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        <title>Frontiers in Marine Science | New and Recent Articles</title>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science</link>
        <description>RSS Feed for Frontiers in Marine Science | New and Recent Articles</description>
        <language>en-us</language>
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        <pubDate>2026-05-14T09:25:30.461+00:00</pubDate>
        <ttl>60</ttl>
        <item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1827717</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1827717</link>
        <title><![CDATA[A case study of sea turtle hybridization in the north-western Caribbean verified by mitochondrial and multilocus nuclear sequences]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-14T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Brief Research Report</category>
        <author>Iván G. Hernández-Ávila</author><author>Danielle E. Leeman-Suastegui</author><author>Víctor H. Beltrán-Ramírez</author><author>Juan C. Sanabria-Juárez</author><author>Jatziri Y. Montero-Bautista</author><author>Gerardo A. Rivas-Hernández</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionThe family Cheloniidae includes seven species of marine turtles, separated by tens of millions of years from their common ancestor. Despite this, there have been remarkable cases of hybridization between different species within this lineage. Herein, a case study of a specimen found near Cancun (Yucatan Peninsula, NW Caribbean, Mexico) is described.MethodsA juvenile specimen was brought to the marine turtle hospital facility at Parque Ecoarqueológico Xcaret for treatment of a severe case of fibropapillomatosis. PCR amplification and sequencing were performed to identify species parental ancestors. One mitochondrial locus (D-loop) and five nuclear loci (R35, BDNF, CMOS, RAG1, and RAG2) were analyzed on the hybrid specimen and 15 reference specimens (RS) of E. imbricata (N = 7) and C. mydas (N = 8) from different locations on the Yucatan Peninsula.ResultsThe specimen showed mixed morphological features of both Eretmochelys imbricata and Chelonia mydas. Genetic analyses showed that the hybrid specimen has a mitochondrial haplotype affiliated to C. mydas. In four nuclear loci (R35, BDNF, RAG1, and RAG2), the genotypes were heterozygous, with one allele affiliated to E. imbricata RS and the other to C. mydas RS. For the CMOS locus the results were inconsistent throughout C. mydas RS and the hybrid specimen. The results of other loci were consistent with a first-generation hybrid between a C. mydas female and E. imbricata male.ConclusionIn the Caribbean, few confirmed cases of hybridization had been reported. This record contributes to monitoring interspecific reproductive interactions of Caribbean sea turtles.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1814806</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1814806</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Moving beyond controversy: is the chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) stock recovering?]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-14T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Dong-Jin Kwak</author><author>Do-Hoon Kim</author><author>Kyounghoon Lee</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) is a commercially significant and highly migratory species in the Northwest Pacific. Despite various management efforts, previous stock assessments have yielded inconsistent results, leading to ongoing debates regarding its stock status. To provide a robust assessment, this study employed two complementary models: CMSY++, which utilizes an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to objectively estimate prior biomass ranges, and a Bayesian State-Space (BSS) model. Crucially, the BSS model incorporated a correction for technical creep to address biases in Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) data—a factor frequently overlooked in previous research. The results from both models were consistent. In 2024, the relative biomass (B/BMSY) was estimated at 0.63 (CMSY++) and 0.59 (BSS), indicating that the stock remains overfished and below the Biomass at Maximum Sustainable Yield (BMSY). Kobe plot analysis further revealed that sustained high fishing mortality since the early 2000s has impeded recovery. This study demonstrates CMSY++ as an effective tool for reconciling discrepancies in data-limited assessments and underscores the necessity of correcting for technical creep to ensure accurate management decisions. Enhanced scientific surveys and the systematic collection of high-quality fisheries data are essential for the sustainable management of this transboundary stock.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1771071</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1771071</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Gender, technology, and labor in small-scale aquaculture in Chile]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-14T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Constantino Villarroel</author><author>Katina Roumbedakis</author><author>Julia T. Verba</author><author>Angelo Araya-Piñones</author><author>Gillian B. Ainsworth</author><author>Valeria Burgos-Fuster</author><author>Nancy Chandía</author><author>Niris Cortes</author><author>Andrés Hurtado</author><author>Veronica Relano</author><author>Jaime Aburto</author><author>Sebastian Villasante</author><author>José Bakit</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Small-scale aquaculture (SSA) has been promoted as a “blue transformation” strategy to achieve sustainable development. However, it remains unclear how these initiatives contribute to transforming gender relations in coastal communities. This study examines the case of Caleta Buena (Chile), where an SSA project is being implemented with the technical support of researchers. A qualitative methodology was employed using semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and photographic records, combined with content analysis and Structural Topic Modeling (STM), to analyze the differences between men’s and women’s narratives around the adoption of SSA. The findings highlight that SSA fulfills a dual role: materially, by diversifying production and income, and symbolically, by redefining community and gender roles. The women’s narratives emphasize quality of life and collective well-being, whereas the men’s discourse focuses on organizational strengthening and market integration. Although women gain autonomy and visibility through their participation in the aquaculture project, their empowerment remains partial and ambivalent, rooted in tasks historically associated with femininity. The study’s implications reveal an incipient agency that challenges the symbolic boundaries between masculine and feminine, opening a window of opportunity for more equitable institutional initiatives. The case study demonstrates the need to translate Chilean regulations on gender equality in artisanal fisheries into effective practices within these communities.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1810562</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1810562</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Navigating marine litter governance: loopholes and strategic recommendations for the EU policy framework]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-14T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Policy and Practice Reviews</category>
        <author>Demetra L. Orthodoxou</author><author>Xenia I. Loizidou</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Marine litter is a systemic problem, rooted in prevailing production and consumption patterns, material and product design choices, waste management structures, and behavioural practices. Addressing it requires a response that spans the entire lifecycle of materials and products, from design choices to robust end-of-life management. The European Union has positioned itself as a global frontrunner in the fight against marine litter, adopting an ambitious policy framework encompassing circular economy principles, zero pollution objectives and environmental protection goals. Nonetheless, there is a persistent misalignment between policy intent, implementation, and the scale and complexity of the marine litter challenge. The continued accumulation of marine litter in the ocean and on European and global coastlines suggests that there are structural and operational weaknesses to be identified and addressed. This paper analyses key European and selected international policy instruments relevant to marine litter prevention and management. The qualitative review of legislative instruments, supported by literature and available data, identifies structural weaknesses and implementation challenges. These include, inter alia, an insufficient focus on waste prevention, regulatory loopholes that enable the emergence of unsustainable product substitutes, disparities in waste management infrastructure across EU Member States, and a lack of harmonised and up-to-date data to support decision-making. Drawing on expert knowledge and insights, the identified policy gaps and weaknesses are translated into targeted, evidence-based, and actionable recommendations. The findings highlight the need to move beyond fragmented responses towards a more coherent policy framework that prioritises upstream interventions and strengthens enforcement towards a truly circular approach to addressing marine litter.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1811972</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1811972</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Effects of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics on immune function, disease resistance, digestive health, and stress management in fish culture]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Muyassar H. Abualreesh</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Aquaculture is a fast-growing farming sector, and fish production aims to meet global nutrient demand. Aquatic organisms are directly exposed to deteriorated ecological environments and die during outbreaks. In the beginning of aquaculture, several synthetic drugs were introduced to protect organisms, and continuous exposure results in antibiotic accumulation in fish and the development of drugresistance among microorganisms. In addition, exposure to these antibiotics affects the environment and affects nontargeted organisms. Probiotics, followed by prebiotics, were introduced in the aquaculture industry, and synbiotic interventions were subsequently proposed. Synbiotics are active combinations of prebiotics and probiotics that are used to improve digestive enzyme activity, antioxidant enzymes, antioxidant chemicals, immunity, growth performance, and feed utilization efficacy in fish. The application of synbiotics improved overall fish growth, stress mitigation and improved yield in aquaculture. Prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics are considered alternatives to synthetic drugs. Synbiotics improved gut microbiota, immune response, antioxidant mechanism, and stress mitigation effects. This narrative review focuses on current research advancements to address the research gap between synbiotics and healthy fish production. The variations in standard methodology in feed formulation, dosage of synbiotics, stages of fish, treatment period, route of administraton, selected fish type, and environmental conditions, and effectiveness of synbiotics have contributed to the major complexities of the field. The present study aimed to summarize the current research on the effects of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics on antioxidant molecules, digestive enzymes, and stress mitigation effects in fish, shrimps and oysters. From these results, it can be found that fish have the potential to change their microbial community according to the surrounding environment. Identifying research gaps in this field and understanding the role of synbiotics can improve fisher-friendly strategies to maximize fish growth performance, the immune response, and ecological balance.