Community-based natural resource management in Roatan: Strengths and challenges.

This study explored the transformative journey of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) in the Bay Islands National Marine Park, Honduras, revealing the interplay of cooperation, funding, and communication in fostering successful conservation initiatives. Using a mixed-method approach, we investigated the historical and legislative process and enabling conditions that led to the transition to CBNRM, based on Gruber's 12 key principles. In regards to the present CBNRM system, we looked at its strengths, its challenges, and whether its functioning is seen as satisfying by local resource-users. Findings showed that key CBNRM principles-including an enabling environment, conflict resolution, research-based decision-making, public trust, and monitoring-fostered the transition. Furthermore, satisfaction with reef management and perceived patrol effectiveness, which are pivotal aspects in CBNRM, exceeded 70% in Roatan. Challenges such as strengthening local institutions and enhancing compliance were identified. Nonetheless, co-managers are actively working to resolve these challenges by focusing on enforcement, diverse funding acquisition mechanisms and community participation. The study underscores the pivotal role of local NGOs and collaborative committees in facilitating successful CBNRM. By providing evidence-based insights, we highlight the efficacy of multilevel, co-management models in resource management and emphasize the value of adaptable strategies. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of CBNRM dynamics in Latin America and the Caribbean, which may ultimately foster successful conservation initiatives in the Global South.

Ecological success of no-take marine protected areas: Using population dynamics theory to inform a global meta-analysis.

Adaptively managing marine protected areas (MPAs) requires accurately assessing whether established MPAs are achieving their goals of protecting and conserving biomass, especially for harvested populations. Ecological MPA assessments commonly compare inside of the MPA to a reference point outside of and/or before implementation (i.e., calculating "response ratios"). Yet, MPAs are not simple ecological experiments; by design, protected populations interact with those outside, and population dynamic responses can be nonlinear. This complicates assessment interpretations. Here, we used a two-patch population model to explore how MPA response ratios (outside-inside, before-after, and before-after-control-impact [BACI]) for fished populations behave under different conditions, like whether the population is receiving a sustainable larval supply or if it is declining despite protection from harvest. We then conducted a Bayesian evaluation of MPA effects on fish and invertebrate populations based on data collected from 82 published studies on 264 no-take MPAs worldwide, using the results of an earlier global meta-analysis as priors. We considered the effects of calculating different summary metrics on these results, drawing on the theoretical insights from our population model as a comparative framework. We demonstrate that not all response ratio comparison types provide the same information: For example, outside-inside and BACI comparisons can fail to detect population decline within MPAs, whereas before-after comparisons likely detect that pattern. Considering these limitations, we nonetheless found that MPAs globally are producing positive outcomes, with on average greater biomass, density, and organism size within their boundaries than reference sites. However, only a small portion of studies (18 of 82) provided the temporal data necessary to determine that protection, on average, has led to increased abundance of populations within MPAs over time. These findings demonstrate the importance of considering the underlying system dynamics when assessing MPA effects. Assuming that large outside-inside or BACI response ratios always reflect large and net positive conservation effects may lead to misleading conclusions, we recommend that: (1) when assessing specific MPA effects, empirical findings be considered alongside theoretical knowledge relevant to that MPA system, and (2) management should respond to the local conditions and outcomes, rather than a blanket expectation for positive MPA effects.

Social sustainability in Bangladesh marine fisheries management: A case from Hatiya fishing community.

Social sustainability in fisheries focuses on retaining or improving societal welfare in the fishery system without threatening its long-term financial benefits and socio-cultural welfare. However, often social sustainability issues are ignored while implementing any fisheries management actions rather than only focusing on economic and environmental sustainability issues. This study assesses the social sustainability in Bangladesh marine fisheries management gaining insights from the coastal and marine fisheries-dependent communities of Hatiya Upazila in 2021-2022 using a mixed method approach especially focusing on the social issues during the marine fishing ban. Results have shown positive effects on fish production but negative implications on the socio-economic circumstances of the reliant households after the implementation of the marine fishing ban. During the ban, the ability of around 33 % of fisher households to have 3 meals a day has drastically reduced to 2 or 1 meal per day. Households' average fish intake has reduced from 7 kg to 4 kg per week during the ban. Similarly, there have been detrimental effects on family relationships, healthcare access and children's education during the ban. Moreover, pregnant women and children have suffered greatly from protein deficiencies as fishers could not buy protein-rich foods for their families during the ban. Due to the shortage of alternate income-generating activities (AIGAs), almost 71 % of fishers became indebted during the ban. To assist the fishers during the ban, the government has implemented several measures, such as offering incentives (40 kg of rice per registered fisherman per month) and/or AIGA but those are too scant to recompense for the loss that is incurred due to the fishing ban. Finally, this study provides some way forward to bring social sustainability that is affected due to the marine fishing ban as well as to partly meet the targets of Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 14 and 15.

