At shallow submarine hydrothermal vents, both light and hydrothermal energy support a complex microbial community, displaying a mixed origin of the primary production (phototrophic and chemotrophic).

During the next decade, there is likely to be an increase in tidal stream and wave power generation activity in Scottish Waters, together with the designation of additional offshore areas for seabird conservation. Experience suggests that these devices have the potential to affect seabirds' behaviour and habitat, leading to changes in rates of energy acquisition (e.g. through altering prey abundance) or expenditure (e.g. shifting the commuting distances by modifying spatial arrangement of...

 
The diversity of crustaceans in the Gulf of Cadiz has been analyzed over the period 1993-2010, using information from the demersal resources assessment surveys (ARSA series). These surveys were routinely carried out in spring and autumn following a stratified random sampling from 20-700 m depth.
 

Kelp forests in European subtidal areas are commonly dominated by Laminaria hyperborea, and shelter an important diversity of species, including sessile and mobile organisms. L. hyperborea plant can be considered on its own with preferential assemblages of species distributed on the holdfasts, the stipes, the epiphytes and the fronds. Each of these kelp parts may constitute a microhabitat. Up to now, most studies focused on the fauna directly associated with the different parts of kelps but...

Eastern part of the Gulf of Finland (the Baltic Sea) is a unique estuarine ecosystem for northern Europe. More than 20 nature protected areas exist on seashore and islands, including newly developing Ingermanlandsky Nature Reserve. Sandy beaches attract many visitors and gives opportunities for development of nature tourism. Baltic Fund for Nature conducts CEPA (communication, education and public awareness) activities to attract people and raise insertion of nature component in learning...

 
During  three consecutive years - 2007, 2008 and 2009, on  month of March, the Spanish Oceanographic Institute (IEO) and Instituto de Investigação Pesqueira de Mozambique (IIP) have carried out bottom trawl surveys in Mozambique waters. The main objective was related assessing the most important demersal resources in the area.
 A total of 369 fish species were identified belonging to 135 families.

  Since 1993 the Spanish Oceanographic Institute (IEO) is carrying out two series of annual bottom trawl surveys (ARSA) in the Gulf of Cadiz (spring and autumn series), aimed at the assessment of the most important demersal resources in the surveyed area. A total of 32 surveys, 17 in March and 15 in November, were analysed in the present study. The surveyed area corresponds to the trawlable bottoms of the continental shelf and upper-middle slope between 6º 20' W and 7º 20' W and from 15...

Environmental changes and human activities can have strong impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In this context, there is now a growing importance to consider modifications in the functional diversity of species communities in addition to the traditional quantification of changes in species diversity and composition. In spite of their trophic and economic importance in the open-sea ecosystems, the functional diversity of top predator fishes (tunas, swordfish, sharks, etc.) is...

We have developed an animated documentary using the 3D gaming engine, to describe how the Chesapeake Bay has changed over the last centuries, how it is now, and how it may be in the future. The documentary build on ecosystem model we have constructed for Chesapeake Bay based on the Ecopath with Ecosim approach and software. The power of the animation is that we are able to communicate scientific information to a much wider range of people than what our normal scientific products allow.

Estuaries are essential habitats for several species of fish. In Brazil, the Santos estuary is one of the most impacted areas of the coast. Thus, an analysis of the local ichthyofauna was carried out with bimonthly samplings between October 2007 and November 2009.