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Fungi are an essential component of marine ecosystems, although little is known about their global distribution and underwater diversity, especially in sediments. Microplastics (MPs) are widespread contaminants worldwide and threaten the organisms present in the oceans. In this study, we investigated the fungal abundance and diversity in sediments, as well as the MPs, of three sites with different anthropogenic impacts in the Mediterranean Sea: the harbor of Livorno, the marine protected area "Secche della Meloria"; and an intermediate point, respectively. A total of 1526 isolates were cultured and identified using a polyphasic approach. For many of the fungal species this is the first record in a marine environment. A comparison with the mycobiota associated with the sediments and MPs underlined a "substrate specificity", highlighting the complexity of MP-associated fungal assemblages, potentially leading to altered microbial activities and hence changes in ecosystem functions. A further driving force that acts on the fungal communities associated with sediments and MPs is sampling sites with different anthropogenic impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The gastrointestinal tracts of 229 demersal fish belonging to two species (Mullus barbatus , Merluccius merluccius) were examined for microplastic ingestion. Samples were collected in 3 different FAO Geographical Sub-Areas (GSA-9, GSA-17, GSA-19) of the Mediterranean Sea. Ingested microplastics were characterized using a stereo-microscope: observed, photographed, measured and categorized according to size class, shape and colour. Plastic fragments (ranging from 0.10 to 6.6 mm) were detected in 23.3% of the total investigated fish; a total of 65 plastic particles (66% constituted by fibers) were recorded. The percentage of plastic ingestion shows high variability between the two species and among the different sampling area. The highest frequency (48%) was found in European hake from GSA-19. These preliminary results represent a baseline for the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive descriptor 10 in Italy as well as an important step for detecting microplastics in bioindicator species from different GSAs. Highlights • 23.3% of total sampled fish ingested microplastics. • Microplastics occurrence (%) ranged from 8.3% to 48%. • Mullus barbatus and Merluccius merluccius represent small-scale bioindicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Few studies have focused so far on plastic ingestion by sharks in the Mediterranean Sea. The aim of this paper was to determine, for the first time, the plastic litter ingested by blue sharks (Prionace glauca), categorized as "Critically Endangered" in the Mediterranean Sea by IUCN, caught in the Pelagos Sanctuary SPAMI (North-Western Mediterranean Sea). The analysis of the stomach contents was performed following the MSFD Descriptor 10 standard protocol implemented with FT-IR spectroscopy technique. The results showed that 25.26% of sharks ingested plastic debris of wide scale of sizes from microplastics (<5 mm) to macroplastics (>25 mm). The polyethylene sheetlike user plastics, widely used as packaging material, are the most ingested debris. This research raises a warning alarm on the impact of plastic debris on a threatened species, with a key role in the food web, and adds important information for futures mitigation actions. Highlights • The high occurrence of debris in blue sharks raises a warning alarm. • Juvenile blue sharks seem more likely to ingest marine litter than adults. • Blue sharks ingested mainly transparent sheet-like items composed by polyethylene. • Sizes scale of ingested plastic debris from microplastics to macroplastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring efforts are required to understand the sources, distribution and abundance of microplastic pollution. To verify the abundance of microplastics along the Tuscan coastal waters (Italy), water-column and surface samples were collected in two seasons across four transects at different distances to the coast (0.5, 5, 10 and 20 km), within the implementation of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The results show an average concentration of 0.26 items/m 3 in the water-column samples and 41.1 g/km 2 and 69,161.3 items/km 2 of floating microplastics, with an increase with the distance to the coast The seasonality and the sampling area do not affect the abundance of microplastics. The most abundant size class is 1–2.5 mm as fragments and sheets suggesting that fragmentation of larger polyethylene and polypropylene items could be the main source of microplastics. These data represent the application of a harmonized protocol to make the data on microplastics comparable and reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean Sea has been described as one of the most affected areas by marine litter in the world. Although effects on organisms from marine plastic litter ingestion have been investigated in several oceanic areas, there is still a lack of information from the Mediterranean Sea. The main objectives of this paper are to review current knowledge on the impact of marine litter on Mediterranean biodiversity, to define selection criteria for choosing marine organisms suitable for use as bioindicator species, and to propose a methodological approach to assessing the harm related to marine litter ingestion in several Mediterranean habitats and sub-regions. A new integrated monitoring tool that would provide the information necessary to design and implement future mitigation actions in the Mediterranean basin is proposed. According to bibliographic research and statistical analysis on current knowledge of marine litter ingestion, the area of the Mediterranean most studied, in terms of number of species and papers in the Mediterranean Sea is the western sub-area as well as