组成可能会影响荧光估计的Chl。最后，我们发现ECOPuck数据高估了原位Chl 1.1-2.9倍。总体而言，我们的结果表明，相同模型的仪器之间的Chl估计值具有可比性。这一重大发现使研究人员有信心通过“大数据”分析解锁国际海事组织滑翔机数据的宝库，并建立重要的区域海洋气候学。
{"title":"Understanding the stability of the ECOPuck optical sensor: evaluation of long-term ocean glider data streams across decades","authors":"Paul G. Thomson, Charitha B. Pattiaratchi, Christine E. Hanson","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2026.1703896","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2026.1703896","url":null,"abstract":"Over 16 years, Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) Ocean Glider program has collected high-resolution optical sensor data (scatter, chlorophyll- <jats:italic>a</jats:italic> (Chl)) and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) fluorescence) across 400+ missions. While these data are consistent within a mission, end users require assurance of dataset comparability over numerous missions and years. To understand sensor data stability, we compared ECOPuck scale factors (SFs) following calibrations and between instruments of the same model. We also examined variability in the fluorescent response of different phytoplankton species and the effect on Chl estimates. Finally, we compared matchups between ECOPuck fluorescence and Chl bottle samples. We found that SFs for Chl were stable and highly comparable over different missions and sensors, changing &lt; 9% following calibration and &lt;15% between instruments of the same model. SFs for scatter and CDOM following calibration for most sensors were also stable (changing &lt;8%) but showed variability between sensors of the same model (generally &lt;18%, but reaching 35%). We found large variations in the fluorescent response of different phytoplankton species compared to the factory-provided Chl SF (from a centric diatom species), indicating that <jats:italic>in situ</jats:italic> phytoplankton community composition may affect Chl estimates from fluorescence. Finally, we found that ECOPuck data overestimates <jats:italic>in situ</jats:italic> Chl by 1.1–2.9 times. Overall, our results indicate that Chl estimates between instruments of the same model are comparable. This significant finding provides researchers with confidence to unlock the treasure trove of IMOS glider data via ‘big data’ analyses and build vital regional oceanographic climatologies.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110618","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 : 2026-02-03DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1684707
Olivia Fortunato-Jackson, Merrill Baker-Médard, Easton R. White
Small-scale fisheries play an essential role in supporting food security and economic resilience in Madagascar’s coastal communities. These fisheries are diverse, ranging from offshore net and line fishing, often dominated by men, to nearshore gleaning and hand-held spearfishing, frequently practiced by women. Despite their importance, they remain underrepresented in official statistics, and women’s contributions are often underreported. Few studies have examined how gender, gear type, and regional context interact to shape catch composition and productivity across ecological and social settings. To address this gap, we analyzed catch-per-unit-effort data from 9,068 fishing trips conducted in 2023–2024 across 17 villages in two coastal regions of Madagascar: Diana in the north and Atsimo-Andrefana in the southwest. We examined how gear use, catch composition, and productivity varied by gender and region, complemented by social surveys documenting fishers’ habitats, access modes (e.g., walking, sailboat), and key organisms harvested. Framed within a coupled human-natural systems perspective, our approach recognizes reciprocal links between ecological conditions, fishing practices, and socio-economic contexts. Gamma GLMs showed that catch-per-unit-effort was consistently higher in Diana, consistent with healthier reefs and greater access to efficient gears. Spearguns, predominantly used by men, yielded the highest predicted catch-per-unit-effort (3.00 kg fisher -1 h -1 in Diana; 1.23 in Atsimo-Andrefana). Hand-held spears also performed well, particularly in Diana, where women had slightly higher catch-per-unit-effort than men (2.13 vs. 1.85 kg fisher -1 h -1 ), reflecting shorter, targeted trips for octopus and fish. In contrast, fishers in Atsimo-Andrefana operated in habitats characterized as more degraded and used less advanced gear, resulting in lower overall catch-per-unit-effort and greater diversification, especially among women harvesting invertebrates. All catch-per-unit-effort values were calculated using total trip duration, and some catch weights were imputed from average species weights. Despite uneven sampling effort, sensitivity analyses confirmed these factors did not alter conclusions. This analysis provides a quantitative baseline for future work tracking how coupled social and ecological dynamics in these fisheries evolve over time. Our results highlight how ecological conditions, gear access, and gendered practices shape fishing strategies, emphasizing the need for management approaches addressing both environmental change and the social realities of communities dependent on marine resources.
