In recent years there has been an increase in community-based monitoring programmes developed and implemented worldwide. This paper describes how the data collected from such a programme could be integrated into a Geographic Information System (GIS) to create temperate subtidal marine habitat maps. A differential Global Positioning System was utilized to accurately record the location of the trained community-based SCUBA diver data. These georeferenced data sets were then used to classify benthic habitats using an aerial photograph and digitizing techniques. This study demonstrated that trained community-based volunteers can collect data that can be utilized within a GIS to create reliable and cost-effective maps of shallow temperate subtidal rocky reef systems.

Lake Vouliagmeni (Attica, Greece) is a lagoon of great scientific interest due to its endemic fauna, widely used for recreational activities. Understanding the dynamics of this peculiar ecosystem is essential for its conservation. An ecological survey of the benthic communities was carried out, in both spatial and temporal scales. Material was collected with SCUBA diving, by taking off samples from the principal habitats of the lagoon, i.e. meadows, soft and hard substrata. The identification of the collected 61,975 living specimens revealed the presence of 12 floral and 20 faunal species. Multivariate analyses separated the sampling sites according to the four different habitats of the lagoon, whereas no temporal patterns came up. Micrograzers were the dominant trophic group, followed by deposit feeders regardless of the habitat studied. Lake Vouliagmeni is among the less diverse Mediterranean lagoons, mostly due to its isolation from the sea that hinders the entrance of marine species.

Although the anthropogenic impact on Posidonia oceanica meadows in the Mediterranean Sea has been studied over the last few decades, the data about the status of this endemic magnoliophyte are scarcer from the Adriatic Sea. Samples of P. oceanica meadows were collected in June and July 2004 using SCUBA diving at 8 sites in the area of the Dugi Otok Island, all at depths of 10 m. The meadow's shoot density was measured, and shoots were collected to be examined and compared through number of leaves per shoot, leaf surface per shoot, leaf area index, number and biomass of taxa of epiphytic flora. Significant differences in P. oceanica meadow structure were found among investigated sites, especially between sites in the vicinity of the fish farm and the other sites. Meadow density decreased at sites in the Dugi Otok channel and the main impact factors seem to be the input of organic matter, originating from the fish cages and sewage input. These human activities are a source of nutrient pollution and stimulate blooms of phytoplankton and higher algae. The sea grass meadow vitality seems to be more negatively affected in the channel. The highest values of shoot density were recorded at investigated sites VR and ME at the outer part of the Dugi Otok Island. The shoot density was very low at site FU, situated in the channel. Biomass of the epiphytic algae exhibited the highest values at the site FU, while at the other investigated sites the values were significantly lower. Concerning the epiphytic macroflora, a total of 55 taxa of epiphytic macroalgae were identified and the class Rhodophyta dominated in all samples. The present study shows the high differences in morphological and structural characteristics of Posidonia oceanica meadows among various sites with and without anthropogenic influence.

Leptogorgia ignita is a new gorgonian species characterized by its conspicuous bright orange colour, irregular branching pattern and combination of sclerite types in the coenenchyme, all of the same orange colour, with abundance of capstans and blunt spindles, and less abundant acute spindles. The species was found in a shallow water coral community, 4–12 m deep in Samara Bay, Pacific Costa Rica. Morphologically, L. ignita belongs to the L. rigida-group comprising eight species for the group; 13 Leptogorgia species are known for Costa Rica, and 23 for the entire eastern Pacific. The new species is described, illustrated and compared to the other valid taxa of the group.

This study compared the sizes of zooids in colonies of the cheilostome bryozoan Cribrilina annulata collected from two differing substrata (stones and algae) in three regions of the White and Barents Seas. Zooids of the colonies growing on stones were larger than those in the colonies growing on the thalli of the red alga Odontalia dentata. Size differences of the zooids in the colonies growing on the same substratum in different regions were minor. Three possible explanations for these dimensional differences of zooids are discussed: (1) larvae of different sizes settle on different substrata; (2) ancestrulae of different sizes survive on different substrata; and (3) substrata influence the ancestrulae's size.

Vestimentiferan tubeworms are significant members of deep-sea chemosynthetically-driven communities, including hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. The reproductive condition in this taxon is rarely studied because of sampling constraints inherent to these environments, and the lack of a simple methodology to quantify gonad development in vestimentiferans.

We demonstrate that the amount of gonad found in the first 10 mm of trunk can be used as representative of the reproductive condition of the individual, and we establish a linear relationship between the amount of gonad and the proportion of wax ester in the trunk of female vestimentiferans. This relationship represents a new method for the determination of the reproductive condition in this group.