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1830559</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1830559</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Navigating the frontier of data openness: the obligation to cooperate in marine climate data governance under the AI Era]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Anyang Li</author><author>Weikang Wang</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Artificial intelligence (AI) models are increasingly used in marine climate monitoring, prediction, and decision support, yet their reliance on large-scale training data has exposed a structural imbalance in marine climate data governance. Data-contributing States, especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS), may provide critical local observational data while lacking access to early-warning products, localized decision-support tools, and model capabilities commensurate with their climate vulnerability. This article reassesses the obligations of marine environmental protection, cooperation, information exchange, and technical assistance under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the context of AI-enabled marine climate governance. Through doctrinal legal analysis and evolutive treaty interpretation, it examines how UNCLOS can respond to the transformation of marine climate data from shareable scientific information into AI-derived model capability. The analysis identifies three interrelated dilemmas: the decoupling of data contribution from model benefits, the market-based restriction of predictive services needed for public-risk governance, and the erosion of trust caused by opaque downstream data use and dual-use risks. It argues that conditional data openness should be understood as an interpretive specification of the duty to cooperate under UNCLOS in the AI era. This framework combines purpose limitation, procedural transparency, and fair reciprocity to ensure that data openness remains linked to public marine climate risk governance, traceable oversight, and model-capability-oriented technical assistance. This approach offers a legally grounded pathway for aligning AI-enabled marine climate governance with cooperation, equity, and the protection and preservation of the marine environment under UNCLOS.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1866646</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1866646</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Editorial: Marine ecology: functional symbioses in marine holobionts]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Editorial</category>
        <author>Laura Núñez-Pons</author><author>Anna Salvatori</author><author>Valerio Mazzella</author>
        <description></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1804298</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1804298</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Auction-based comparisons of landings, revenue and price structures between Bonanza (Sanlucar de Barrameda) and Isla Cristina (Gulf of Cadiz, SW Spain) in 2024]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Juan Vidal</author><author>Andres Chover</author><author>Daniel Coronil</author><author>Jose Juan Alonso</author>
        <description><![CDATA[This study compares landings, revenues, and price structures between two major Andalusian first-sale auctions in the Gulf of Cadiz (SW Spain): Bonanza (Sanlucar de Barrameda) and Isla Cristina. Using 2024 auction records aggregated at the vessel–species level, we analyse how outcomes differ across ports and whether contrasts are driven by species composition, within-species pricing, or scale (lot-size) effects. Descriptive statistical indicators, non-parametric inference (Mann–Whitney tests) and effect-size measures are complemented with alternative price models (log-OLS, Gamma-GLM and GAM) to assess the robustness of the price–quantity relationship. Results indicate that Bonanza tends to exhibit stronger performance for the typical vessel (higher landings, higher revenues, and greater species diversification), whereas Isla Cristina concentrates a larger share of total activity, consistent with a more scale-oriented structure dominated by a subset of high-throughput vessels. Differences in average unit values between ports are largely explained by species mix and volume weights (i.e., the relative importance of high- versus low-value taxa), while composition-controlled models point to a smaller within-species port effect for Isla Cristina that varies with landed quantity. Overall, routinely collected auction data provide a consistent basis for comparing port-level market outcomes and for distinguishing whether cross-port differences arise primarily from composition, pricing, or both.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1825017</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1825017</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Design and hydrodynamic analysis of a wave energy aquaculture platform for deep-sea operations]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Haiyang Liu</author><author>Hangfei Liu</author><author>Yanlan Xiong</author><author>Jing You</author><author>Yunjing Zhao</author><author>Xidong Zhou</author><author>Xiangfeng Guo</author><author>Yaohua Li</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Deep-sea wave-energy-integrated aquaculture platforms (WEAPs) lack systematic design guidance, facing inherent trade-offs between structural safety, aquaculture stability, and wave energy harvesting. This study optimizes a 300 m-class WEAP under 10-year return-period typhoon wave conditions (JONSWAP spectrum) via numerical comparisons of rigid/buoy-sinker mooring systems and single/dual-WEC-pontoon schemes. Results show that the proposed eight-chain buoy-sinker mooring reduces the WEAP’s horizontal displacement by 92.4% and peak mooring tension by 27% compared with rigid mooring. For the dual-WEC-pontoon configuration, this mooring further enhances motion stability and boosts wave energy conversion efficiency to 38–42%. With excellent hydrostatic stability and a 7440.3 m³ stable aquaculture volume, the dual-WEC-pontoon WEAP with eight-chain buoy-sinker mooring serves as an optimal, scalable solution for 300 m deep-sea operations.