Pub Date : 2025-11-04DOI: 10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104153
Lucía Rivas-Iglesias , Álvaro Gutiérrez-Rodríguez , Sara Fernández , Eleanor Casement , Deva Menéndez-Teleña , Iris Carrera-Rodríguez , Eduardo Dopico , Verónica Soto-López , Eva Garcia-Vazquez
Worldwide shipping currently moves some 11 billion tons per year and is expected to grow by at least 240 % by 2050. However, the increase in maritime traffic can also create challenges in terms of pollution, safety, and conservation of the marine environment. Maritime traffic on the Asturian Coast is an important part of the region's economic activity, with the estuary of Avilés being a key point for the entry and departure of merchant traffic as well as fishing and recreational traffic. There are also smaller fishing ports and marinas such as San Juan de la Arena (Nalón River estuary) or Ribadesella (Sella River estuary) with a long tradition of both fishing and recreational boating. In this citizen science study, maritime traffic was analyzed in the three estuaries. Water samples were taken from these ports to determine the concentration and types of microplastics through filtration and examination under the stereomicroscope. Marine litter was surveyed from adjacent beaches, also with the help of citizen volunteers. The results obtained from the analysis showed highly significant differences between ports for both the type of plastic litter and microplastics pollution, according to the type of maritime traffic and the port size. The microplastics were directly associated with the number of vessels in each estuary and did not differ in the types of polymers, suggesting a common marine origin. This research shows the importance of implementing sustainable management measures to ensure that maritime traffic on the Asturian Coast develops in an environmentally friendly way.
{"title":"Citizen science study on maritime traffic and plastic debris in Asturias estuaries","authors":"Lucía Rivas-Iglesias , Álvaro Gutiérrez-Rodríguez , Sara Fernández , Eleanor Casement , Deva Menéndez-Teleña , Iris Carrera-Rodríguez , Eduardo Dopico , Verónica Soto-López , Eva Garcia-Vazquez","doi":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104153","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104153","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Worldwide shipping currently moves some 11 billion tons per year and is expected to grow by at least 240 % by 2050. However, the increase in maritime traffic can also create challenges in terms of pollution, safety, and conservation of the marine environment. Maritime traffic on the Asturian Coast is an important part of the region's economic activity, with the estuary of Avilés being a key point for the entry and departure of merchant traffic as well as fishing and recreational traffic. There are also smaller fishing ports and marinas such as San Juan de la Arena (Nalón River estuary) or Ribadesella (Sella River estuary) with a long tradition of both fishing and recreational boating. In this citizen science study, maritime traffic was analyzed in the three estuaries. Water samples were taken from these ports to determine the concentration and types of microplastics through filtration and examination under the stereomicroscope. Marine litter was surveyed from adjacent beaches, also with the help of citizen volunteers. The results obtained from the analysis showed highly significant differences between ports for both the type of plastic litter and microplastics pollution, according to the type of maritime traffic and the port size. The microplastics were directly associated with the number of vessels in each estuary and did not differ in the types of polymers, suggesting a common marine origin. This research shows the importance of implementing sustainable management measures to ensure that maritime traffic on the Asturian Coast develops in an environmentally friendly way.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marine Systems","volume":"252 ","pages":"Article 104153"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145473734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-03DOI: 10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104148
Verónica Soto-López , Deva Menendez-Teleña , Eva Garcia-Vazquez , Marlene Bartolomé
Global transportation is increasing significantly, with maritime transport playing a central role in global trade, as approximately 90 % of goods are transported via sea routes. While ballast water is essential for maintaining ship stability and manoeuvrability, it also presents a major environmental risk due to its potential to unintentionally transport invasive species to new environments. If these species survive and establish in the recipient ecosystem, they may disrupt native communities, impact the economy, and pose threats to human health. Ships are therefore recognised as a primary vector for aquatic biological invasions, with the associated risk varying depending on the type and volume of ballast water carried.
This study aims to assess the risk of invasive species introduction via ballast water by analysing maritime traffic at the Port of Gijón over a 21-year period. Located in the Bay of Biscay, Gijón is particularly vulnerable to the ecological impacts of intensive maritime activity. Based on traffic data, we developed a semi-quantitative procedure to estimate the biological contamination risk posed by each vessel arriving at the port. The analysis identifies countries of origin associated with risk and, through the use of biological databases and an evaluation of environmental conditions for species survival, generates a risk map that categorizes potential invasive species.
The results suggest that vessels arriving from national ports pose the highest risk (40.59 %), followed by those from Portugal (10.48 %), the United Kingdom (8.89 %), and France (7.05 %). Based on traffic patterns, 23 potential invasive species were identified. Of these, 20 were categorized as high risk on the generated map, and 6 have already been confirmed as present in the study area.