A new species of Trypanosyllis was found in a collection of polychaetes living on algae, sponges, ascidians and sabelariid reefs at the intertidal zone of a rocky shore, at Praia do Guaraú, south-eastern Brazil. Trypanosyllis aurantiacus sp. nov., is characterized by having an orange body in life, with dark red antennae and cirri throughout, falcigers with short, sub-bidentate blades, and parapodia with thick, distally sharp, protruding aciculae, two to three aciculae on each anterior parapodium, two aciculae on midbody segments, single acicula per parapodium on posteriormost chaetigers. Trypanosyllis aurantiacus sp. nov., is compared with the most similar congeners and a redescription of Trypanosyllis zebra, based on Brazilian specimens collected from similar environments at nearby beaches, is given.

A new spionid polychaete, Malacoceros jennicus, is described from the crater of a hydrothermally active submarine volcano near Grenada in the Caribbean, Lesser Antilles Arc region. The new species is characterized by having prominent lateral frontal horns on the prostomium, paired eye spots, neurosetae that include simple capillaries, inferior sabre setae, numerous bidentate hooded hooks, and a pygidium bearing four digitiform anal cirri surrounding the anus. Worms were collected in regions of diffuse venting with a suction sampler deployed on an ROV. Specimens representing a range of sizes including sexually mature and reproductive individuals containing eggs and sperm were found. Stable isotope analysis of 13C and 15N indicate mixed feeding on photosynthetic and hydrothermal vent source material.

Meiofauna assemblages were investigated at 15 stations on triplicated samples in the Uvea Atoll (Loyalty Islands) in relation to 9 selected environmental parameters. Spatial patterns and variability of meiofauna density were quantified according to location, macrofauna and nematode species assemblages. Meiofauna was dominated by ciliates and nematodes. Densities of total meiofauna and of most of the meiofauna taxa were significantly higher in the back reef North Pléiades stations than the leeward side of the Island. The highest correlation between biotic patterns and environmental parameters that best explains the pattern was with sediment thickness and to a lesser extent organic matter, C/N ratio and depth. One hundred and thirty-four nematode species were identified with four dominant species Chromadora macrolaimoides, an undescribed species of Bolbonema, Daptonema svalbardense and Prochromadorella septempapillata. Three significantly different nematode species assemblages were detected in two of the previously described macrofauna assemblages by cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling methods suggesting that nematodes are more sensible ecological indicators than macrofauna. Diversity indices based on dominance were not significantly different among the three nematode species assemblages but indices based on species richness and rarefaction were significantly higher leeward of Uvea Island. Estimates of total species richness showed no sign of stabilizing with sample size. However, rare species stabilized very quickly, whereas abundant species were added with increasing sampling coverage, indicating a high spatial variability of the local composition of nematodes.

Landmark-based geometric morphometric methods were used to test which chela is most suitable to use in population differentiation of brachyuran crabs. Two species were analysed: Pachygrapsus marmoratus, a homochelous species, and Carcinus maenas, a heterochelous species. Variance analysis of shape variables and of each chela was calculated to determine which claw presents less variation within populations. The results showed that the right chela of P. marmoratus is more appropriate to use when the goal is to differentiate populations. In C. maenas, the males major chela and females right chela are more suitable to use, probably due to its heterochely. To test these results, specimens from different geographical locations were compared. Pachygrapsus marmoratus populations presented significant differences in manus shape, and C. maenas populations had differences in polex size and shape. Differences in carapace shape were also encountered between populations of both species. This phenotypic variation was not corroborated with genetic data, which were obtained using the mitochondrial DNA gene cytochrome oxidase I as a marker. These opposite results suggest that environmental factors, such as diet and parasitism, can be determining shape differentiation.

This study focuses on the dynamics of copepod abundances and species composition in the upper water column of a marine outfall area Tso-Ying (T-Y) in the boundary waters of the north-eastern South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait as an example. Zooplankton samples were collected in March, June and September 2002. Mean copepod abundance at all stations ranged from a minimum of 9.4 (individuals m−3) in March to a maximum of 1685 (individuals m−3) in June. A total of 66 copepod species belonging to 31 genera and 19 families were identified during three cruises. Copepod assemblages were dominated by Temora turbinata which occurred in >97% samples with a relative abundance of 75.46% combining all three sampling cruises. The ordination diagram derived from non-metric multidimensional scaling separated samples on the basis of season and revealed that different sampling stations clustered differently during each cruise. The second and third most dominant species were Acrocalanus gracilis and Acrocalanus gibber, representing 1.73% and 1.65% of the total copepod abundance respectively. The outfall area studied here correlates with lower copepod densities represented by a few species that show a higher relative abundance in comparison with non-affected areas. We provide here the first example where plankton assemblages indicate useful information about environmental changes in the course of sewage disposal at a stable outlet site.