{"title":"Regional and gendered patterns in Madagascar’s small-scale fisheries","authors":"Olivia Fortunato-Jackson, Merrill Baker-Médard, Easton R. White","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1684707","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1684707","url":null,"abstract":"Small-scale fisheries play an essential role in supporting food security and economic resilience in Madagascar’s coastal communities. These fisheries are diverse, ranging from offshore net and line fishing, often dominated by men, to nearshore gleaning and hand-held spearfishing, frequently practiced by women. Despite their importance, they remain underrepresented in official statistics, and women’s contributions are often underreported. Few studies have examined how gender, gear type, and regional context interact to shape catch composition and productivity across ecological and social settings. To address this gap, we analyzed catch-per-unit-effort data from 9,068 fishing trips conducted in 2023–2024 across 17 villages in two coastal regions of Madagascar: Diana in the north and Atsimo-Andrefana in the southwest. We examined how gear use, catch composition, and productivity varied by gender and region, complemented by social surveys documenting fishers’ habitats, access modes (e.g., walking, sailboat), and key organisms harvested. Framed within a coupled human-natural systems perspective, our approach recognizes reciprocal links between ecological conditions, fishing practices, and socio-economic contexts. Gamma GLMs showed that catch-per-unit-effort was consistently higher in Diana, consistent with healthier reefs and greater access to efficient gears. Spearguns, predominantly used by men, yielded the highest predicted catch-per-unit-effort (3.00 kg fisher <jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> h <jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> in Diana; 1.23 in Atsimo-Andrefana). Hand-held spears also performed well, particularly in Diana, where women had slightly higher catch-per-unit-effort than men (2.13 vs. 1.85 kg fisher <jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> h <jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> ), reflecting shorter, targeted trips for octopus and fish. In contrast, fishers in Atsimo-Andrefana operated in habitats characterized as more degraded and used less advanced gear, resulting in lower overall catch-per-unit-effort and greater diversification, especially among women harvesting invertebrates. All catch-per-unit-effort values were calculated using total trip duration, and some catch weights were imputed from average species weights. Despite uneven sampling effort, sensitivity analyses confirmed these factors did not alter conclusions. This analysis provides a quantitative baseline for future work tracking how coupled social and ecological dynamics in these fisheries evolve over time. Our results highlight how ecological conditions, gear access, and gendered practices shape fishing strategies, emphasizing the need for management approaches addressing both environmental change and the social realities of communities dependent on marine resources.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110617","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}
In the seed production of commercially valuable blackthroat seaperch Doederleinia berycoides , the sex ratio is often skewed toward males. To address this imbalance, several environmental and dietary approaches have been examined; however, the issue remains unresolved. Assessing the effectiveness of such treatments requires reliable methods for early sex identification before stocking hatchery-reared juveniles into the wild. However, the processes of sex differentiation and the potential for protandry remain unexamined in this species. In this study, observations of wild populations showed no significant sex-ratio bias, and no histological evidence of gonads indicated protandrous sex change. This suggests that the male-biased sex ratio observed in hatchery populations is unlikely to result from protandry but is instead more likely driven by environmental factors associated with artificial rearing conditions. Histological analysis of early developmental stages of hatchery-reared juveniles (80–125 days post hatching, dph) and 1-year-old fish revealed that the presence of ovarian cavities in both undifferentiated gonads, testes, and ovaries, indicating that ovarian cavity formation is not a reliable marker for sex identification. Moreover, because oocytes were still not observed even at 120 dph, histological sex identification prior to stocking hatchery-reared juveniles was considered impossible. Consequently, RNA-seq and differentially expressed gene analyses were employed for the first time in this species to identify genetic markers of sex differentiation. qPCR analysis showed predominant expression of cyp11b1 , dmrt1 , and amh in the testis of the 2-year-old male, and foxl2a and wnt-4a in the ovary of the 2-year-old female, respectively. Notably, foxl2a expression was also detected in female fin tissue, suggesting the potential for non-lethal female sex identification. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of sex differentiation, support discrimination between the sexes, and clarify the occurrence of phenotypically normal females in hatchery-reared blackthroat seaperch.