A simple and easily replicable procedure is proposed, which port authorities can implement using only existing records of port entries and exits.
{"title":"Risk analysis of invasive species by ballast water: Case study in the Port of Gijón, Bay of Biscay","authors":"Verónica Soto-López , Deva Menendez-Teleña , Eva Garcia-Vazquez , Marlene Bartolomé","doi":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104148","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104148","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global transportation is increasing significantly, with maritime transport playing a central role in global trade, as approximately 90 % of goods are transported via sea routes. While ballast water is essential for maintaining ship stability and manoeuvrability, it also presents a major environmental risk due to its potential to unintentionally transport invasive species to new environments. If these species survive and establish in the recipient ecosystem, they may disrupt native communities, impact the economy, and pose threats to human health. Ships are therefore recognised as a primary vector for aquatic biological invasions, with the associated risk varying depending on the type and volume of ballast water carried.</div><div>This study aims to assess the risk of invasive species introduction via ballast water by analysing maritime traffic at the Port of Gijón over a 21-year period. Located in the Bay of Biscay, Gijón is particularly vulnerable to the ecological impacts of intensive maritime activity. Based on traffic data, we developed a semi-quantitative procedure to estimate the biological contamination risk posed by each vessel arriving at the port. The analysis identifies countries of origin associated with risk and, through the use of biological databases and an evaluation of environmental conditions for species survival, generates a risk map that categorizes potential invasive species.</div><div>The results suggest that vessels arriving from national ports pose the highest risk (40.59 %), followed by those from Portugal (10.48 %), the United Kingdom (8.89 %), and France (7.05 %). Based on traffic patterns, 23 potential invasive species were identified. Of these, 20 were categorized as high risk on the generated map, and 6 have already been confirmed as present in the study area.</div><div>A simple and easily replicable procedure is proposed, which port authorities can implement using only existing records of port entries and exits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marine Systems","volume":"252 ","pages":"Article 104148"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145527967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104152
Denise Fabiana de Moraes Costa Schwamborn , Catarina da Rocha Marcolin , Nathália Lins-Silva , Morgana Brito-Lolaia , Alexandre Oliveira Almeida , Ralf Schwamborn
Size spectra contain key information on the functioning of ecosystems. Yet, the dynamic processes that shape a zooplankton size spectrum composed of numerous species and larval stages are still poorly documented. Normalized biomass size spectra (NBSS) were constructed to describe the total zooplankton, decapod larvae, and other mero- and ichthyoplankton in three areas of Tamandaré, Brazil. Bimonthly samples were obtained with a 300 μm mesh net, from 2013 to 2015, and analyzed with a ZooScan device. NBSS slopes were steeper than expected (Estuary: slope = −2.45 + − 0.16, Bay: slope = −1.81 + − 0.10, Shelf: slope = −1.80 + − 0.09), which was clearly due to the extremely high abundance of calanoid copepods (mostly Acartia spp.), especially in the Estuary. Removal of non-holoplanktonic organisms did not affect the NBSS slope, confirming the paradigm that the NBSS slope is a conservative property of ecosystems. We used permutation tests to compare the numbers of gaps in the size spectrum (i.e., empty bins). This emptiness test detected highly significant effects of non-holoplanktonic organisms on discrete holoplankton size fractions, in all study areas. Copepods were generally dominating in the size range < 3 mm Feret length. In the Estuary, brachyuran crab larvae, fish eggs, and caridean shrimp zoeae were most important, as meroplanktonic contributors to discrete niches in the size spectrum. In Shelf and Bay areas, penaeid postlarvae and fish larvae were the most relevant large-sized taxa, in units of biovolume. Density-dependent negative interactions (top-down regulation and functional replacement) occurred between same-sized brachyuran zoeae and copepods. The processes that shape taxon-specific size spectra into a “gap-free” spectrum are discussed under an evolutionary size-niche perspective. Our results show that continuous power law size spectra are likely shaped by size-structured interactions, taxon-specific size niche strategies (e.g., competitive exclusion), and top-down density-dependent food web regulation processes.