Chemical threats for the sentinel Pygoscelis adeliae from the Ross Sea (Antarctica): Occurrence and levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and mercury within the largest marine protected area worldwide.

The Ross Sea Marine Protected Area (RS-MPA) hosts endemic species that have to cope with multiple threats, including chemical contamination. Adèlie penguin is considered a good sentinel species for monitoring pollutants. Here, 23 unhatched eggs, collected from three colonies along the Ross Sea coasts, were analysed to provide updated results on legacy pollutants and establish a baseline for newer ones. Average sum of polychlorinated biphenyls (∑PCBs) at the three colonies ranged 20.9-24.3 ng/g lipid weight (lw) and included PCBs IUPAC nos. 28, 118, 153, 138, 180. PCBs were dominated by hexachlorinated congeners as previously reported. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) ranged between 134 and 166 and 181-228 ng/g lw, respectively. Overall, ∑PCBs was exceeded by pesticides, contrary to previous studies from the Ross Sea. Sum of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (∑PBDEs) ranged between 0.90 and 1.18 ng/g lw and consisted of BDE-47 (that prevailed as expected, representing 60-80 % of the ∑PBDEs) and BDE-85. Sum of perfluoroalkyl substances (∑PFAS) ranged from 1.04 to 1.53 ng/g wet weight and comprised five long-chain perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA); perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA) was also detected. The PFAS profile was dominated by PFCAs as already observed in Arctic seabirds. Mercury ranged from 0.07 to 0.15 mg/kg dry weight similarly to previous studies. Legacy pollutants confirmed their ongoing presence in Antarctic biota and their levels seemed mostly in line with the past, but with minor variations in some cases, likely due to continued input or release from past reservoirs. PFAS were reported for the first time in penguins from the Ross Sea, highlighting their ubiquity. Although further studies would be useful to increase the sample size and accordingly improve our knowledge on spatial and temporal trends, this study provides interesting data for future monitoring programs within the RS-MPA that will be crucial to test its effectiveness against human impacts.

Geographical distribution of the mesozooplankton community in highly productive coastal polynyas of the Ross Sea region marine protected area (RSR MPA) during early summer.

We investigated the recent spatial variation in the mesozooplankton community on the broad shelf of the RSR MPA during the bloom season. The mesozooplankton community was geographically divided into three regions: the Terra Nova Bay polynya, the Ross Sea polynya, and the marginal polynya. Larval euphausiids were dominant in the two polynya regions, whereas copepods were predominant in the marginal polynya region. Salinity, sea ice, and dissolved oxygen related to the different water mass compositions were the most significant factors distinguishing the mesozooplankton community. The key environmental variable separating the three groups was salinity. In accordance with the relatively high mesozooplankton abundance in the polynya regions, the occurrence and size of the polynyas in the December Ross Sea are thought to affect the spatial distribution of mesozooplankton. Consequently, this study indicates that two polynyas in the Ross Sea are vital habitats for krill during summer. Our observation results provide fundamental information for evaluating marine ecosystems and establishing a management plan for the RSR MPA.

Acoustic fish community in the Madeira Archipelago (North Atlantic Ocean): Characterization of sound diversity and daily patterns.

