scholarly journals Perfuorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Brominated Dioxins (PBDDs) and Furans (PBDFs) in Wild and Farmed Organisms at Different Trophic Levels in the Mediterranean Sea

Toxics ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Fattore ◽  
Renzo Bagnati ◽  
Andrea Colombo ◽  
Roberto Fanelli ◽  
Roberto Miniero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Perfluorooctanoic Acid ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Sea Bream ◽  
Farmed Fish ◽  
European Sea Bass ◽  
Marine Aquaculture ◽  
Fishery Products ◽  
The Mediterranean

The present study shows the results of perfuorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), brominated dioxins (PBDDs) and furans (PBDFs) measured in several marine fish and seafood of commercial interest at different trophic levels of the food chain. The aims were to investigate the level of the contamination in Mediterranean aquatic wildlife, and in farmed fish, to assess human exposure associated to fishery products consumption. Samples of wild fish were collected during three different sampling campaigns in different Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 37 areas of the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, farmed fish (gilthead sea bream and European sea bass) from off-shore cages from different marine aquaculture plants. Results showed contamination values of PFOS and PFOA were lower than those detected in sea basins other than the Mediterranean Sea. Concentration values of PFOS were generally higher than those of PFOA; moreover, levels in farmed fish were lower than in wild samples from the Mediterranean Sea. Intake of PFOS and PFOA through fishery products consumption was estimated to be 2.12 and 0.24 ng/kg·BW·day, respectively, for high consumers (95th percentile). Results of 2,3,7,8-substituted congeners of PBDDs and PBDFs were almost all below the limit of detection (LOD), making it difficult to establish the contribution of these compounds to the total contamination of dioxin-like compounds in fish and fishery products.

scholarly journals Indigenous versus Lessepsian Hosts: Nervous Necrosis Virus (NNV) in Eastern Mediterranean Sea Fish

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yael Lampert ◽  
Ran Berzak ◽  
Nadav Davidovich ◽  
Arik Diamant ◽  
Nir Stern ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Nervous Necrosis Virus ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Necrosis Virus ◽  
Marine Aquaculture ◽  
The Mediterranean

Viruses are among the most abundant and diverse biological components in the marine environment. In finfish, viruses are key drivers of host diversity and population dynamics, and therefore, their effect on the marine environment is far-reaching. Viral encephalopathy and retinopathy (VER) is a disease caused by the marine nervous necrosis virus (NNV), which is recognized as one of the main infectious threats for marine aquaculture worldwide. For over 140 years, the Suez Canal has acted as a conduit for the invasion of Red Sea marine species into the Mediterranean Sea. In 2016–2017, we evaluated the prevalence of NNV in two indigenous Mediterranean species, the round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) and the white steenbras (Lithognathus mormyrus) versus two Lessepsian species, the Randall’s threadfin bream (Nemipterus randalli) and the Lessepsian lizardfish (Saurida lessepsianus). A molecular method was used to detect NNV in all four fish species tested. In N. randalli, a relatively newly established invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, the prevalence was significantly higher than in both indigenous species. In S. lessepsianus, prevalence varied considerably between years. While the factors that influence the effective establishment of invasive species are poorly understood, we suggest that the susceptibility of a given invasive fish species to locally acquired viral pathogens such as NVV may be important, in terms of both its successful establishment in its newly adopted environment and its role as a reservoir ‘host’ in the new area.

scholarly journals Major contribution of prokaryotes to carbon fluxes in the pelagic microbial food webs of the Mediterranean Sea

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Zoccarato ◽  
Anna Malusà ◽  
Serena Fonda Umani
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Trophic Conditions ◽  
Major Pathway ◽  
Carbon Transfer ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Autotrophic Biomass ◽  
Heterotrophic Prokaryotes ◽  
The Mediterranean

