scholarly journals Selection of mesophotic habitats by Oculina patagonica in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea following global warming

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephane Martinez ◽  
Jessica Bellworthy ◽  
Christine Ferrier-Pagès ◽  
Tali Mass
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Range Shift ◽  
Low Light ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Stony Corals ◽  
Selection Of

AbstractGlobally, species are migrating in an attempt to track optimal isotherms as climate change increasingly warms existing habitats. Stony corals are severely threatened by anthropogenic warming, which has resulted in repeated mass bleaching and mortality events. Since corals are sessile as adults and with a relatively old age of sexual maturity, they are slow to latitudinally migrate, but corals may also migrate vertically to deeper, cooler reefs. Herein we describe vertical migration of the Mediterranean coral Oculina patagonica from less than 10 m depth to > 30 m. We suggest that this range shift is a response to rapidly warming sea surface temperatures on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline. In contrast to the vast latitudinal distance required to track temperature change, this species has migrated deeper where summer water temperatures are up to 2 °C cooler. Comparisons of physiology, morphology, trophic position, symbiont type, and photochemistry between deep and shallow conspecifics revealed only a few depth-specific differences. At this study site, shallow colonies typically inhabit low light environments (caves, crevices) and have a facultative relationship with photosymbionts. We suggest that this existing phenotype aided colonization of the mesophotic zone. This observation highlights the potential for other marine species to vertically migrate.

scholarly journals Downward fluxes of elemental carbon, metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in settling particles from the deep Ionian Sea (NESTOR site), Eastern Mediterranean

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 19165-19197 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Theodosi ◽  
C. Parinos ◽  
A. Gogou ◽  
A. Kokotos ◽  
S. Stavrakakis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Elemental Carbon ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Vertical Transport ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Ionian Sea ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic

Abstract. To assess sources and major processes controlling vertical transport of both anthropogenic and natural chemical species in deep basins of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (SE Ionian Sea, Nestor site), we performed chemical characterization (elemental carbon, major and trace metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) of marine sinking particles. Sediment traps were deployed at five successive depths, 700 m, 1200 m, 2000 m, 3200 m and 4300 m from the sea surface, during the period of May 2007 to October 2008. Fluxes of all measured species exhibited minimum values from January to March 2008 and maximum from April to September 2008, with an evident covariance revealing a common and rapid vertical transport mechanism from 700 m down to 4300 m depth. Crustal matter flux from atmospheric deposition plays an important role in the temporal variability of particulate matter with significant contribution from biogenic constituents namely the seasonal succession in the export of planktonic biomass, expressed by particulate organic carbon (POC), carbonates and biogenic Si fluxes (Stavrakakis et al., 2012). Tracers (elemental carbon, retene) of the devastating forest fires occurred in August 2007 in southern Greece, were detected at sediment trap material in all depths with a delay of 15 days at 4300 m, indicating a rapid and well-coupled transport of sinking particulate material between the sea-surface and deep layers of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Lateral inputs of pollutants at the deepest trap (4300 m) are probably of importance, due to the influence of deep Adriatic water at the study site.

Regional Mean Sea Surface Model over the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milaa Murshan ◽  
Balaji Devaraju ◽  
Nagarajan Balasubramanium ◽  
Onkar Dikshit
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Tide Gauge ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Mean Sea Level ◽  
Mean Sea Surface

<p>The Mean Sea Level is not an equipotential surface because it is subject to several variations, e.g., the tides, currents, winds, etc. Mean Sea Level can be measured either by tide gauges near to coastlines relative to local datum or by satellite altimeter above the reference ellipsoid. From this observable quantity, one can derive a non-observable quantity at which the potential is constant called geoid and differs from mean sea surface by amount of ±1 m. This separation is called Sea Surface Topography. In this research, the data of nine altimetric Exact Repeat Missions (Envisat, ERS_1 of 35 days (phase C and G), ERS_2, GFO, Jason_1, Jason_2, Jason_3, Topex/Poseidon and SARAL) were used for computing the regional mean sea surface model over the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The data of all missions together span approximately 25 years from September -1992 to January-2017 and referenced to Topex ellipsoid.  Which is later transformed to WGS84 ellipsoid, as it is chosen to be a unified datum in this study. Prior to computing the altimetric MSS,  altimetric sea surface height measurements were validated  by comparing  time series of altimetric-MSL with mean sea level time series calculated from three in-situ tide gauge measurements.  The sea surface heights values of the derived MSS model is between 15.6 and 26.7 m. And the linear trend slope is between -3.02 to 6.53 mm/year.</p><p>Keywords: Mean Sea Level, Satellite Altimetry, Tide Gauge, Exact Repeat Missions</p>

scholarly journals Microbial community genomics in eastern Mediterranean Sea surface waters

