Introduction

Author(s):  
Graham Shipley

The treatise known as the Periplous of Pseudo-Skylax survives on 44 pages of a 700-year-old codex in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. The manuscript as a whole comprises a set of geographical texts assembled by Markianos of Herakleia, probably in the sixth century AD. The work describes the coasts of the Mediterranean and Black Sea, beginning at Gibraltar and proceeding clockwise to return to the same place (and a little way down the Atlantic coast of Africa). We do not know the original name of the work. The introduction examines the history of the manuscript, difficulties of interpretation, and what is known about the author. It addresses date, the debate around the measurements used in the text and what its purpose may have been. Finally it discusses what sort of geography the text offers, its literary features, influences and legacy.

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 14-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. P. Bondarev

The name Flexopecten glaber ponticus (Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1889) is generally used for the only Pectinidae representative inhabiting the Black Sea. It is registered in the Red Book of the Republic of Crimea as endemic subspecies reducing in amount. F. glaber ponticus is listed in WoRMS MolluscaBase as the only accepted subspecies of Flexopecten glaber (Linnaeus, 1758). In the past its taxonomic status has been changed from a geographic variety to valid species. The purpose of this study is to establish its correct taxonomic status. The study is based on a comparative analysis of conchological features of Flexopecten glaber and F. glaber ponticus in relation with the brief natural history of population in the Black Sea. Sampling was performed by snorkel equipment in Kazach’ya Bay (Black Sea, Crimea, Sevastopol) at 2–6 m depths. A total of 100 scallop specimens were sampled in September 2017. To assure a better understanding in a broader context those results are compared with the previously published morphological data based on the analysis of a large amount of material from the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea – Marmara Sea regions. Comparative analysis of conchological features of F. glaber ponticus from the Black Sea with F. glaber from the Mediterranean region has not revealed any distinct differences between them. Thus, there are no evidenced data for the diagnosis of F. glaber ponticus as a subspecies. Species F. glaber appeared in the Black Sea not earlier than 7,000 years ago and formed a well developed population less than 3,000 years ago. We have to conclude that the specified divergence period is not long enough to form a subspecies. As a result of the present survey the subspecific status of F. glaber ponticus is not retained and the name is placed in synonymy of the parent species Flexopecten glaber.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 801-822
Author(s):  
Nicola Ferri ◽  
Nilüfer Oral

AbstractThe General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), established in 1949 has always included Black Sea fisheries and in 1976 its constitutive agreement was amended to expressly include the Black Sea. A working group on the Black Sea (WGBS) established in 2011 was instrumental in adopting the first GFCM management measures for Black Sea fisheries. On 7 June 2018, the GFCM organized a High-Level Conference on Black Sea Fisheries and Aquaculture in Sofia which culminated with the signature of a ministerial declaration on Black Sea fisheries and aquaculture. This marked a milestone in the history of cooperation for fisheries among the Black Sea riparian countries.


2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 384 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. GONZÁLEZ-DUARTE ◽  
C. MEGINA ◽  
M. BETHENCOURT

Mature and dense populations of the tropical hydroid species Sertulariamarginata were detected in the Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean) and in the Atlantic coast of the Strait of Gibraltar. Until now, it had only been recorded in the eastern basin within the Mediterranean Sea.This species has previously been recorded in estuaries and anthropogenichabitats but, in the area studied here, we only found it in natural zones. These observations could indicate an early expansion and naturalization in the Mediterranean Sea. Due to its limited dispersion capacity by its own natural means and the history of its records, the observations provided here support the hypothesis of an arrival and a spread by anthropogenic vectors.A pathway of arrival and dispersion of alien species into the Mediterranean Sea is proposed for future monitoring: from Macaronesia (particularly Canary Islands) to the Atlantic coast of the Strait of Gibraltar and from here into the Mediterranean.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
В. Горончаровский ◽  

The author provides a description of a scientific path of one of the leading specialists in the field of ancient archaeology of the Northern Black Sea and the Mediterranean regions, chief researcher of the Institute for the History of Material Culture of Russian Academy of Sciences Yu. A. Vinogradov based on personal memories


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamar Rotman

Gregory of Tours, the sixth-century Merovingian bishop, composed extensive historiographical and hagiographical corpora during the twenty years of his episcopacy in Tours. These works serve as important sources for the cultural, social, political and religious history of Merovingian Gaul. This book focuses on Gregory’s hagiographical collections, especially the Glory of the Martyrs, Glory of the Confessors, and Life of the Fathers, which contain accounts of saints and their miracles from across the Mediterranean world. It analyses these accounts from literary and historical perspectives, examining them through the lens of relations between the Merovingians and their Mediterranean counterparts, and contextualizing them within the identity crisis that followed the disintegration of the Roman world. This approach leads to groundbreaking conclusions about Gregory’s hagiographies, which this study argues were designed as an “ecclesiastical history” (of the Merovingian Church) that enabled him to craft a specific Gallo-Christian identity for his audience.


2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 261 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.I. RADASHEVSKY ◽  
Z.P. SELIFONOVA

Two spionid polychaetes, Polydora cornuta and Streblospio gynobranchiata, were identified in benthic samples collected in the northern Black Sea and adjacent waters. These species have earlier been classified as the worst invaders in soft bottom communities in the Mediterranean Sea. Polydora cornuta had been previously misidentified and widely reported from the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov as P. ciliata, P. ciliata limicola and P. limicola. Streblospio gynobranchiata is a new invader currently extending its distribution into the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas. Morphology, diagnostic characters and biology of the species are discussed and the history of their records in the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas and the Sea of Azov is reviewed.  


