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The Mediterranean Sea stands out as one of the most vulnerable ecosystems on global scale, facing an array of cumulative impacts, including high climate risks. Climate velocity drives species shifts and redistributions, which has led to changes at different ecosystem levels. However, it is necessary to examine how commercial marine species respond at regional and seasonal levels, which is often the optimal management scale. Here, we analyzed time series data on bottom-trawl fisheries landings (2007 to 2021) and explored seasonal variations using climate velocity and relative climate exposure as metrics of potential range shifts (1987 to 2021) in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, we examined the impact of climate connectivity, using climate velocity trajectories and temperature preferences, along with life-history traits of commercial species. The outcomes of our study showed fluctuations in climate velocity across diverse spatial and seasonal scales. We identified a relationship between the abundance of most captured commercial species and seasonal climate velocity. These variations were also influenced by the temperature preferences and the life-history traits of these species and, play a key role in the climate connectivity between the network of Marine Protected Areas. We conclude that climate velocity metrics are valuable to comprehend how economically important marine species respond in the Western Mediterranean Sea at regional and seasonal levels. Using this knowledge, we can develop climate-smart management strategies, contributing to biodiversity conservation and the preservation of crucial ecosystem services, while mitigating the risks associated with future maladaptation.

One of the main limitations in the application of stable isotopes to marine trophic ecology is obtaining a reliable baseline upon which to calculate isotopic enrichment. Isotopic baselines are variable in space and time, influenced by several environmental factors such as terrestrial runoff, oceanic currents or primary production, and thus, investigating their patterns of variability is essential to gain confidence in the estimates of trophic position based on isotopic signatures. We here propose a multispecies and multitrophic approach to study baseline isoscapes for nitrogen (¿15N) and carbon (¿13C), which we test on the demersal community of the Northwestern Iberian Peninsula. Using a set of 372 isotopic data of 11 demersal fish species sampled during autumn, we modelled the spatial variability of the isotopic baseline (for ¿15N and ¿13C separately) by removing the biological effect of species identity and individual length. Using the residuals of these models, which represent the isotopic baseline anomalies, we investigated the effect of environmental variables in driving the observed spatial patterns. Our results identify clear and consistent spatial patterns for the ¿13C isotopic baseline. This isoscape achieved the lowest values in the westernmost part of the study area (Galician coast) increasing towards the east (Cantabrian Sea). This spatial pattern was mostly driven by primary production and organic matter in the sediment, reflecting the influence of upwelling intensity in the ¿13C isotopic baseline over the study area. Baseline isotopic anomalies of ¿15N, on the other hand, did not show clear spatial patterns, suggesting that for this isotopic baseline spatial patterns at the regional scale might not be as consistent. Our study brings forward the potential of multispecies isotopic data for approximating the environmental isotopic baselines for the whole ecosystem.

A primary response of many marine ectotherms to warming is a reduction in body size, to lower the metabolic costs associated with higher temperatures. The impact of such changes on ecosystem dynamics and stability will depend on the resulting changes to community size-structure, but few studies have investigated how temperature affects the relative size of predators and their prey in natural systems. We utilise >3700 prey size measurements from ten Southern Ocean lanternfish species sampled across >10° of latitude to investigate how temperature influences predator-prey size relationships and size-selective feeding. As temperature increased, we show that predators became closer in size to their prey, which was primarily associated with a decline in predator size and an increase in the relative abundance of intermediate-sized prey. The potential implications of these changes include reduced top-down control of prey populations and a reduction in the diversity of predator-prey interactions. Both of these factors could reduce the stability of community dynamics and ecosystem resistance to perturbations under ocean warming.

