Effect of Climatic and Anthropogenic Disturbances on Sponge Fisheries

Diversity and shifts of the bacterial community associated with Baikal sponge mass mortalities

“…An increasing number of reports about sponge diseases and their mass mortality has been published [39–49]. These events can significantly affect the ecosystem as a whole, at least in some cases [36–38,50–54]. Despite the fact that infectious agents are often considered the main factors that cause the mass death of hydrobionts [38–40,48,55,56], only in two cases listed below it has it been possible to isolate and prove the pathogenicity of a certain type of microorganism for marine sponges.…”

Endobiotic communities of Marine Sponges in Cyprus (Levantine Sea)

“…Due to the crucial role sponges have within ecosystems, the more we know about their ecology, their associated communities, and the biotic and abiotic factors that affect their ability to thrive, the better our understanding can improve on how they potentially assist the increased abundance and biodiversity of an area. This is especially important for the Eastern Mediterranean because, even though it is an ultra-oligotrophic region, it once was one of the most productive sponge banks (Perez and Vacelet, 2014). Moreover, Cyprus has had a long history of sponge fishery and harvest, activities that have increasingly become more difficult due to the decreased population of commercial sponges from over-exploitation and global warming (Economou & Konteatis 1988, 1990; Perez and Vacelet, 2014).…”

“…This is especially important for the Eastern Mediterranean because, even though it is an ultra-oligotrophic region, it once was one of the most productive sponge banks (Perez and Vacelet, 2014). Moreover, Cyprus has had a long history of sponge fishery and harvest, activities that have increasingly become more difficult due to the decreased population of commercial sponges from over-exploitation and global warming (Economou & Konteatis 1988, 1990; Perez and Vacelet, 2014).…”

Observed and Projected Impacts of Climate Change on Marine Fisheries, Aquaculture, Coastal Tourism, and Human Health: An Update

“…Portuguese fisheries have experienced declines in landings of temperate fish and increased landings of subtropical and tropical species between 1970 and 2011, which have been statistically linked to changes in SST; since the latter species are often of greater commercial importance, increased SST under climate change may offer opportunities for fishers in the Mediterranean (Teixeira et al, 2014). Conversely, culturally-important sponge fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea have been threatened by climatic and anthropogenic stressors such as ocean warming, overfishing, and species invasions (Pérez and Vacelet, 2014), all of which are likely to continue under climate change. Likewise, the loss of economically valuable and endangered corals as a result of ocean acidification could lead to considerable losses in revenue, with values of 230-300 US$ kg −1 for thin juvenile branches of red coral (Corallium rubrum) and up to 50,000 US$ kg −1 for Pacific Corallium sp.…”