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1820102</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1820102</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Short-term and long-term prediction of South China Sea SST based on multiple meteorological factors and machine learning]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Wenya Ji</author><author>Jiyuan Yin</author><author>Jianhu Wang</author><author>Menglu Wang</author><author>Juan Li</author><author>Yiqiu Yang</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Sea surface temperature (SST) is a vital component of the climate system, and its spatiotemporal variations significantly influence global climate and ecological equilibrium. Unlike most existing univariate SST prediction models that neglect atmospheric forcing information, this study proposes a machine learning-driven multivariate framework integrating key meteorological variables to learn data-driven, nonlinear relationships for improved SST prediction. Based on the ERA5 reanalysis data, three machine learning algorithms, namely, Random Forest (RF), XGBoost and LightGBM, are used to construct short-term and long-term SST forecast models for the South China Sea. The input feature variables include seven meteorological and hydrological variables such as SST, 10m u-component of wind (U10), 10m v-component of wind (V10), 2m dewpoint temperature (d2m), 2m temperature (t2m), mean sea level pressure (SLP), and total cloud cover (TCC). Correlation analysis revealed that these meteorological factors are significantly correlated with SST, with the strongest correlations observed for 2-meter dew point temperature and 2-meter air temperature. Model performance is assessed using metrics such as Mean Squared Error (MSE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and the coefficient of determination (R²). The results indicate that the RF model exhibits the highest accuracy for both short-term and long-term forecasting models. Furthermore, this study explores high-resolution SST forecasting models for the South China Sea, revealing that total cloud cover (TCC) contributes more to SST predictions than sea surface salinity (SSS), and the model performs well across most areas of the South China Sea (excluding coastal regions), achieving forecasts with a lead time of at least 20 months. The long lead-time prediction ability derived from a multivariate input design further highlights the advantages of the proposed method over traditional single-factor models. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of machine learning algorithms for SST prediction, providing an efficient approach to understanding future SST changes and their potential impacts, while emphasizing the necessity of integrating multiple meteorological factors to enhance forecasting accuracy.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1835326</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1835326</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Response of offshore wind turbine monopile-liquefiable seabed-seawater coupled system to vertical and horizontal seismic excitations]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Chen Wang</author><author>Jia-Jia Xu</author><author>Ye-Jun Sun</author><author>Jun Wang</author><author>Fei Cai</author><author>Dong Cai</author><author>Zheng-Hai Sha</author><author>Feng-Xue Jin</author><author>Ling-Yu Xu</author>
        <description><![CDATA[A comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing offshore wind turbine (OWT) response in liquefiable seabeds during seismic events remains incomplete, particularly with respect to vertical ground motion components and tripartite seawater-structure-soil interaction dynamics. A 3D integrated monopile-seabed-seawater model for a monitored 6.45-MW OWT is developed, featuring acoustic elements for seawater hydrodynamics, advanced constitutive models for liquefaction and material damping, and coupled vertical-horizontal seismic input. The dynamic characteristic of the OWT is rigorously validated through ​continuous vibration acceleration monitoring. Key findings reveal that: (1) Increasing monopile embedment depth in non-liquefied soil layers effectively mitigates liquefaction-induced residual lateral displacements; (2) Monopile vertical displacement amplitude depends critically on both seismic input frequency and the phase difference between horizontal/vertical peak ground accelerations; (3) Seawater presence restrains monopile displacements, while neglecting seabed-seawater coupling leads to underestimated excess pore water pressure (EPWP) buildup in shallow seabed layers during seismic events; (4) Vertical seismic motion dominates seawater’s influence on OWT seismic response by coupling with hydrodynamic pressure to amplify the EPWP changes in liquefiable seabeds. The results demonstrate that comprehensive consideration of coupled vertical seismic excitation and fluid-soil-structure interaction is essential for accurate liquefaction assessment of OWT foundations.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1760679</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1760679</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Long-term changes of summer larval fish community in relation to environmental trends in the NW Mediterranean]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Vanesa Raya</author><author>Ana Sabatés</author>
