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Risso’s dolphin Grampus griseus was stranded on the coast of Arsuz-Uluçınar, Iskenderun Bay, Tur-key in the northeastern Mediterranean on 29 March 2022. This study was conducted to reveal the relationship between G. griseus and microplastic debris in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea. The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of one stranding G. griseus was examined, and 454 microplastics particles were extracted. Of all, the majority of them were fibers (96%), black in colour (62%), and 0.5-1 mm in size (38%). This paper represents the first data indicating the microplastic abundance in G. griseus from the northeastern Mediterranean Sea. Also, it creates a baseline to understand the relationship between cetaceans and microplastics in this region.

Underwater visual census (UVC) is a commonly used approach for assessing fish density and biomass. Iskenderun Bay, comprising the Samandağ coast in Turkey, is the most important introduction pathway of alien species in the northeastern Mediterranean. In this study, the density, abundance, distribution and interaction of invasive lionfish or devil firefish Pterois miles were assessed using the UVC method on the Samandağ coast. The total transect area monitored on the Samandağ coast was 4.500 m2. Species richness, Shannon's diversity index and rate of biomass were 25, 1.81 and 73.5 m2, respectively. Reduced diversity was observed with increasing depths. The sandy seafloor was a limiting factor for lionfish distribution. There was a significant positive correlation between lionfish total density and both the Shannon diversity index (r = 0.99, P, Podvodna vizualizacija (UVC) je uobičajeni pristup za procjenu gustoće ribe i biomase. Zaljev Iskenderun, kojeg okružuje obalno područje Samandağ u Turskoj, najvažniji je put unošenja stranih vrsta u sjeveroistočni Mediteran. U ovoj studiji, gustoća, brojnost, distribucija i interakcija invazivnog prugastog kokota Pterois miles procijenjene su UVC metodom na obali Samandağ. Ukupna promatrana površina transekta na obali Samandağ iznosila je 4.500 m2. Bogatstvo vrsta, Shanonov indeks raznolikosti i stopa biomase iznosili su 25, 1,81 i 73,5 m2. Uočena je smanjena aznolikost s povećanjem dubine. Pješčano morsko dno bilo je ograničavajući čimbenik za distribuciju ove vrste. Postojala je značajna pozitivna korelacija između ukupne gustoće vrste i Shannonovog indeksa raznolikosti (r = 0,99, P

This Collective Article includes records of 29 alien and cryptogenic species in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to eight Phyla (Rhodophyta, Ochrophyta, Cnidaria, Annelida, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, and Chordata) and coming from 11 countries. Notes published here can be divided into three different categories: occupancy estimation for wide areas, new records for the Mediterranean Sea, and new records of species expanding within the Mediterranean Sea. The first category includes a visual survey held along the coastline of Peloponnese (Greece), which yielded records of 15 species. The second category includes the first Mediterranean records of the Coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch (Greece) and of the Arabian monocle bream Scolopsis ghanam (Tunisia). The third category includes new records for countries (Ganonema farinosum in Malta, Cassiopea andromeda in Libya, Cingulina isseli in Greece, Okenia picoensis in Italy, Callinectes sapidus in Slovenia, Charybdis cf. hellerii in Malta, Urocaridella pulchella in Cyprus, Ablennes hians and Aluterus monoceros in Lebanon, and Fistularia petimba in Greece and Lebanon), new records for MSFD areas or regional seas (Septifer cumingii in the Greek Ionian Sea and F. petimba in the Marmara Sea), and confirmation of old, doubtful, or spurious records/statements (Branchiomma luctuosum in Tunisia, Thalamita poissonii in the Saronikos Gulf, and Pterois miles in Albania). Noteworthy, the three new records of F. petimba suggest that it may soon spread further in the Mediterranean Sea, as already happened for its congeneric Fistularia commersonii. Distributional data reported here will help tracing colonization routes of alien species in the basin and may facilitate the development of mitigation measures., peer-reviewed

WOS: 000363424700012, Indian Ocean twospot cardinalfish, Cheilodipterus novemstriatus (Ruppell, 1838), is recorded for the first time from the Turkish marine waters. Two specimens of C. novemstriatus were sampled with a purse seiner on 1 December 2014, and also a school of C. novemstriatus was photographed during scuba diving at a depth of 13 m on a rocky surface on 8 December 2014 in the Cevlik coast, Iskenderun Bay, north-eastern Mediterranean of Turkey. With the present report, the number of alien cardinal fish species reported in the Turkish coasts has reached five.