[ES] La necesidad de aclarar las interconexiones entre la producción y el comercio de alimentos, las repercusiones sociales y medioambientales y las necesidades de salud sigue siendo un reto. También urge transformar el sistema alimentario para alcanzar los patrones dietéticos deseados que se requieren para abordar el actual trilema dieta-medio ambiente-salud. El Laboratorio de Historia de los Agroecosistemas de la Universidad Pablo de Olavide y el think tank Alimentta organizaron el IX Congreso Internacional de Agroecología del 19 al 23 de enero de 2020 en Sevilla (España) bajo el lema "Cultivando sistemas alimentarios locales de base agroecológica". Se requieren cambios transformadores para hacer frente a la crisis del sistema alimentario con la expansión y consolidación de experiencias alimentarias alternativas que surgen y buscan desarrollar sinergias. Para ello, es necesario fortalecer los eslabones de la cadena alimentaria y establecer alianzas sólidas entre la producción y el consumo con el objetivo de configurar sistemas alimentarios alternativos. Durante el congreso se celebró un panel híbrido con el título "Sembrando iniciativas con potencial transformador en el sector pesquero" para poner en común iniciativas con capacidad de generar cambios transformadores y poner en valor la pesca en el ámbito de la agroecología y la soberanía alimentaria. El panel incluyó comunicaciones relacionadas con soberanía alimentaria, cogestión, desigualdades, valoración social, experiencias colaborativas, gestión de residuos, transformación procesamiento y comercialización. Se requiere una nueva perspectiva para rediseñar el sistema agroalimentario, basada en principios como la suficiencia, la regeneración, la distribución, el procomún y el cuidado, y promover cambios transformadores que ayuden a establecer estrategias analíticas y de acción política en el ámbito de la pesca como sistema alimentario.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Antes de mayo de 2022, la infección por el virus de la viruela del mono en humanos se había registrado en pocas ocasiones fuera de las regiones endémicas africanas. Las cadenas de transmisión siempre habían estado relacionadas con las regiones endémicas. Actualmente, los casos están ocurriendo en todo el mundo y los números aumentan de una forma sin precedentes. La transmisión, los factores de riesgo, la presentación clínica y los resultados de la infección difieren de los descritos clásicamente. OBJETIVO: El objetivo del presente trabajo es realizar una revisión sistemática de la literatura médica publicada sobre este brote, para entender mejor cuestiones epidemiológicas, clínicas y terapéuticas. MÉTODOS: Para esta revisión sistemática se ha llevado a cabo una búsqueda en la base de datos de PubMed de los artículos relevantes publicados en el año 2022. Después de aplicar los criterios de inclusión y exclusión se obtuvieron un total de 24 artículos. RESULTADOS: Se identificaron 2224 casos, cuya edad media fue de 34 años (rango: 18-68). 2202 (99%) eran hombres y 1893 (85%) se identificaron como HSH y/o habían mantenido relaciones sexuales en los días previos a desarrollar la infección. No se pudo establecer relación con países endémicos. La presentación más frecuente fueron las lesiones cutáneas, especialmente en la región anogenital. El 70% presentó también sintomatología sistémica. Las complicaciones fueron infrecuentes y no hubo ningún caso mortal. La tasa de vacunación frente a la viruela humana fue muy pequeña. CONCLUSIONES: Existen cambios en el patrón clínico y de transmisión de la enfermedad. Es necesario realizar un esfuerzo global para el control de brotes epidémicos de enfermedades infecciosas. Se deben establecer medidas preventivas, prestando especial atención a la vacunación, INTRODUCIÓN: Antes de maio do 2022, a infección polo virus da varíola do mono en humanos rexistrárase en poucas ocasións fóra das rexións endémicas africanas. As cadeas de transmisión sempre estiveran relacionadas coas rexións endémicas. Actualmente, os casos están a ocorrer en todo o mundo e os números están a aumentar a un ritmo sen precedentes. A transmisión, os factores de risco, a presentación clínica e os resultados da infección son diferentes dos descritos clásicamente. OBXECTIVO: O obxectivo deste traballo é realizar unha revisión sistemática da literatura médica publicada sobre este brote, coa fin de comprender mellor as cuestións epidemiolóxicas, clínicas e terapéuticas. MÉTODOS: Para esta revisión sistemática realizouse unha búsqueda na base de datos PubMed dos artigos relevantes publicados no ano 2022. Despois de aplicar os criterios de inclusión e exclusión, obtivéronse un total de 24 artigos. RESULTADOS: Identificáronse 2224 casos, cuxa idade media foi de 34 anos (rango: 18-68). 2202 (99%) eran homes e 1893 (85%) identificáronse como HSH e/ou tiveron relacións sexuais nos días anteriores ao desenvolvemento da infección. Non se puido establecer ningunha relación cos países endémicos. A presentación máis frecuente foron as lesións cutáneas, especialmente na rexión anoxenital. O 70% presentou tamén síntomas sistémicos. As complicacións foron pouco frecuentes e non houbo casos mortais. A taxa de vacinación fronte á varíola humana era moi baixa. CONCLUSIÓNS: Existen cambios no patrón clínico e de transmisión da enfermidade. É necesario un esforzo global para controlar os brotes de enfermidades infecciosas. Deben establecerse medidas preventivas, prestando especial atención á vacinación, INTRODUCTION: Before May 2022, monkeypox virus infection in humans had rarely been reported outside of African endemic regions. Transmission chains had always been related to endemic regions. Currently, cases are occurring all over the world and the numbers are increasing at an unprecedented rate. Transmission, risk factors, clinical presentation, and infection outcomes differ from those classically described. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to carry out a systematic review of the medical literature published on this outbreak, in order to understand in a better way epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects. METHODS: For this systematic review, a search was carried out in the PubMed database, looking for relevant articles published in the year 2022. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 24 articles were obtained. RESULTS: 2224 cases were identified, whose mean age was 34 years (range: 18-68). 2202 (99%) were men and 1893 (85%) identified as MSM and/or had had sexual intercourse in the days prior to developing the infection. No relationship could be established with endemic countries. The most frequent clinical presentation were skin lesions, especially in the anogenital region. 70% also presented systemic symptoms. Complications were infrequent and there were no fatal cases. The vaccination rate against smallpox was very low. CONCLUSIONS: There are changes in the clinical and transmission pattern of the disease. A global effort is needed to control outbreaks of infectious diseases. Preventive measures should be established, paying special attention to vaccination