<p>In this study, we carried out dilution experiments at the surface and in the mesopelagic and bathypelagic layers at 15 sites in the Mediterranean Sea that covered a wide range of trophic conditions. The main aim was to test the hypothesis that prokaryotes, and particularly heterotrophic prokaryotes, are pivotal in sustaining both nanoplankton and microzooplankton energy requirements at all of the considered trophic states. These data highlight that bacterivory is the major pathway of organic carbon transfer in the oligotrophic and meso-eutrophic environments. The microzooplankton mostly feed on prokaryotes, directly or indirectly (through nanoplankton exploitation), rather than on microalgae. Under eutrophic conditions, herbivory is the main trophic pathway; however, the heterotrophic prokaryotes always represent an important source of carbon. The lowest food-web efficiency <em>(i.e</em>., ratio between productivity of the highest trophic level and productivity of the lower trophic levels) was determined for the eutrophic status due to possible grazer satiation, which translates into an excess of autotrophic biomass available for export or transfer to higher trophic levels. The food-web efficiency is higher under mesoeutrophic and oligotrophic conditions, where the main pathway is bacterivory. In the mesopelagic and bathypelagic layers, only nanoplankton predation on heterotrophic prokaryotes was investigated. The food-web efficiency in these layers was relatively high and nanoplankton appear to efficiently exploit the available biomass of heterotrophic prokaryotes.</p>

scholarly journals Biomass accumulation across trophic levels: analysis of landings for the Mediterranean Sea

2014 ◽  
Vol 512 ◽  
pp. 201-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Pranovi ◽  
S Libralato ◽  
M Zucchetta ◽  
J Link
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Biomass Accumulation ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
The Mediterranean

scholarly journals Plankton in the open Mediterranean Sea: a review

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 11187-11292 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Siokou-Frangou ◽  
U. Christaki ◽  
M. G. Mazzocchi ◽  
M. Montresor ◽  
M. Ribera d'Alcalá ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Grazing Impact ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Amazon Forest ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. We present an overview of the plankton studies conducted during the last 25 years in the epipelagic offshore waters of the Mediterranean Sea. This quasi-enclosed sea is characterized by a rich and complex physical dynamics that includes unique thermohaline features, particular multilayer circulation, topographic gyres, and meso- and sub-mesoscale activity. Recent investigations have basically confirmed the long-recognised oligotrophic character of this sea, which enhances along both the west-east, and the north-south directions. Nutrient availability is low, especially for phosphorous (N:P up to 60), although limitation may be relaxed by inputs from highly populated coasts and from the atmosphere. Phytoplankton biomass as chl-a, generally displays low values (less than 0.2 μg chl-a l-1) over large areas, with a modest late winter increase. A large bloom (up to 3 μg l-1) throughout the late winter and early spring is only observed in the NW area. Relatively high biomass peaks are also recorded in fronts and cyclonic gyres. A deep chlorophyll maximum is a~permanent feature for the whole basin (except during the late winter mixing). It progressively deepens from the Alboran Sea (30 m) to the easternmost Levantine basin (120 m). Primary production reveals a similar west-east decreasing trend and ranges from 59 to 150 g C m-2 y-1 (in situ measurements). Overall the basin is largely dominated by small-sized autotrophs, microheterotrophs and egg-carrying copepod species. The phytoplankton, the microbial (both autotrophic and heterotrophic) and the zooplankton components reveal a considerable diversity and variability over spatial and temporal scales, the latter less explored though. Examples are the wide diversity of dinoflagellates and coccolithophores, the multifarious role of diatoms or picoeukaryotes, and the distinct seasonal or spatial patterns of the species-reach copepod genera or families which dominate in the basin. Major dissimilarities between western and eastern basins have been highlighted in species composition of phytoplankton and mesozooplankton, but also in the microbial components and in their relationships. Superimposed to these longitudinal differences, a pronounced biological heterogeneity is also observed in areas hosting deep convection, fronts, cyclonic and anti-cyclonic gyres or eddies. There, the intermittent nutrient enrichment promotes switches from a small-sized microbial community to diatom-dominated populations. A classical food web is ready to substitute the microbial food web in these cases. These switches, likely occurring within a continuum of trophic pathways, may greatly enhance the flux towards high trophic levels, in spite of an apparent heterotrophy. Basically, the system seems to be top-down controlled and characterised by a ‘multivorous web’, as shown by the great variety of feeding modes and preferences and by the significant and simultaneous grazing impact on phytoplankton and ciliates by mesozooplankton. ‘La Mediterrània, o almenys la seva zona pelàgica, seria comparable a una Amazònia marina.’ (Margalef, 1995) (The Mediterranean, or at least its pelagic zone, would be like a marine version of the Amazon forest.)