The age composition and growth parameters of Red Sea goatfish, Parupeneus forsskali collected from Iskenderun Bay in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea were investigated. A total of 207 specimens ranging from 113 to 264 mm in total length were captured. The population was dominated by males (1.00 : 2.34). Age determination was conducted using the sagitta otoliths, ranged from 0 to 5 years. The age 3 was dominated in the population (71.73%). Value of b was higher than 3 for females (4.15), males (3.26) and combined sexes (3.53). The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated: L-infinity = 358.5 mm, k = 0.122 year (-1), t(0) = -3.90 year for females; L-infinity = 383.5 mm, k = 0.131 year (-1), t(0)= -3.25 year for males and L-infinity = 479.2 mm, k = 0.085 year (-1), t(0)= -3.88 year for combined sexes. The growth performance index (o) was calculated for females, males and combined sexes and found to be 2.19, 2.28 and 2.29, respectively. The maturity ogive (TL50) of P. forsskali was calculated as 189 mm for both sexes.

A single specimen of the whiskered sole Monochirus hispidus (Rafinesque, 1814) was caught at a depth of 24 m from Tasucu, Mersin Bay (North-eastern Mediterranean, Turkey) in the winter season on February 2019. The present paper reports the first occurrence and is the confirmation of the whiskered sole M. hispidus from Mersin Bay, Turkey (North-eastern Mediterranean Sea). Since it was recorded only once in the last twenty-six years this species could be considered as exceptionally rare in the easternmost area of the Mediterranean Sea, Turkey.

Genetic structure and growth characteristics of common pandora Pagellus erythrinus populations collected from the Iskenderun, Mersin and Antalya Bays were revealed through D-loop sequencing of mtDNA and length-weight and age-length relationships. While the highest value of genetic diversity was obtained in the Mersin population (0.0024), the lowest value was in Iskenderun population (0.0006). A total of 9 haplotypes was found and mean haplotype diversity was found 0.7485. The highest genetic divergence was observed between the Mersin and Iskenderun Bay populations (0.0206), whereas the Iskenderun and Antalya Bay populations had the least genetic divergence (0.0165). BioMorphv3 was used for determining the length-weight and age-length relationships. The length-weight relationships for all individuals of Iskenderun, Mersin and Antalya populations were estimated as W=0.0693 x L2.3887 (r=0.9456), W=0.0786 x L2.3338 (r=0.9473) and W=0.0693 x L2.3887 (r=0.9542), respectively. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters for all individuals of Iskenderun, Mersin and Antalya populations were calculated as Lt=39.22 [1-e0.210(t+0.32)], Lt=50.48 [1-e0.120(t+2.76)], Lt=38.08 [1-e0.158(t+0.48)], respectively. Published by Central Fisheries Research Institute (SUMAE) Trabzon, Turkey. 2-s2.0-85083346465

The ecosystem approach for fisheries management is a widely accepted concept and has recently been developed to address the failures of traditional fisheries management practices (Morishita, 2008).