{"title":"Size-niche specific processes between mero- and holoplankton stabilize the continuum in size spectra of tropical estuarine and marine ecosystems","authors":"Denise Fabiana de Moraes Costa Schwamborn , Catarina da Rocha Marcolin , Nathália Lins-Silva , Morgana Brito-Lolaia , Alexandre Oliveira Almeida , Ralf Schwamborn","doi":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104152","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104152","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Size spectra contain key information on the functioning of ecosystems. Yet, the dynamic processes that shape a zooplankton size spectrum composed of numerous species and larval stages are still poorly documented. Normalized biomass size spectra (NBSS) were constructed to describe the total zooplankton, decapod larvae, and other mero- and ichthyoplankton in three areas of Tamandaré, Brazil. Bimonthly samples were obtained with a 300 μm mesh net, from 2013 to 2015, and analyzed with a ZooScan device. NBSS slopes were steeper than expected (Estuary: slope = −2.45 + − 0.16, Bay: slope = −1.81 + − 0.10, Shelf: slope = −1.80 + − 0.09), which was clearly due to the extremely high abundance of calanoid copepods (mostly <em>Acartia</em> spp.), especially in the Estuary. Removal of non-holoplanktonic organisms did not affect the NBSS slope, confirming the paradigm that the NBSS slope is a conservative property of ecosystems. We used permutation tests to compare the numbers of gaps in the size spectrum (i.e., empty bins). This emptiness test detected highly significant effects of non-holoplanktonic organisms on discrete holoplankton size fractions, in all study areas. Copepods were generally dominating in the size range < 3 mm Feret length. In the Estuary, brachyuran crab larvae, fish eggs, and caridean shrimp zoeae were most important, as meroplanktonic contributors to discrete niches in the size spectrum. In Shelf and Bay areas, penaeid postlarvae and fish larvae were the most relevant large-sized taxa, in units of biovolume. Density-dependent negative interactions (top-down regulation and functional replacement) occurred between same-sized brachyuran zoeae and copepods. The processes that shape taxon-specific size spectra into a “gap-free” spectrum are discussed under an evolutionary size-niche perspective. Our results show that continuous power law size spectra are likely shaped by size-structured interactions, taxon-specific size niche strategies (e.g., competitive exclusion), and top-down density-dependent food web regulation processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marine Systems","volume":"252 ","pages":"Article 104152"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145473689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-30DOI: 10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104150
Gao Wei , Shi Xingyu , Cao Xiaowei , Han Yanyu , Zhang Sudong , Fan Haixia , Xu Chenchen , Ma Benjun
The surface current system in the tropical western Pacific is pivotal for regulating local-to-global air-sea interactions by modulating ocean-atmosphere heat and mass exchange. However, two key knowledge gaps persist: the evolution of the region's hydro-ecological conditions (e.g., nutrient dynamics, phytoplankton biomass) and their response mechanisms to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. To address these, this study analyzed eco-hydro-climatic variations in the tropical western Pacific during ENSO events (2003−2022). Results show ENSO modulates surface chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) via a “three-level linkage mechanism”: ENSO signals first alter physical processes (sea level anomalies [SLA], boundary current velocities), which then regulate nutrient supply (vertical mixing, horizontal transport), ultimately driving differentiated Chl-a responses across sub-regions. Specifically, during El Niño: decreased SLA weakens upper-ocean stratification to enhance vertical nutrient supply; boundary currents (NGCC, NECC) show intensity-dependent responses (decreasing in weak-to-strong El Niño, increasing in the 2015/2016 super El Niño), leading to significant Chl-a increases in the Western Pacific Warm Pool (WP) and Halmahera Eddy (HE) regions. During La Niña: stable SLA limits vertical nutrient supply, but enhanced westward currents compensate via horizontal transport to sustain WP region Chl-a growth; the HE region shows no Chl-a change due to reduced boundary current-driven nearshore nutrient input. Nutrient sensitivity further shapes responses: nitrate responds to super El Niño and all La Niña events, phosphate to moderate-to-strong La Niña, and silicate (HE region's key limiting nutrient) exhibits ENSO-linked extreme values. Open-ocean regions (A, B) and the Mindanao Eddy (ME) region have weak/no Chl-a-ENSO correlation, due to persistent stratification (A, B region) or weak eddy-driven supply (ME region). This study clarifies the ENSO-Chl-a cascade in the tropical western Pacific, filling gaps in hydro-ecological response understanding. By highlighting boundary current dynamics, sub-regional heterogeneity, and nutrient sensitivity, it provides a theoretical framework for predicting marine ecosystem changes under climate variability.