The small dotillid crab Ilyoplax pusilla builds an earthen structure, termed barricade, close to its neighbour's burrow. Barricades function for territorial defence by deterring invasion by neighbours. Comparison of the frequency of barricade building in the breeding season among 5 localities across the geographical range of I. pusilla, showed higher values at more northern localities. In two localities differing in the frequency of barricade building, the response of crabs to artificial barricades placed near their burrows was examined. The artificial barricade was less often broken and more often avoided in the locality with the higher frequency of barricades. These results suggest that the local difference in frequency of barricade building is correlated with a difference in how crabs respond to this earthen barrier.

Munida gregaria is a small galatheid widely distributed around the southern hemisphere, considered a key species in food webs of coastal and shelf marine ecosystems. Previous studies conducted at 55°S and 46°S on the Atlantic coast of South America, have shown that the species can adapt its reproductive patterns to different environmental conditions. The objectives of this work are to complete this analysis by determining: (1) the reproductive season span; (2) the potential of the species to produce multiple clutches of eggs; (3) the length of its embryonic development; and (4) based on previous objectives, the potential number of clutches produced by M. gregaria by reproductive season in the northern range of its coastal distribution (42–43°S, northern Patagonia). In this region, brooding females were present from June to December, representing more than 80% of total females between July and October. Females presented previtellogenic oocytes beginning maturation just after egg extrusion, and fully developed vitellogenic oocytes just before hatching. From November to February increasing proportions of females showed signs of athresia and resorption of mature oocytes. The complete embryonic development of M. gregaria lasted 26–29 days at 11ºC constant temperature. Considering the pattern of synchronous ovary re-maturation and embryonic development, the length of embryogenesis at water temperatures typical from costal waters off northern Patagonia during the breeding season, it is concluded that female M. gregaria have the potential to consecutively lay more than three egg clutches per reproductive season.

Calyptogena gallardoi is a recently described species of vesicomyid clam associated to the extensive gas-hydrate field reported for the Chilean margin along 35°S to 45°S. Enzymatic analysis in foot, gill and abductor muscle tissues of C. gallardoi collected in central-south Chile (~36°21′S 73°44′W), show high activities for malate dehydrogenase (MDH), strombine dehydrogenase (STRDH) and alanopine dehydrogenase (ALPDH) and a low activity of citrate synthase (CS) and ETS (electron transport system). Positive significant correlations (log–log scale) were found between enzymatic activities involved in anaerobic metabolism (MDH versus LDH and ALPDH versus STRDH), as well as between CS and opines dehydrogenases. The ratio MDH/LDH or any other opine dehydrogenase assayed was >> 1 in all tissues analysed. These results indicate that C. gallardoi is highly adapted to the harsh anaerobic conditions of marine chemosynthesis-based communities inhabiting a reduced environment.

Idiosepius biserialis and Idiosepius thailandicus have been previously described as separate species although the difference in morphological characters is only the arrangement of pegs in tentacular-club suckers. The former species inhabits sea grass beds in the Andaman Sea of Thailand. The latter species inhabits mangroves in the eastern Gulf of Thailand. The present study of reproductive behaviour, mating, and spawning of the two species in captivity demonstrated that they are closely related. Copulation was performed using tentacles by the male for fixation of spermatophores at the buccal region of the female. Behavioural patterns were distinguished based on the hovering and adhering positions of each sex. Cross-mating between two species was initiated and observed, yielding fertilized eggs which developed to the organogenesis stage. Reproductive behaviour of crossed pairs was similar to those of individual species. This study revealed that the two ‘species’ are not reproductively isolated.

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents display extreme and highly variable environmental conditions that are expected to be among the most important factors structuring associated benthic populations and communities. We tested this assumption, focusing on the distribution of gastropods, as well as on the demographic population structure and reproductive biology of one dominant gastropod species in zones characterized by alvinellid polychaetes and vestimentiferan tubeworms. A total of 14 biological samples from both types of habitats were collected at three sites on the East Pacific Rise 13°N vent field in May 2002. At all vents except one, the physico-chemical environment was described in two steps: (1) pH, total sulphide and reduced iron concentrations have been measured in situ in Alvinella habitats and correlations to temperature were assessed at the scale of each sampled vent; and (2) assuming the consistency of these relationships within a single edifice, ranges of physico-chemical factors were estimated for each biological sample from the corresponding fine scale temperature measurements. A total of 11 gastropod species were identified from all samples and 2 main faunal assemblages were distinguished: one dominated by Lepetodrilus elevatus in the alvinellid zone as well as in the vestimentiferan zone, and one dominated by the peltospirids Nodopelta heminoda, N. subnoda and Peltospira operculata confined to the alvinellid zone. Peltospirid gastropods were dominant over lepetodrilid gastropods in the more acidic, sulphide-richer, and hotter environments. Although this pattern could be related to specific physiological tolerances to temperature and sulphide toxicity, the weak correlation between community structure and physico-chemical variables suggests that additional factors are also involved. Particularly, the low species richness and the overwhelming dominance of L. elevatus in one faunal assemblage suggest that this species may outcompete peltospirids and greatly affect community structure. This hypothesis is supported by large differences in the demographic structure and reproductive biology of L. elevatus between the 2 faunal assemblages.