A preliminary assessment of stock size and status of Trachurus mediterraneus and T. trachurus species were investigated via virtual population and yield prediction analyses using onboard collected length-frequency data from Northeastern Mediterranean. The length-frequency based VBGF parameters and growth performance index were L ∞ = 28 cm, k = 0 . 62 , t 0 = 0 . 58 , t anc = 0 . 52 and Φ ′ = 2 . 69 for T. mediterraneus and L ∞ = 27 . 46 cm, k = 0 . 54 , t 0 = 0 . 49 , t anc = 0 . 41 and Φ ′ = 2 . 61 for T. trachurus. Trawl-type selectivity and maturity ogives were 16.73 and 19.2 cm TL for T. mediterraneus, and 17.59 and 19.8 cm TL for T. trachurus, respectively. The virtual population analysis of T. mediterraneus resulted that the minimum and maximum fishing mortalities were 0.02 and 1.09 yr −1 for the mid-length groups for 10.5 and 24.5 cm, respectively. The minimum and maximum fishing mortality of T. trachurus were 0.0 and 0.89 yr −1 at the size of 25.5 and 27.5 cm, respectively. Biological reference points of T. mediterraneus point out that the current fishing mortality ( F Curr = 1 .62) is lower than the fishing mortality of F MSY , and the current exploitation rate ( E Curr = 0 .63) is lower than the reference point target benchmarks E 0.5 and E MSY, showing underexploited status. The current fishing mortality ( F Curr = 0 .76) in T. trachurus was observed to be lower than the fishing mortality for the MSY ( F MSY ), and the current exploitation rate ( E Curr = 0 .46) was lower than E 0.5 and E MSY, indicating currently underemployed status.

WOS: 000499795100001, Scientific & Technological Research Council of TurkeyTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [TUBITAK-112O920]; Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), This research was supported by the Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK-112O920), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS).

WOS: 000399341900018, Science Citation Index Expanded, This Collective Article presents information on 22 species belonging to 5 Phyla, arranged geographically from west to east. The new records were found in 8 countries as follows: Spain: first record of the two scarcely known nemerteans Baseodiscus delineatus and Notospermus geniculatus in Formentera; Malta: second record of the alien fish Lagocephalus sceleratus; Italy: the alien polychaete Syllis pectinans and the isopod Paranthura japonica, as well as the cryptogenic opisthobranch Anteaeolidiella lurana, were found in the fouling assemblages along the docks of the port of Livorno. New decapod records are reported from Sicily (the alien Callinectes sapidus and the native Pachygrapsus maurus) and Apulia (Percnon gibbesi and Procambarus clarkii); the lesser amberjack Seriola fasciata extended its geographical range to the Egadi Isands and Siganus luridus was documented for the first time along the Ionian coasts of Apulia and Calabria. Slovenia: the first record of the alien bivalve Brachidontes pharaonis is reported, together with a survey of up to date Adriatic records. Greece: the first record of the gastropod Rhinoclavis kochi is reported from Gavdos island. In addition, two records of endangered and rare cartilaginous fish were reported, namely, the shark Hexanchus griseus and the ray Leucoraja fullonica, as well as additional records of Siganus luridus for Lesvos and Malleus regula and Fulvia fragilis from Astypalaia. Turkey: the black wing flyingfish Hirundichthys rondeletii is reported for the very first time from the Black Sea. Egypt: the Indo-Pacific crab Halimede ochtodes is reported as established in Port Said. In addition, biometric parameters and meristic counts are reported for Anthias anthias in Damietta. Cyprus: the alien opisthobranch gastropod Bursatella leachii is reported for first time., Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS); East and South European Network for Invasive Alien Species [33-51/30.06.2015]; Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competiveness [BES-2013-063551, CTM2014-57949-R]; Duzce University Research Fund [2013.5.1.189]; Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning of Slovenia, The study coauthored by Valentina Pitacco, Lovrenc Lipej and Fabio Crocetta is part of Valentina's PhD study funded by the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS), and was supported by the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning of Slovenia. The study of alien species from Slovenia involving Fabio Crocetta was partially funded by the East and South European Network for Invasive Alien Species - a tool to support the management of alien species in Bulgaria (ESENIAS-TOOLS) (EEA funded - Contract No..-33-51/30.06.2015). Fabio Crocetta and Miquel Pontes are grateful to Alper Karabacak (Kyrenia, Cyprus) for sharing data on Bursatella leachii. Authors Gianni Insacco and Bruno Zava are grateful to the professional fisherman Mr Alessandro Bonfissuti, owner of "Erika", for providing the C. sapidus specimen studied. The authors warmly thank Maria Corsini-Foka (Hellenic Centre for Marine Research) for useful comments, which improved a previous draft of their note. Authors Aikaterini Dogrammatzi and Caterina Stamouli would like to thank Dr E. Leukaditou, J. Dokos, G. Christidis, I. Fytilakos and N. Fotiadis, members of the MEDITS scientific team, for their valuable help during samplings and also the captain and the crew of the fishing boat "TAKIS-MIMIS". Fernando Angel Fernandez-Alvarez was supported by a pre-doctoral fellowship of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competiveness (BES-2013-063551). His co-authors, Ivan Acevedo and Paula C. Rodriguez-Flores, were funded under the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competiveness project CTM2014-57949-R. Ch. Mytilineou and A. Anastasopoulou would like to thank the onboard team of the EPILEXIS project (C. J. Smith, E. Lefkaditou, K. Papadopoulou, C. Stamouli, J. Dokos, G. Oikonomidis, E. Kypraiou); C. J. Smith, in particular, for the photographic material, as well as the captain and the crew of F/V 'Takis-Mimis' for supporting the survival of the Bluntnose Sixgill Shark specimen. The study of D. Yaglioglu and C. Turan was financially supported by Duzce University Research Fund, Project Number: 2013.5.1.189 and coordinated by DY. For Malta, Alan Deidun and Murat Celik are grateful to the Maltese angler - David Agius-who caught the L. sceleratus specimen reported in this study.

