Marine litter on the shallow seafloor at Natura 2000 sites of the Central Eastern Adriatic Sea.

Shallow seafloor marine litter (ML) is the least studied component of ML, and a better understanding of its distribution and accumulation patterns is needed to develop efficient management practices. Abundance and composition of seafloor ML were quantified in two eastern Adriatic Natura 2000 sites (Vis Island and Pakleni Islands), applying a structured sampling design to test whether the intensity of nautical tourism or exposure to prevailing winds and currents are significant drivers determining the ML distribution on shallow, coastal seafloor. ML was widespread and present in considerable amounts across the entire studied area, regardless of the remoteness from most known potential ML sources. Tourism intensity and exposure seem not to be significant predictors of ML accumulation in the investigated Natura 2000 sites. ML abundances displayed large small-scale spatial variation, while for ML composition at a larger scale, regional differences between the two Natura 2000 sites were detected. The Pakleni Islands are mainly polluted by glass items, suggesting a local vessel-based source. The ML composition on Vis Island, with a predominance of plastics, is more determined by long-distance transport. The study indicates the complexity and multi-layeredness of processes driving the patterns of seafloor ML accumulation. Hence, it is suggested to mitigate the issue by addressing the root causes: inadequate waste management and lack of public awareness.

Early evidence of a shift in juvenile fish communities in response to conditions in nursery areas.

A multivariate analysis of juvenile fish community data, sampled at two nursery sites at an interval of 17 years (2000-early, and 2017-late), was conducted to elucidate the trends of change in littoral juvenile fish communities along the eastern Adriatic coast. Fishing, trophic and taxonomic composition to the community data were analysed for possible causality. The ichthyofaunal composition differed significantly for Site, Period and all interactions. According to the mMDS ordination plot, four groups of communities were defined, with clear cyclicity. No patterns were found in species composition between sites in the early period, while the observed community changes were governed by the same pattern at both sites in the late period. The species that contributed most to the observed changes were non-commercial, small, benthic resident fishes, such as gobiids and blennids, or those associated with canopy alga for shelter and feeding. The analysis correctly allocated samples based on community information to Sites and Periods. The data obtained provided an invaluable opportunity to test for the generality of potential patterns of change in littoral fish communities, suggesting that significantly modified juvenile fish communities may be the result of constant human embankment and marine infrastructure construction along the coast in recent decades, rather than climate change or fishing pressure, as generally considered.

Population Genetic Structure and Connectivity of the European Lobster Homarus gammarus in the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas.

Highly selective fishing has the potential to permanently change the characteristics within a population and could drive the decline of genetic diversity. European lobster is an intensively fished crustacean species in the Adriatic Sea which reaches high market value. Since knowledge of population structure and dynamics is important for effective fisheries management, in this study, we used 14 neutral microsatellites loci and partial mitochondrial COI region sequencing to explore population connectivity and genetic structure by comparing samples from the Adriatic Sea and the adjacent basins of the Mediterranean Sea. The obtained results suggest that neutral genetic diversity has not been significantly affected by decrease in population size due to overfishing, habitat degradation and other anthropogenic activities. Global genetic differentiation across all populations was low (F ST = 0.0062). Populations from the Adriatic Sea were panmictic, while genetic differentiation was found among populations from different Mediterranean basins. Observed gene flow for European lobster suggest that populations in the north eastern Adriatic act as a source for surrounding areas, emphasizing the need to protect these populations by establishing interconnected MPAs that will be beneficial for both fisheries and conservation management.

Programmes of measures of the marine strategy framework directive: Are they contributing to achieving good environmental status in the Mediterranean?

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) is the piece of legislation with which the EU aims to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) of its seas. This Directive requires Member States (MSs) to set up and implement Programmes of Measures (PoMs) to achieve this goal. This paper presents a catalogue as well as the analysis of the 535 measures proposed by the eight Mediterranean EU MSs to combat pollution and non-indigenous species and contribute to the GES of the Mediterranean Sea. The results reiterate the need for better coherence and coordination between MSs, also with non-EU countries in the preparation of the next iteration of PoMs. Only 5% of the measures applied have an effect beyond MSs´ marine waters jurisdiction, and a fifth of them lack linkages with any ecosystem component. The results point to gaps, while desired goals and recommendations will help policy makers to implement the and conceptualise measures.