{"title":"Male-biased gonadal differentiation in hatchery-reared blackthroat seaperch Doederleinia berycoides and development of molecular markers to elucidate sex differentiation mechanisms","authors":"Mako Tori, Rasindu Galagoda, Yuichi Fukunishi, Seiichi Muraki, Kentaro Hamamoto, Yuri Kida, Shumpei Okamura, Reiko Nagasaka, Yutaka Takeuchi","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1725026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1725026","url":null,"abstract":"In the seed production of commercially valuable blackthroat seaperch <jats:italic>Doederleinia berycoides</jats:italic> , the sex ratio is often skewed toward males. To address this imbalance, several environmental and dietary approaches have been examined; however, the issue remains unresolved. Assessing the effectiveness of such treatments requires reliable methods for early sex identification before stocking hatchery-reared juveniles into the wild. However, the processes of sex differentiation and the potential for protandry remain unexamined in this species. In this study, observations of wild populations showed no significant sex-ratio bias, and no histological evidence of gonads indicated protandrous sex change. This suggests that the male-biased sex ratio observed in hatchery populations is unlikely to result from protandry but is instead more likely driven by environmental factors associated with artificial rearing conditions. Histological analysis of early developmental stages of hatchery-reared juveniles (80–125 days post hatching, dph) and 1-year-old fish revealed that the presence of ovarian cavities in both undifferentiated gonads, testes, and ovaries, indicating that ovarian cavity formation is not a reliable marker for sex identification. Moreover, because oocytes were still not observed even at 120 dph, histological sex identification prior to stocking hatchery-reared juveniles was considered impossible. Consequently, RNA-seq and differentially expressed gene analyses were employed for the first time in this species to identify genetic markers of sex differentiation. qPCR analysis showed predominant expression of <jats:italic>cyp11b1</jats:italic> , <jats:italic>dmrt1</jats:italic> , and <jats:italic>amh</jats:italic> in the testis of the 2-year-old male, and <jats:italic>foxl2a</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>wnt-4a</jats:italic> in the ovary of the 2-year-old female, respectively. Notably, <jats:italic>foxl2a</jats:italic> expression was also detected in female fin tissue, suggesting the potential for non-lethal female sex identification. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of sex differentiation, support discrimination between the sexes, and clarify the occurrence of phenotypically normal females in hatchery-reared blackthroat seaperch.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110616","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 : 2026-02-03DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2026.1688255
Daniel Ørnes Halvorsen, Corrado Chiatante, Cameron Louis Penne, Asmita Singh, Sivert Bakken, Glaucia Moreira Fragoso, Roger Birkeland, Alberto Dallolio, Joseph Landon Garrett, Tor Arne Johansen, Ingrid Helene Ellingsen, Morten Omholt Alver
The effective monitoring of dynamic marine phenomena, such as phytoplankton blooms, across multiple spatial and temporal scales remains challenging. However, emerging closed-loop observation systems which integrate adaptive, multi-platform sensors with operational ocean models offer substantial potential to enhance accuracy and responsiveness. An operational closed-loop state estimation system was developed and tested in near real-time during a two-month field campaign in Frohavet, Norway. This closed-loop system integrated an Ensemble Kalman Filter with a coupled physical–chemical–biological ocean model across nested domains from the North Atlantic shelf to local coastal regions. Observations from the agile CubeSat HYPSO-1 nano-satellite and an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV, AutoNaut) were assimilated, dynamically informing the USV’s navigation and demonstrating the feasibility of adaptive, multi-tiered monitoring. Incorporating HYPSO-1 chlorophyll- a observations improved phytoplankton estimates at regional scales, while assimilating USV-based chlorophyll- a data further refined the predictions locally. The campaign highlighted operational challenges, including communication delays, software constraints, persistent cloud coverage, and solar storms. Post-campaign analyses identified and mitigated ecosystem model biases related to silicate dynamics and fixed carbon:nitrogen:chlorophyll- a conversion factors, further improving the model accuracy. Addressing these limitations through greater automation, tighter integration, and robust contingency planning is critical to scaling future closed-loop ocean monitoring systems.