scholarly journals First record of the twobar sea bream Acanthopagrus bifasciatus (Teleostei: Sparidae) in the Mediterranean Sea

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 437 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. BEN-SOUISSI ◽  
W. BOUGHEDIR ◽  
M. RIFI ◽  
C. CAPAPE ◽  
E. AZZURRO
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
First Record ◽  
Suez Canal ◽  
Sea Bream ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
First Time ◽  
Human Transport

In September 2010, one specimen of the twobar seabream Acanthopagrus bifasciatus was recorded for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, off the Islands of Zembra (Gulf of Tunisi: 37°07’03’’N; 10°48’35’’E). This species could have entered the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal or alternatively by unintentional human transport.

scholarly journals Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) otoliths reveal growth differences between two areas of the Spanish Mediterranean Sea

2017 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Ventero ◽  
Magdalena Iglesias ◽  
Begoña Villamor
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Ebro Delta ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Pelagic Food Web ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Growth Differences ◽  
Alborán Sea

Anchovy is a commercial species that supports large fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, anchovy is an essential element of the pelagic food web, playing a considerable role in connecting the lower and upper trophic levels. Comparisons made regarding length frequency distribution, demographic structure, growth during the first year inferred from otoliths, and the condition factor of anchovy inhabiting the Spanish Mediterranean Sea (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean management units, GSA06-Ebro Delta and 01-Alboran Sea), based on five-year data, clearly showed significant growth differences between areas and evidenced the existence of two independent anchovy stocks in the Spanish Mediterranean Sea. The anchovies inhabiting the Alboran Sea had higher growth than the anchovies inhabiting the Ebro Delta for the same age (one year old). The dramatic decline of the Alboran Sea anchovy could be related to the current management legislation in the Spanish Mediterranean Sea, based mainly on a common minimum catch size (9 cm), which should be revised given that sustainable anchovy exploitation is crucial for the pelagic food web equilibrium.

scholarly journals Shipborne measurements of ClNO<sub>2</sub> in the Mediterranean Sea and around the Arabian Peninsula during summer

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (19) ◽  
pp. 12121-12140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp G. Eger ◽  
Nils Friedrich ◽  
Jan Schuladen ◽  
Justin Shenolikar ◽  
Horst Fischer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Red Sea ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Early Morning ◽  
Regional Variability ◽  
Gulf Of Oman ◽  
Oxidation Rates ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. Shipborne measurements of nitryl chloride (ClNO2), hydrogen chloride (HCl) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) were made during the AQABA (Air Quality and climate change in the Arabian BAsin) ship campaign in summer 2017. The dataset includes measurements over the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Gulf (also known as Persian Gulf) with observed ClNO2 mixing ratios ranging from the limit of detection to ≈600 pptv. We examined the regional variability in the generation of ClNO2 via the uptake of dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) to Cl-containing aerosol and its importance for Cl atom generation in a marine boundary layer under the (variable) influence of emissions from shipping and the oil industry. The yield of ClNO2 formation per NO3 radical generated was generally low (median of ≈1 %–5 % depending on the region), mainly as a result of gas-phase loss of NO3 dominating over heterogeneous loss of N2O5, the latter being disfavoured by the high temperatures found throughout the campaign. The contributions of ClNO2 photolysis and OH-induced HCl oxidation to Cl-radical formation were derived and their relative contributions over the diel cycle compared. The results indicate that over the northern Red Sea, the Gulf of Suez, and the Gulf of Oman the formation of Cl atoms will enhance the oxidation rates of some volatile organic compounds (VOCs), especially in the early morning.