The composition of fatty acids was studied in the mussels collected in the Mar Grande of Taranto (northern Ionian Sea) during the four seasons. Micro-, nano- and picophytoplankton abundance, biomass and composition have been also evaluated. Fatty acids compositions were investigated for lipid biomarkers to establish the contribution of phytoplankton to the mussel diet. Saturated (SAFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were the most abundant components, followed by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The seasonal variations in the SAFAs, MUFAs and PUFAs were not significantly different during the whole study period (ANOVA, P < 0.05). The most abundant identified FAs were 16:0 (27.51–33.80% of total FAs), 14:1 (3.35–9.91% of total FAs), 18:1n9 (2.92–8.87%), 16:1 n7 (4.53– 7.61%) and 24:1n9 (0.43–8.84%). The most important PUFAs were 22:2 (2.35–3.48% of total FAs) and also 18:2n-6 (1.66–2.61%). PUFAs were characterized by low percentages of n3 and n6 FAs. Analysis of specific FA markers for diatoms (16:1n7, 20:5n3), phytoflagellates and dinoflagellates (16:0, 18:4n3) showed a negligible contribution of phytoplankton to the mussel diet.

A total of 104 Semirossia patagonica were collected all over the Patagonian shelf between the depths of 47 and 295 m. Mature female size varied from 10 to 35 mm ML, mature male size was 16–32 mm. Potential fecundity ranged between 527–766 eggs in pre-spawning females, ripe egg size was 3.4–5.0 mm. The oviduct capacity probably was no more than 30 eggs. The maximum number of spermatophores in males was 229. Males transfer 2–19 spermatophores to females during copulation. The ovulation pattern is asynchronous, individual spawning is continuous. Reproduction occurs all year round. Semirossia patagonica is a south-west Atlantic ecological sibling of north-east Atlantic bobtail squids Sepiola spp. and Sepietta spp.

We evaluated sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis predation on egg masses of the whelk Buccinum undatum. The urchin actively grazes on the egg masses, even as they are being deposited on the bottom. Whelks preferentially lay their egg masses on vertical areas where urchin densities are 4-fold less than on flat areas. This strategy is advantageous, as experimental trials showed that the loss in the mass of capsules was 4 fewer on walls than on flat areas. Nevertheless, a high proportion of egg masses on walls show damage from predation. Urchins provided with egg masses in the laboratory, ingested the capsules at a steady rate over a 9-d period (5 urchins ingested 2.8 g.d-1). Urchins provided agar discs that included a preferred alga and whelk capsule walls ingested the discs at a rate that was half that observed for discs that only included the alga. Discs that included the preferred alga and capsule contents were eaten at the same rate as discs that only included the alga. Thus, capsule walls, but not the capsule contents, provide a defence against urchin predation. Laying aggregate egg masses likely provides only a limited advantage, as the attachment surface does not increase with the number of egg masses deposited together, so the risk of detachment increases. Consideration of the interactions between urchins and whelks is important in managing the fisheries of the two species.

Pterobranchs are small marine filter feeders in the phylum Hemichordata. Their phylogenetic position and anatomical structure has resulted in pterobranchs featuring in many scenarios concerning the evolution of chordates. Despite this interest, the basic reproductive biology of pterobranchs is still poorly known. To address this issue, the reproductive season of Rhabdopleura compacta was investigated by collecting specimens in 2004–2007 from a population growing on disarticulated bivalve shells off the south coast of Devon, UK. I analysed reproductive status by categorizing shells according to the condition of the colonies growing on them. The frequency of shells having mature females was almost constant from spring to autumn among shells with active colonies. However, it was apparent that: (a) shells having mature females were more likely to be incubating embryos or larvae in June and July than other months; and (b) the production of embryos was high in June, and then decreased by July. Thus, despite the previous speculation that the species is capable of successful sexual reproduction throughout the year, the present study shows seasonality in reproduction of R. compacta, with at least a peak season during summer.