{"title":"Operational closed-loop system for multi-scale chlorophyll-a monitoring along the Norwegian coast","authors":"Daniel Ørnes Halvorsen, Corrado Chiatante, Cameron Louis Penne, Asmita Singh, Sivert Bakken, Glaucia Moreira Fragoso, Roger Birkeland, Alberto Dallolio, Joseph Landon Garrett, Tor Arne Johansen, Ingrid Helene Ellingsen, Morten Omholt Alver","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2026.1688255","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2026.1688255","url":null,"abstract":"The effective monitoring of dynamic marine phenomena, such as phytoplankton blooms, across multiple spatial and temporal scales remains challenging. However, emerging closed-loop observation systems which integrate adaptive, multi-platform sensors with operational ocean models offer substantial potential to enhance accuracy and responsiveness. An operational closed-loop state estimation system was developed and tested in near real-time during a two-month field campaign in Frohavet, Norway. This closed-loop system integrated an Ensemble Kalman Filter with a coupled physical–chemical–biological ocean model across nested domains from the North Atlantic shelf to local coastal regions. Observations from the agile CubeSat HYPSO-1 nano-satellite and an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV, AutoNaut) were assimilated, dynamically informing the USV’s navigation and demonstrating the feasibility of adaptive, multi-tiered monitoring. Incorporating HYPSO-1 chlorophyll- <jats:italic>a</jats:italic> observations improved phytoplankton estimates at regional scales, while assimilating USV-based chlorophyll- <jats:italic>a</jats:italic> data further refined the predictions locally. The campaign highlighted operational challenges, including communication delays, software constraints, persistent cloud coverage, and solar storms. Post-campaign analyses identified and mitigated ecosystem model biases related to silicate dynamics and fixed carbon:nitrogen:chlorophyll- <jats:italic>a</jats:italic> conversion factors, further improving the model accuracy. Addressing these limitations through greater automation, tighter integration, and robust contingency planning is critical to scaling future closed-loop ocean monitoring systems.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"276 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110619","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 : 2026-02-02DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1674917
Michael Jordan, Margaux Steyaert, Natalie Y.N. Ng, Kevin Hopkins, Raymond D. Ward, Chris Yesson, Emma Ransome
In benthic marine ecosystems, small organisms that dwell within the habitat matrix comprise the majority of species richness but are inherently difficult to sample. This limits our ability to document the biodiversity of these ecosystems. Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS), artificial reefs that mimic the three-dimensional complexity of benthic habitats, can alleviate this challenge. However, ARMS have been applied infrequently in many temperate locations, including the United Kingdom (UK). To showcase the applicability of ARMS to the UK, this paper applies standardized Smithsonian ARMS protocols for image analysis as well as DNA barcoding and metabarcoding of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene to 3 ARMS units deployed in the Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) Nearshore Trawling Exclusion zone, a conservation area created in 2021 to facilitate the recovery of seabed habitats. We document 176 genera across 22 eukaryotic phyla as well as 1,920 > 2 mm motile specimens with a biomass of 312 g. We identify 15 notable species, including the 4th UK record of Cephalothrix simula , a non-native poisonous nemertean with the potential to enter the food supply. We also assess the complementarity of image analysis and DNA metabarcoding in describing sessile communities, finding that the two methods produce meaningfully different estimates of relative abundance for some phyla, particularly Cnidaria (77x difference) and Bryozoa (72x difference). As our oceans come increasingly under threat from global change, it is imperative that we can accurately describe their biodiversity. We advocate for ARMS as a critical tool for measuring UK marine benthic biodiversity and discuss the use of ARMS in closing gaps in reference databases as well as in assessing ecosystem function and environmental disturbance in benthic habitats.