{"title":"Variation of surface chlorophyll-a concentration from 2003-2023 in the tropical western Pacific in response to the ENSO diversity","authors":"Gao Wei , Shi Xingyu , Cao Xiaowei , Han Yanyu , Zhang Sudong , Fan Haixia , Xu Chenchen , Ma Benjun","doi":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104150","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104150","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The surface current system in the tropical western Pacific is pivotal for regulating local-to-global air-sea interactions by modulating ocean-atmosphere heat and mass exchange. However, two key knowledge gaps persist: the evolution of the region's hydro-ecological conditions (e.g., nutrient dynamics, phytoplankton biomass) and their response mechanisms to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. To address these, this study analyzed eco-hydro-climatic variations in the tropical western Pacific during ENSO events (2003−2022). Results show ENSO modulates surface chlorophyll-a (Chl-<em>a</em>) via a “three-level linkage mechanism”: ENSO signals first alter physical processes (sea level anomalies [SLA], boundary current velocities), which then regulate nutrient supply (vertical mixing, horizontal transport), ultimately driving differentiated Chl-<em>a</em> responses across sub-regions. Specifically, during El Niño: decreased SLA weakens upper-ocean stratification to enhance vertical nutrient supply; boundary currents (NGCC, NECC) show intensity-dependent responses (decreasing in weak-to-strong El Niño, increasing in the 2015/2016 super El Niño), leading to significant Chl-a increases in the Western Pacific Warm Pool (WP) and Halmahera Eddy (HE) regions. During La Niña: stable SLA limits vertical nutrient supply, but enhanced westward currents compensate via horizontal transport to sustain WP region Chl-a growth; the HE region shows no Chl-<em>a</em> change due to reduced boundary current-driven nearshore nutrient input. Nutrient sensitivity further shapes responses: nitrate responds to super El Niño and all La Niña events, phosphate to moderate-to-strong La Niña, and silicate (HE region's key limiting nutrient) exhibits ENSO-linked extreme values. Open-ocean regions (A, B) and the Mindanao Eddy (ME) region have weak/no Chl-<em>a</em>-ENSO correlation, due to persistent stratification (A, B region) or weak eddy-driven supply (ME region). This study clarifies the ENSO-Chl-<em>a</em> cascade in the tropical western Pacific, filling gaps in hydro-ecological response understanding. By highlighting boundary current dynamics, sub-regional heterogeneity, and nutrient sensitivity, it provides a theoretical framework for predicting marine ecosystem changes under climate variability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marine Systems","volume":"252 ","pages":"Article 104150"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145424632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-30DOI: 10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104151
Peihao Yang , Lingli Fan , Shujie Chang , Guodong Ye
Marine heat waves (MHWs) are prolonged anomalous sea temperature phenomena that affect marine ecosystems and their accurate prediction is of significance. In this study, a multivariate multi-granularity spatiotemporal graph neural network (MMS-GNN) based on a transformer is proposed. First, time series are sorted by period. The transformer is then used to capture the long-term dependency of various temporal granularities. Second, the entire marine region is divided into several subregions. The spatial dependency between different locations is then established by studying the changing trends between neighboring nodes. Third, a GNN is combined with a temporal convolutional network and employed to predict the collected information. Finally, experiments are conducted in the South China Sea using 40 years of observational data. Test results demonstrate that the proposed MMS-GNN can outperform other methods, meaning high effectiveness and flexibility of MMS-GNN for long-term MHW prediction.
{"title":"Marine heatwave prediction method for the South China Sea","authors":"Peihao Yang , Lingli Fan , Shujie Chang , Guodong Ye","doi":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104151","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104151","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Marine heat waves (MHWs) are prolonged anomalous sea temperature phenomena that affect marine ecosystems and their accurate prediction is of significance. In this study, a multivariate multi-granularity spatiotemporal graph neural network (MMS-GNN) based on a transformer is proposed. First, time series are sorted by period. The transformer is then used to capture the long-term dependency of various temporal granularities. Second, the entire marine region is divided into several subregions. The spatial dependency between different locations is then established by studying the changing trends between neighboring nodes. Third, a GNN is combined with a temporal convolutional network and employed to predict the collected information. Finally, experiments are conducted in the South China Sea using 40 years of observational data. Test results demonstrate that the proposed MMS-GNN can outperform other methods, meaning high effectiveness and flexibility of MMS-GNN for long-term MHW prediction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marine Systems","volume":"252 ","pages":"Article 104151"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145473735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-30DOI: 10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104149
Carlos A.F. Schettini , Jurandir Pereira Filho , Leonardo R. Rörig
The Biguaçu River estuary is a small system that traverses a highly urbanized area and flows into a larger estuarine system, the Baía Norte, in Santa Catarina, Brazil, thus being subject to various anthropogenic stresses. In the present study, we investigated the hydrodynamic regime of this system, assessing sedimentary and biogeochemical dynamics to evaluate the role of this system as a source or sink of materials for the adjacent coastal zone. A sampling campaign was conducted to record hydrodynamic data (water level and currents) and water properties (salinity, temperature, suspended particulate matter (SPM), dissolved oxygen, dissolved inorganic nutrients (nitrite, nitrate, ammoniacal nitrogen, and phosphate), chlorophyll-a, and phycocyanin during two complete cycles of semi-diurnal tides (25 h) under spring tide and average river discharge conditions. The results allowed us to classify the estuary as partially stratified. Based on the Richardson number diagnosis, periods of increased mixing occurred during flood tides, while stable stratification was observed during ebb tides. The variability in SPM concentration was associated with resuspension processes during flood periods, while during ebb tides, the variability was associated with advection. The residual transport of SPM was directed into the estuary. The low levels of chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin found indicate low primary productivity within the estuary, likely due to light limitation or inadequate relative nutrient ratios. The hydrodynamics of this small-scale estuary tend not to favor the establishment of planktonic communities. Additionally, the apparent high organic load related to the poor wastewater treatment in the watershed tends to favor a saprobic rather than a trophic state, limiting autotrophic activity. Nutrient variation showed that nitrate is associated with riverine origin through the estuary, but for ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrite and phosphate, processes occurring in the bay also influenced the estuary.