Marine ecosystems are increasingly subjected to anthropogenic pressures, which demands urgent monitoring plans. Understanding soundscapes can offer unique insights into the ocean status providing important information and revealing different sounds and their sources. Fishes can be prominent soundscape contributors, making passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) a potential tool to detect the presence of vocal fish species and to monitor changes in biodiversity. The major goal of this research was to provide a first reference of the marine soundscapes of the Madeira Archipelago focusing on fish sounds, as a basis for a long-term PAM program. Based on the literature, 102 potentially vocal and 35 vocal fish species were identified. Additionally 43 putative fish sound types were detected in audio recordings from two marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Archipelago: the Garajau MPA and the Desertas MPA. The Garajau MPA exhibited higher fish vocal activity, a greater variety of putative fish sound types and higher fish sound diversity. Lower abundance of sounds was found at night at both MPAs. Acoustic activity revealed a clear distinction between diurnal and nocturnal fish groups and demonstrated daily patterns of fish sound activity, suggesting temporal and spectral partitioning of the acoustic space. Pomacentridae species were proposed as candidates for some of the dominant sound types detected during the day, while scorpionfishes (Scorpaena spp.) were proposed as sources for some of the dominant nocturnal fish sounds. This study provides an important baseline about this community acoustic behaviour and is a valuable steppingstone for future non-invasive and cost-effective monitoring programs in Madeira.

Seagrass repression by green turtles (Chelonia mydas) around Taiping Island in the south China sea: Experimental evidence and management insights.

Seagrass meadows serve as critical marine habitats, offering numerous benefits to both humans and wildlife. Taiping Island, situated in the South China Sea, has been historically known for its abundant seagrass meadows. However, satellite imagery suggested there was a low density of seagrasses around Taiping Island. On the other hand, many green turtles (Chelonia mydas) were observed from the shore. To investigate this phenomenon, we conducted drone surveys of the shallow reefs and discovered a density of 902 ± 601 (mean ± SD) individual turtles per square kilometer during high tides. In addition, we conducted a cage experiment to test the hypothesis that large herbivores are impacting seagrass abundance negatively. The results indicated that the blade lengths of seagrasses in cages were significantly longer than those outside. It is likely that large herbivores such as green sea turtles are the key consumers of seagrass on the shallow reef flats of Taiping Island. Accordingly, further research and management should take into account that the increasing number of sea turtles may deplete the seagrasses and have an impact on the seagrass ecosystems.

Exploring cigarette butts pollution in Saint Martin Island: A marine protected area.

Saint Martin Island (SMI), the only coral island in Bangladesh, is located in the Bay of Bengal and has been identified as a marine protected area (MPA). Littering cigarette butts (CBs) waste in an ecologically sensitive environment can have numerous adverse effects. The purpose of this research is to investigate the abundance and density of CBs in SMI and to assess the pollution status using the Cigarette Butt Pollution Index (CBPI). This study is conducted based on the visual survey method in the three types of land use zones of SMI. During the peak season, the investigation was carried out from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in December 2023. A total of 4481 CBs item were counted, and the density ranged from 0.37 to 1.76 m-2 with an average value of 0.99 m-2 across 12 sampling campaigns. The highest density was observed at service zones, and the fishing zones had the lowest density. The calculated CBPI values revealed that 75 % of the sampling stations were in the "severe pollution" while 25 % were classified as "high pollution" status, underscoring the prevalence of hazardous CBs across most areas of SMI. To tackle these issues requires regulatory measures, public awareness initiatives, and community involvement. Effective waste management and eco-friendly product promotion can help reduce CBs pollution risks in marine protected islands.

The Tree of Life eDNA metabarcoding reveals a similar taxonomic richness but dissimilar evolutionary lineages between seaports and marine reserves.

Coastal areas host a major part of marine biodiversity but are seriously threatened by ever-increasing human pressures. Transforming natural coastlines into urban seascapes through habitat artificialization may result in loss of biodiversity and key ecosystem functions. Yet, the extent to which seaports differ from nearby natural habitats and marine reserves across the whole Tree of Life is still unknown. This study aimed to assess the level of α and ß-diversity between seaports and reserves, and whether these biodiversity patterns are conserved across taxa and evolutionary lineages. For that, we used environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to survey six seaports on the French Mediterranean coast and four strictly no-take marine reserves nearby. By targeting four different groups-prokaryotes, eukaryotes, metazoans and fish-with appropriate markers, we provide a holistic view of biodiversity on contrasted habitats. In the absence of comprehensive reference databases, we used bioinformatic pipelines to gather similar sequences into molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs). In contrast to our expectations, we obtained no difference in MOTU richness (α-diversity) between habitats except for prokaryotes and threatened fishes with higher diversity in reserves than in seaports. However, we observed a marked dissimilarity (ß-diversity) between seaports and reserves for all taxa. Surprisingly, this biodiversity signature of seaports was preserved across the Tree of Life, up to the order. This result reveals that seaports and nearby marine reserves share few taxa and evolutionary lineages along urbanized coasts and suggests major differences in terms of ecosystem functioning between both habitats.