scholarly journals Community Parameters and Genome-Wide RAD-Seq Loci of Ceratothoa oestroides Imply Its Transfer between Farmed European Sea Bass and Wild Farm-Aggregating Fish

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 100
Author(s):  
Ivona Mladineo ◽  
Jerko Hrabar ◽  
Željka Trumbić ◽  
Tereza Manousaki ◽  
Alexandros Tsakogiannis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Genetic Relatedness ◽  
Sea Bass ◽  
Wild Fish ◽  
Farmed Fish ◽  
Genetic Structuring ◽  
European Sea Bass ◽  
Marine Aquaculture ◽  
Mean Intensity ◽  
The Mean

Wild fish assemblages that aggregate within commercial marine aquaculture sites for feeding and shelter have been considered as a primary source of pathogenic parasites vectored to farmed fish maintained in net pens at an elevated density. In order to evaluate whether Ceratothoa oestroides (Isopoda, Cymothoidae), a generalist and pestilent isopod that is frequently found in Adriatic and Greek stocks of farmed European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), transfers between wild and farmed fish, a RAD-Seq (restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing)-mediated genetic screening approach was employed. The double-digest RAD-Seq of 310 C. oestroides specimens collected from farmed European sea bass (138) and different wild farm-aggregating fish (172) identified 313 robust SNPs that evidenced a close genetic relatedness between the “wild” and “farmed” genotypes. ddRAD-Seq proved to be an effective method for detecting the discrete genetic structuring of C. oestroides and genotype intermixing between two populations. The parasite prevalence in the farmed sea bass was 1.02%, with a mean intensity of 2.0 and mean abundance of 0.02, while in the wild fish, the prevalence was 8.1%; the mean intensity, 1.81; and the mean abundance, 0.15. Such differences are likely a consequence of human interventions during the farmed fish’s rearing cycle that, nevertheless, did not affect the transfer of C. oestroides.

scholarly journals Mediterranean Aquaculture in a Changing Climate: Temperature Effects on Pathogens and Diseases of Three Farmed Fish Species

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1205
Author(s):  
Maria Chiara Cascarano ◽  
Orestis Stavrakidis-Zachou ◽  
Ivona Mladineo ◽  
Kim D. Thompson ◽  
Nikos Papandroulakis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Sparus Aurata ◽  
Dicentrarchus Labrax ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Gilthead Seabream ◽  
Farmed Fish ◽  
Fish Welfare ◽  
The Mediterranean

Climate change is expected to have a drastic effect on aquaculture worldwide. As we move forward with the agenda to increase and diversify aquaculture production, rising temperatures will have a progressively relevant impact on fish farming, linked to a multitude of issues associated with fish welfare. Temperature affects the physiology of both fish and pathogens, and has the potential to lead to significant increases in disease outbreaks within aquaculture systems, resulting in severe financial impacts. Significant shifts in future temperature regimes are projected for the Mediterranean Sea. We therefore aim to review and discuss the existing knowledge relating to disease outbreaks in the context of climate change in Mediterranean finfish aquaculture. The objective is to describe the effects of temperature on the physiology of both fish and pathogens, and moreover to list and discuss the principal diseases of the three main fish species farmed in the Mediterranean, namely gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), and meagre (Argyrosomus regius). We will attempt to link the pathology of each disease to a specific temperature range, while discussing potential future disease threats associated with the available climate change trends for the Mediterranean Sea.

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