{"title":"Autonomous reef monitoring structures as a tool for assessing UK marine benthic biodiversity","authors":"Michael Jordan, Margaux Steyaert, Natalie Y.N. Ng, Kevin Hopkins, Raymond D. Ward, Chris Yesson, Emma Ransome","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1674917","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1674917","url":null,"abstract":"In benthic marine ecosystems, small organisms that dwell within the habitat matrix comprise the majority of species richness but are inherently difficult to sample. This limits our ability to document the biodiversity of these ecosystems. Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS), artificial reefs that mimic the three-dimensional complexity of benthic habitats, can alleviate this challenge. However, ARMS have been applied infrequently in many temperate locations, including the United Kingdom (UK). To showcase the applicability of ARMS to the UK, this paper applies standardized Smithsonian ARMS protocols for image analysis as well as DNA barcoding and metabarcoding of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene to 3 ARMS units deployed in the Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) Nearshore Trawling Exclusion zone, a conservation area created in 2021 to facilitate the recovery of seabed habitats. We document 176 genera across 22 eukaryotic phyla as well as 1,920 &gt; 2 mm motile specimens with a biomass of 312 g. We identify 15 notable species, including the 4th UK record of <jats:italic>Cephalothrix simula</jats:italic> , a non-native poisonous nemertean with the potential to enter the food supply. We also assess the complementarity of image analysis and DNA metabarcoding in describing sessile communities, finding that the two methods produce meaningfully different estimates of relative abundance for some phyla, particularly Cnidaria (77x difference) and Bryozoa (72x difference). As our oceans come increasingly under threat from global change, it is imperative that we can accurately describe their biodiversity. We advocate for ARMS as a critical tool for measuring UK marine benthic biodiversity and discuss the use of ARMS in closing gaps in reference databases as well as in assessing ecosystem function and environmental disturbance in benthic habitats.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146101376","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 : 2026-02-02DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2026.1572290
Hope Hunter, Chidong Zhang, Dongxiao Zhang, Hannah M. Horowitz
Air-sea fluxes have rarely or never been estimated from in situ observations in many parts of the global oceans, especially in the Arctic, despite their critical roles in weather and climate. In consequence, their reproductions by numerical models have seldomly been validated against observations. In this study, observations from Saildrone Explorer uncrewed surface vehicles are used to validate surface sensible and latent heat fluxes from GFS deterministic forecasts and GEFS ensemble forecasts in the Arctic during May – October 2019. The most striking result from this study is the low biases in sea surface temperature (SST) in the initial conditions of both the deterministic and ensemble forecasts. Excessively cold predictions of SST lead to reversed signs in air-sea differences in temperature and humidity in comparison to the observations. Consequently, surface sensible and latent heat fluxes in the forecast can be negative (from air into the water), while observed fluxes are positive. The larger SST biases at the initial time og the GEFS ensemble forecasts is the main reason for their underperformance in comparison to the GFS deterministic forecasts. The results clearly demonstrate the vital step of improving forecasts in the Arctic is to prepare for accurate initial conditions of SST.
{"title":"Validation of forecasted surface sensible and latent heat fluxes by GFS and GEFS against saildrone observations in the Arctic","authors":"Hope Hunter, Chidong Zhang, Dongxiao Zhang, Hannah M. Horowitz","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2026.1572290","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2026.1572290","url":null,"abstract":"Air-sea fluxes have rarely or never been estimated from <jats:italic>in situ</jats:italic> observations in many parts of the global oceans, especially in the Arctic, despite their critical roles in weather and climate. In consequence, their reproductions by numerical models have seldomly been validated against observations. In this study, observations from Saildrone Explorer uncrewed surface vehicles are used to validate surface sensible and latent heat fluxes from GFS deterministic forecasts and GEFS ensemble forecasts in the Arctic during May – October 2019. The most striking result from this study is the low biases in sea surface temperature (SST) in the initial conditions of both the deterministic and ensemble forecasts. Excessively cold predictions of SST lead to reversed signs in air-sea differences in temperature and humidity in comparison to the observations. Consequently, surface sensible and latent heat fluxes in the forecast can be negative (from air into the water), while observed fluxes are positive. The larger SST biases at the initial time og the GEFS ensemble forecasts is the main reason for their underperformance in comparison to the GFS deterministic forecasts. The results clearly demonstrate the vital step of improving forecasts in the Arctic is to prepare for accurate initial conditions of SST.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"396 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146101377","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 : 2026-02-02DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1666791
Sivakamavalli Jeyachandran, Mohammed Aman
In this review, the potentials of jellyfish-based plastics as an alternative to conventional plastics are looked at principally regarding their use at sea. The collagen and additional biopolymers extracted from jellyfish have distinct physical and chemical properties i.e., biodegradability, toughness, and can blend with the environment, which enables it to manufacture green material to substitute the plastic fillers found in the ocean. In the review, what is known about jellyfish biomolecules is summarized, their properties studied, and how these biomolecules are subjected to biodegradation in marine ecosystems, as well as their use to package, create fishing gear, marine sensors, and agrochemical release controls in aquaculture, is discussed. The effect of environmental factors on the degradation, useful life cycle and large-scale production and regulation challenges are also examined. This review applies the concepts of material science, marine biotechnology, and environmental policies to suggest significant research gaps, as well as describe potential new concepts that can support the application of jellyfish-derived bioplastics to create marine and environmental sustainability.