Global distribution and environmental correlates of marine bioturbation.

The activities of marine sediment-dwelling invertebrates play a fundamental role in mediating major biogeochemical cycles and have profoundly shaped the evolution of marine systems. Yet there remains a paucity of global marine data describing bioturbation intensities and mixed layer depths and interrogating how these vary with multiple environmental and ecological factors at a system scale. We applied an ensemble of tree-based machine learning techniques to resolve a global map and determine the environmental and ecological correlates most closely associated with bioturbation. We find that bioturbation intensity and the depth of the sediment mixed layer each reflect different associations with a consortium of environmental and ecological parameters, and that bioturbation intensities are much more readily predicted than sediment mixed layer depths from these correlates. Furthermore, we find that the bioturbation intensity, the depth of the sediment mixed layer, and their environmental and ecological correlates differ between shallow marine and open-ocean settings. Our findings provide new insights into the importance of potential drivers of ancient sediment mixing recorded by geologic archives. These results also highlight that climate change may, in the near future, drive shifts in bioturbation and reciprocal fundamental changes in benthic functioning.

Population distribution and drivers of habitat use for the Burrunan dolphins, Port Phillip Bay, Australia.

Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops) populations, also described as the Burrunan dolphins, consist of a resident population of approximately 150 individuals in Port Phillip Bay (PPB), Victoria. Previous reports indicate distribution across a small southern region of PPB; however, little is known about their full distribution patterns across the entire PPB region. Here, we investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of the Burrunan dolphins across four zones representative of PPB benthic habitats and bathymetry to gain a better understanding of the potential drivers of the population's habitat use. Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia. One hundred and twenty-nine boat-based surveys were undertaken between March 2015 and August 2021, encompassing 181 sightings. Generalised linear models (GLMs) were used to investigate annual, seasonal and zonal variation. We found no variation in sighting frequencies between years. Austral summer and winter had a significantly higher sighting frequency than autumn. We found that Burrunan dolphins utilise the entire bay, further extending the species range, and show a significantly higher number of sightings in the southern zone than in any other zones. Overlaying dolphin sightings with known oceanographic characteristics within PPB, we found bathymetry and benthic habitats were potential drivers for the Burrunan dolphins distribution and habitat use within the bay, with the dolphins significantly favouring the 5-10 and 10-15 m contour depths. These results show a more widespread distribution across the bay than previously documented. We recommend expansion of the current marine protected areas in the north and south of the bay. This study has increased our understanding of the vital habitat for the Burrunan dolphin populations. By providing evidence-based conservation recommendations, we hope to improve and contribute to future research, conservation management plans and effective marine protected areas across PPB for the resident Burrunan dolphin population.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the ice krill Euphausia crystallorophias Holt & Tattersall, 1906 (Euphausiacea, Euphausiidae), from the Ross Sea, Antarctica.

The mitogenome of Euphausia crystallorophias collected from the Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area (RSR MPA) is described for the first time. The assembled mitogenome was 17,291 bp in length and consisted of two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), and noncoding regions, all of which were identical to those of other euphausiid species. The most common start codon for the 13 PCGs was ATG, and the most common termination codon was TAA. The overall G + C content was 33.2% in the heavy strand. Euphausia crystallorophias was sister to E. superba in the phylogenetic analysis. The mitogenome of E. crystallorophias provided significant DNA molecular data for further identification and phylogenetic analysis within the euphausiids.

Assessment of the impact of microplastic ingestion in striped red mullets from an Eastern Mediterranean coastal area (Zakynthos Island, Ionian Sea).