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roi Feingersch ◽  
Marcelino T Suzuki ◽  
Michael Shmoish ◽  
Itai Sharon ◽  
Gazalah Sabehi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea

scholarly journals Chlorophyll in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea: Correlations with Environmental Factors and Trends

Environments ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dionysia Kotta ◽  
Dimitra Kitsiou
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Sea Level Pressure ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Mean Sea Level

The research on marine chlorophyll concentrations, as indicators of phytoplankton abundance, their relations with environmental parameters, and their trends is of global interest. It is also crucial when referring to oligotrophic environments where maintenance or increase in primary production is vital. The present study focuses on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea that is in general oligotrophic. Its primary goal is to explore possible relations between surface chlorophyll-a concentrations and environmental factors. The involved parameters are the sea surface temperature, the wind speed, the wave height, the precipitation, and the mean sea level pressure; their relation with chlorophyll is assessed through the calculation of the relevant correlation coefficients, based on monthly satellite-derived and numerical model data for the period 1998–2016. The results show that chlorophyll relates inversely with sea surface temperature; in general positively with wind speed and wave height; positively, although weaker, with precipitation; and negatively, but area and season limited, with mean sea level pressure. These correlations are stronger over the open southern part of the study area and strongly dependent on the season. A secondary aim of the study is the estimation of chlorophyll trends for the same time interval, which is performed separately for the low and the high production periods. The statistically significant results reveal only increasing local chlorophyll trends that, for each period, mainly characterize the eastern and the western part of the area, respectively.

scholarly journals Spatial Variability and Trends of Marine Heat Waves in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea over 39 Years

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 643
Author(s):  
Omneya Ibrahim ◽  
Bayoumy Mohamed ◽  
Hazem Nagy
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Aegean Sea ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Sea Level Pressure ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Marine Life ◽  
The Mean

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) can cause devastating impacts on marine life. The frequency of MHWs, gauged with respect to historical temperatures, is expected to rise significantly as the climate continues to warm. The MHWs intensity and count are pronounced with many parts of the oceans and semi enclosed seas, such as Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMED). This paper investigates the descriptive spatial variability and trends of MHW events and their main characteristics of the EMED from 1982 to 2020 using Sea Surface Temperature (SST) data obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Optimum Interpolation ([NOAA] OI SST V2.1). Over the last two decades, we find that the mean MHW frequency and duration increased by 40% and 15%, respectively. In the last decade, the shortest significant MHW mean duration is 10 days, found in the southern Aegean Sea, while it exceeds 27 days off the Israeli coast. The results demonstrate that the MHW frequency trend increased by 1.2 events per decade between 1982 and 2020, while the MHW cumulative intensity (icum) trend increased by 5.4 °C days per decade. During the study period, we discovered that the maximum significant MHW SST event was 6.35 °C above the 90th SST climatology threshold, lasted 7 days, and occurred in the year 2020. It was linked to a decrease in wind stress, an increase in air temperature, and an increase in mean sea level pressure.

scholarly journals Distribution Patterns of Floating Microplastics in Open and Coastal Waters of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (Ionian, Aegean, and Levantine Seas)

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Argyro Adamopoulou ◽  
Christina Zeri ◽  
Francesca Garaventa ◽  
Chiara Gambardella ◽  
Christos Ioakeimidis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Spectroscopic Analysis ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Morphological Properties ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Surface Circulation ◽  
Open Sea

Microplastic pollution is a pervasive anthropogenic phenomenon at the ocean surface. Numerous studies have been performed worldwide; nevertheless, the distribution patterns, morphological properties, and sources of origin in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea are still poorly explored. The purpose of this study is to investigate the distribution patterns of surface floating microplastics (MPs) in the Ionian, Aegean, and Levantine Seas in relation to their sources and sea surface circulation. In total, eighty-four samples were collected using manta nets from 2014 to 2020, covering open waters, coastal waters, and enclosed gulfs (Corfu and Saronikos). MPs concentration measurements revealed high variability ranging from 0.012 to 1.62 items m–2 and did not present maximum concentrations close to MPs hotspot areas. The presence of sea surface slicks, as recorded visually during our samplings, seems to play a key role on the distribution pattern of MPs, and highest concentrations were recorded in samples affected by these formations. The dominant MPs shape type identified were fragments (50–60%), whilst filaments (1–23%), films (3–26%), and foams (0–34%) varied among the studied areas. The majority of MPs in open waters had sizes ≤2 mm peaking between 0.6 and 1.4 mm. Spectroscopic analysis of MPs revealed the presence of 11 polymer types in both open sea and gulfs; the most abundant type was polyethylene (PE), followed by polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS). The relative abundance of polymer types was more diverse in Saronikos Gulf, compared to the open sea due to the proximity to major urban and industrial sources. Our findings suggest that the vicinity to coastal population centers determined the properties, size and polymer types of MPs and highlight that MPs concentrations are affected significantly by local oceanographic conditions, such as surface slicks.

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