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The last few decades have seen dramatic changes in the hydrography and biogeochemistry of the Mediterranean Sea. The complex bathymetry and highly variable spatial and temporal scales of atmospheric forcing, convective and ventilation processes contribute to generate complex and unsteady circulation patterns and significant variability in biogeochemical systems. Part of the variability of this system can be influenced by anthropogenic contributions. Consequently, it is necessary to document details and to understand trends in place to better relate the observed processes and to possibly predict the consequences of these changes. In this context we report data from an oceanographic cruise in the Mediterranean Sea on the German research vessel Maria S. Merian (MSM72) in March 2018. The main objective of the cruise was to contribute to the understanding of long-term changes and trends in physical and biogeochemical parameters, such as the anthropogenic carbon uptake and to further assess the hydrographical situation after the major climatological shifts in the eastern and western part of the basin, known as the Eastern and Western Mediterranean Transients. During the cruise, multidisciplinary measurements were conducted on a predominantly zonal section throughout the Mediterranean Sea, contributing to the Med-SHIP and GO-SHIP long-term repeat cruise section that is conducted at regular intervals in the Mediterranean Sea to observe changes and impacts on physical and biogeochemical variables. The data can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.905902 (Hainbucher et al., 2019), https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.913512 (Hainbucher, 2020a) https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.913608, (Hainbucher, 2020b) https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.913505, (Hainbucher, 2020c) https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.905887 (Tanhua et al., 2019) and https://doi.org/10.25921/z7en-hn85 (Tanhua et al, 2020).

The interdisciplinary community of ocean and coastal observers and modelers in Europe is driven by national observing needs for prediction and management of intricate processes shaping Europe’s Seas. Not all observing needs can be addressed by nations alone and various coordination activities exist to overcome fragmentation and create cross benefit within the European Ocean Observing Community (EOOC). This way critical insights into impacts of climate change on European Waters and cross border marine resources management can be achieved. Based on a large number of published material, this article is identifying and addressing the current state of activities of the EOOC and states gaps that potentially prevent efficacy. Key challenges include spatial and temporal coverage in observations, data integration, accessibility, uncertainties in projections, technological hurdles, and engagement and communication gaps. Detailed recommendations are provided for identified gaps, offering valuable insights for stakeholders, funders, and supporters of the EOOC. These recommendations, extending beyond academic interest, carry significant implications for climate change mitigation, marine resource management efficiency, ecosystem resilience, disaster preparedness, economic benefits, and the broader scientific advancements in European marine science, thereby benefiting society at large. As the world undergoes transformative changes impacting all facets of European life, substantial investment and support for the EOOC are crucial for precise information, accurate predictions, supporting sustained services that contribute to business growth and community resilience, and a sustainable ocean.

Pufferfishes are among the best-known marine organisms that accumulate marine biotoxins such as Tetrodotoxin (TTX). In the Mediterranean Sea, the silver-cheeked toadfish Lagocephalus sceleratus is the most reported TTX-bearer, causing many fatal and non-fatal cases. In Lebanon, no previous studies have measured TTX levels although the possibility of TTX-poisoning is high since L. sceleratus is caught in different sizes and can be mistaken with other small fishes. Hence, this study reports TTX and its analogue 4,9-anhydro TTX in L. sceleratus collected from Lebanese waters in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The results show that TTX concentrations in fish tissues varied between 0.10 and 252.97 µg/g, while those of 4,9-anhydro TTX oscillated between 0.01 and 43.01 µg/g. Internal organs of L. sceleratus were the most toxic parts of its body, with the highest TTX levels found in gonads (mainly ovaries) and liver, followed by the muscles and skin with concentrations always exceeding the safety level. Toxicity fluctuations of L. sceleratus, its expansion, ecological and economic effects were also elucidated. Based on the present findings, it has been confirmed that L. sceleratus constitutes a health, ecological and economic risks, and therefore its trade in seafood markets should be banned to avoid any potential intoxication.

Ocean acidification (OA) is a serious consequence of climate change with complex organism-to-ecosystem effects that have been observed through field observations but are mainly derived from experimental studies. Although OA trends and the resulting biological impacts are likely exacerbated in the semi-enclosed and highly populated Mediterranean Sea, some fundamental knowledge gaps still exist. These gaps are at tributed to both the uneven capacity for OA research that exists between Mediterranean countries, as well as to the subtle and long-term biological, physical and chemical interactions that define OA impacts. In this paper, we systematically analyzed the different aspects of OA research in the Mediterranean region based on two sources: the United Nation’s International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Ocean Acidification International Coordination Center (OA-ICC) database, and an extensive survey. Our analysis shows that 1) there is an uneven geographic capacity in OA research, and illustrates that both the Algero-Provencal and Ionian sub-basins are currently the least studied Mediterranean areas, 2) the carbonate system is still poorly quantified in coastal zones, and long-term time-series are still sparse across the Mediterranean Sea, which is a challenge for studying its variability and assessing coastal OA trends, 3) the most studied groups of organisms are autotrophs (algae, phanerogams, phytoplankton), mollusks, and corals, while microbes, small mollusks (mainly pteropods), and sponges are among the least studied, 4) there is an overall paucity in socio-economic, paleontological, and modeling studies in the Mediterranean Sea, and 5) in spite of general resource availability and the agreement for improved and coordinated OA governance, there is a lack of consistent OA policies in the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to highlighting the current status, trends and gaps of OA research, this work also provides recommendations, based on both our literature assessment and a survey that targeted the Mediterranean OA scientific community. In light of the ongoing 2021-2030 United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, this work might provide a guideline to close gaps of knowledge in the Mediterranean OA research.