Monitoring microplastics (MPs) in the marine environment is an ongoing process, and our understanding of their impact on marine organisms is limited. The present study evaluates the effects of ingested MPs on the marine MP pollution bioindicator fish species Mullus surmuletus. The study follows a three-fold approach to assess the impact of MPs on marine organisms by investigating: 1) the ingestion of MPs, 2) the bioaccumulation of phthalate compounds as plastic additives, and 3) the evaluation of toxicological biochemical and cellular biomarkers. Striped red mullets were sampled in the marine protected area (MPA) of the National Marine Park of Zakynthos and coastal sites with high touristic pressure in Zakynthos Island in the Ionian Sea, Greece. Fewer ingested MPs and lower phthalate concentrations were found in fish inside the MPA compared to those sampled outside the marine park. However, no relationship was found between either phthalate concentrations or biomarker levels with the ingested MPs in the red striped mullets. Biomarker levels were influenced by season and site, but no effect could be attributed to the ingested MPs. The lack of association of biomarker responses and plasticizer bioaccumulation to MP ingestion can be explained by the low number of ingested MPs in the fish from Zakynthos coastal area as MP abundance ranged from 0.15 to 0.55 items per individual fish.

Deficiencies in monitoring practices of marine protected areas in southern European seas.

Worldwide, states are gazetting new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to meet the international commitment of protecting 30% of the seas by 2030. Yet, protection benefits only come into effect when an MPA is implemented with activated regulations and actively managed through continuous monitoring and adaptive management. To assess if actively managed MPAs are the rule or the exception, we used the Mediterranean and Black Seas as a case study, and retrieved information on monitoring activities for 878 designated MPAs in ten European Union (EU) countries. We searched for scientific and grey literature that provides information on the following aspects of MPA assessment and monitoring: ecological (e.g., biomass of commercially exploited fish), social (e.g., perceptions of fishers in an MPA), economic (e.g., revenue of fishers) and governance (e.g., type of governance scheme). We also queried MPA authorities on their past and current monitoring activities using a web-based survey through which we collected 123 responses. Combining the literature review and survey results, we found that approximately 16% of the MPA designations (N = 878) have baseline and/or monitoring studies. Most monitoring programs evaluated MPAs based solely on biological/ecological variables and fewer included social, economic and/or governance variables, failing to capture and assess the social-ecological dimension of marine conservation. To increase the capacity of MPAs to design and implement effective social-ecological monitoring programs, we recommend strategies revolving around three pillars: funding, collaboration, and technology. Following the actionable recommendations presented herein, MPA authorities and EU Member States could improve the low level of MPA monitoring to more effectively reach the 30% protection target delivering benefits for biodiversity conservation.

First records of the sicklefin (Mobula tarapacana), bentfin (Mobula thurstoni), and spinetail (Mobula mobular) devil rays in the Chagos Archipelago.

Recent encounters with sicklefin (Mobula tarapacana) and bentfin (Mobula thurstoni) devil rays in the Chagos Archipelago provide the first confirmed observations of live specimens of these species in this region. Examination of illegal fishing photo archives collected during enforcement revealed these endangered species, and spinetail devil rays (Mobula mobular), are being caught within the archipelago's vast no-take marine protected area. Future cooperation between authorities and mobulid ray experts is crucial to improve the availability and accuracy of enforcement data and improve management of illegal fishing and mobulid ray conservation activities.

First observation of a skate egg case nursery in the Ross Sea.

Areas of importance to Southern Ocean skates are poorly defined. Here, we identify a deepwater skate egg case nursery in a discrete location at ~460 m depth off Cape Adare in the Southern Ocean. This is the first confirmed observation of a skate nursery area in the Ross Sea and only the second observation for the Southern Ocean. The morphology and size of the egg cases were consistent with the genus Bathyraja and most likely belong to the Bathyraja sp. (cf. eatonii). The nursery occurs within the "no take" General Protection Zone of the Ross Sea region marine protected area, where commercial fishing is prohibited.

Persistent organic pollutants and trace metals in selected marine organisms from the Akanda National Park, Gabon (Central Africa).

Akanda National Park (ANP) is composed of mangrove ecosystems bordering Libreville, Gabon's capital. The contamination of aquatic resources from the ANP by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and trace metals (TMs) was never evaluated. To provide a basis for their monitoring in the ANP, five species (two fish, two mollusks, and one crustacean) were analyzed from three sampling sites in 2017. Contamination levels for POPs and TMs were below maximum acceptable limits for seafood, including Cd and Pb. No DDT was found in any sample. Inter-specific differences were more obvious than the differences among sites, although the results may be biased by an unbalanced sampling design. The oyster Crassostrea gasar was the most contaminated species, making this species a good candidate to assess environmental contamination in the area. The studied species also contained essential elements, such as Fe, Zn and Mn at interesting levels in a nutritional point of view.