The need to better understand the trade-offs between food production, trade and consumption; social and environmental impacts of food systems and food health requirements remains a challenge. Additionally, there is an urgency to transform the food system to reach the dietary patterns required to address the current diet-environment-health trilemma. Transformative changes are required to deal with the food system crisis. To this end, it is necessary to strengthen the links in the food chain and establish solid alliances between production and consumption with the objective of designing alternative food systems. In this context, the Agroecosystems History Laboratory of Pablo de Olavide University and Alimentta-Think tank for the transition of agrifood systems, organised the IX International Congress of Agroecology between the 19th and the 23rd of January, 2023, in Seville (Spain). Its theme was “Cultivating local agroecological-based food systems”. Within the Congress, a hybrid panel of “Sowing initiatives with transformative potential in the fishing sector” was held to bring together initiatives with the capacity to generate transformative changes and enhance the value of fisheries in the field of agroecology and food sovereignty. The panel included communications related to seafood consumption, food sovereignty, co-management, inequalities, collaborative experiences, waste management, transformation processing and commercialisation. As a conclusion of the panel, a new perspective is required to redesign the agrifood systems and promote desirable multiple transformative changes that help to establish analytical and political action strategies in the field of fisheries as a food system

Seasonal variations in hydrodynamic conditions play a critical role in prey availability at the base of the food web and thus have implications for trophic interactions at higher trophic levels. Here we use the combination of stomach content analysis (SCA) and stable isotope analysis (SIA) to investigate predator-prey interactions and trophic structure of the pelagic fish community of the Bay of Biscay (BoB) in spring and late summer of 2020 and 2021. We found that trophic guilds were more influenced by intra-specific affinities rather than seasonal variability. Main prey for the pelagic fish comprised a set of species belonging to different trophic positions (TPs), from low TP class Thaliacea (salps) to mid TP Engraulis encrasicolus. Vertically migrating meso- and macrozooplankton (mainly copepods and krill) also played an important role as food source for the pelagic fish community showing high trophic overlap among most of species. No differences were detected between the trophic structure in spring and late summer with fish, squids and chaetognaths at the top TPs, whereas krill, meso-zooplankton and salps had the lowest values. However, the TPs estimated using both SCA and SIA approaches were consistently lower in spring, likely due to higher densities and, thus, low TP prey availability in spring. When analyzing ontogenic changes in TPs with predator’s size, significant and positive relationships were found when TP was estimated using SIA but not when using SCA. Overall, our results reveal new insights into the seasonal trophic dynamics of the pelagic fish community of the BoB.