        <description><![CDATA[This work investigates the main changes undergone by the summer larval fish community over three decades along the Catalan coast, an area characterized by a wide array of environmental conditions. The study was based on nine ichthyoplankton surveys carried out in June, July and September in three decades, 1980s, 2000s and 2010s, covering the same area and applying the same sampling methodology. Throughout the study period, an increase in sea surface temperature, particularly marked in June, and a decrease in surface chlorophyll-a associated with a decline in runoff from the Ebro and Rhone rivers was observed. Marked changes in the composition and abundance of the larval fish community were detected between June and July in the 1980s and the following decades. These changes were mainly due to the presence for the first time in the area of warm-water species, such as Thalassoma pavo and Caranx rhonchus, or to the increase in their abundance, such as Sardinella aurita and Pomatomus saltatrix, in the 2000s in relation to the northward expansion of the adults‘ range. The presence of larvae of warm-water species in the 2000s and 2010s contributed to an increase in specific richness of the larval fish community compared to values obtained in the 1980s. Other species showed a decline in abundance over time, probably due to a decrease in surface chlorophyll-a, e.g. Engraulis encrasicolus, although overexploitation is also an important factor to consider. Larvae of other species, such as coastal and mesopelagic fishes, did not show changes in abundance over the three decades. In a future scenario of increasing sea water temperature and marine heatwaves events, enhanced stratification, and decreasing surface primary production, the changes that may occur in the fish larvae community will largely depend on the adaptive responses of individual species to the new environmental conditions.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1809549</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1809549</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Advancing equity through the “capability to aspire” in ocean and coastal governance: centering indigenous and local values to shape social–ecological futures — a review]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Marycarmen Martinez Diaz</author><author>Ilisapeci Lyons</author><author>Cameron S. Fletcher</author><author>Iain Gordon</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Calls for equity and justice are increasingly shaping ocean and coastal governance; however, a persistent challenge remains in centering how Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Communities’ (IPLCs) values are meaningfully recognized and enacted within decision-making processes, particularly under accelerating socioecological change. This review synthesizes interdisciplinary scholarship to examine how IPLCs mobilize their knowledge, values, and risk perspectives to influence marine governance and stewardship. Using a reflexive thematic analysis of 27 empirical studies published between 2015 and 2024, we analyze the conditions, practices, and governance arrangements that support or constrain the expression of IPLC values across diverse coastal and marine contexts. The review identifies three overarching insights. First, IPLC values are mobilized through mechanisms such as tenure, treaty-making, collaborative governance, and Indigenous-led research, which strengthen authority and support culturally grounded stewardship. Second, IPLC knowledge systems sustain relational, place-based practices of care that contribute to adaptive management. However, these local place-based practices are increasingly challenged by intersecting uncertainties including competing ocean uses, climate-driven environmental change, and limited transparency in decision-making. Third, pathways for more equitable governance are emerging through future-oriented stewardship, knowledge weaving, experimental management, collaborative monitoring, and collective action. These factors establish some of the foundations for building capabilities to enable governance transitions, in particular, the capability to aspire to create alternative futures to mobilize IPLC values to be better represented in coastal and ocean governance. Across the literature, however, our analysis finds that the agency-based capability to aspire for governance transitions vary and are uneven within contexts, potentially establishing the conditions for entrenched inequity for IPLCs into the future. Building the capability to aspire relies on inquiry that combines knowledge of the past, observations of current conditions and judgement of the past and present to assess plausible futures. We argue that IPLC-defined capability to aspire for plausible governance transitions, based on the ability to sustain and voice values, negotiate authority, mobilize resources and adapt stewardship practices within shifting governance and ecological conditions, represent a critical and underexamined dimension of ocean equity. This review advances an emerging future-oriented capability and dimension of equity.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1735700</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1735700</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Effects of different freshwater sources on microplankton in the Western Arctic Ocean]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Dai Sumiyoshi</author><author>Manami Tozawa</author><author>Amane Fujiwara</author><author>Kohei Matsuno</author>