The vulnerability of World Heritage seagrass habitats to climate change.

Seagrass is an important natural attribute of 28 World Heritage (WH) properties. These WH seagrass habitats provide a wide range of services to adjacent ecosystems and human communities, and are one of the largest natural carbon sinks on the planet. Climate change is considered the greatest and fastest-growing threat to natural WH properties and evidence of climate-related impacts on seagrass habitats has been growing. The main objective of this study was to assess the vulnerability of WH seagrass habitats to location-specific key climate stressors. Quantitative surveys of seagrass experts and site managers were used to assess exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity of WH seagrass habitats to climate stressors, following the Climate Vulnerability Index approach. Over half of WH seagrass habitats have high vulnerability to climate change, mainly from the long-term increase in sea-surface temperature and short-term marine heatwaves. Potential impacts from climate change and certainty scores associated with them were higher than reported by a similar survey-based study from 10 years prior, indicating a shift in stakeholder perspectives during the past decade. Additionally, seagrass experts' opinions on the cumulative impacts of climate and direct-anthropogenic stressors revealed that high temperature in combination with high suspended sediments, eutrophication and hypoxia is likely to provoke a synergistic cumulative (negative) impact (p < .05). A key component contributing to the high vulnerability assessments was the low adaptive capacity; however, discrepancies between adaptive capacity scores and qualitative responses suggest that managers of WH seagrass habitats might not be adequately equipped to respond to climate change impacts. This thematic assessment provides valuable information to help prioritize conservation actions, monitoring activities and research in WH seagrass habitats. It also demonstrates the utility of a systematic framework to evaluate the vulnerability of thematic groups of protected areas that share a specific attribute.

Spatial-temporal shifting patterns and in situ conservation of spotted seal (Phoca largha) populations in the Yellow Sea ecoregion.

Understanding the habitat shifting pattern is a prerequisite for implementing in situ conservation of migratory species. Spotted seals (Phoca largha) inhabiting the Yellow Sea ecoregion (YSE) comprise a small population with independent genes and represent a charismatic flagship species in this region. However, this population has declined by 80% since the 1940s, and increased support from the countries around the YSE is urgently needed to address the potential local extinction risk. A time-series niche model and life-history weighted systematic conservation planning were designed on the basis of a satellite beacon tracking survey (2010-2020) of the YSE population. The results showed clustering and spreading shifting patterns during the breeding and migratory seasons, respectively. The closed-loop migration route formed in the YSE indicated that this population might be geographically isolated from populations in other breeding areas around the world. The conservation priority area (CPA), with an area of 19 632 km2 (3.58% of the total YSE area), was the most effective response to the potential in situ risk. However, nearly 80% of the CPA was exposed outside the existing marine protected areas (MPAs). Future establishment of MPAs in China should strategically consider the conservation gap identified herein, and it is recommended for Korea's closed fishing season to be spatially set in the western Korean Peninsula from May to August. This study also exemplified that the lack of temporal information would lead to the dislocation of niche modeling for migratory species represented by spotted seals. Attention should be paid to protecting small and migratory populations in marine biodiversity conservation planning.

Electric boat underwater radiated noise and its potential impact on species of conservation interest.

Electric boats are thought to be noiseless, but in-situ measurements are generally rare. The Underwater Radiated Noise (URN) of 8-m Trimaran Pontoon Boat with two outboard electric engines was measured in the Miramare Marine Protected Area (Trieste, Italy), together with the URN of a fibreglass 5-m boat, with a outboard gasoline engine, for comparisons. International standards and guidelines for shallow waters were considered. URN were provided in one-third octave band and in narrow band spectra. The electric boat produced a low input of underwater noise at low frequencies. Given a low-frequency hearing sensitivity, the listening space reduction (LSR) was lower when generated by the electric than by combustion engine boat for the brown meagre, a local Teleost fish. No difference was found for the bottlenose dolphin LSR although continuous, tonal, high frequency components generated by the electric boat are expected to be highly detrimental for the bottlenose dolphin.