{"title":"Jellyfish-derived bioplastics: properties, degradation, and marine applications","authors":"Sivakamavalli Jeyachandran, Mohammed Aman","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2025.1666791","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1666791","url":null,"abstract":"In this review, the potentials of jellyfish-based plastics as an alternative to conventional plastics are looked at principally regarding their use at sea. The collagen and additional biopolymers extracted from jellyfish have distinct physical and chemical properties i.e., biodegradability, toughness, and can blend with the environment, which enables it to manufacture green material to substitute the plastic fillers found in the ocean. In the review, what is known about jellyfish biomolecules is summarized, their properties studied, and how these biomolecules are subjected to biodegradation in marine ecosystems, as well as their use to package, create fishing gear, marine sensors, and agrochemical release controls in aquaculture, is discussed. The effect of environmental factors on the degradation, useful life cycle and large-scale production and regulation challenges are also examined. This review applies the concepts of material science, marine biotechnology, and environmental policies to suggest significant research gaps, as well as describe potential new concepts that can support the application of jellyfish-derived bioplastics to create marine and environmental sustainability.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"96 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146101446","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 : 2026-02-02DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2026.1752602
Yihan Wang
Focusing water waves is a potential technology improving the power generation of wave energy converters. Two semi-ellipsoidal reflectors, including long-axis opening and short-axis opening, were adopted to investigate the water-wave focusing effects. A 3D numerical wave tank was built and solved using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. First, the wave fields around the reflectors against different wave periods were calculated. Furthermore, the wave elevation at monitoring locations of the reflectors against different wave steepness was investigated. Results demonstrate that the number of focusing points of the long-axis opening is more than that of the short-axis opening for short wave periods. The locations of focusing points move with the change of wave periods. However, for long wave periods, the waves can be focused over a large area in front of the reflector. The wave height at the focusing area overall becomes smaller with the increase in the wave periods. Additionally, the wave steepness has insignificant effects on the dimensionless wave height.
{"title":"Water-waves focusing by an elliptical reflector","authors":"Yihan Wang","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2026.1752602","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2026.1752602","url":null,"abstract":"Focusing water waves is a potential technology improving the power generation of wave energy converters. Two semi-ellipsoidal reflectors, including long-axis opening and short-axis opening, were adopted to investigate the water-wave focusing effects. A 3D numerical wave tank was built and solved using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. First, the wave fields around the reflectors against different wave periods were calculated. Furthermore, the wave elevation at monitoring locations of the reflectors against different wave steepness was investigated. Results demonstrate that the number of focusing points of the long-axis opening is more than that of the short-axis opening for short wave periods. The locations of focusing points move with the change of wave periods. However, for long wave periods, the waves can be focused over a large area in front of the reflector. The wave height at the focusing area overall becomes smaller with the increase in the wave periods. Additionally, the wave steepness has insignificant effects on the dimensionless wave height.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"41 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146101449","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 : 2026-01-30DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2026.1771442
Qiang Song, Jiasheng Wang, Thomas J. Algeo, Liyuan Xu, Can Chen, Zhou Wang, Cong Cheng, Kunlong Geng, Qing Li