demersal (32.9%) and pelagic (27.7%) amongst habitats. Applying ecological and biological criteria to the most threatened species obtained by statistical analysis, bioindicator species for different habitats and monitoring scale were selected. A threefold approach, simultaneously measuring the presence and effects of plastic, can provide the actual harm and sub-lethal effects to organisms caused by marine litter ingestion. The research revealed gaps in knowledge, and this paper suggests measures to close the gap. This and the selection of appropriate bioindicator species would represent a step forward for marine litter risk assessment, and the implementation of future actions and mitigation measures for specific Mediterranean areas, habitats and species affected by marine litter ingestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine litter is any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment. Ingestion of marine litter can have lethal and sub-lethal effects on wildlife that accidentally ingests it, and sea turtles are particularly susceptible to this threat. The European Commission drafted the 2008/56/EC Marine Strategy Framework Directive with the aim to achieve a Good Environmental Status (GES), and the loggerhead sea turtle ( Caretta caretta , Linnaeus 1758) was selected for monitoring the amount and composition of litter ingested by marine animals. An analogous decision has been made under the UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea, following the Ecosystem Approach. This work provides for the first time, two possible scenarios for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive GES, both related to “ Trends in the amount and composition of litter ingested by marine animals” in the Mediterranean Sea. The study validates the use of the loggerhead turtle as target indicator for monitoring the impact of litter on marine biota and calls for immediate use of this protocol throughout the Mediterranean basin and European Region. Both GES scenarios are relevant worldwide, where sea turtles and marine litter are present, for measuring the impact of ingested plastics and developing policy strategies to reduce it. In the period between 2011 and 2014, 150 loggerhead sea turtles, found dead, were collected from the Italian Coast, West Mediterranean Sea Sub-Region. The presence of marine litter was investigated using a standardized protocol for necropsies and lab analysis. The collected items were subdivided into 4 main categories, namely, IND-Industrial plastic, USE-User plastic, RUB-Non plastic rubbish, POL-Pollutants and 14 sub-categories, to detect local diversity. Eighty-five percent of the individuals considered (n = 120) were found to have ingested an average of 1.3 ± 0.2 g of litter (dry mass) or 16 ± 3 items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates for the first time the presence of microplastics in sediment, water, and benthic organisms (foraminifera) of a marine cave in the Gulf of Orosei (Sardinia, Italy). Microplastics were found in all water, and sediment samples with similar shapes, sizes, and compositions; identified items were mainly fragments and fibers constituted by PVC and polyethylene. Their provenance was supposed to be predominantly from the sea than from the seasonal freshwater supplies from the karst system. Foraminiferal assemblages were mainly constituted by calcareous hyaline taxa in the outer station, while in the inner ones, the agglutinated Eggerelloides advenus was dominant. FTIR analyses on agglutinated shells identified polyethylene. Microplastic items are collected by the foraminifers and sediment grains building the shell chambers. This is the first study providing evidence that marine caves may be collectors of microplastics and that, in these habitats, microplastics enter the biotic matrix at the protist's level. • The presence of microplastics in submerged marine caves was investigated for the first time. • Fragments and fibers mainly constituted by PVC and polyethylene were recorded in both sediment and water. • FTIR analyses of shells of agglutinated foraminifera recorded polyethylene in the shell. • In marine caves the entrance of microplastics in the biotic matrix occurs at the protest level. • Eggerelloides advenus is an early indicator of microplastics contamination in marine caves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic pollution is a major global environmental threat that has attracted increasing interest from the scientific community over the past decade. The semi-closed and highly urbanized Mediterranean Sea has been investigated since 2012, in several specific studies that have identified it as a target hotspot for microplastic contamination. The marine coastal zone of the Salento peninsula (Apulia, Italy) has peculiar geographical and hydrodynamic features, although there are few published data detailing the level of microplastics present in this area. The present manuscript contains both data on the concentration of microplastics in surface waters and the level of microplastics ingested by selected marine organisms in the Salento coastal zone. Microplastics floating on the water surface were monitored during Autumn 2020 and Spring 2021 using neuston Manta net at three different distances from the coasts (Lizzano, Gallipoli and Otranto). The level of microplastic ingestion was monitored in fish species (Sardina pilchardus , Boops boops , Mullus barbatus) and in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis). Episodic peaks of microplastic concentrations were found on the sea surface during transects performed in the 3 nautic miles from the seashore. High values of ingested microplastics were found in S. pilchardus. and B. boops (5.4 and 4.6 items/individual respectively). A higher concentration of microplastics was detected in the Adriatic Sea than in the Ionian Sea by comparing the gastrointestinal tract of S. pilchardus and B. boops , in the monitored areas. These results are correlated with the concentration of floating microplastics, although this last result is not validated by statistical analysis. These results support the effectiveness of S. pilchardus and B. boops used as targets in monitoring activity for these pollutants. Results show a worrying increase in the concentration of microplastics on the sea surface and in the gastrointestinal tract of the target species compared to data reported in the literature. [Display omitted] • MPs concentration found on sea surface ranged between 0.09 and 2.33 MP/m3. • B. boops individuals with high content of MPs in their GI were detected. • Correlation was found between ingested MPs and Fulton K factor in fish species. • MPs in M. galloprovincialis was mainly affected by high urbanized area proximity. • B. boops and S. pilchardus were effective targets for MPs pollution monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact that microplastics have on baleen whales is a question that remains largely unexplored. This study examined the interaction between free-ranging fin whales ( Balaenoptera physalus ) and microplastics by comparing populations living in two semi-enclosed basins, the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California, Mexico). The results indicate that a considerable abundance of microplastics and plastic additives exists in the neustonic samples from Pelagos Sanctuary of the Mediterranean Sea, and that pelagic areas containing high densities of microplastics overlap with whale feeding grounds, suggesting that whales are exposed to microplastics during foraging; this was confirmed by the observation of a temporal increase in toxicological stress in whales. Given the abundance of microplastics in the Mediterranean environment, along with the high concentrations of Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT) chemicals, plastic additives and biomarker responses detected in the biopsies of Mediterranean whales as compared to those in whales inhabiting the Sea of Cortez, we believe that exposure to microplastics because of direct ingestion and consumption of contaminated prey poses a major threat to the health of fin whales in the Mediterranean Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of microplastics (plastic fragments smaller than 5 mm) on large filter feeding marine organisms such as baleen whales and sharks are largely unknown. These species potentially are ingesting micro-litter by filter feeding activity. Here we present the case studies of the Mediterranean fin whale ( Balaenoptera physalus ) and basking shark ( Cetorhinus maximus ) exploring the toxicological effects of microplastics in these species measuring the levels of phthalates in both species. The results show higher concentration of MEHP in the muscle of basking shark in comparison to fin whale blubber. These species can be proposed as indicators of microplastics in the pelagic environment in the implementation of Descriptor 8 and 10 of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possible existence of any cause–effect relationships between the concentrations of organochlorines (OCs) and the presence of Morbillivirus and Toxoplasma gondii infections was investigated in both free-living and stranded specimens of Stenella coeruleoalba, Tursiops truncatus, Globicephala melas, Balaenoptera physalus and Physeter macrocephalus from the Mediterranean Sea. High blubber concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were recorded in free-ranging G. melas. Tissue concentrations of PCBs and DDT in stranded T. truncatus (367 lipid weight (l.w.) and 143.7 mg/kg l.w., respectively) and S. coeruleoalba (139.9 l.w.; 92.9 mg/kg l.w.) were beyond the PCB threshold value for the appearance of adverse effects in marine mammals. Evidence of T. gondii infection was molecularly detected in three S. coeruleoalba and six T. truncatus. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The concurrence of man-made pressures on cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea is potentially affecting population stability and marine biodiversity. This needs to be proven for the only pelagic marine protected area in the Mediterranean Sea: the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals. Here we applied a multidisciplinary tool, using diagnostic markers elaborated in a statistical model to rank toxicological stress in Mediterranean cetaceans. As a case study we analyzed persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals combined with a wide range of diagnostic markers of exposure to anthropogenic contaminants and genetic variation as marker of genetic erosion in striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) skin biopsies. Finally, a statistical model was applied to obtain a complete toxicological profile of the striped dolphin in the Pelagos Sanctuary and other Mediterranean areas (Ionian Sea and Strait of Gibraltar). Here we provide the first complete evidence of the toxicological stress in cetaceans living in Pelagos Sanctuary. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Baleen whales are potentially exposed to micro-litter ingestion as a result of their filter-feeding activity. However, the impacts of microplastics on baleen whales are largely unknown. In this case study of the Mediterranean fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), we explore the toxicological effects of microplastics on mysticetes. The study included the following three steps: (1) the collection/count of microplastics in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea), (2) the detection of phthalates in surface neustonic/planktonic samples, and (3) the detection of phthalates in stranded fin whales. A total of 56% of the surface neustonic/planktonic samples contained microplastic particles. The highest abundance of microplastics (9.63items/m3) was found in the Portofino MPA (Ligurian Sea). High concentrations of phthalates (DEHP and MEHP) were detected in the neustonic/planktonic samples. The concentrations of MEHP found in the blubber of stranded fin whales suggested that phthalates could serve as a tracer of the intake of microplastics. The results of this study represent the first warning of this emerging threat to baleen whales. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea has been widely reported, but its impact on biodiversity has not been fully explored. Simultaneous sampling of microplastics (MP) with a manta net and surveys of large marine vertebrates were conducted along the coastal waters of Sicily (Western Ionian Sea). A total of 17 neustonic samples have been collected and 17 marine species (cetaceans, sea turtles, seabirds, and fish) have been sighted in the target area. Kernel density estimation was evaluated to highlight a possible overlap between the presence of large marine fauna and MP densities to provide a preliminary risk assessment. The highest biodiversity and MP concentration (0.197 ± 0.130 items/m2) were observed in the southernmost part of the studied area. The overlap between biodiversity hotspots and the occurrence of MP, potential contribute to the identification of sensitive areas of exposure in a poorly studied region. • Simultaneous monitoring of microplastics (MP) and marine biodiversity in the Western Ionian Sea • MP was found in all samples with a mean abundance of 0.134 ± 0.084 items/m2. • The southernmost subregions showed the highest biodiversity richness with a total of 15 different species. • Noto and Augusta gulfs showed the highest biodiversity and MP concentration overlap. • Synoptic spatial analysis is a useful tool to highlight sensitive areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined levels of mercury, cadmium, lead and selenium in muscle and liver of 29 specimens of a large pelagic fish rarely investigated, the Mediterranean spearfish Tetrapturus belone (Raf., 1810). The following element concentration ranking (mean ± S.D.; espressed in mg/kg dry weight) was recorded in muscle: Hg (3.401 ± 1.908) > Se (1.727 ± 0.232) > Pb (0.532 ± 0.322) > Cd (0.019 ± 0.015), and Se (6.577 ± 1.789) > Cd (5.815 ± 3.038) > Hg (2.698 ± 2.214) > Pb (0.661 ± 1.334) in liver. Levels of Hg, Se and Cd were compared to those reported for other Istiophoridae from oceanic areas and for other large predators of Mediterranean Sea, like swordfish and tuna. Organotropism of trace elements and their relation to size was discussed. Ecophysiological considerations regarding the Se-Hg relationship as well as Se-Cd indicate a possible detoxification mechanism. The implications for human consumption are briefly discussed. • Mediterranean spearfish (T. belone) has been rarely investigated. • We analysed muscle and liver levels of Hg, Cd, Pb and Se by atomic spectrometry. • This study gathered a first set of data on trace elements in the Mediterranean spearfish. • The Se-Hg relationship as well as Se-Cd indicate a possible detoxification mechanism. • Negligible risk for human health from consumption [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean Sea is one of the areas in the world most affected by marine litter. The main aim of this paper is to reflect on the key outcomes of the special session entitled 'Harmful effects of plastic litter and mitigation strategies in the Mediterranean Sea', which was organized within the framework of the SETAC Europe 28th Annual Meeting. The event highlighted the harmful effects of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean and brought forward multi-stakeholder and multi-level efforts to tackle it effectively. This commentary provides an overview of: a) the harmful effects of plastic litter on Mediterranean biodiversity and a three-fold assessment approach to detect impacts with the use of bioindicator species; b) the monitoring and mitigation strategies implemented within the frameworks of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Barcelona Convention Regional Plan for Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean; c) the essential role of NGOs in strengthening the science-policy-society interface to address marine litter and in making effective connections between scientific knowledge and societal actions; d) the role of industry in addressing marine litter with a special focus on the potential application of biodegradable plastics in the aquaculture and the fisheries sector, and e) the barriers but also the enabling conditions needed to address the issue effectively. This paper also underlines one of the main challenges of our era: the gap between science, policy and society and how this could be closed towards achieving effective decision-making and comprehensive actions against marine litter. • The Mediterranean Sea is one of the areas in the world most affected by marine litter. • The SETAC Europe 28th special session highlighted the harmful effects of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean and brought forward multi-stakeholder and multi-level efforts to tackle it effectively. • It is necessity to close the gap between science, policy and societal actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The main objective of this study was to apply a set of sensitive non-lethal biomarkers in skin biopsies of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) to evaluate the toxicological status of this mysticete in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea) and in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez-Mexico). We developed a “multi-trial diagnostic tool” (based on field and in vitro studies), combining molecular biomarkers (western blot of CYP1A1, CYP2B) and gene expression (qRT-PCR of HSP70, ERα, AHR, E2F-1) with the analysis of OCs, PAHs and PBDEs. The study revealed a higher level of toxicological stress in the Mediterranean fin whales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]