Alignment and coordination of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) with other key policies is considered indispensable to accomplish its objectives. To ensure that economic activities do not generate unsustainable pressures in the marine environment, it is imperative to streamline the MSFD with the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (MSPD), the policy regulating the spatial dimension of maritime activities and their planning. To investigate the coherence between the MSFD and MSPD, an analysis was performed in the framework of MEDREGION project (11.0661/2018/794286/SUB/ENV.C2) on the conceptual relations of the two processes. The needs and challenges encountered by MSFD Competent Authorities (CAs) in the implementation of the Directives were considered, while the Programmes of Measures (PoMs) established by Mediterranean Member States (MSs) for selected MSFD Descriptors were analysed to see whether measures can contribute to the integration of the two Directives. The MSPD implementation considers the MSFD provisions, however, there are still challenges and gaps for an effective integration. Herein, recommendations are made to face these challenges and facilitate the alignment of the two Directives. Moreover, the analysis of the MSFD PoMs shows that the MSFD identifies, directly or indirectly, human activities related to Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) sectors and addresses them with specific measures. Therefore, MSFD PoMs constitute a concrete basis for the planning of the marine space, thus, bridging the two Directives, avoiding conflicts and facilitating synergies.

Marine species range shifts in response to climate change are generalized and accelerated, both at global and regional scale. However, the role of the complex underlaying mechanisms at play are still poorly understood. The Mediterranean Sea is a highly vulnerable and semi-enclosed system where the climatic risk exposure to multiple impacts is known to be very high and species are expected to display a variety of resilient responses. The reorganization and possible resilient and adaptive responses of species in Western Mediterranean are expected to follow a meridionalization pattern (i.e. northward displacement). However, this can be also related to the dynamic processes of seascape connectivity, in which the climatic connectivity has a strong impact. Velocity of climate change (VoCC), often used as analytical predictor for climate connectivity, is the speed and direction at which isolines of a specified climate travel across landscape and seascape due to climate change, being a function of spatial and temporal variation in climate conditions. The paths that point on an isoline of climate analogues are called climate trajectories. Here, VoCC has been calculated for the contemporary climate (1987 to 2019) at 0.16¿¿ grid cell for sea surface temperature and related to resilient and adaptive responses of observed in the main species of the continental shelf community. To do that, spatial indicators (i.e. the center of gravity, inertia, index of patchiness, index of dispersion and the index of aggregation) and their temporal rates of change have been calculated to quantify the space-time patterns of benthopelagic species using historical data of scientific bottom trawl surveys of the Western Mediterranean Sea from 1994 to 2019. Combining our results on VoCC and spatial indicators demonstrate unexpected significant southward patterns of Mediterranean marine species in response to climate change contrary to the meridionalization expectations of the Mediterranean communitie

An accelerating rate of warming along spatial gradients is leading to changes in climate velocity, (i.e., speed and direction of isotherm movements). Using climate velocity to assess the threat of climate change has enabled researchers to document global patterns of poleward changes in biodiversity. However, less is known about regional, sub-regional and seasonal responses of commercial marine species, which often represents the efficient scale of management. Using climate velocity as a metric of potential range shifts (1987-2021), we explore how seasons, shifts in fisheries landings (2007-2021), temperature preferences and life-history traits influence the distribution of commercial species in the Western Mediterranean Sea. We found spatial and seasonal differences in climate velocities and some changes in climatic areas (i.e., novel and vulnerable climate areas, climate refugia and climate corridors). The most captured commercial species exhibits a strong relationship with seasonal climate velocity. Shifts in landings also differ in relation to community temperature preferences and life-history traits. Our results suggest that climate velocity is a useful metric that can help to understand regional and sub-regional responses of commercial marine species in the Western Mediterranean Sea. This provides insights into climate-smart management, thereby contributing to the conservation of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services to avoid future maladaptation.

