In what researchers describe as a very rare phenomenon, large numbers of fruits and seeds from Posidonia oceanica, the higher plants that are vital for the health of the seas, have been washing ashore across Greece, Cyprus and other parts of the Mediterranean, signaling that this important and endangered seagrass has been in full “bloom.”…
Microplastics in the heart, in the human brain, in the liver, or in the kidneys… International scientific reporting on the subject is steadily increasing—almost as rapidly as the microscopic plastic particles accumulating in our bodies. And the outlook is not optimistic. The human body is contaminated by microplastics in various ways. They have been found…
This Collective Article compiles information on nineteen (19) species recorded in seven (7) Mediterranean countries (Croatia, Cyprus, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Syria, and Türkiye) and across four major sub-basins (Adriatic, Western, Central, and Eastern Mediterranean). The documented taxa represent eight (8) phyla: Annelida (four species), Arthropoda (three), Bryozoa (one), Chordata (two), Cnidaria (two), Mollusca (five), Chlorophyta…
This study investigates the implementation of non-formal educational programs for refugees, which have been implemented in the last seven years in Greek islands in the North and South Aegean Sea. Its main aim is to examine the types of the learning that take place in these educational environments, according to a certain strand of Adult…
Prostate cancer is among the top five leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Based on history and numerous studies, the Mediterranean region has been recognized as a rich source of healthy phytochemicals. This chapter aims to describe the most common plants from the Mediterranean basin >>> Tundis, R. In Discovery and Development of Anti-Prostate Cancerous…
Large wildfires have increased in the Mediterranean region due to socio-economic and land-use changes. The most immediate and concerning consequence of the wildfires is the loss of vegetation. However, there are few studies on the relationship between wildfire and vegetation recovery, especially on the complex relationship between species composition, burn severity and geo-environmental context. This…
Intercropping has been claimed to improve the soil structure and soil quality, however its effects on soil fertility parameters in semi-arid Mediterranean agroecosystems remain unclear. The objective of this study was to assess whether intercropping and its combination with N fertilisation are adequate practices to improve the soil aggregate stability and organic matter quality. An…
The success of green roofs in Mediterranean areas requires the selection of fast development plant species, able to grow in a shallow soilless substrate also under dry climatic conditions. In this context, the exploitation of native species from marginal sites characterized by limited availability of nutrients and water could be a strategy to select plants….
Mediterranean coastal wetlands account for important biodiversity and ecosystem services. But climate-change induced sea-level rise poses a critical risk to their survival. Here, we assess these risks for Mediterranean coastal marshes, one key type of Mediterranean coastal wetlands, and identify main drivers for future coastal marsh change for the Mediterranean and comparable coastlines. We apply…
Plastic pollution, particularly macro-plastic, poses significant threats to marine ecosystems worldwide, with adverse effects on marine megafauna such as mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles. This study examines the areas of higher risk of megafauna encountering floating macro-plastics in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, semi-enclosed basins with high anthropogenic pressures and plastic densities. Using Lagrangean and…