{"title":"Suspended particulate matter and dissolved inorganic nutrients transport in a small urban shallow subtropical estuary","authors":"Carlos A.F. Schettini , Jurandir Pereira Filho , Leonardo R. Rörig","doi":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104149","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104149","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Biguaçu River estuary is a small system that traverses a highly urbanized area and flows into a larger estuarine system, the Baía Norte, in Santa Catarina, Brazil, thus being subject to various anthropogenic stresses. In the present study, we investigated the hydrodynamic regime of this system, assessing sedimentary and biogeochemical dynamics to evaluate the role of this system as a source or sink of materials for the adjacent coastal zone. A sampling campaign was conducted to record hydrodynamic data (water level and currents) and water properties (salinity, temperature, suspended particulate matter (SPM), dissolved oxygen, dissolved inorganic nutrients (nitrite, nitrate, ammoniacal nitrogen, and phosphate), chlorophyll-<em>a</em>, and phycocyanin during two complete cycles of semi-diurnal tides (25 h) under spring tide and average river discharge conditions. The results allowed us to classify the estuary as partially stratified. Based on the Richardson number diagnosis, periods of increased mixing occurred during flood tides, while stable stratification was observed during ebb tides. The variability in SPM concentration was associated with resuspension processes during flood periods, while during ebb tides, the variability was associated with advection. The residual transport of SPM was directed into the estuary. The low levels of chlorophyll-<em>a</em> and phycocyanin found indicate low primary productivity within the estuary, likely due to light limitation or inadequate relative nutrient ratios. The hydrodynamics of this small-scale estuary tend not to favor the establishment of planktonic communities. Additionally, the apparent high organic load related to the poor wastewater treatment in the watershed tends to favor a saprobic rather than a trophic state, limiting autotrophic activity. Nutrient variation showed that nitrate is associated with riverine origin through the estuary, but for ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrite and phosphate, processes occurring in the bay also influenced the estuary.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marine Systems","volume":"252 ","pages":"Article 104149"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145473798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-19DOI: 10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104147
Eleonora Puccinelli , Boris Espinasse , Brian P.V. Hunt , Fabienne Le Grand , Evgeny A. Pakhomov , Frédéric Planchon , Marine Remize , Philippe Soudant
Knowledge of the trophic ecology of zooplankton is essential for evaluating their functional roles in marine food webs and nutrient cycling since they represent the link between primary producers and higher trophic levels. Here we investigated the fatty acid (FA) composition of different zooplankton size classes and selected species collected in the vicinity of the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Islands in late austral summer 2018 as part of the MOBYDICK research project. The analysis revealed that zooplankton FA composition varied significantly across size classes and species but not among stations. Larger zooplankton (>1000 μm) generally had higher total FA (TFA) amounts per dry weight than smaller classes (22.1 ± 3.0 vs. 61.9 ± 11.8 mg g−1). Essential FAs (EFA) accounted for 40.5 ± 0.8 % of TFA, with 22:6n-3 (DHA) and 20:5n-3 (EPA) being the most prominent. Diatom trophic markers (TM) were abundant in larger zooplankton size classes, while non-diatom TM were more prevalent in smaller size classes. The FA-based nutritional quality index (NQI) of zooplankton was positively correlated with EFA and DHA, and it was higher than the NQI of phytoplankton concurrently collected, indicating that zooplankton has a better nutritional quality than primary producers. This study highlights the importance of size and species-specific dietary preferences in determining zooplankton FA profiles and the high nutritional quality of this group collected during late austral summer, which significantly contributes to our understanding of zooplankton's ecological role in sub-Antarctic pelagic food webs.