The need to better understand the trade-offs between food production, trade and consumption; social and environmental impacts of food systems and food health requirements remains a challenge. Additionally, there is an urgency to transform the food system to reach the dietary patterns required to address the current diet-environment-health trilemma. Transformative changes are required to deal with the food system crisis. To this end, it is necessary to strengthen the links in the food chain and establish solid alliances between production and consumption with the objective of designing alternative food systems. In this context, the Agroecosystems History Laboratory of Pablo de Olavide University and Alimentta-Think tank for the transition of agrifood systems, organised the IX International Congress of Agroecology between the 19th and the 23rd of January, 2023, in Seville (Spain). Its theme was “Cultivating local agroecological-based food systems”. Within the Congress, a hybrid panel of “Sowing initiatives with transformative potential in the fishing sector” was held to bring together initiatives with the capacity to generate transformative changes and enhance the value of fisheries in the field of agroecology and food sovereignty. The panel included communications related to seafood consumption, food sovereignty, co-management, inequalities, collaborative experiences, waste management, transformation processing and commercialisation. As a conclusion of the panel, a new perspective is required to redesign the agrifood systems and promote desirable multiple transformative changes that help to establish analytical and political action strategies in the field of fisheries as a food system.

Truly sustainable development in a human-altered, fragmented marine environment subject to unprecedented climate change, demands informed planning strategies in order to be successful. Beyond a simple understanding of the distribution of marine species, data describing how variations in spatio-temporal dynamics impact ecosystem functioning and the evolution of species are required. Marine Functional Connectivity (MFC) characterizes the flows of matter, genes and energy produced by organism movements and migrations across the seascape. As such, MFC determines the ecological and evolutionary interdependency of populations, and ultimately the fate of species and ecosystems. Gathering effective MFC knowledge can therefore improve predictions of the impacts of environmental change and help to refine management and conservation strategies for the seas and oceans. Gathering these data are challenging however, as access to, and survey of marine ecosystems still presents significant challenge. Over 50 European institutions currently investigate aspects of MFC using complementary methods across multiple research fields, to understand the ecology and evolution of marine species. The aim of SEA-UNICORN, a COST Action within the European Union Horizon 2020 framework programme, is to bring together this research effort, unite the multiple approaches to MFC, and to integrate these under a common conceptual and analytical framework. The consortium brings together a diverse group of scientists to collate existing MFC data, to identify knowledge gaps, to enhance complementarity among disciplines, and to devise common approaches to MFC. SEA-UNICORN will promote co-working between connectivity practitioners and ecosystem modelers to facilitate the incorporation of MFC data into the predictive models used to identify marine conservation priorities. Ultimately, SEA-UNICORN will forge strong forward-working links between scientists, policy-makers and stakeholders to facilitate the integra

Climate change mitigation depends to a large extent on economic sectors modifying their production processes to significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, particularly CO₂. However, greenhouse gas emission assessments are usually excluded from management of capture fisheries. Traditionally, hake (Merluccius ssp.) has been an important food for the population of Western Europe, and remains one of the most consumed fish in Spain's gastronomic culture. This paper reconstructs, for the first time, the hake seafood chain in Spain with the aim of estimating the carbon footprint of its extraction (fishing), transport and distribution. Our results show that total greenhouse gas emissions from the hake production and value chain in 2017 were 681 kt CO₂e, with an emission intensity of 4.42 kgCO₂e kg‾1 of whole fish. From these total emissions, those related to fishing operations represent 67% (456 kt CO₂e), with the remaining 33% (225 kt CO₂e) associated with transport (maritime, air or road). Air transport was the highest in terms of emission intensity per kilogram of hake transported (15.85 kgCO₂e kg‾1), and contributed to the largest share (72%) of transport emissions. Maritime transport presented the least emission intensity (0.33 kgCO₂e kg‾1) and predominated for hake caught outside the EU (e.g., Argentina, Namibia), offsetting the long distances the hake had to travel with greater transport efficiency. Our study highlights the importance of including greenhouse gas emissions analysis in the operationalization of the ecosystem-based fisheries management in the European Common Fisheries Policy as well as other regulations such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive as a key tool for decision makers to appropriately address climate change impacts. The evidence provided by our study highlights the importance of finding a balance between healthy fish consumption patterns and their associated environmental impacts