WOS: 000423194500015, Science Citation Index Expanded, The "New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records" series includes new records of marine species found in the Mediterranean basin and/or information on the spatial distribution of already established species of particular interest. The current article presents information on 21 marine taxa classified per country according to their geographic position in the Mediterranean, from west to east. The new records per ecoregion are as follows: Algeria: the first record of the fish Etrumeus golanii is reported along the Algerian coast. Tunisia: the alien jellyfish Phyllorhiza punctata is reported for the first time in the Gulf of Gabes. Italy: the first record of Siganus rivulatus in the Strait of Sicily and a new record of Katsuwonus pelamis from the central Tyrrhenian Sea are reported. The establishment of the isopod of the genus Mesanthura in the northern Tyrrhenian with some notes on its ecology are also included. Croatia: signs of establishment of the Lessepsian Siganus luridus and the occurrence of the alien mollusc Rapana venosa are reported. Albania: the first record of the elasmobranch Alopias superciliosus and a recent sighting of the rare monk seal Monachus monachus in Albanian waters are given. Greece: signs of the establishment of the fish Parupeneus forsskali and of the ascidian Hermania momus in Hellenic Aegean waters are reported. Turkey: a new record of the fish P. forsskali and of the halacarid mites Acaromantis monnioti and Simognathus adriaticus are given, while the first case of Remora australis in association with delphinids and the occurrence of the sea star Coscinasterias tenuispina are reported. Also, the establishment of the two alien species Isognomon legumen and Viriola sp. [cf. corrugata] are presented. Egypt: the fish Bathygobius cyclopterus is reported for the first time in Mediterranean Sea waters. Also, a new record of Pagellus bogaraveo and a first record of Seriola fasciata in Egyptian Mediterranean waters are reported. Lebanon: the first record of Dondice banyulensis is presented., Interreg MED Project Mpa-Adapt Guiding Mediterranean MPAs through the climate change era: building resilience and adaptation; Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ) [IP-2016-06-5251]; Rufford Foundation [19938-1]; Rufford Foundation; Marine Mammals Research Association; Interreg MED Project Mpa-Adapt Guiding Mediterranean MPAs through the climate change era: building resilience and adaptation; Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ) [IP-2016-06-5251]; Rufford Foundation [19938-1]; Rufford Foundation; Marine Mammals Research Association; [R 2000 Eb F 42 / L43], Azzurro E. and Giardina F. are indebted to Giuseppe Maggiore and Peppino Sorrentino for providing all the information regarding the capture of Siganus rivulatus in Lampedusa Island; their study was supported by the Interreg MED Project Mpa-Adapt Guiding Mediterranean MPAs through the climate change era: building resilience and adaptation. Rabaoui L. and El Zrelli R. would like to thank all fishermen who provided information on the recent occurrence of Phyllorhiza punctata in the Gulf of Gabes. Dulcic J. and Dragicevic B. acknowledge the Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ) that partly supported their work under project IP-2016-06-5251. Giovos I. and Cakalli M. would like to warmly thank the fisherman Arsen Jupe for helping and assisting them in taking all the measurements. Bakiu R. and Cakalli M. would like to thank the Rufford Foundation (Project ref. 19938-1) for financially supporting the Mediterranean monk seal monitoring program along the Ionian coast of Albania; furthermore, they wish to warmly thank Eng. Agron Bakiu for the power supply system that he built for the camera traps.. Bas A.A. and Gonulal O. would like to thank Prof. Dr. Ivan Sazima and Isil Danyer for their help on species identification and the Rufford Foundation and Marine Mammals Research Association for their financial support. Durucan F. and Boyaci Y.O. wish to express special thanks to Dr. Matteo Dal Zotto (Universita degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Department of Life Sciences, Modena, Italy) who kindly sent them a copy of Dr. Morselli's article that was lacking from the first author's library. Durucan F. would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments and also Suleyman Demirel University, Fisheries Faculty, Ecology and Limnology laboratory (Isparta, Turkey) for providing laboratory facilities. Crocetta F. and Bitar G. thank Jean Vacelet (Marseille, France) for the photo of Dondice banyulensis taken during the Franco-Lebanese cooperation program - CEDRE (1999-2002) (R 2000 Eb F 42 / L43). Kassar A. and Hemida F. are deeply grateful to the fisherman Benssada Djamel for providing the specimen of Etrumeus golanii.