Author(s):  
M.M. GONZÁLEZ-DUARTE ◽  
C. MEGINA ◽  
M. BETHENCOURT

Mature and dense populations of the tropical hydroid species Sertulariamarginata were detected in the Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean) and in the Atlantic coast of the Strait of Gibraltar. Until now, it had only been recorded in the eastern basin within the Mediterranean Sea.This species has previously been recorded in estuaries and anthropogenichabitats but, in the area studied here, we only found it in natural zones. These observations could indicate an early expansion and naturalization in the Mediterranean Sea. Due to its limited dispersion capacity by its own natural means and the history of its records, the observations provided here support the hypothesis of an arrival and a spread by anthropogenic vectors.A pathway of arrival and dispersion of alien species into the Mediterranean Sea is proposed for future monitoring: from Macaronesia (particularly Canary Islands) to the Atlantic coast of the Strait of Gibraltar and from here into the Mediterranean.


Author(s):  
Victor Nicolae Nita ◽  
Magda-Ioana Nenciu ◽  
Carmen Georgeta Nicolae

Abstract Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) used in aquatic research and production are a viable alternative to traditional open-sea mariculture. The rearing of marine living resources in controlled environments is one of NIMRD’s constant concerns. Golden gray mullet Liza aurata (Risso, 1810) is spread in the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas, as well as along the Atlantic coast, and culture in extensive and semi-intensive enclosures has been practiced worldwide for centuries, especially in the Far East and the Mediterranean, reaching a global production of 134,329 tons in 2010. The species’ potential for aquaculture is enhanced by its eurihalyne and eurithermal adaptability, allowing it to grow in a variety of ecosystems. The biological material used for the experiment was represented by golden gray mullet fingerlings fished using the beach seine from the Black Sea. They were monitored for health state, growth rythm (mean length and weight determinations), behavior under RAS conditions, survival rate and overall adaptability. The growth of juveniles after 90 days was 89.2% for total length and 246% for mean biomass. Concerning overall adaptability, after approximately one month, the golden gray mullet individuals fully adapted to rearing in the RAS tanks and handling during measurements. Moreover, the food administered (Skretting Classic K) was easily accepted, active feeding behavior being observed even in the presence of NIMRD’s staff. The fish’s health state was good, with no mortalities caused by infections or parasites. The survival rate upon completion of the two monitoring months was 76.66% (23 of the 30 individuals included in the experiment). The preliminary results obtained showed a good adaptability and a normal growth rate, which makes Liza aurata a potential candidate for aquaculture targeting the national and regional market.


Author(s):  
Sarah Davis-Secord

This book examines Sicily's place within the religious, diplomatic, military, commercial, and intellectual networks of the Mediterranean world. It traces the history of Sicily, from the sixth-century incorporation of the island into the Byzantine empire, through the period of Muslim rule (827–1061), until the end of Norman rule there in the late twelfth century. In particular, it investigates how Sicily moved from the Latin Christian world into the Greek Christian one, then into the Islamicate civilization, and then back into Latin Christendom. In order to understand Sicily's role(s) within the broader Mediterranean system of the sixth through twelfth centuries, the book explores patterns of travel and communication between Sicily and elsewhere—between Constantinople and Rome, between Byzantium and the Islamic world. Finally, it describes Sicily in the dār al-Islām.


Author(s):  
Neclå Demir

Little is known about the life history of the species of Gaidropsaurus Rafinesque, 1810. Two species of this genus, G. mediterraneus (Linnaeus, 1758) and G. biscayensis (Collett, 1890) = Antonogadus megalokynodon Kolombotovic, 1894 occur in the Sea of Marmara. The egg, larvae and pelagic juveniles of G. biscayensis have never been described. Egg, prelarval and early postlarval stages attributed to G. mediterraneus have been described and illustrated by many workers, but there has been confusion in their identifications.Three species of Gaidropsaurus, G. mediterraneus, G. biscayensis and G. vulgaris (Cloquet, 1824) are recorded from the Mediterranean. Raffaele (1888) made artificial fertilizations of eggs of Naples specimens that he identified as Motella tricirrata Nilsson, 1832 = G. vulgaris. Holt (1899) found some eggs which are similar to those described and figured by Raffaele in the plankton off Marseille, but he considered it impossible to distinguish whether the larvae which hatched out from those eggs were Motella tricirrata i.e. G. vulgaris or Motella mediterranea Lütken, 1882 i.e. G. mediterraneus. Ehrenbaum (1905–9) who re-examined the various records of eggs and larval stages of Gaidropsaurus believes that those figured by RafFaele (1888) and Holt (1899) as well as the larvae referred to Phycis Artedi, 1792 and a pleuronectid by Emery (1886) and Marion (1894) respectively probably belong to Onos (Gaidropsaurus) mediterraneus. Aboussouan (1964) who worked on ichthyoplankton of the Gulf of Marseille also attributed some eggs and larvae to G. mediterraneus and figured one of those postlarvae which is 2·65 mm in standard length.The eggs and prelarval stage of G. mediterraneus have more precisely been described and illustrated by Soviet investigators (Vodyanitskii & Kazanova, 1954; Duka, 1958; Dekhnik, 1973)> from the Black Sea.


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