了解浮游动物的营养生态学对于评估它们在海洋食物网和营养循环中的功能作用至关重要,因为它们代表了初级生产者和更高营养水平之间的联系。作为MOBYDICK研究项目的一部分,我们研究了2018年夏末在亚南极凯尔盖伦群岛附近收集的不同浮游动物大小类别和选定物种的脂肪酸组成。分析表明,浮游动物FA组成在不同的大小类和种类之间存在显著差异,但在不同的站位之间没有显著差异。体型较大的浮游动物(>1000 μm)的总FA (TFA)含量通常高于体型较小的浮游动物(22.1±3.0 vs. 61.9±11.8 mg g - 1)。必需脂肪酸(EFA)占总脂肪酸的40.5±0.8%,其中以22:6n-3 (DHA)和20:5n-3 (EPA)最为突出。硅藻营养标记物(TM)在较大的浮游动物中丰富,而非硅藻营养标记物(TM)在较小的浮游动物中更为普遍。以fa为基础的浮游动物营养品质指数(NQI)与EFA和DHA呈正相关,且高于同期采集的浮游植物营养品质指数(NQI),说明浮游动物的营养品质优于初级生产者。这项研究强调了大小和物种特定饮食偏好在确定浮游动物FA谱和南夏末收集的这组浮游动物的高营养质量方面的重要性,这对我们理解亚南极浮游动物在远洋食物网中的生态作用有重要意义。
{"title":"The nutritional quality of zooplankton in the sub-antarctic Southern Ocean during late austral summer","authors":"Eleonora Puccinelli , Boris Espinasse , Brian P.V. Hunt , Fabienne Le Grand , Evgeny A. Pakhomov , Frédéric Planchon , Marine Remize , Philippe Soudant","doi":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104147","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104147","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Knowledge of the trophic ecology of zooplankton is essential for evaluating their functional roles in marine food webs and nutrient cycling since they represent the link between primary producers and higher trophic levels. Here we investigated the fatty acid (FA) composition of different zooplankton size classes and selected species collected in the vicinity of the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Islands in late austral summer 2018 as part of the MOBYDICK research project. The analysis revealed that zooplankton FA composition varied significantly across size classes and species but not among stations. Larger zooplankton (>1000 μm) generally had higher total FA (TFA) amounts per dry weight than smaller classes (22.1 ± 3.0 vs. 61.9 ± 11.8 mg g<sup>−1</sup>). Essential FAs (EFA) accounted for 40.5 ± 0.8 % of TFA, with 22:6n-3 (DHA) and 20:5n-3 (EPA) being the most prominent. Diatom trophic markers (TM) were abundant in larger zooplankton size classes, while non-diatom TM were more prevalent in smaller size classes. The FA-based nutritional quality index (NQI) of zooplankton was positively correlated with EFA and DHA, and it was higher than the NQI of phytoplankton concurrently collected, indicating that zooplankton has a better nutritional quality than primary producers. This study highlights the importance of size and species-specific dietary preferences in determining zooplankton FA profiles and the high nutritional quality of this group collected during late austral summer, which significantly contributes to our understanding of zooplankton's ecological role in sub-Antarctic pelagic food webs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marine Systems","volume":"252 ","pages":"Article 104147"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145424637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-16DOI: 10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104146
Andrés M. Enríquez-Hidalgo , Andrés Vargas-Luna , Marc Mestres , Jorge Escobar-Vargas , Manuel Espino Infantes , Andrés Torres
Understanding Shoreline Displacement (SLD) in data- limited coastal regions, is critical for risk-informed management. We evaluate an integrated workflow that couples wave-hydrodynamic modeling, tide-corrected CoastSat satellite shorelines, and machine learning (ML) to characterize SLD drivers in Tumaco Bay on Colombia's southern pacific coast. Using data from 2017 to 2018, various structured meshes and advection schemes are tested. A 100 m mesh with a cyclic advection scheme best reproduced mesotidal dynamics when forced with TPXO8 tidal model for boundary conditions and wind data provided by a meteorological station. Model performance evaluated against Waverys reanalysis and available observations showed good skill, supporting application where in situ data are sparse. Multidecadal (1993–2024) CoastSat shoreline positions for El Morro and El Bajito beaches indicate an overall accretional tendency but found erosion hotspots affecting densely settled and touristic sectors. Regional wave conditions feature significant wave height (Hs) of 0.3–1.1 m, peak wave period (Tp) of 4–18 s, and predominantly westward wave approach, Random Forest (RF) results identify sea level (SL) and mean wave propagation direction (Θm) as the leading contributors to observed SLD variability, whereas Hs and Tp are secondary under the area's moderate wave energy. The study demonstrates the need to monitor localized erosion despite net accretion and demonstrate that combining physics-based modeling, open satellite archives, and data-driven methods can yield policy-relevant coastal insights in data-scarce tropical estuarine environments.