Ecological resilience has become a conceptual cornerstone bridging ecological processes to conservation needs. Global change is increasingly associated with local changes in environmental conditions that can cause abrupt ecosystem reorganizations attending to system-specific resilience fluctuations with time (i.e. resilience dynamics). Here we assess resilience dynamics associated with climate-driven ecosystems transitions, expressed as changes in the relevant contribution of species with different life-history strategies, in two benthopelagic systems. We analysed data from 1994 to 2019 coming from a scientific bottom trawl survey in two environmentally contrasting ecosystems in the Western Mediterranean Sea—Northern Spain and Alboran Sea. Benthopelagic species were categorized according to their life-history strategies (opportunistic, periodic and equilibrium), ecosystem functions and habitats. We implemented an Integrated Resilience Assessment (IRA) to elucidate the response mechanism of the studied ecosystems to several candidate environmental stressors and quantify the ecosystems’ resilience. We demonstrate that both ecosystems responded discontinuously to changes in chlorophyll-a concentration more than any other stressor. The response in Northern Spain indicated a more overarching regime shift than in the Alboran Sea. Opportunistic fish were unfavoured in both ecosystems in the recent periods, while invertebrate species of short life cycle were generally favoured, particularly benthic species in the Alboran Sea. The study illustrates that the resilience dynamics of the two ecosystems were mostly associated with fluctuating productivity, but subtle and long-term effects from sea warming and fishing reduction were also discernible. Such dynamics are typical of systems with wide environmental gradient such as the Northern Spain, as well as systems with highly hydrodynamic and of biogeographical complexity such as the Alboran Sea. We stress that management should

The European COST Action “Unifying Approaches to Marine Connectivity for improved Resource Management for the Seas” (SEA-UNICORN, 2020–2025) is an international research coordination initiative that unites an interdisciplinary community of scientists and policymakers from over 100 organizations across Europe and beyond. It is establishing a globally harmonized framework to deliver actionable, transdisciplinary knowledge of marine functional connectivity, promoting a sustainable blue economy and ocean conservation. Planning sustainable development in rapidly changing oceans requires a thorough comprehension of marine biodiversity and the processes underpinning the functioning of ecosystems. Connectivity among marine populations and habitats facilitates the persistence and resilience of vulnerable species and ecosystems and controls the spread of invasive species. Construct-ing effective networks of restoration or conservation areas and promoting sustainable harvesting requires knowledge of connectivity. SEA-UNICORN advances worldwide collaboration by coordinating the collection, sharing, and application of knowledge on species, community, and ecosystem connectivity at sea and at the land–sea interface. It engages scientists from diverse areas and early-career researchers and creates a stronger match between natural and social science and policy needs to better address key environmental issues that challenge the future of our planet.

Characterizing the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems requires a deep understanding of the dynamics of its populations and the biotic interactions among them. To this end, we developed a mass-balanced food-web model of a regional sea in the Northeast Atlantic, the Bay of Biscay (BoB), considering one of the most important anthropogenic disturbance in the area, the fishing pressure. The food-web model was performed for the whole BoB region for the first time. The model represents the ecosystems in the early 2000s, encompassing 120433 km2 between 0 and 1000 m depth. The model was composed of 52 functional groups, ranging from primary producers to top predators, and considering both Spanish and French fishing fleets. Input data included biomass obtained locally from bottom trawl and acoustic surveys, data from stock assessment, official fishery statistics, published and unpublished data on stomach content analyses and the use of empirical equations to estimate consumption and production rates. Our results highlight the importance of the pelagic domain, since the main trophic flows are determined by the interaction between phytoplankton, zooplankton and forage fishes. The role of the detritivore pathway was also relevant due to the relatively high abundance of detritivores organisms and the large percentage of primary production flowing to the detritus. Forage fish have resulted to be a key compartment fostering the connectivity between the benthic and pelagic domains. Pelagic sharks, dolphins, anglerfish, large hake and large demersal fishes were identified as potential keystone functional groups in the BoB model. The results also showed an intense exploitation by fisheries in early 2000s. Different strategies between Spanish and French fleets were also found. French fleets were mainly focussed on low trophic level forage fish (e.g., sardine and anchovy) and had larger impacts on higher trophic levels, while Spanish fleets mostly focussed on higher trophic