Ecosystem engineers are species that alter the physical environment in ways that create new habitat or change the suitability of existing habitats for themselves or other organisms. In marine systems, much of the focus has been on species such as corals, oysters, and macrophytes that add physical structure to the environment, but organisms ranging from microbes to jellyfish and finfish that res...

The occurrence of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi as a new invasive species in the Baltic Sea and the potential consequences for fish stock recruitment was investigated in spring 2007. The study focused on the Bornholm Basin, which serves as the major spawning ground for cod and sprat, the commercially most important fish stocks in the Baltic. The distribution pattern of M. leidyi revealed a s...

One new species of the genus Ctenophora Meigen, 1803, C. fumosa Men, sp. nov. (southern China: Anhui) is described and illustrated. A key to known species along with a checklist of known species of the genus Ctenophora are provided. The type specimens of the new species are deposited in the animal specimen room, School of Life Science, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, Anhui Province, China. 

Large-scale transitions between alternative states in ecosystems are known as regime shifts. Once described as healthy and dominated by various marine predators, the Black Sea ecosystem by the late 20th century had experienced anthropogenic impacts such as heavy fishing, cultural eutrophication, and invasions by alien species. We studied changes related to these "natural experiments" to reveal ...

A large fraction of primary production is recycled through a marine protozoa–bacterioplankton predator– prey chain in most aquatic ecosystems. The size of food resources and the ratio between predators and prey determine the organic matter transfer through the ‘classical’ or the ‘microbial’ pathway (Azam et al. 1983). The effect of grazers on the prey can play an important role in selectivity a...

It is reported the case of a 21-year-old female bather with a skin lesion, heart-shaped ,characteristic of attack by jellyfish.

Poisoning from the ingestion of marine animals such as shellfish and fish constitutes a small but consistent source of food poisoning outbreaks and illnesses. Although mortality is low, morbidity can be significant, with many patients needing to seek medical care. Tetrodotoxin poisoning is an exception, and significant mortality has been reported. Even though the vast majority of marine sea lif...