        <description><![CDATA[While freshwater input into the western Arctic Ocean is increasing, studies evaluating the impacts of different freshwater sources—namely river water and sea-ice meltwater—on microplankton remain limited. In this study, we examined microplankton and hydrographic conditions during the late summers of 2021, 2023, and 2024 to evaluate the influences of different freshwater sources. Microplankton were identified and counted using an inverted microscope. In addition to water temperature, salinity, and nutrient concentrations, the fractions of river runoff (frro) and sea ice meltwater (fsimw) were estimated. High microplankton abundance (56,000 cells L−1) was observed in the group strongly influenced by river water (frro: 3%) but less affected by sea ice meltwater (fsimw: 7%), whereas the group strongly influenced by both freshwater sources (frro: 4%, fsimw: 15%) exhibited low abundance (530 cells L−1). In the former group, a lower overall freshwater proportion may have inhibited the full development of salinity stratification, allowing enhanced nutrient supply from deeper layers through upwelling. Therefore, nutrient-demanding taxa such as Chaetoceros dominated in the group. In contrast, strong salinity stratification in the latter group may have limited nutrient supply to surface waters. Consequently, heterotrophic taxa such as ciliophora tended to dominate. To our knowledge, this study provides one of the first evaluations of how different freshwater sources influence microplankton in the western Arctic Ocean. We compared the effects of freshwater accumulation on microplankton across different regions. Our results indicate that phytoplankton proliferation can be either promoted or suppressed depending on differences in freshwater sources and their complex interactions with environmental factors. This study provides a detailed assessment of how distinct freshwater sources, such as river water and sea ice meltwater, influence microplankton dynamics in the western Arctic Ocean. Furthermore, in 2021, sea ice melt was unusually delayed, and extensive sea ice remained even in the late summer. We also examined whether this unusually extensive sea ice influenced the microplankton community structure. Together, these results highlight the importance of considering both the magnitude and source of freshwater input, as well as sea-ice conditions, when evaluating microplankton dynamics in the western Arctic Ocean.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1837790</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1837790</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Can we have our cake and eat it too? A collaborative pathway for ecological conservation and high-quality development in the river-sea convergence zone of the Yellow River Basin]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Ran Shang</author><author>Meixian Wang</author><author>Wen Wang</author><author>Qingqing Zhang</author><author>Jing Li</author>
        <description><![CDATA[In river-sea confluence zones, where land-sea interactions are highly concentrated, achieving synergy between ecological conservation and high-quality development is essential for regional sustainability. As the only river-sea transition zone in the Yellow River Basin, Shandong Province serves as a critical ecological security barrier while facing increasing pressure from intensive development and resource-environment constraints. Against this backdrop, this study takes Shandong Province as the research area and constructs a multi-level analytical framework integrating ecological conservation and high-quality development. From the dual perspectives of intra-system coordination and inter-system coupling, it evaluates coordination levels and identifies spatial differentiation patterns under land-sea integration. The results show that ecological conservation in Shandong is generally coordinated, forming “acore-periphery” spatial pattern, although uncoordinated areas remain concentrated along major rivers and lake regions. High-quality development remains at a relatively low level overall, with pronounced imbalance among the five development concept subsystems; in particular, innovation exhibits weak coordination with other subsystems and constitutes a key constraint. Moreover, the relationship between ecological conservation and high-quality development is dominated by incoordination, with more than 70% of the area classified as uncoordinated, while coordinated regions are mainly distributed in southern Shandong and parts of the Jiaodong Peninsula, showing a fragmented pattern. These findings indicate that the coordination relationship is jointly shaped by resource-environment constraints and land-sea coupling processes. By incorporating a land-sea integrated perspective, this study refines the analytical framework for understanding the interaction between ecological conservation and development, and provides empirical support for differentiated governance and sustainable development in river-sea transitional zones.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1763044</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1763044</link>
        <title><![CDATA[From local discovery to global insights: deep-sea amphipod diversity in a high-seas marine protected area and its conservation implications]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Anne-Nina Lörz</author><author>Laura Engel</author><author>Anna M. Jażdżewska</author><author>Stefanie Kaiser</author><author>Martin Schwentner</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The deep ocean, while home to a remarkable diversity of life, remains one of the least understood environments on Earth. This profound lack of information hampers our ability to protect and manage deep-sea ecosystems effectively, especially as they face escalating threats from human activities such as resource extraction, pollution, and climate change. In light of these knowledge gaps, this study investigates the diversity of benthic amphipods collected from abyssal depths within the recently established North Atlantic Current and Evlanov Sea basin (NACES) high-seas marine protected area (MPA). Amphipods, with their brooding reproductive strategy and absence of a dispersive larval stage, are potentially limited in their distribution. This makes them valuable for biogeographic studies as biographic histories are