Overlapping niches among sea urchin species reveal Sargassum-induced degradation at Caribbean shallow coral reefs.

Massive influxes of pelagic Sargassum into Caribbean coastal ecosystems have disrupted environmental conditions and reshaped benthic communities. We evaluated how varying levels of Sargassum exposure (2015-2021) influenced the isotopic niche structure of five reef-associated sea urchin species across three reef lagoons in the Mexican Caribbean. Exposure scenarios were classified as Low (2016-2017), High (2015, 2018), and Prolonged (2021) based on satellite-derived biomass and its effect on lagoon reefs over last years.

Contrast in the density and biomass of fish in a reef system with different fishing intensity in the Mexican Caribbean.

A wide range of fish species are caught in reef fisheries. However, fishing efforts tend to be highly selective in favor of large species, which generally have low population growth rates, making them more vulnerable to overfishing. When the decline of large predators occurs, fishing efforts start to focus on catching species from lower trophic levels, which can cause a trophic cascade effect.

Taxonomic insights into Desbonne (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) based on morphological and molecular data.

The genus belongs to the family Panopeidae and comprises a group of brachyuran crabs native to the American continent (except for ). However, taxonomic problems related to the presence of cryptic species have made it difficult to recognize the species and advance the biological knowledge of this group. Herein, a detailed description based on morphological and molecular data is provided for the species for the first time.

Corrigendum: The significance of cephalopod beaks as a research tool: An update.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.

The significance of cephalopod beaks as a research tool: An update.

The use of cephalopod beaks in ecological and population dynamics studies has allowed major advances of our knowledge on the role of cephalopods in marine ecosystems in the last 60 years. Since the 1960's, with the pioneering research by Malcolm Clarke and colleagues, cephalopod beaks (also named jaws or mandibles) have been described to species level and their measurements have been shown to be related to cephalopod body size and mass, which permitted important information to be obtained on numerous biological and ecological aspects of cephalopods in marine ecosystems. In the last decade, a range of new techniques has been applied to cephalopod beaks, permitting new kinds of insight into cephalopod biology and ecology.

Gene flow between subpopulations of gray snapper () from the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

Background: The gray snapper () has a tropical and subtropical distribution. In much of its range this species represents one of the most important fishery resources because of its high quality meat and market value. Due to this, this species is vulnerable to overfishing, and population declines have been observed in parts of its range.

The first global deep-sea stable isotope assessment reveals the unique trophic ecology of Vampire Squid Vampyroteuthis infernalis (Cephalopoda).

Vampyroteuthis infernalis Chun, 1903, is a widely distributed deepwater cephalopod with unique morphology and phylogenetic position. We assessed its habitat and trophic ecology on a global scale via stable isotope analyses of a unique collection of beaks from 104 specimens from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Cephalopods typically are active predators occupying a high trophic level (TL) and exhibit an ontogenetic increase in δN and TL.

Description of plastic remains found in the stomach contents of the jumbo squid Dosidicus gigas landed in Ecuador during 2014.

Squids are active and opportunistic predators that feed on a wide range of prey. Their active movements in the water column and their voracity promote a high consumption of food. In the pelagic environment off Ecuador, marine pollution is characterized by plastic debris with a mainland origin, including plastics trash of fishing gears.