WOS: 000455910700007, Science Citation Index Expanded, A new Lessepsian migrant, moontail bullseye, Priacanthus hamrur (Forsskal, 1775), is recorded for the second time from the Mediterranean Sea, and for the first time from Turkey. A single male specimen of P. hamrur was caught at a depth of about 30 m, off the Konacik harbour (Arsuz coast, Gulf of Iskenderun, Turkey) on 18 December 2017, by a longline. The present paper reports the confirmed record of P. hamrur in the eastern Mediterranean with the first record off the coast of Turkey. This species is probably a Red Sea immigrant entering the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. With the present report, the number of priacanthid species reported in the Mediterranean Sea has reached four.

WOS: 000405112800016

[No abstract available]

WOS: 000384098100026

WOS: 000363424700002, Science Citation Index Expanded, Background. While some Lessepsian species provide economic benefits for Mediterranean fisheries, others cause economic losses. Lagocephalus sceleratus known as silver-cheeked toadfish poses a great risk to human health if consumed economic losses for fishers by damaging their fishing gears. This study aims to determine the socio-economic impact of silver-cheeked toadfish, with regards to its impact on biodiversity and socio-economic factors for small-scale fisheries. Materials and methods. Face-to-face interviews were completed with a total of 261 fishers from Izmir in the Middle Aegean region to Hatay in the Eastern Mediterranean region, to determine the problems arising from the presence of silver-cheeked toadfish species in the ecosystem and the resulting associated economic losses for a 1-year from 1 January to 30 December 2011. The elements, which should be taken into account in calculating silver-cheeked toadfish related economic losses, are related to fishing gear, labour and the associated losses in catches. However, losses associated with silver-cheeked toadfish predation were beyond the scope of this study. Results. Almost all fishers (91%) agree that silver-cheeked toadfish is a major problem, 82% believe that silver -cheeked toadfish negatively affects biodiversity, and 89% believe it lowers efficiency of their catches. Calculated silver-cheeked toadfish related losses were: 1300 TRY**. (approximate to 442 EUR) per year, per fisherman; 263 296 TRY (approximate to 89 521 EUR) per year, in total, for the interviewed fi shers (261), and 204 fi shers suffered economic losses relating to this species; which caused total losses of 6 033 577 TRY (approximate to 2 051 416 EUR) per year in total for the 4719 fi shers, which were 78% of all fi shers (6051) in the study area. Two-thirds of the study respondents think that the most effective way to battle this problem would be to try to eliminate this species from Turkish waters. Among them, 32% of the fi shers believe the most suitable gear to eliminate L. sceleratus from the marine ecosystem is the purse seine and 61% consent to fish L. sceleratus for 4 TRY each as a target species. Conclusion. To start a bounty system and a premium payment for each pufferfish caught will both help to reduce negative impact of the species on the ecosystem and provide an extra income for the fishers.