Framboidal pyrite, a common form of authigenic pyrite in marine sediments, forms through the co-precipitation of equant, equidimensional microcrystals that can effectively sequester trace elements. Nevertheless, the relationships among key attributes of framboids (i.e., framboid size, microcrystal dimensions, and number of microcrystals) and the detailed mechanisms of trace−element enrichment within framboids are not yet well understood. To address this gap, we present a dataset encompassing framboid key attributes, sulfur isotopes, and trace−element (Ni, Mo) concentrations from two gas−hydrate−bearing drillsites (GMGS4−SC−W02B and GMGS4−SC−W03B) in the Shenhu area, Pearl River Mouth Basin, South China Sea. In this methane−seep−influenced setting, framboid size is primarily controlled by microcrystal diameter and secondarily by microcrystal abundance. Nickel enrichment in framboidal pyrite follows a two−stage mechanism. Initially, Ni is taken up into FeS precursors before being incorporated into pyrite via isomorphous substitution on {111} microcrystal surfaces during framboid growth. This results in a strong positive correlation with microcrystal size (R² = 0.73, p < 0.001) rather than with their number (R 2 = 0.18, p = 0.02). In contrast, Mo content shows positive correlations with both framboid size and microcrystal abundance (R² = 0.66, p < 0.01 and R² = 0.42, p = 0.01, respectively), consistent with its incorporation as nano−inclusions or nanoparticles within the pyrite lattice. The enrichment of both elements initiates from the strong adsorption capacity of iron monosulfide precursors. In methane release environments, enhanced anaerobic oxidation of methane facilitates the conversion of molybdate to particle-reactive thiomolybdates, which are effectively captured by growing pyrite framboids. Nickel, on the other hand, benefits from the increase in microcrystalline surface area during growth, where it replaces exposed Fe 2+ through isomorphic substitution, leading to enrichment on microcrystal surfaces. This study advances the mechanistic understanding of trace−element incorporation in framboidal pyrite, and these findings strengthen the reliability of nickel and molybdenum as robust proxies for reconstructing paleoenvironmental conditions and paleo-methane release activity.
{"title":"Ni and Mo enrichment mechanisms in framboidal pyrite during methane-release events (Baiyun Sag, South China Sea)","authors":"Qiang Song, Jiasheng Wang, Thomas J. Algeo, Liyuan Xu, Can Chen, Zhou Wang, Cong Cheng, Kunlong Geng, Qing Li","doi":"10.3389/fmars.2026.1771442","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2026.1771442","url":null,"abstract":"Framboidal pyrite, a common form of authigenic pyrite in marine sediments, forms through the co-precipitation of equant, equidimensional microcrystals that can effectively sequester trace elements. Nevertheless, the relationships among key attributes of framboids (i.e., framboid size, microcrystal dimensions, and number of microcrystals) and the detailed mechanisms of trace−element enrichment within framboids are not yet well understood. To address this gap, we present a dataset encompassing framboid key attributes, sulfur isotopes, and trace−element (Ni, Mo) concentrations from two gas−hydrate−bearing drillsites (GMGS4−SC−W02B and GMGS4−SC−W03B) in the Shenhu area, Pearl River Mouth Basin, South China Sea. In this methane−seep−influenced setting, framboid size is primarily controlled by microcrystal diameter and secondarily by microcrystal abundance. Nickel enrichment in framboidal pyrite follows a two−stage mechanism. Initially, Ni is taken up into FeS precursors before being incorporated into pyrite via isomorphous substitution on {111} microcrystal surfaces during framboid growth. This results in a strong positive correlation with microcrystal size (R² = 0.73, <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &lt; 0.001) rather than with their number (R <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> = 0.18, <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = 0.02). In contrast, Mo content shows positive correlations with both framboid size and microcrystal abundance (R² = 0.66, <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &lt; 0.01 and R² = 0.42, <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = 0.01, respectively), consistent with its incorporation as nano−inclusions or nanoparticles within the pyrite lattice. The enrichment of both elements initiates from the strong adsorption capacity of iron monosulfide precursors. In methane release environments, enhanced anaerobic oxidation of methane facilitates the conversion of molybdate to particle-reactive thiomolybdates, which are effectively captured by growing pyrite framboids. Nickel, on the other hand, benefits from the increase in microcrystalline surface area during growth, where it replaces exposed Fe <jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> through isomorphic substitution, leading to enrichment on microcrystal surfaces. This study advances the mechanistic understanding of trace−element incorporation in framboidal pyrite, and these findings strengthen the reliability of nickel and molybdenum as robust proxies for reconstructing paleoenvironmental conditions and paleo-methane release activity.","PeriodicalId":12479,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Marine Science","volume":"67 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146095963","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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