{"title":"Shoreline displacement assessment on the Pacific Coast of Colombia using numerical simulations, remote sensing and machine learning in a data-limited environment","authors":"Andrés M. Enríquez-Hidalgo , Andrés Vargas-Luna , Marc Mestres , Jorge Escobar-Vargas , Manuel Espino Infantes , Andrés Torres","doi":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104146","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104146","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding Shoreline Displacement (SLD) in data- limited coastal regions, is critical for risk-informed management. We evaluate an integrated workflow that couples wave-hydrodynamic modeling, tide-corrected CoastSat satellite shorelines, and machine learning (ML) to characterize SLD drivers in Tumaco Bay on Colombia's southern pacific coast. Using data from 2017 to 2018, various structured meshes and advection schemes are tested. A 100 m mesh with a cyclic advection scheme best reproduced mesotidal dynamics when forced with TPXO8 tidal model for boundary conditions and wind data provided by a meteorological station. Model performance evaluated against Waverys reanalysis and available observations showed good skill, supporting application where in situ data are sparse. Multidecadal (1993–2024) CoastSat shoreline positions for El Morro and El Bajito beaches indicate an overall accretional tendency but found erosion hotspots affecting densely settled and touristic sectors. Regional wave conditions feature significant wave height (H<sub>s</sub>) of 0.3–1.1 m, peak wave period (T<sub>p</sub>) of 4–18 s, and predominantly westward wave approach, Random Forest (RF) results identify sea level (SL) and mean wave propagation direction (Θm) as the leading contributors to observed SLD variability, whereas H<sub>s</sub> and T<sub>p</sub> are secondary under the area's moderate wave energy. The study demonstrates the need to monitor localized erosion despite net accretion and demonstrate that combining physics-based modeling, open satellite archives, and data-driven methods can yield policy-relevant coastal insights in data-scarce tropical estuarine environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marine Systems","volume":"252 ","pages":"Article 104146"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145473736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
We present a high-resolution δ18O record from two cores of living massive Porites lutea, covering a time period from 1879 to 2003 CE in the southeastern Arabian Sea to understand regional climate variability. The age models were established using annual banding counts and U-Th dating technique. Results show δ18O values range from −5.45 to −4.41 ‰ and feature a monthly-resolved, decreasing δ18O trend over the entire 125 years, coinciding with a gradual increase in instrumental SST record. A marked decreasing coral-δ18O pattern was noticed for more recent years, in agreement with published coral-δ18O records from the Indian Ocean, suggesting a rapid rate of warming. The most negative δ18O (for any given year) occurs during peak summer and the least negative δ18O during peak southwest (SW) monsoon times. The seasonal δ18O amplitude lies mostly ∼0.6–0.7 ‰, indicating a combined effect of decreased sea surface temperature (SST) and increased sea surface salinity (SSS) during the SW monsoon times. Ordinary least squares linear regressions (OLS) analysis performed using the coral-δ18O and Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature (ERSST) values for three distinct time periods (1879 to 1924, 1939 to 1958 and 1988 to 2003 CE) yield the following equations: δ18O = −0.24 (±0.01) × SST (°C) + 1.9 (±0.32), δ18O = −0.29 (±0.01) × SST (°C) + 3.5 (±0.48) and δ18O = −0.25 (±0.02) × SST (°C) + 2.4 (±0.63). The coral record is characterized by a stepwise decreasing δ18O pattern and a dampening of δ18O signal during strong El-Niño Southern Oscillations years.
{"title":"A 125 years (1879–2003 CE) record of seasonal δ18O changes in a Porites lutea coral from the Lakshadweep Archipelago, southeastern Arabian Sea","authors":"Waseem Raza , Syed Masood Ahmad , Santosh Kumar Beja , Chun-Yuan Huang , Chuan-Chou Shen , E.V.S.S.K. Babu","doi":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104142","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104142","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We present a high-resolution δ<sup>18</sup>O record from two cores of living massive <em>Porites lutea</em>, covering a time period from 1879 to 2003 CE in the southeastern Arabian Sea to understand regional climate variability. The age models were established using annual banding counts and U-Th dating technique<em>.</em> Results show δ<sup>18</sup>O values range from −5.45 to −4.41 ‰ and feature a monthly-resolved, decreasing δ<sup>18</sup>O trend over the entire 125 years, coinciding with a gradual increase in instrumental SST record. A marked decreasing coral-δ<sup>18</sup>O pattern was noticed for more recent years, in agreement with published coral-δ<sup>18</sup>O records from the Indian Ocean, suggesting a rapid rate of warming. The most negative δ<sup>18</sup>O (for any given year) occurs during peak summer and the least negative δ<sup>18</sup>O during peak southwest (SW) monsoon times. The seasonal δ<sup>18</sup>O amplitude lies mostly ∼0.6–0.7 ‰, indicating a combined effect of decreased sea surface temperature (SST) and increased sea surface salinity (SSS) during the SW monsoon times. Ordinary least squares linear regressions (OLS) analysis performed using the coral-δ<sup>18</sup>O and Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature (ERSST) values for three distinct time periods (1879 to 1924, 1939 to 1958 and 1988 to 2003 CE) yield the following equations: δ<sup>18</sup>O = −0.24 (±0.01) × SST (°C) + 1.9 (±0.32), δ<sup>18</sup>O = −0.29 (±0.01) × SST (°C) + 3.5 (±0.48) and δ<sup>18</sup>O = −0.25 (±0.02) × SST (°C) + 2.4 (±0.63). The coral record is characterized by a stepwise decreasing δ<sup>18</sup>O pattern and a dampening of δ<sup>18</sup>O signal during strong El-Niño Southern Oscillations years.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marine Systems","volume":"252 ","pages":"Article 104142"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145332920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-10DOI: 10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104145