maintained over longer periods of time. A total of 253 amphipod cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences were newly generated; these include 99 from the NACES MPA, 43 from the Labrador Sea, 42 from the Azores as well as 69 eusirids from other populations in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Antarctic. A single epibenthic sledge haul from the NACES MPA in 3,677 m depth revealed 47 amphipod molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) from 98 sequenced individuals, with Chao1 estimates exceeding 120 species. This highlights unexpectedly high benthic diversity at local scales. The majority of these species could not be unambiguously assigned to known species, but many of these are probably new to science. Two of these species are formally described, Cleonardo helga sp. nov. and Cleonardo davinci sp. nov., and a dichotomous key to all known Cleonardo species worldwide is provided. Biogeographic links were studied for species of the family Eusiridae Stebbing, 1888 by comparing the NACES MOTUs to newly sequenced data from the North Atlantic and all existing COI sequences from GenBank and Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD). Of the eight NACES eusirid MOTUs, four were recorded also from other abyssal regions including the Labrador Sea, the Azores, the Arctic, and North and West Pacific. By linking the discovery of local species to broader global distribution patterns, this research enhances our understanding of deep-sea marine ecosystems and underscores the importance of conservation efforts in safeguarding these vulnerable marine habitats.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1794902</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1794902</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Impacts of coinciding ocean acidification and warming on the fatty acid profile of the pteropod Limacina helicina within the Northeast Pacific coastal region]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Clara L. Mackenzie</author><author>Chen Yin V. Walker</author><author>Matthew R. Miller</author><author>Miki Nomura</author><author>Sarah Spencer</author><author>Ian P. Forster</author><author>Chrys M. Neville</author><author>Christopher M. Pearce</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Under global climate change, co-occurrence of ocean acidification (OA) and warming poses a substantial threat to marine ecosystems. The present study focused on the Strait of Georgia within the Northeast Pacific region, where conditions of aragonite undersaturation exist year-round across the majority of the water column, with further intensification expected under OA. These conditions coincide with persistent rises in mean seasonal seawater temperatures and increased prevalence of acute stressor events, such as marine heatwaves and low-pH upwelling events. Limacina helicina, a pteropod species well-represented within the region’s zooplankton communities, is susceptible to OA and warming, with documented impacts including altered shell development, growth, and survival. To date, however, there has been minimal investigation into the effects of OA and warming on the species’ fatty acid profile under regionally-relevant conditions, thereby contributing to a lack of understanding of how impacts at lower trophic levels may relay across ecosystems. To address this knowledge gap, we examined the survival and fatty acid profile of L. helicina under future conditions via a laboratory experiment during which pteropods were exposed to singular and coinciding warming (mean summer seawater temperature + 4 °C) and OA (Ωarag < 1) conditions, with fatty acid analyses carried out via gas chromatography at 48-h and 5-d timepoints. OA conditions significantly altered fatty acid proportions at 48 h, and there was an additional interactive effect of OA and warming. Temperature significantly affected survival at 5 d, although experimental starvation conditions likely confounded this result. Additionally, fatty acid analyses of L. helicina picked from historical plankton samples collected in the region over 2014–2023 were carried out to examine time-series changes in fatty acid profiles in relation to temperature records. Results indicated no significant differences in fatty acid fractions among years, though there was suggestion of a changing proportion of myristic acid over a number of year groups. Overall, findings suggest that short-term OA conditions may result in altered fatty acid composition in pteropods, potentially leading to shifts in nutritional quality and associated impacts on trophic energy transfer.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1812200</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1812200</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Assessment of coastal vulnerability to sea level rise: a case study of the Kenyan coastline]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-12T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Abigail Kagema</author><author>Anselme Muzirafuti</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionKenya's 640 km coastline faces escalating exposure to sea-level rise, yet no integrated, spatially explicit assessment combining physical and socioeconomic vulnerability exists for the entire national coastline. This study addresses that gap by developing the first GIS-based Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) at national scale using exclusively open-access data.MethodsThe shoreline was divided into 7,555 segments of approximately 200 m, each attributed with eight physical indicators (including shoreline change rate, coastal elevation, geomorphology, bathymetry, and sea-level rise trend) and three socioeconomic indicators (population density, land use/land cover, and distance to coastal infrastructure). Indicators were ranked on a 1–5 ordinal scale and weighted using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (CR = 0.046 and 0.033 for physical and socioeconomic