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Ice-core records of climate from Greenland and Antarctica show asynchronous temperature variations on millennial timescales during the last glacial period (1). The warming during the transition from glacial to interglacial conditions was markedly different between the hemispheres, a pattern attributed to the thermal bipolar see-saw (2). However, a record from the Ross Sea sector of East Antarctica has been suggested to be synchronous with Northern Hemisphere climate change (3). Here we present a temperature record from the Talos Dome ice core, also located in the Ross Sea sector. We compare our record with ice-core analyses from Greenland, based on methane synchronization (4), and find clearly asynchronous temperature changes during the deglaciation. We also find distinct differences in Antarctic records, pointing to differences in the climate evolution of the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic sectors of Antarctica. In the Atlantic sector, we find that the rate of warming slowed between 16,000 and 14,500 years ago, parallel with the deceleration of the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and with a slight cooling over Greenland. In addition, our chronology supports the hypothesis that the cooling of the Antarctic Cold Reversal is synchronous with the Bølling–Allerød warming in the northern hemisphere 14,700 years ago(5).

We document a remarkable abundance of the tubeworm Serpula vermicularis Linnaeus, 1767, in bathyal coral habitats from the Bari Canyon System in the southern Adriatic Sea. Here, the specimens of S. vermicularis grow from muddy substrate either as isolated individuals or as localized clusters of multiple individuals. Peculiar tube aggregations are also associated with Madrepora oculata build-ups and other stony corals including Desmophyllum dianthus. Three types of coral-serpulid (C–S) frameworks have been recognized based upon size and shape. The abundance of S. vermicularis increases with the size of C–S frameworks, which results from superimposition, overgrowth, and/or intergrowth of scleractinians and serpulids. Several generations of S. vermicularis contribute to the C–S frameworks, each most probably accounting for more than 8 years and presumably existing in the area for the last hundreds of years. At a meso-scale, the distribution pattern of serpulids seems to be mainly governed by currents and siltation. A further constraint is the co-occurring solitary coral D. dianthus within frameworks. The successful sea-bottom colonization by S. vermicularis and associated C–S frameworks is possibly related to a high oxygen content and food supply derived from the North Adriatic Dense Water (NAdDW). The flourishing populations of S. vermicularis as well as the peculiarity of C–S frameworks suggest that deep-sea canyons provide important benthic habitats in bathyal environments.

We employed the COI sequences from specimens of top-shells to: (a) test the applicability of COI as a barcode marker for the trochid genus Gibbula s.l.; (b) provide a first taxonomically reliable data set of COI sequences useful for future studies; and (c) detect evidence of suspect intraspecific variability over a large geographical scale. We analysed a data set of 150 sequences from specimens morphologically ascribed to 17 putative species of Gibbula from the Mediterranean Sea and northeastern Atlantic, including the type species of 9 taxa traditionally considered as subgenera of Gibbula and representing over 50% of the roughly two dozen Mediterranean species, and also provided the DNA barcode for the endangered Maltese top-shell Gibbula nivosa. The analysis of the data set revealed that the COI is an effective barcode for the identification of the northeastern Atlantic top-shells, and also provides a tool to detect cryptic diversity.

Bioconstructions such as coralligenous outcrops and maërl beds are typical Mediterranean underwater seascapes. Fine-scale knowledge on the distribution of these sensitive habitats is crucial for their effective management and conservation. In the present study, a thorough review of existing spatial datasets showing the distribution of coralligenous and maërl habitats across the Mediterranean Sea was undertaken, highlighting current gaps in knowledge. Predictive modelling was then carried out, based on environmental predictors, to produce the first continuous maps of these two habitats across the entire basin. These predicted occurrence maps for coralligenous outcrops and maërl beds provide critical information about where the two habitats are most likely to occur. The collated occurrence data and derived distribution model outputs can help addressing the challenge of developing basin-wide spatial plans and to guide cost-effective future surveys and monitoring efforts towards areas that are presently poorly-sampled.

Abstract Whether jellyfish are increasing or not in the global ocean is a subject of some debate, but the fact remains that when they bloom, jellyfish can negatively affect local economies. Despite this, there has been no robust debate about the idea of deliberately removing jellyfish as a means of population control. Here, we discuss the effects of fishing for jellyfish, either as a sustainable resource and/or as a way to simply reduce their nuisance value, on both individual jellyfish populations and the ecosystem. Given that the drivers influencing each local bloom are different, or that the effects of more widespread drivers may be manifested differently at each locale, our priority at population control/use needs to be more basic research on jellyfish. While we do not advocate a no-fishing approach, we emphasize the need to be cautious in embracing jellyfish fisheries as a panacea and we need to consider the management of each bloom on a case-by-case basis.