Ricardo López-Alonso , Emma Shorter-Rodríguez , Esteban Pascual-Parra , Claudia González-Toral , Pablo Pereda-Bezanilla , María Díez-Muñoz , Verónica Soto-López , Deva Menéndez-Teleña , Iris Carrera-Rodríguez , Jesús Ángel García-Maza , Eduardo Cires , Andrés Arias
Biodiversity loss is one of nowadays best-known environmental problems. Biological invasions are acknowledged as one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. The globalisation phenomenon and subsequent spreading of invasive species cause damage to native ecosystems and harm the economy and health of the invaded areas. Harbours and marinas are among the main pathways that allow invasive species to enter new ranges. These anthropogenic structures provide a protected environment that allows the settlement of alien species. One of the questions that arises when dealing with this issue, is whether these invasive species can disperse and affect adjacent coastal areas. This work aims to characterise the diversity of exotic and invasive benthic fauna from four marinas of the northern Iberian Peninsula (Cantabrian Sea, Bay of Biscay) and eight neighbouring intertidal natural ecosystems, emphasising the introduction vectors. A great difference in terms of diversity was observed in each area, being more abundant in ports. In addition, according to our data, intertidal shores might be more resistant to biological invasions than harbours, which are highly degraded habitats. Most of the exotic species in ports have arrived through ballast water or biofouling, due to the high maritime traffic in the Cantabrian Sea. A total of 399 species were found. The dominant phylum was Mollusca (98 species), followed by Annelida (95 species) and Arthropoda with (88 species). According to their status, 26 species were catalogued as invasive, two as cryptogenic, six as exotic and 365 as native. Most invasive species belong to the phyla Bryozoa and Chordata. An Indicator Species Analysis identified two species indicatives of natural intertidal shores and 66 species of harbours. Additionally, PERMANOVA tests revealed significant differences in species composition among sampling sites. Information about exotic species can help increase knowledge regarding biological invasions and subsequently prevent them. It is also crucial to comprehend the biology of the species involved in order to predict their ecological and economic impacts.
{"title":"Unveiling the coastal diversity of benthic fauna of the Cantabrian Sea: Harbours and intertidal natural areas under the lens of invasive species","authors":"Ricardo López-Alonso , Emma Shorter-Rodríguez , Esteban Pascual-Parra , Claudia González-Toral , Pablo Pereda-Bezanilla , María Díez-Muñoz , Verónica Soto-López , Deva Menéndez-Teleña , Iris Carrera-Rodríguez , Jesús Ángel García-Maza , Eduardo Cires , Andrés Arias","doi":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104145","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmarsys.2025.104145","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biodiversity loss is one of nowadays best-known environmental problems. Biological invasions are acknowledged as one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. The globalisation phenomenon and subsequent spreading of invasive species cause damage to native ecosystems and harm the economy and health of the invaded areas. Harbours and marinas are among the main pathways that allow invasive species to enter new ranges. These anthropogenic structures provide a protected environment that allows the settlement of alien species. One of the questions that arises when dealing with this issue, is whether these invasive species can disperse and affect adjacent coastal areas. This work aims to characterise the diversity of exotic and invasive benthic fauna from four marinas of the northern Iberian Peninsula (Cantabrian Sea, Bay of Biscay) and eight neighbouring intertidal natural ecosystems, emphasising the introduction vectors. A great difference in terms of diversity was observed in each area, being more abundant in ports. In addition, according to our data, intertidal shores might be more resistant to biological invasions than harbours, which are highly degraded habitats. Most of the exotic species in ports have arrived through ballast water or biofouling, due to the high maritime traffic in the Cantabrian Sea. A total of 399 species were found. The dominant phylum was Mollusca (98 species), followed by Annelida (95 species) and Arthropoda with (88 species). According to their status, 26 species were catalogued as invasive, two as cryptogenic, six as exotic and 365 as native. Most invasive species belong to the phyla Bryozoa and Chordata. An Indicator Species Analysis identified two species indicatives of natural intertidal shores and 66 species of harbours. Additionally, PERMANOVA tests revealed significant differences in species composition among sampling sites. Information about exotic species can help increase knowledge regarding biological invasions and subsequently prevent them. It is also crucial to comprehend the biology of the species involved in order to predict their ecological and economic impacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marine Systems","volume":"252 ","pages":"Article 104145"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145424636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}