Fil: Paparazzo, Flavio Emiliano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; Argentina

Coastal water quality preservation is very important for the well-being of both the local community and the marine environment. Fecal Bacteria (FC) contamination of coastal water is a serious environmental threat. Therefore, the analysis of FC is used to assess coastal waters for potential contamination of biota (e.g., shellfish) and threats to public health and is considered a very relevant pollution-indicating method for coastal waters. For that reason, a data-driven model was created based on several water quality parameters monitored throughout the Lebanese coastline. The created Artificial Neural Network (ANN) managed to capture well the tendency of the FC dynamics ( R =0.86 between the real and predicted data), while the sensitivity analysis revealed that the salinity is the most influential parameter on the FC parameter. Additionally, the water samples were categorized into safe and non-safe, and the ANN managed to classify the water quality data samples with high accuracy into these two categories (F1 score=94.24%). Therefore, the created ANN can act as a complementary management tool regarding coastal/bathing water safety indication.

Despite emerging and increasing concerns related to marine micro and macroplastics, no systematic surveys have been undertaken yet in the Lebanese marine area. To understand the spatio-temporal variation of plastic litter (macro and microplastics) in the Lebanese marine environment and to determine the sources of pollution, this study investigated the characteristics of plastic pollution in sea surface waters during wet and dry seasons in 22 sites of Beirut and Tyre regions. A total of 23,023 items were identified and assessed according to the shape, color, and concentration; moreover, the risk of microplastics (MPs) contamination was explored based on a risk assessment model. The obtained results demonstrated that the average macroplastics concentration was 0.45 ± 0.6 items/m 3 . The average microplastics concentration was found to be 20.1 ± 21.8 and 3.78 ± 5.2 items/m 3 in spring and fall respectively. During fall, MPs fragments were dominant in Beirut (97%) and Tyre (91%), and no pellets were observed. During spring, filaments were most encountered in Beirut (76.5%). The most dominant marine litter color was blue followed by black and white. The Pollution Load Index (PLI) values showed a moderate contamination of the Lebanese coast with MPs (PLI: 5.79 ± 3.93) except for several sites in Beirut that showed high values of PLI, highlighting the local influence of cities and rivers on MPs concentration. This study serves as an important baseline for understanding the characteristics of the seasonal variation of MPs along the Lebanese marine environment; it will help stakeholders and countries to take proactive and reactive actions to face plastic litter pollution in the Lebanese coastal area.

The European Ocean Observing Community (EOOC) integrates inputs from diverse entities dedicated to comprehensively monitoring and forecasting oceanic phenomena in European Seas. With increasing climate and anthropogenic pressures, the urgency of ensuring the EOOC’s preparedness to observe Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) is evident. This paper advocates for the adoption of a scoring approach designed to evaluate the readiness of the EOOC in observing and forecasting key ocean phenomena. The proposed scoring methodology can be applied at both European and potentially regional and/or national levels, and emerges as a transformative tool for scrutinizing the EOOC’s capability to predict and monitor key ocean phenomena. Our findings, based on the application of the scoring approach, suggest that while the community demonstrates commendable readiness levels for certain oceanic phenomena, 83% remain in developing stages, oscillating between “Idea” and “Trial” readiness levels. A closer examination exposes critical shortages predominantly in the coordination and observational facets (Process), and data management and information products (Output). The implications of these identified gaps reach far beyond academic realms, profoundly affecting diverse sectors and societal resilience (e.g., energy sector). The suggested scoring approach serves as a clear call for strategic investments and heightened support for the European observing community. By adopting a regular and systematic scoring methodology, we not only measure progress at present but also pave the way for a resilient and future-ready EOOC.

The EU funded project EuroSea brought together key actors of the European ocean observing and forecasting communities with key users of the ocean observing products and services in order to better integrate existing ocean observation systems and tools, and to improve the delivery of ocean information to users. EuroSea was constructed around the ocean observing value chain that connects observations to users of ocean information, and, just as intended, the value chain concept was a useful prism to improve the system. In this article, we summarize some of the main take-home messages from EuroSea on the needs for developing the European Ocean Observing System and its links with modeling and forecasting systems. During the project, the challenges and gaps in the design and coordination of the European ocean observing and forecasting system were identified and mapped. Many gaps and challenges related to the observations of physical, chemical and biological Essential Ocean Variables were identified. Some of these gaps are related to technological developments, while others are caused by insufficient and short-term funding leading to a not sustainable system, management, and cooperation between different entities, as well as limitations in foresight activities, policies and decisions. This article represents a compilation of the broader needs for advancing the observing and forecasting system, and is meant as a guide for the community, and to funders and investors to advance ocean observing and the delivery of ocean information in Europe. To enhance the sustainability of ocean observations, which is paramount for a reliable provision of quality oceanographic data and services, several recommendations were compiled for ocean observing networks, frameworks, initiatives, as well as the ocean observing funders within the European nations, and the European Commission.