sets respectively), then aggregated into a Physical Vulnerability Index (PVI) and Socioeconomic Vulnerability Index (SoVI), each normalised to a 0–100 scale and combined into the final CVI.ResultsOverall, 31.7% of coastal segments fall in the High or Very High CVI class (mean CVI = 51.66). The most vulnerable stretches are concentrated along the Kilifi–Malindi corridor, where active erosion and sandy geomorphology coincide with elevated socioeconomic exposure, and near the Mombasa urban core. An at-risk inventory of 46 heritage sites, hotel facilities, and biodiversity areas shows that all mapped heritage sites fall in the High or Very High CVI class, with a mean CVI of 74.14.DiscussionThe elevated socioeconomic vulnerability relative to physical vulnerability underscores the role of human exposure in driving composite coastal risk in Kenya. The open-data framework developed here provides a transferable, replicable baseline for evidence-based coastal adaptation planning in Kenya and comparable data-constrained regions of East Africa.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1832655</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1832655</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Targeting neuroinflammatory networks with marine natural products: evidence, mechanisms, and translational challenges]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-12T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Hao Zhang</author><author>Jiachen Yu</author><author>Ruifan Sheng</author><author>Shenyun Zhang</author><author>Lihong Chen</author><author>Honghai Wang</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Neuroinflammation is a common feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), and traumatic brain injury (TBI). It shows a stage-dependent shift from peripheral immune involvement to more compartmentalized inflammation within the central nervous system, together with sustained glial reprogramming, amplification of inflammasome and cytokine signaling, and close coupling with metabolic stress, oxidative stress, and impaired proteostasis. In chronic disease settings, conventional peripherally acting anti-inflammatory therapies often fail to restore neuroimmune homeostasis, which supports a shift from suppressing single pathways to evaluating inflammatory network states as integrative therapeutic targets. Here, we present a narrative critical review of marine-derived bioactive compounds as multi-target, cross-system immunomodulators. Using Alzheimer’s disease as a representative mechanistic framework, we examine evidence that brown algae–derived phlorotannins, fucoxanthin, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) engage regulatory nodes including NF-κB/MAPK signaling, the NLRP3 inflammasome, autophagy–lysosome pathways, mitochondrial homeostasis, and synaptic plasticity. Sodium oligomannate (GV-971) is discussed as a proof-of-concept example for gut–immune–brain axis modulation, together with the interpretive limits of current mechanistic and clinical evidence. Overall, the field has substantial conceptual value, but the available evidence remains predominantly preclinical and heterogeneous. Future translation will require stage-aware stratification, route-specific development logic, translatable endpoints, and explicit PK–PD and target-engagement validation.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1757374</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1757374</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Trade-offs of nest relocation in hawksbill turtles: effects on hatching success and hatchling performance]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-12T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Sally Saliba</author><author>Sarahaizad Mohd-Salleh</author><author>Jassim Al-Khayat</author><author>Christopher D. Marshall</author><author>David Smyth</author><author>Mark Chatting</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Nest relocation is widely used to safeguard sea turtle clutches from inundation, predation, and human disturbance, yet the consequences for hatchling quality remain uncertain, particularly under extreme thermal regimes such as those of the Arabian Gulf. The present study evaluated whether incubation method influences both hatching success and hatchling morphological and locomotor traits in hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting in Qatar by comparing three strategies: in situ, ex situ (relocated to protected hatcheries), and split-clutch (relocated and divided evenly between two nests), without direct measurement or experimental control of nest temperatures. Ex situ relocation significantly increased hatching success relative to in situ nests, while split-clutch achieved the highest success overall. However, ex situ hatchlings showed reduced physical performance and smaller flipper width compared to in situ hatchlings, suggesting potential performance trade-offs associated with full relocation. In contrast, split-clutch hatchlings performed comparably to in situ hatchlings across performance traits, suggesting that this strategy may reduce some performance trade-offs associated with ex situ incubation, although these findings should be interpreted cautiously given the limited split-clutch sample size. Our results highlight a management trade-off where ex situ relocation boosts output but may depress early-life performance metrics, whereas split-clutch incubation can deliver high hatching success while maintaining hatchling quality. These findings suggest that split-clutch incubation warrants further evaluation as a targeted, site-specific management tool, coupled with continued monitoring of nest thermal profiles and post-emergence performance. These findings provide useful insights for coastal managers seeking to optimize reproductive output and hatchling viability under intensifying climate and human pressures.]]></description>
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